The History Of Revenge English Literature Essay

The History Of Revenge English Literature Essay William Shakespeares masterpiece, Hamlet, is the story about the Prince of Denmarks struggle for revenge against his murderous uncle, who is now the new King of Denmark. Hamlet is completely blind with revenge and has even been considered mad. Hamlets fall into insanity is a result of many different, tragic reasons. Throughout the entire play Hamlet seems to keep to himself, with a lack of any true companionship. Almost everyone seems to be against him throughout the play. They distrust Hamlet, and he doesnt fully trust anyone; which will ultimately lead to his downfall. Hamlet has a tragic flaw that may lead him to disaster. Hamlet has a tendency to over think everything he does. With every thought and process he goes through he must have a reason of doing it the way he does. If not done to his liking, he will not attempt the task. Hamlet is portrayed as intelligent. This is shown through Hamlets use of his obviously superior mind and knowledge to deceive most everyone in the kingdo m. He is clearly more intelligent than any other character in the play and to us; but his intelligence does get him into a great deal of trouble though. He is always out to prove himself. He cannot take anyones word for granted. Hamlet is meant to seem more psychotic and delusional the further into the play we get. Shakespeare meant for this. Without seeming crazy, Hamlet wouldnt have the opportunity of revenging his fathers death. Hamlets madness is the very means for his revenge. Hamlet seems to be an outsider throughout the play. The first time that this is seen is through Hamlets uncertainty and even disgust of his uncle and mothers wedding. In Shakespeares time it was considered acceptable, even though they were not blood relatives. Hamlet shows his dislike by saying A little more than kin, and less than kind (I, ii). This shows that he has an early dislike to his uncle, which will later help Hamlet with achieving his revenge. The next time that this distance from others is seen in Hamlet is when Ophelia is talking with Laertes and later Polonius. They both tell her that Hamlet and her cannot and will not be together, it is not possible because of the difference in class. This is confirmed when Laertes tells her, Perhaps he loves you nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but you must fear, His greatness weighted, his will is not his ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (I, iii). He tells her not to trust Hamlets false love, for he is a subject of the kingdom, and must marry royalty and do wha t the state requests of him. Polonius furthers this claim by adding Ay, springes to catch woodcocksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You must not take for fire, (I, iii). In this he basically tells her that she is senseless, and should not believe Hamlets words or his vows. By the end of the speech he even tells her to stay away from Hamlet, basically so she will not look unwise, therefore he will not look like the fool. Hamlets trust further decreases when he encounters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whom were sent to him by the King. He knows that these friends are acting under the kings will, and gets them to spill the beans. The conversation that starts Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thank, and ends My lord we were sent for, (II, ii, 283 306) shows the suspicion building even more. Hamlet now knows that he cannot trust these men anymore both because they lied to him, and were sent by the man Hamlet despises, as spies. The same event happened to Ophelia as well. She was sent by Polonius, the King and the Queen so that they could prove Hamlets madness is for the love of Ophelia. Hamlet senses this, and loses all trust in Ophelia as he has done with many others. Throughout the conversation that goes Ha, ha. Are you honest? Are you fair? (III, i) Hamlet discovers the kings plot and acts as if he were crazy, and not in love with Ophelia. He is acting in this scene because later in act five he admits to caring for Ophelia. I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum, (V, i). There are only two people that trust Hamlet; they would be the Queen and Horatio. Horatio is Hamlets only true companion. He knows of the betrayal the king committed against Hamlets father, and has not caused any trouble for Hamlet. Gertrude is the only other person whom trusts Hamlet; however her trust is questionable. Hamlet kills Polonius, and then gets into an argument with his mother. From here he asks her to tell Claudius that he is in fact cr azy. I am essentially not in madness, but mad in craft (III, iv,). Hamlet is telling her that he is in fact not insane, but doing what he is doing for a purpose. All of these examples are proof that it is a false madness that Hamlet has fallen into. He is using this madness to get closer to what he wants, his revenge. Hamlet has yet another problem throughout the play that both prevents and helps Hamlet in obtain his goal; which is, he over thinks everything. Hamlets obsession with perfecting everything to what he wants is a good and a bad thing for him. The first example of Hamlets over thinking would be after he talks with the ghost of his father. Hamlets father tells him that Claudius is not only the cause of his death, but the one who murdered him. The passage that starts Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (I, v, 42 91) that Claudius kills him. Hamlet, however, has to prove this for himself before he can takes any action. He over thinks the death of his father, even though he already believes it to be true. This is also proof that the ghost is real because others