Child Abuse Essay Example for Free

Child Abuse Essay If you were placed in a position were your life was put into danger would you risk escaping? This question was asked by Jaycee Dugard everyday during her eighteen year being held captive. In her memoir A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard explains to us why she didnt try to run from her abductor Philip Garrido even though she was given so many chances to do so. In most situations it is very difficult for victims to escape their abusers control. In the past it was near impossible for victims of abduction to escape safely on their own. With the realization that We have seen a significent increase in the number of thru the means of strangers, family or friends (Amber Alert 1). It has been easier to help child abduction victims with systems like the Amber Alert system, yet it is still difficult for the victims to leave on their own. Abuse victims along with Dugard also struggle with gaining the strength to leave. Years after Dugard was rescued she says You must find your voice and not be afraid to speak up (Dugard 148). Something she regrets doing while being held captive. In the end the claim that victims of abuse should take more responsibility to escaoe their abusers control should be challenges because of the difficulty to escape their abusers control and to gain the strength to leave. Not only do child victims of abuse deal with the control of their abuser, but many adults deal with the same issue. Many women deal with the challenge of leaving their abusive partner, but fail because of the partner control and power they have over their victims. Many women find it difficult because they remain emotionally and economically dependent on their batterer (Domestic Violence 1). In most marital situations their is a cycle of abuse and the familys life becomes a cycle of violence. The man who was terrifying and intimidating turns into a remorseful, needy, and dependent man. The woman who was battered then will feel sorry for the man and recommit to him in a fantasized hope that the abuse wont happen again. But the cycle of abuse will begin again, often becoming worse (Domestic Violence 2). In order to escape this abuse the cycle must be broken. According to Blich, Stranger kidnapping victimizes more females then males, occurs primarily at outdoor locations, victimizes both teenagers and school-age children, is associated with sexual assaults in the case of girl victims (Blich 1). After being abducted children are usually brainwashed and manipulated, gaining the abductor even more control. This is what happened in Dugards situation. Philip Garrido, Dugards  abductor, told her that he was hurting her so he wouldnt have to hurt other little girls, thereby making Dugard feel that if she did try to leave it would be her fault for the pain he caused others (Dugard 158). In doing so Garrido gained complete control over Dugard. However strong you are most can agree that it is very difficult to leave somebody you are dependent on, yet it is necessary if you want to go on happily. Therefore th e claim that abuse victims should take more responsibility to escape their control is difficult for anyone. Many will argue that people who are abused should take more responsibility to to escape from their abuser. In some situations outsiders will argue that we should outsmart our abuser and learn from it making us stronger to leave. According to The Washington Post, They escaped these things not through the efforts of good samaritans, but through recognizing a bad situation and either getting away from it, avoiding it or screaming and kicking to draw attention (St. George 1). This proves that children are capable not responsible. Another argument is that the child who is being abducted should be able to help themselves and escape the situation. The child should do whatever is necessary to stay out of the car, because once the child is in that car, it dramatically reduces the chances of escape (St. George 2). This is a lot of responsibility put onto a young child. How do we expect an eight year-old girl to escape a potential abuser if many forty year-old women cant leave an abuser they have been with for years. During Dugards eighteen year abduction several visuals were taken to show the pain of her loved ones. It can be proven that many were concerned with her abduction. In the visual Missing published in The Telegraph (2009). We are shown both Dugards mother, Terry Probyn, and step-father, Carl Probyn, they look heartbroken and distressed. Some would argue that with how much Jaycee Dugard knew she was loved, she should of gained enough strength and motivation to escape and go back to living her everyday life. However she was unaware of this while being held captive. The argument that in domestic abuse options are available to leave or available to encourage victims to leave is true, yet difficult. Victims have the option of professional help and gaining awareness of the situation. With the cycle of abuse it is very hard to get to the point were you understand you need the help, then there is the struggle of actually going ahead and doing it. Regardless of the several arguments that people can challenge we have proof from specific  situations like Dugards along with more common issue like marital dispute that without finding overall strength and gaining the courage to escape the abuser control it is impossible to escape and go back to your normal life. Gaining strength is one of the most difficult things to do in life. One way we gain strength is having support and happiness. How do we gain strength if we dont have either? This faces millions