English Argumentative Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Argumentative Paper - Assignment Example 136(2): 151-173. Journal article: Link: http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/2010-2014/10asisbsrs.pdf Buckley, K. E. and Anderson, C. A. â€Å"A Theoretical Model of the Effects and Consequences of Playing Video Games.† In Vorderer, P. and Bryant, J. (Eds.) Playing Video Games – Motives, Responses and Consequences. Mahwah, NJ: LEA, 2006, Ch. 24, 363-378. Book Chapter, link: http://books.google.com/books?id=8sY3z98pwM8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=A+Theoretical+Model+of+the+Effects+and+Consequences+of+Playing+Video+Games&source=bl&ots=M_IhutoP_c&sig=O5OAI8vABSaXKbwoxl-IA-qrPTE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XdF0UIb9Ho-O8wSY5IBo&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=A%20Theoretical%20Model%20of%20the%20Effects%20and%20Consequences%20of%20Playing%20Video%20Games&f=false Castro, R. Let Me Play: Stories of Gaming and Emulation. Tucson, Arizona: Hats Off Books, 2005. Book, Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=D_xyy4fkwWIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Let+Me+Play:+Stories+of+Gaming+and+Emulation&source=bl&ots=PeNWz2NmZ7&sig=2dvNLVQ_-50GhRTi73at7ZJfGpw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ydF0UISKIJSc8gTPs4HoBQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA Gentile, D. A. and Anderson, C. A. â€Å"Violent Video Games: The Effects on Youth and Public Policy Implications.† In Dowd, N.; Singer, D. G. and Wilson, R. F. (Eds.) Handbook of Children, Culture and Violence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006, Ch. 12, 225-246. Book Chapter: Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=z6Mn0zcYfusC&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=Violent+Video+Games:+The+Effects+on+Youth+and+Public+Policy+Implications&source=bl&ots=D37U79NDwG&sig=4JQQZMnxvRkf1DkRyxizwpDhY8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8tF0UMOnDIje8ASp0YC4BA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Violent%20Video%20Games%3A%20The%20Effects%20on%20Youth%20and%20Public%20Policy%20Implications&f=false Kutner, L. and Olsen, C. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2008. Book: Link:

Term Limits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Term Limits - Research Paper Example My point of discussion is that even with all the modern changes and also the change in lifestyle, there is still the presence of racial and ethnic aspects in the United States congress. In such a developed country, there should not be the existence of such things. Take for instance the majority of the people who hold the major offices. It is safe to say that majority of those who hold the top positions in the congress are either all of a certain race of are for a certain ethnic group2. As a factor to consider, there should be equal opportunities for all races and also for people of different ethnic groups. An analysis can be done in order to determine which offices face such problems. This will enable for there to be a solution that will ensure that there are no such incidences of the congress in the future. Such incidences are bound to separate the congress3. As a conclusion for this essay, such incidences should not exist, and in particular they should not exist in such a modern and advanced country. There should be laws that govern and guide such behavior in the congress. The congress should lead people by example, and as such should not be in the spotlight for such

Nursing Crisis Intervention: Stroke

Nursing Crisis Intervention: Stroke Stroke is a global problem of the increasing elderly population. According to the Department of Health (2007a), stroke is the third leading cause of death in the UK, with more than 110,000 individuals falling victim to a stroke each year at a cost to the National Health Services exceeding  £2.8 billion. The Stroke Association (2007) places this number at 130,000 with a mortality rate at 67,000 per year, including indirect costs of  £1.8 billion and costs for informal healthcare following stroke at  £2.4 billion. Incidence of stroke is equally as prevalent elsewhere, such as in the United States where, as the third leading cause of US deaths (Becker Wira 2006; Nolan Naylor 2003) stroke is the leading cause of disability (Becker Wira 2006; Stroke Association as cited by Amber 2003, p. 316; Stroke Association 2007). Becker and Wira (2006) state the incidence of stroke within the United States is 400,000 individuals per year with an anticipated growth to over 1 million yearly st roke victims by 2050. The American Stroke Association (as cited by Amber 2003, p. 316) states â€Å"every 45 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. Every 3.1 minutes, someone dies of one.