have seen it, so Hamlet is not crazy. Hamlet is again seen over thinking his situation when he goes to Claudiuss closet to get his revenge. Hamlet says O, this is hire and salary, not revenge, (III, iii) when he finds Claudius is praying. Hamlet over thinks it because he does not believe that killing Claudius is revenge enough, he must do it after Clau dius has committed a sin, so that his soul cannot find its way into heaven. Another instance of Hamlet over thinking occurs during a soliloquy O, what a rogue and pleasant slave am I (II, ii). In this soliloquy he questions himself over and over again. Am I a coward? (II, ii, 606) Hamlet is basically putting himself down, saying that he disliking his weakness, and even calls himself a whore to words, for he cannot act. The whole soliloquy is Hamlet doubting that he can actually get revenge. Over thinking and never doing could be a cause for Hamlet to look insane, he is all talk with no action. Hamlet is so obsessed with his revenge; it may look like a crazed madness. However, the madness is part of the plot that he has developed for revenge. This is probably the most intelligent way to go about plotting revenge, for no one takes a crazy man seriously. Hamlet is the most intelligent individual in the play, and uses this to his advantage as much as possible. Hamlet is witty, and this is first seen when Claudius asks why he is in mourning still, in which Hamlet replies I am too much in the sun, (I, ii). It is seen later in the play when he hides the body of Polonius and is asked where the body is buried in which Hamlet replies At supper, not where he eats, but where he is eaten, (IV, iii). This shows that he is witty and likes to mess with other people in the play. Hamlet also shows his superior intelligence in other ways. When he is speaking with Polonius Hamlet insults him you are a fishmonger, (II, ii). Later in this exchange of words, words, words, (II, ii) Hamlet continually insults the old man but Polonius takes these insults as a sign of insanity. Hamlet uses his intelligence to catch and make fun of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for their ignorance. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to color. I know the good king and queen have sent for you (II, ii). With this quote he is outright telling them that they are idiots, and that he knows why they are with him. The insult however just flies over their heads. One event that supports Hamlets intelligence would be the idea Hamlet has of getting the players to reenact his fathers death. This not only will prove to Hamlet that Claudius killed his father, but it will also get back at his mother and uncle. The play makes his uncle scared because he knows the Hamlet knows the trust and his mother very upset. At the end of the play when all the others leave Hamlet goes on to plan even more. He believes that his mother knows of Claudiuss betrayal and will try to force it out of her. I will speak daggers to her, but use noneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ how my words soever she be shent, to give them seals never, my soul, consent! (III, ii). He says he will cause her pain, but only with words, so that she may t ell what she knows. Hamlet uses his intelligence to mask his plans, and everything he is meaning to do. He has to be smart, or else he would have already been caught, and taken away. Hamlets intelligence is the key to his plan. It is the whole idea of looking mad, but actually being of a sound mind that gets Hamlet to where he needs to be. If Hamlet was not the smartest person in the play, or of any less intelligent than he was, he probably would have been killed many times before. He caught the tricks of the king, knew of the spying and overcame all of these obstacles to get what he wanted. Hamlet is the most human like character Shakespeare created, and he has very human like characteristics such as the use of intelligence. This is seen in everyday life. For example, people lie, and people catch those lies, such as a child lying to his mother so he will not get into trouble. This is essentially what Hamlet is doing; he catches the lies of Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and the King. Hamlets consciousness of the world in his time and the over thinking of just about everything was both a plus and a minus to Hamlet. If it werent for the over thinking he may ha ve had his revenge much sooner, but in a way he did not see fit for his murderous uncle. This over thinking does get his deed done in the fashion Hamlet wants, but it does cause other fatalities, including him own. People over think things every day and over thinking usually lead to problems. One example of this would be like skydiving. You want to do it, but once you get to the door of the plane, you go through all the bad and scary situations of jumping that may cause you to coward out. This usually makes it much harder to force yourself to jump. Hamlet does a bit of this, even called himself a coward, but this mockery to himself is what drives him to want revenge even more. Distrust is common theme in the play, and it plays a major role throughout Hamlet. It seems that no one really trusts each other. Hamlet has little trust in anyone, which could make it easier to follow through with his revenge. He doesnt really trust anyone, and no one really trusts him, so there is nothing to lose. This is seen in life with friends. If you know or trust someone, you try harder not to hurt their feelings. If you dont know them then hurting their feelings is not quite as important since you do not have a strong bond with that person. Hamlet uses these advantages he has to create a mad persona of himself, which is believable, to gain his revenge.