of people daily who are in abusive relationships. They simply cant find the strength to leave. In Dugards memoir she says although she is unhappy she is too afraid of the risk of leaving and doesnt know how she would be able to take care of herself and her two daughters. One of the reasons I stayed was I wanted my kids to be safe. The outside was scary for me. I was so afraid that if i left or tried to leave and take them both with me I wouldnt be able to protect them (Dugard 276). Even her knowing the fact that if she were to escape successfully her daughters could have a much better life, yet if they werent successful they would have to continue living in hiding in the backyard of Garridos home. She didnt have enough strength to take the risk although the successful end results were so much better then her current situation. In abuse situations victims struggle with the same issue of strength. In between the cycle of abuse there is only a small gap between the man being violent and the women feeling remorseful and forgiving him. Where gaining the strength in between that small gap is difficult especially when it would need to be regained the next time the abuse restarts. Women also have other options. Most women have a supportive family or homes they can go to keep safe. But strength is key and difficult to obtain when one is constantly bringing you down. Although more options are available to leave, like hot-line cards in bathrooms for abuse victims or Dugard being taken into public with the option to run, we need strength to take them. Strength is a necessity to leave making the claim that abuse victims are responsible for leaving their abuser difficult to prove. In conclusion finding the courage to leave an abuser is an unthinkable challenge to those placed in that position. Without finding the strength and escaping the overwhelming control of the abuser its near impossible. As time goes on there becomes more options for abuse to happen or lead to abuse. One in five children ten to seventeen receive unwanted sexual solicitations online (Blich 1), which can lead to a more serious abuse. No matter how different the situations  are the abuse victims suffer through they can relate back to the same struggles. According to Jayvee Dugard after her long term abuse she refers to life today as A light that I thought had been extinguished was coming back to life (Dugard 238). While in the position of abuse its difficult to find the strength, but it can be gained again. The difficulty of escaping the abuser will also be difficult. It will remain difficult while recovering from the abuse. The claim that people should take more responsibility to escape their abusers? False.

Contrary Interpretations of The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow Wallpape

Contrary Interpretations of The Yellow Wallpaper   Ã‚   â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was first published in New England Magazine in 1892.   Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an advocate for the advancement of women, authored the short story.   She intended the piece to bring to light the inherent ineptitude of the Weir Mitchell â€Å"rest cure.†Ã‚   Though this subject is addressed, many other pertinent topics are broached, ever so subtly.   Other themes in the book include the role of women in a society dominated by men, the role of the mother, and how oppression can affect the mind of a creative individual.   These themes, however, can be altered merely by how the tale is edited.   I intend to point out some of the pertinent differences that exist between the full text of the story and an abridged version, describing how they give the same story contrary interpretations.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To better understand the differences I will be noting, one may find it helpful to be familiar with the basic plot of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Ã‚   Both versions relate the story of a woman losing her mind.   She has not been feeling well for some time, so her husband, a physician, decides a summer spent relaxing in the country would benefit her.   While there, she is forbidden to write in her journal, as it indulges her imagination, which is not in accordance with her husband’s wishes.   Despite this, the narrator makes entries in the journal whenever she has the opportunity.   Through these entries we learn of her obsession with the wallpaper in her bedroom.   She is enthralled with it and studies the paper for hours.   She fancies she sees a woman trapped behind the pattern in the paper.   The story reaches its climax when her husband must force his way into the bedroom, only to find... ...woman being driven mad by her position in life.   The wallpaper merely serves as a catalyst for her breakdown.   This interpretive discrepancy, as well as the loss of authenticity and finally the weakening of John’s power, ultimately leaves the two versions of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† open to varying interpretations.       Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins.   The Yellow Wallpaper.   Ed. Dale M. Bauer.   Bedford Cultural Edition.   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1998. ---. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Ã‚   Great American Short Stories.   Pleasantville: Reader’s Digest, 1977.   195-206. Works Consulted Golden, Catherine, ed. The Captive Imagination: A Casebook on "The Yellow Wallpaper." New York: Feminist Press, 1992 Kasmer, Lisa. "Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper': A Symptomatic Reading." Literature and Psychology. 36, (1990): 1-15.   