† Nolan and Naylor (2003) state an average of 35,000 individuals suffer strokes when hospitalized for other unrelated illnesses. Such was the case for Ms. C., who suffered an ischemic stroke while hospitalized for a pacemaker implant. As the unit nurse assigned to care for Ms. C., subtle signs of her stroke were noticed and reported to the Code Gray[1] team for immediate response. The many roles of a unit nurse in the presence of a crisis are vital in providing adequate care to her patient, including the need to maintain a calm demeanour in the face of chaos. A number of rapid physical assessments must be performed including the use of the FAST criteria[2] (Mathiesen et al, 2006), response teams must be alerted and the nurse must keep the patient calm and oriented throughout the flurry of activity that can easily upset an elderly individual. While all emergencies call for rapid response, it is even more critical in the case of stroke when, if the patient is eligible for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)[3] a detailed physical history and examination, a neurological assessment, computed tomography (CT) scan and additional blood work must be performed before irreparable damage from the stroke occurs. With a focus on patient impact and nursing interventions, this paper will present the case study of Ms. C. Case presentation Ms. C., a 78-year-old, ambulatory, Caucasian female was admitted to the hospital for the replacement of a cardiac pacemaker. Ms. C. was widowed 5 years prior to her current hospitalization and lived alone having two married children living in Scotland and Wales. Prior to admission Ms. C. was diagnosed with high blood pressure (HBP), high cholesterol, was diabetic, and was on pharmaceutical medication for all three conditions. In spring 1995, Ms. C. had recurrent bouts of tachycardia alternating with bradycardia. Following an attempt to control the situation through pharmaceutical intervention, her cardiologist recommended she receive a cardiac pacemaker; which was implanted without complication the same year. She reports remaining in good health since that time; although additional medical notes indicate the onset of dementia, as she appears confused at times. Upon admission, vitals were normal, with the exception of her blood pressure (BP) which was 175/95. Her physician ordered Ms. C. be started on Losartan[4]. Subsequent vitals indicated a fluctuation in BP ranging from a low of 170/90 at 1AM to a high of 195/110 at 10AM. As Ms. C. was not responding to medication or fluid balancing recommended by her physician and her BP continued to climb, her cardiologist postponed surgery until her BP was brought under control. At 11:48am, when taking Ms. C.’s vitals, she appeared confused, her speech was slurred, there was slight facial droop and she could not extend her arm for the blood pressure cuff. At 11:50am a Code Gray alert was sounded. Impact on the patient When assessing the impact to the patient when a stroke occurs, the nurse must be aware of the implications on a variety of levels, including biological, psychological and sociological. In the case of Ms. C., there were additional implications for each of these due to the combination of her low-level, yet progressive dementia. Biological changes in an ischemic stroke (confirmed by the CT scan as opposed to hemorrhagic) were the result of a thrombolytic occlusion at the cerebral artery branch point due to atherosclerosis. On the cellular level, neuronal damage occurs when neurons become depolarized and allow for inordinate amounts of calcium to cross the cellular membrane that ultimately leads to a destruction of said cellular membrane and other structures within the neuron (Becker Wira 2006). Becker and Wira (2006) also comment on the neuronal damage caused by free radical, arachidonic acid and nitric acid generation that takes place during the ischemic cascade[5]. Genetic activation also takes place and leads to the production of cytokines in response to and as a cause of inflammation that can â€Å"consume† the ischemic penumbra (Becker Wira 2006). If one can limit the degree of injury to the ischemic penumbra located within the origami, the degree of permanent damage due to the ischemic episode is limited and is the goal of immediate stroke response (Becker Wira 2006). A combination of diagnostic laboratory tests[6] and rapid nursing assessments would be required to assess the level of damage. Although the Code Gray approach is geared towards rapid response to allow for administering t-PA within the three-hour window, Ms. C. was not eligible for t-PA treatment due to her uncontrolled hypertension (Bonnono et al. 2000, p. 300). The psychological impact on Ms. C was the most dramatic as her post-stroke status left her more confused and fearful than one might find in a strike victim due to the comorbid dementia. In addition to being frightened of the unknown and feeling very alone as a widow and without her children present, Ms. C. felt betrayed by her body and didn’t understand what was happening to her or why. Psychologically Ms. C. had to be kept calm and be reminded of what was occurring and why, with such orienting comments as â€Å"You are going to be examined by Dr. X† or â€Å"You are going to have a test done that won’t hurt you. There is no need to be afraid; I’ll be with you to assure you’re safe.