The Publishing of Written Materials: Newspapers, Magazines and Books :: Publishing Publish Essays

The Publishing of Written Materials: Newspapers, Magazines and Books Publishing as an industry is in constant dialogue - a true back and forth - with the surrounding culture commercially, technologically, and artistically. It has changed greatly since the early 1800's and particularly during the 1900's. These changes have occurred in relationship to evolving aspects of American life, and so the factors one must consider are many: literacy and compulsory education, legal ownership of the actual words to be published, modes of production and distribution, availability of resources such as paper and printing equipment, the ideas which generate the written word, the presence of a reading public and the questions it asks, and surrounding social events - war, money, immigration, reconstruction of the South. A brief early history: Publishing begins in US when Stephen Day issues the Bay Psalm Book in 1640 from his press in Cambridge MA Printing under state control in colonial times, and bookselling seldom an independent vocation before 1850. In the early years of the Colonies, Cambridge, Mass., had the sole privilege of printing, but the monopoly was broken in 1674, when Marmaduke Johnson, who had come over to print an Indian Bible (1663), moved his press to Boston. Gradually others followed - Philadelphia had a press in 1685; New York City, in 1693. It was difficult for the colonial printer, as for any small printer, to produce large works because of a shortage of type; but patronage by the government helped to give his products a dignified style. Almanacs, primers, and law books were the staples of book production; works of theology formed the leading category. Until 1769 American printers bought their presses from England, but thereafter they acquired their equipment and supplies, including ink and paper, do mestically. Books were sold in various ways—by subscription, by the printer himself, by hawkers, and through shopkeepers. Though Massachusetts passed a law against hawkers in 1713, it carefully excluded book peddlers, who had a valuable function in rural areas.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Director Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, the classic story of an angry young man, heralded a new kind of cinema for British audiences. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a classic social realist film of the British New Wave. Made in 1960, it was groundbreaking in both its portrayal of the industrial nightmare of working class factory life, and its unrepentant, cocky anti-hero Arthur Seaton. The British New Wave and La Nouvelle Vague Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) was Karel Reisz's first feature film, made in the light of a number of outstanding documentaries from the Free Cinema movement. Interestingly, this film emerged at the same time as Jean-Luc Godard's debut feature A Bout De Souffle (Breathless). Reisz and Godard, the enfant terrible of the French New Wave, shared certain traits. Both were critics turned film-makers whose debut films were the first commercial hits of their respective new waves, and both films were anti-establishment pieces from directors with political agendas. The Angry Young Man Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was a film to which many people could relate. Alan Sillitoe, who adapted his book for the screen, was the creator of one of the original angry young men of cinema history, Arthur Seaton. Arthur is a working class anti-hero whose boredom of factory life is assuaged only by his reckless attitude to life. Trapped in a dead end job, Arthur represents the individual against the system. He makes the most of his leisure time in an attempt to escape the mediocrity of his life. Arthur is blunt and cocky, out for a good time with women, booze and a well cut suit. But he is angry about the restrictions placed on him by his working class life. The cause of this aggression – factory life – united a public who recognized his anger. Cinema attendances reflected the fact that this was one of the first times audiences felt their own lives were represented on screen. Fatally Flawed At the beginning of the film Arthur is having an affair with Brenda, a married woman, who he gets pregnant. He tries to help her when she says she wants an abortion, although ultimately this is unsuccessful. It is a testament to the film-makers that this storyline does not alienate audiences. In fact, for all his gruff, rabble rousing, Arthur remains a