Hydrolic Fracking Research Paper Essay

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells in the United States, where millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to break apart the rock and release the gas. Scientists are worried that the chemicals used in fracturing may pose a threat either underground or when waste fluids are handled and sometimes spilled on the surface. The natural gas industry defends hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, as safe and efficient. Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-industry non-profit organization, claims fracking has been â€Å"a widely deployed as safe extraction technique,† dating back to 1949. What he doesn’t say is that until recently energy companies had used low-pressure methods to extract natural gas from fields closer to the surface than the current high-pressure technology that extracts more gas, but uses significantly more water, chemicals, and elements. The industry claims well drilling in the Marcellus Shale will bring several hundred thousand jobs, and has minimal health and environmental risk. President Barack Obama in his January 2012 State of the Union, said he believes the development of natural gas as an energy source to replace fossil fuels could generate 600,000 jobs. However, research studies by many economists and others debunk the idea of significant job creation. Barry Russell, president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, says â€Å"no evidence directly connects injection of fracking fluid into shale with aquifer contamination.† Fracking â€Å"has never been found to contaminate a water well,† says Christine Cronkright, communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Research studies and numerous incidents of water contamination prove otherwise. In late 2010, equipment failure may have led to toxic levels of chemicals in the well water of at least a dozen families in Co noquenessing Township in Bradford County. Township officials and Rex Energy, although acknowledging that two of the drilling wells had problems with the casings, claimed there were pollutants in the drinking water before Rex moved into the area. John Fair disagrees. â€Å"Everybody had good water a year ago,† Fair told environmental writer and activist Iris Marie Bloom in February 2012. Bloom says residents told her the color of water changed to red, orange, and gray after Rex began drilling. Among the chemicals detected in the well water, in addition to methane gas, were ammonia, arsenic, chloromethane, iron, manganese, t-butyl alcohol, and toluene. While not acknowledging that its actions could have caused the pollution, Rex did provide fresh water to the residents, but then stopped doing so on Feb. 29, 2012, after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said the well water was safe. The residents absolutely disagreed and staged protests against Rex; environmental activists and other residents trucked in portable water jugs to help the affected families. The Marcellus Outreach Butler blog (MOB) declared that residents’ â€Å"lives have been severely disrupted and their health has been severely impacted. To just ‘close the book’ on investigations into their troubles when so many indicators point to the accountability of the gas industry for the disruption of their lives is unbelievable . In April 2011, near Towanda, Pa., seven families were evacuated after about 10,000 gallons of wastewater contaminated an agricultural field and a stream that flows into the Susquehanna River, the result of an equipment failure, according to the Bradford County Emergency Management Agency.The following month, DEP fined Chesapeake Energy $900,000, the largest amount in the state’s history, for allowing methane gas to pollute the drinking water of 16 families in Bradford County during the previous year. The DEP noted there may have been toxic methane emissions from as many as six wells in five towns. The DEP also fined Chesapeake $188,000 for a fire at a well in Washington County that injured three workers. In January 2012, an equipment failure at a drill site in Susquehanna County led to a spill of several thousand gallons of fluid for almost a half-hour, causing potential pollution, according to the DEP. In its citation to Carizzo Oil and Gas, the DEP strongly recommended that the company cease drilling at all 67 wells â€Å"until the cause of this problem and a solution are identified.† In December 2011, the federal Environmental Protection Agency concluded that fracking operations could be responsible for groundwater pollution.