† With the unknown of any comprehension deficits caused by the stroke it was also important to remind other team members that Ms. C. had problems with confusion and that it was important â€Å"for patients with dementia in particular to understand what is about to happen to them† (Cunningham McWilliam 2006, p. 14). Cunningham and McWilliam (2006, p. 14) suggest that nursing staff must compensate in their communication with dementia patients and that this often requires nurses to re-prioritize their tasks and sense of immediacy in order to offer the patient the greatest level of psychological and/or emotional support. Lipley (2005) states one of the most important nursing tasks is offering support to a stroke patient. The sociological impact relating to Ms. C.’s crisis was limited for the immediate future while hospitalized, although she indicated that she wanted her children contacted and requested they come to the hospital. The biggest sociological change and challenges facing Ms. C. would be following her discharge from the hospital. Depending on the amount of total damage suffered from her stroke and the subsequent progress with therapy to regain lost functionality, it was probable that Ms. C. would relocate to either live with one of her children and/or settle in a home for the aged. This required the nurse to contact a social worker to help Ms. C. with her adjustment. Implications for the organization One of the six strategic goals established by the Department of Health’s National Stroke Strategy (2007b) is to â€Å"accelerate the emergency response to stroke and improve coordination between different agencies and professionals involved including through improved access to CT scanning.† Fortunately, the hospital where Ms. C. suffered her stroke complied with this goal and had a Code Gray team assembled. National Health Services (2007) approximates 90 percent of hospitals in England as prepared to administer specialized stroke services. The number of stroke victims is increasing every year. The nurses must be aware of required interventions. This paper has highlighted the ischemic stroke and patient impacts, as well as those on the organization and nurse. The charts below presents required nursing interventions in response to an inpatient stroke. Reference Amber, R., Watkins, W., 2003. The community impact of Code Gray. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 26 (4), pp. 316-322. Becker, J. U. Wira, C., R. 2006. Stroke, Ischemic [Online]. Available from: http://www.medscape.com/emerg/topic558.htm [cited March 16 2007]. Bonnono, C., Criddle, L. M., Lutsep, H., Stevens, P., Kearns, K., Norton, R., 2000. Emergi-paths and stroke teams: An emergency department approach to acute ischemic stroke. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 32 (6), pp. 298-305. Cunningham, C. McWilliam, K., 2006. Caring for people with dementia in AE. Emergency Nurse, 14 (6), pp. 12–16. Department of Health, 2007a. Stroke [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Stroke/index.htm [cited March 16, 2007]. Department of Health, 2007b. Developing a national stroke strategy [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Stroke/DH_4132138 [cited March 16, 2007]. Department of Health, 2007c. Good practice examples and case studies: standard five (strokes) [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Olderpeoplesservices/Olderpeoplepromotionproject/DH_4002291[cited March 16, 2007]. Lipley, N., 2005. Different strokes†¦ Emergency Nurse, 13 (5), p. 5. Mathiesen, C., Tavianini, H. D., Palladino, K., 2006. Best practices in stroke rapid response: A case study. Medsurg Nursing, 15 (6), pp. 364-369. Nolan, S., Naylor, G. Burns, M., 2003. Code Gray: An organized approach to inpatient stroke. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 26 (4), pp. 296-302. Spilker, J., Kongable, G., Barch, C., Braimah, J., Bratina, P., Daley, S., Donnarumma, R., Rapp, K. Sailor, S., 1997. Using the NIH stroke scale to assess patients. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 29 (6), pp. 384-393. Stroke Association, 2007. Facts and figures about stroke [Online]. The Stroke Association. Available from http://www.stroke.org.uk/media_centre/facts_and_figures/index.html [cited March 16, 2007]. Wojner, A. W., Morgenstern, L., Alexandrov., A. V., Rodriguez, D., Persse, D., Grotta, J., 2003. Paramedic and emergency department care of stroke: Baseline data from a citywide performance improvement study. American Journal of Critical Care, 12 (5), pp. 411-417. 1 Footnotes [1] The term generally accepted in the medical community for multidisciplinary stroke response teams. The typical composition of a Code Gray team includes a primary care RN, charge RN from the Stroke/cardio care unit, an ICU RN, ICU resident, a neurologist, CT technologist and an individual responsible for telecommunications (Nolan Naylor 2003, p. 297). The Department of Health (2007c) reports that other Code Gray teams also include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, a clinical psychologist and social worker. [2] FAST criteria is the acronym also known as the Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale, such that F = Facial Droop, A = Arm drift, S = Speech and T = Time (Mathiesen et al. 2006; Lipley 2005). [3] t-PA must be administered within three hours of the first onset of symptoms (Amber 2003). [4] Losartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker. The choice was made to use this type of intervention based on the muscle relaxing nature of the medication rather than incorporating those that lowered BP through a modification of electrical activity within the nervous or cardiac system due to the reliance on her pacemaker and the potential other such forms of medication might have on recurrent tachycardia or bradycardia. [5] Ischemic cascade is the term referring to the chain of events that takes place following an ischemic stroke. [6] Although a variety of diagnostic blood work was already performed on Ms. C, a CBC, chemistry panel and cardiac biomarkers were ordered following the stroke for comparison against pre-stroke values along with coagulation studies (Becker Wira 2006).

Comparing the Oedipus of Sophocles and Senaca :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing the Oedipus of Sophocles and Senaca         The myth of Oedipus is one of a man brought down by forces aligning against him. Over the years, different playwrights have interpreted his character in various fashions. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a man who is blind to the path on which his questions take him and exemplifies the typical tyrannical leader in ancient times; in Senaca’s Oedipus, it is the fear of his questions that give Oedipus a greater depth of character, a depth he must overcome if he is to survive his ordeal. Sophocles creates a character of extreme wrath and ferocity to deal with the source of the blight on the city. He curses out the killer of King Laius, the killer who has brought the blight. "Upon the murderer I invoke this curse – whether he is one man and all unknown or one of many – may he wear out if life in misery and doom! If with my knowledge he lives at my hearth I pray that I myself feel my curse. On you I lay my charge to fulfill all of this for me, for the God, and for this land of our destroyed and blighted, by the God forsaken (Soph. O.T. 245-254)." When it is suggested that Oedipus himself could be the source of the plague, his anger emerges in full force. "(Truth has strength,) but not for you (Teiresias); it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes (Soph. O.T. 370-371)." The Oedipus of Senaca’s play is not nearly so rash. He seems to dread what will come from his exploration into the death of Laius, even though the condition of his city is just as terrible as that of Sophocles’. "I shudder, wondering which way fate will steer. My shaky mood could waver either way. When joys and griefs so close together lie, the mind is doubtful. How much should one see? How much is best to know? I’m dubious (Sen. Oed. 204-208)." This Oedipus even has thoughts that the plague might have something to do with him, that his rule might be the pollution that has descended upon the city (Sen. Oed. 40). It is this anxiety that Seneca wishes to bring out in his play, one of the emotion s that are the downfall of man.

My Family, My Everything Essay

Family is the cement the mends my life, keeps me grounded, and allows me to be a part of something greater than myself. My family has always been very close, we always look forward to spending time together. We have mostly gotten along and supported each other. Not to say we never get mad at each other, like the time my sister took my car without asking and accidently wrecked it, we do always work things out. Though we have not always lived near each other, my family has remained close through; the â€Å"wonder years† growing up, family holidays, and supporting each other during good times and bad. My mom is an independent women who worked full-time, kept our family close, put dinner on the table and supported each of us any way she could. My mom did a spectacular job of raising us even though at times it was a struggle raising 3 children alone. Through the years of watching her as we grew into teenagers we gained our own independence around the house, at school and in our per sonal lives. The great example my mom set for us allowed us to become successful in our personal and professional lives by making good decisions, working hard towards our goals, and taking responsibility for our actions. Growing up was not always easy, because we moved around a lot which meant we always were attending a new school. Having to make new friends all of the time, we learned to find friendship in each other. Over 28 years ago my step father’s job transferred us to Southern Indiana. Distance could not keep us from each other, my mom and I talked to my sister and brother every week, if not every day keeping our family bond strong even with the miles between us. As the years went on the distance got easier, we would make the trip to Michigan often for holidays, special  events. In 2009, my mom and daughter moved to Michigan and later that year I packed up my husband and 2 other children and moved backed to Michigan. I like being able to meet all my family for dinner at my mom’s house or go bowling on the spur of the moment or shopping with my sister or to the beach with my niece, without having to drive seven hours from home. The thing I like the best is when we are all get together sit around and tell stories from our past and remember the good times and share laughs. I look forward to this for many years to come. When a tragedy affects someone in our family we all jump in and help without being asked. Several months ago my sister-in-law was starting to have head aches and not feeling well and then it began to affect her vision and balance. At first, the Doctor thought it could be something really serious and she had to keep going back and forth to the hospital to have testing done. We all helped them out and have all taken her illness on as our own and plan to stand beside her and my brother and will continue to support them anyway they need. We do this for each other without having to ask or feel like a burden. Through good and bad and in tough hardships and the best of times, my family has always stood together. It does not matter whether I am in a bad mood or busy with my life, my family comes first and they know that. They know they can always count on me and I will be there whenever they need me. While some families might act like a bunch of strangers, my family; they are my everything.