â€Å"Today’s methods make gas drilling a filthy business. You know it’s bad when nearby residents can light the water coming out of their tap on fire,† says Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation. Whatâ €™s causing the fire is the methane from the drilling operations. A ProPublica investigation in 2009 revealed methane contamination was widespread in drinking water in areas around fracking operations in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania. The presence of methane in drinking water in Dimock, Pa., had become the focal point for Josh Fox’s investigative documentary, Gasland, which received an Academy Award nomination in 2011 for Outstanding Documentary; Fox also received an Emmy for non-fiction directing. Fox’s interest in fracking intensified when a natural gas company offered $100,000 for mineral rights on property his family owned in Milanville, in the extreme northeast part of Pennsylvania, about 60 miles east of Dimock. Research by a team of scientists from Duke University revealed â€Å"methane contamination of shallow drinking water systems that is associated with shale-gas extraction.† The data and conclusions, published in the May 2011 issue of the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, note d that not only did most drinking wells near drilling sites have methane, but those closest to the drilling wells, about a half-mile, had an average of 17 times the methane of those of other wells. â€Å"Some of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing—or liberated by it—are carcinogens,† Dr. Sandra Steingraber told members of the Environmental Conservation and Health committee of the New York State Assembly. Dr. Steingraber, a biologist and distinguished scholar in residence at Ithaca College, pointed out that some of the chemicals â€Å"are neurological poisons with suspected links to learning deficits in children,† while others â€Å"are asthma triggers. Some, especially the radioactive ones, are known to bioaccumulate in milk. Others are reproductive toxicants that can contribute to pregnancy loss.† An investigation by New York Times reporter Ian Urbina, based upon thousands of unreported EPA documents and a confidential study by the natural gas industry, concluded, â€Å"Radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.† Urbina learned that wastewater from fracking operations was about 100 tim es more toxic than federal drinking water standards; 15 wells had readings about 1,000 times higher than standards. Research by Dr. Ronald Bishop, a biochemist at SUNY/Oneonta, suggests that fracking to extract methane gas â€Å"is highly likely to degrade air, surface water and ground-water quality, to harm humans, and to negatively impact aquatic and forest ecosystems.† He notes that â€Å"potential exposure effects for humans will include poisoning of susceptible tissues, endocrine disruption syndromes, and elevated risk for certain cancers.† Every well, says Dr. Bishop, â€Å"will generate a sediment discharge of approximately eight tons per year into local waterways, further threatening federally endangered mollusks and other aquatic organisms.† In addition to the environmental pollution by the fracking process, Dr. Bishop believes â€Å"intensive use of diesel-fuel equipment will degrade air quality [that could affect] humans, livestock, and crops.† Equally important are questions about the impact of as many as 200 diesel-fueled trucks each day bringing water to t he site and then removing the waste water. In addition to the normal diesel emissions of trucks, there are also problems of leaks of the contaminated water. â€Å"We need to know how diesel fuel got into our water supply,† says Diane Siegmund, a clinical psychologist from Towanda, Pa. â€Å"It wasn’t there before the companies drilled wells; it’s here now,† she says. Siegmund is also concerned about contaminated dust and mud. â€Å"There is no oversight on these,† she says, â€Å"but those trucks are muddy when they leave the well sites, and dust may have impact miles from the well sites.† Research â€Å"strongly implicates exposure to gas drilling operations in serious health effects on humans, companion animals, livestock, horses, and wildlife,† according to Dr. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Dr. Robert E. Oswald, a biochemist and professor of molecular medicine at Cornell University. Their study, published in New Solutions, an academic journal in environmental health, documents evidence of milk contamination, breeding problems, and cow mortality in areas near fracking operation s as higher than in areas where no fracking occurred. Drs. Bamberger and Oswald noted that some of the symptoms present in humans from what may be polluted water from fracking operations include rashes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and severe irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. For animals, the symptoms often led to reproductive problems and death. Significant impact upon wildlife is also noted in a 900-page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) conducted by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation. According to the EIS, â€Å"In addition to loss of habitat, other potential direct impacts on wildlife from drilling in the Marcellus Shale include increased mortality . . . altered microclimates, and increased traffic, noise, lighting, and well flares.