Define and explain Orientalism Essay

Europeans used the term Orient to describe the peoples and places of Asia and the Middle East. While widely accepted prior to the late twentieth century, this term has aroused criticism among historians. The purpose of this essay is too define and explain Orientalism, and how the term Orientalist applies to Christian missionaries in the Far East. Two main examples of these missionaries are Matteo Ricci and Francis Xavier who served in China and Japan respectively. Both of these missionaries fall under the definition of Orientalists as defined by Edward Said. Edward Said defines Orientalism in multiple parts; the first of which is the academic1. Academic Orientalism is the study of the Orient for the purpose of understanding and learning. Modern historians view the term Orient to be too vague for an area as large as Asia, but it is still widely used throughout the world. Academic Orientalism attempts to study and understand the Orient from afar. Professors of Chinese language who have never spoken with a Chinese person are a common example of this detached intellectualism. Often in 18th Century Europe the Orientalist would study and judge the Orient based on second hand knowledge and conjecture. This view of understanding the Orient better than the Oriental without living it leads into the second part of Orientalism2. The second part of Orientalism as defined by Said is the justification of subjugation. Europeans believed that due to their better understanding of the history of a culture, and their superior culture they needed to dominate other cultures in order to improve them. Arthur James Balfour, a member of the British parliament once said in reference to Egypt; â€Å"We are in Egypt not merely for the sake of the Egyptians, though we are there for their sake; we are there also for the sake of Europe at large3.† Balfour meant by this that British occupation of Egypt was necessary for the protection of the Egyptians and for the benefit of all Europe. Balfour and other Orientalist believed that they understood Egypt better than the Egyptians themselves, and for this reason governed Egypt for the benefit of Egypt. This form of justification was used throughout the Orient. China, India, Philippines and others were all subjugated on the justification of the white mans burden. The idea of th e burden of the white race to civilize inferior races was a key part of Orientalism.4 One of the main points of Orientalism is the division of humanity into us and them. The Occidental and the Oriental, East and West, these are divisions created by Europeans in order to dominate the other. By separating the peoples an Orientalist can justify the subjugation and forced change of other races. Said’s overall point is that Orientalism was created by Europeans in order to justify the subjugation of the Orientals. Cultural and intellectual superiority and the separation of us and them led to three hundred years of European imperialism in the so called Orient.5 In order to understand how Orientalism affected Missionaries in China and Japan, one must first understand the Orientalist’s views of foreign religions. Most Orientalists were Christians and therefore believed all none Christians were destined for hell. â€Å"This, oddly enough, even applied to pre-Christians such as Aristotle and Abraham. In Dante’s Inferno both these men are in the first layer of Hell, even though Christianity did not exist during their lifetimes. So from this intolerant view one can see the basic attitude towards non-Christians. Muslims, Hindu and Buddhists were all considered heathen that needed the word of Jesus to save them from eternal damnation. â€Å"The Church’s commission to preach the gospel of Christ to ‘every creature’ also lays upon her the task of inviting all to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and to join his Church through baptism.6† With this belief in mind Christian Missionaries went to the Orient to â⠂¬Å"save† the heathens and convert them to the one true faith, whether they wanted too or not.7 One of the earliest Christian Missionaries Father Matteo Ricci of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, arrived in China in 1582 after a four month journey from Goa. He was a Roman Catholic priest who was trained the Rome in numerous subjects. The Jesuits were the most well educated order within the Catholic Church; for this reason they were particularly well suited for missionary work in Asia. The Jesuit tactic was too convert the social elites and then have their support in the conversion of the masses. This worked particularly well in Asia due to the strict social structures and relatively good education of the elites. Also the widespread belief in Confucianism fit well with Christianity. Ricci said in his work â€Å"The True Idea of God†, â€Å"the Confucian Classics contained allusions, albeit in an inchoate manner, to such Christian notions as God and a future life.8† Well educated bureaucrats in China respected Ricci’s education and intelligence, and were interested in the Western ideas he possessed9. Techniques such as Ricci’s Memory Palace interested the Chinese and often spawned further interest into the religion Ricci brought with him.10 Ricci’s view of the Chinese is full of contradictions. Many aspects of Chinese culture and government Ricci respected, such as their dress and level of education; the hygiene of the people and the relative order imposed by the Chinese bureaucracy11. At the same time that Ricci praised aspects of Chinese civilization, he abhorred a great deal of Chinese practices. Among these are the corruption rampant throughout China, the worship of heathen religions and their disrespect for human life. Ricci once remarked â€Å"This country is full of slaves. 12† Most importantly Ricci despised the widespread homosexuality within China13. There are two main reasons for describing Ricci as an Orientalist. The first is his reason for being in China. Ricci sought to convert all of China to Catholicism. He cared little for the established religions in China and sought to impose his Christian faith upon the peoples of China. Ricci once remarked â€Å"†¦Buddhism violated the very first of the Ten Commandments, and it had not raised moral standards in China despite its two thousand years during which it had been preached.14† Viewing his own faith as superior to any other and being so disdainful of all others, Ricci can be labeled an Orientalist. The second reason for labeling Ricci an Orientalist is his general disdain for all things Chinese. While he may admire certain attributes he generally views everything Western superior; for example his disgust with open prostitution in the streets of major Chinese cities. Ricci completely glosses over the fact that prostitution was legal within Rome itself. In fact prostitution within Rome was widespread. Montaigne on visiting Rome remarked, â€Å"Taking coach rides or strolling to view the prostitutes was a major Roman pastime.15† In his criticism of homosexuality, Ricci also ignores the previous acceptance of homosexuality in Europe. Montaigne remarked during his visit too Rome, â€Å"several marriages between Portuguese males had been celebrated in the church of St. John a few years before, and that the couples had went to bed and lived together for some time before being arrested and burned at the stake.16† This method of criticizing China while ignoring the fact that the same problems existed within Europe labels Ricci as an Orientalist. Ricci had additional goals beyond simply the conversion of the Chinese. Along with the conversion to Christianity Ricci hope to rebuild China along European lines. Ricci spent a great deal of time extolling the virtues of European civilization, and purity of the Catholic faith17. Ricci hoped to rid China of corruption, create a perfect Christian society, and cleanse China of heathen practices such as abstaining from meat year round and homosexuality18. These goals of changing Chinese society certainly label Ricci to be an Orientalist. Father Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus arrived in Japan in 1549 aboard a Chinese junk. Xavier had many initial difficulties in Japan; the first of which being his inability to speak Japanese, and later to understand it. His interpreter caused Xavier many troubles later on due to his using Buddhist names for Christian figures, and forever linking Buddhism to Christianity in the minds of the Japanese19. The other difficulty for Xavier was his misunderstanding of Japanese society. When Xavier first arrived he hoped to convert â€Å"the king of Japan†, by this he meant the Shogun20. But when Xavier met the Shogun he found him to be a man of little importance who could barely maintain his own territory, let alone the whole country. Japan was in the period of sengoku, or country at war, and was divided among many feudal lords all vying for power. This state of civil war later benefited the Christian missionaries greatly, but initially confused Xavier21. Xavier spent the majority of his time in Japan attempting to convert Japanese daimyo and kokujin to Christianity. He succeeded in a few cases largely due to his link with Portuguese trade ships. Daimyo within Japan were looking for a way to gain advantage over their enemies, and trade with the Portuguese greatly enriched many lords. The Japanese believed that converting to Christianity would give them more favorable trade with the Portuguese, and for this reason many converted22. Xavier can be labeled an Orientalist for two main reasons. The first is his overall goal of converting the heathen Japanese to Christianity. His total disdain for Buddhism is apparent when he refers to the religion of Dianichi, â€Å"an invention of the devil, as also were all the other sects of Japan.23† The second reason