† The impact, according to the report, â€Å"may include a loss of genetic diversity, species isolation, population declines . . . increased predation, and an increase of invasive species.† The report concludes that because of fracking, there is â€Å"little to no place in the study areas where wildlife would not be impacted, [leading to] serious cascading ecological consequences.† The impact of course affects the quality of milk and meat production as animals drink and graze near areas that have been taken over by the natural gas industry. The response by the industry and its political allies to the scientific studies of the health and environmental effects of fracking â€Å"has approached the issue in a manner similar to the tobacco industry that for many years rejected the link between smoking and cancer,† say Drs. Bamberger and Oswald. Not only do they call for â€Å"full disclosure and testing of air, water, soil, animals, and humans,† but point out that with lax oversight, â€Å"the gas drilling boom . . . will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.† Bibliography of Works Cited: http://www.marcellusoutreachbutler.org/ http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/03/19/the-perils-of-fracking/ www.coalitiontoprotectnewyork.org http://psehealthyenergy.net/data/Bamberger_Oswald_NS22_in_press.pdf http://www.scribd.com/doc/97449702/100-Fracking-Victims http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/us/04natgas.html?pagewanted=all http://steingraber.com/ http://frack.mixplex.com/content/scientific-study-links-flammable-drinking-water-fracking http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Pages/information.aspx http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracture/ http://geology.com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/

Mark Twain Emily Dickinson - 1045 Words

Analysis on American Works of Literature Throughout history there have been many influential writers that have impacted generations. There have been writers from Shakespeare in England to Sun Tzu in China. They have impacted the many generations that followed. America has had many influential writers of its own. Emily Dickinson and Mark Twain are just a few of the many examples of writers that have originated in America. Mark Twain wrote Extracts from Adams Diary a playful short story of how man met woman. Emily Dickinsons Success is Counted Sweetest is a poem on how when one succeeds it brings joy into the effort that was put forth. One may learn a great deal from reading works of literature. The poem â€Å"Success is Counted†¦show more content†¦The short story brought up many â€Å"normal† things that would have been curiosities to the first humans. â€Å"Extracts from Adam’s Diary† brought the modern world a story that the reader could understand in today’s world. Mark Twain wrote the story â€Å"true to form† on how real humans would act when interacting (Hope). In the story Adam adapted his situation and began to feel a need for Eve even though he did not want her in the first place. The story shows how sworn couples have to adapt to each other on their strengths and weaknesses. The story teaches how as humans we also go through the emotions of first dislike, then acceptance evolving into being pleased with, transformed to love (Hope). In this short story Mark Twain does an incredible job at incorporating in allusions in this work of literature to readers who know the bible version and this playful more human versio n. The short story teaches how one learns to accept a person if one gives the time to learn to love someone else even when they have many flaws. Eve is shown as being a bit bossy and inconsiderate towards Adam but they time they spend together Adam slowly learns to love her. Adam says: [a]fter all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her (Twain 10). Adam is quoted saying he could not beShow MoreRelatedThe Works of Emily Dickinson726 Words   |  3 Pages Emily Dickinson’s writing reflects the Realistic period through personal themes: death, isolation, God, marriage, women in society, and love. Dickinson’s writing is affected by numerous factors. Among these are her family, the Realism period, and her life experiences. Emily Dickinson herself was a sort of mystery. Emily Dickinson’s background had a profound effect on her writing. Family always plays an important role in the upbringing of an individual. Her grandfather had a prominent position inRead MoreThe Value Of Literature Courses1428 Words   |  6 Pagesand contrast Walt Whitman s writing style with Emily Dickinson s writing style. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman both describe similar subjects. They both describe nature, mortality, and the ideal self. They both allude to the fact that nature and mortality cannot be controlled and that this idea makes them feel happy or optimistic about it because they are not the only ones who must suffer through it. They both speak about pain. Emily Dickinson discusses the honesty of pain and how everyone mustRead MoreThe Evolution of American Literature637 Words   |  3 Pagesrefuses Realism. From that point onward, serious writers of American literature began to take a more and more realistic look at life. Poe analyzed the psychological, Melville the theological/social, Hawthorne the spiritual/moral realities of life. Emily Dickinson, the literary ancestor of Bradstreet, touched on the limitations of Calvinism in her poetry, which sought to climb towards a greater appreciation of God through a contemplation of Nature, Poetry, Truth, Love and Death. Many of her poems are filledRead MoreHow Mark Twain Influenced American Literature1641 Words   |  7 PagesHow Mark Twain Influenced American Literature When you think of the start of American Literature, what comes to your mind? Authors such as Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemmingway, Emily Dickinson, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain stick out in our minds. They were the face of post-civil war and social realism poetry. Today we will take a closer look at Mark Twain, who was also known as the â€Å"Father† of American Literature. His work has survived more than 100 years after his death. Mark Twain was born inRead MoreAmerican Transcendentalist Writers Essay1160 Words   |  5 Pagesweave a new form of writing using philosophy as the `vehicle of thought . While this allowed them to explore new and untouched areas in the mind, it also greatly influenced many later writers from Henry Thoreau to the more `popular and recent Mark Twain. Let us begin with Henry Thoreaus Walden. While Thoreau was educated in Harvard University, he lived, through a time of vast change in America. During a rise in cultural expansion and globalisation, America became more unified through theRead MoreDeath Is The Middle Child Of Parents Edward And Emily Norcross Dickinson2470 Words   |  10 PagesEmily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was the middle child of parents Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Young Emily Dickinson’s early childhood consisted of attending school, reading books, taking part in church activities, and learning to sing and play the piano. Her formal schooling was phenomenal for girls in the early 19th century, though not unusual for girls in Amherst. After spending some time in Amherst district school, she attended Amherst AcademyRead More Embracing Depression Essay580 Words   |  3 PagesHad there not been times when I thought of killing myself, I would not now be i n love with living. Reviewing various notable individuals who lived with a form of depression - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henrik Ibsen, Mark Twain, George Frederic Handel, Robert Schumann, Robert Bums, Emily Dickinson, Victor Hugo, Dylan Thomas, Georgia OKeeffe, Ray Charles, Francis Ford Coppola, John Kenneth Galbraith, Soren Kierkegaard - I cant help but wonder if their accomplishments were not just in spite of, but partiallyRead MoreAnalysis Of Annabel Lee s A Kingdom By The Sea1780 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Romantics generalizations. Samuel Clemens using the pen name Mark Twain had his novels set clearly in the Mississippi River delta during a particular time in history, his childhood. From the introduction of his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he says the following: MOST of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. (Twain) They also had realistic conflicts within and between the charactersRead MoreWhy is Alexandre Dumas Famous?1100 Words   |  5 Pagesall-time. The writing of the book was completed in 1844. Like many of his novels, it is expanded from the plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet. The main interesting point in this story was the plot as explained by Emily Dickinson where she states The main irony in The Count of Monte Cristo is that Edmond Dantes has everything dear taken away from him, but later he takes revenge and does the same to his conspirators. Also, Dantes takes a liking to Albert de Morcerf beforeRead MorePain1407 Words   |  6 Pages- Cicero, Marcus T. The injuries that befall us unexpectedly are less severe than those which are deliberately anticipated. - Cicero, Marcus T. 2 After great pain, a formal feeling comes. The Nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs. - Dickinson, Emily Pains of love be sweeter far than all the other pleasures are. - Dryden, John There is much pain that is quite noiseless; and vibrations that make human agonies are often a mere whisper in the roar of hurrying existence. There are glances