for labeling Xavier an Orientalist is for his views on homosexuality. Ricci’s beliefs on homosexuality among Asians stem from Xavier. When Xavier was the head of the Far East mission he declared that homosexuality was an evil to be combated in Asia24. For these reasons Xavier is clearly an Orientalist the same as Ricci. For all of their efforts to convert the peoples of China and Japan, neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in any significant way. The problems in China were numerous; deep seated beliefs in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism kept many from converting, also the lack of interest by the elite made any type of wide scale conversion impossible. In addition the basic fear of outsiders made the Chinese distrustful and angry towards the Christian missionaries25. In Japan the eventual consolidation of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate forced all Christians too abandon their faith. The Tokugawa did not want any opposition to their regime and barred any foreigners from entering Japan. Also deep seated religious beliefs and xenophobia as in China caused few too embrace Christianity. Neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in their goal of converting the Far East; the task they committed their lives too. One must wonder; if they had taken a more open, non Orientalist approach, would they have been more successful? 1 Said, Edward W. Orientalism. (New York: First Vintage Books Edition, October 1979.), 2. 2 Ibid, 3. 3 Ibid, 33. 4 Ibid, 33-36. 5 Ibid, 83. 6 Manikam, Rajah B. Christianity and the Asian Revolution. (New York: Friendship Press, 1954) 185. 7 Spence, 73-75. 8 Ching, Julia. Confucianism and Christianity. (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1977) 10. 9 Hellyer, Robert. Lecture. â€Å"The Jesuits in Asia.† Allegheny College. Meadville, Pa. 11 February 2002. 10 Spence, Jonathan D. The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci. (New York: Penguin Books, 1985.) 2-5 11 Ibid, 210. 12 Ibid, 219. 13 Ibid, 224. 14 Ibid, 252. 15 Ibid, 208. 16 Ibid, 226. 17 Ibid, 2-5. 18 Ibid, 217. 19 Elisonas, â€Å"Christianity and the Daimyo,† (Cambridge History of Japan, volume 4, 301-372.) 307-310. 20 Ibid, 311. 21 Ibid, 312. 22 Ibid, 323. 23 Ibid, 309. 24 Spence, 224.

The Approach to the Inmost Cave in the Heros Journey

The Approach to the Inmost Cave in the Hero's Journey This article is part of our series on the heros journey, starting with The Heros Journey Introduction and The Archetypes of the Heros Journey. Approach to the Inmost Cave The hero has adjusted to the special world and goes on to seek its heart, the inmost cave. She passes into an intermediate zone with new threshold guardians and tests. She approaches the place where the object of the quest is hidden and where she will encounter supreme wonder and terror, according to Christopher Voglers The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure. She must use every lesson learned to survive. The hero often has disheartening setbacks while approaching the cave. She is torn apart by challenges, which allow her to put herself back together in a more effective form for the ordeal to come. She discovers she must get into the minds of those who stand in her way, Vogler says. If she can understand or empathize with them, the job of getting past them or absorbing them becomes much easier. The approach encompasses all the final preparations for the ordeal. It brings the hero to the stronghold of the opposition, where she needs to use every lesson she has learned. Dorothy and her friends, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion face a series of obstacles, enter a second special world (Oz) with its own unique guardians and rules, and are given the impossible task of entering the inmost cave, the Wicked Witch’s castle. Dorothy is warned of the supreme danger in this quest and becomes aware that she is challenging a powerful status quo. There is an eerie region around the inmost cave where it is clear that the hero has entered shaman’s territory on the edge of life and death, Vogler writes. Scarecrow is torn apart; Dorothy is flown off to the castle by monkeys, very like a shaman’s dream journey. The approach raises the stakes and rededicates the team to its mission. The urgency and life-or-death quality of the situation are underscored. Toto escapes to lead the friends to Dorothy. Dorothy’s intuition knows she must call on the help of her allies. The reader’s assumptions about the characters are turned upside down as they see each person exhibit surprising new qualities that emerge under the pressure of approach. The villains headquarters are defended with fierceness. Dorothys allies express misgivings, encourage each other, and plan their attack. They get into the skins of the guards, enter the castle, and use force, the Tin Man’s ax, to chop Dorothy out, but theyre soon blocked in all directions.