likable, if flawed, character. He is seen to get a sort of comeuppance when Brenda's brother in law beats him up at the Nottingham Goose Fair, but audience sympathy is still with Arthur. This is also due in no small part to Albert Finney's amazing portrayal of Arthur as a working class lad coming to bitter terms with the responsibilities of manhood. The Midlands – A Backdrop For Social Realism Setting the film in Nottingham adds a further dimension of imprisonment, through iconography which has since been integrated into British cinema. The imposing chimney stacks and factories serve to increase the feelings of claustrophobia and provincial entrapment. Karel Reisz had already shown in his documentaries Everyday Except Christmas and We Are The Lambeth Boys that ordinary people could provide stories and entertainment, but his directors vision also demonstrates a poeticism of social problems. The views Reisz portrays through his lens have become embedded in British films, and typify a landscape still seen today in any British film within the social realist cannon. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Saturday Night and Sunday Morning By Alan Sillitoe Adapted by Amanda Whittington [pic] Harrogate Theatre 22nd February – 8th March 2008 Directed by Joyce Branagh Resource Material [pic] Alan Sillitoe's ground breaking picture of 1950's Britain, as seen through the eyes of the unforgettable Arthur Seaton (immortalised on screen by Albert Finney), is now brought raging back to life and bang up-to-date in a fast-moving new stage adaptation.Classic kitchen sink drama blended with high energy action and a toe-tapping 1950's fuelled soundtrack makes this at turns funny and heart-rending tale of the life and loves of the original angry young man a must see for three generations. ContentsPage Brief Synopsis Historical context About the author The adapted text List of Characters Principals Analysis In different media 21st Century references Synopsis Saturday Night and Sunday Morning tells the story of Arthur Seaton, a young Nottingham factory worker, who is having an affair with Brenda , the wife of Jack, an older co-worker.He also has a relationship with Doreen, a woman closer to his own age. When Brenda becomes pregnant with Arthur’s child, he goes to his aunt for advice on aborting the child. Jack discovers the affair. His brother and a fellow soldier give Arthur a serious beating. The play ends on an ambiguous note, with a recovered Arthur and Doreen discussing marriage and the prospect of a new home. Historical context 1958: The European Economic Community (Common Market) starts operation. The birth of Rock and Roll, which resulted in the emergence of clubs. Jerry Lee Lewis’s Great Balls of Fire reaches no 1 in the US charts.Women’s rights were still limited, but this was to change over the coming decade. Marie Stopes, a campaigner for women’s rights, dies, aged 69. The first man-made nuclear fusion was created. The class divide was still very prominent and strong. Labour were in government. Queen Elizabeth II had only recently bee n crowned. The idea of a new age had begun. About the Author Name:Alan Sillitoe Born:4th March 1928, Nottingham. Family:Second son of an illiterate tannery laborer. His father, Christopher Sillitoe, became one of the long-term unemployed during the 1930s Depression.On different occasions he worked as a house painter. Once he was imprisoned for â€Å"running up bills for food that he had no hope of paying. † Sillitoe's mother, Silvina (Burton) worked in a lace factory. â€Å"We lived in a room on Talbot Street whose four walls smelled of leaking gas, stale fat, and layers of mouldering wall-paper,† Sillitoe has recalled. Early life:Left school at 14 Sillitoe’s childhood was shadowed by the financial problems of the family, but he also found early on the joys of literature and started to plan his career as a writer.However, his first semi-fictional tale about his wild cousins was burned by his mother for being too revealing. At the age of 14 he left school and wor ked in a number of jobs in Nottingham factories, including a bicycle factory from 1942 to 1946. He served in the Royal Air Force, where he was a wireless operator. After returning from Malaya, he was discovered to have tuberculosis. Sill toe spent sixteen months in an RAF hospital. During this period he started to write again and read intensively. Pensioned off at 21 on 45 shillings at week, he lived in France and Spain for seven years in an attempt to recover.In 1951 he met an American poet, Ruth Fainlight, who was married, but they decided to go abroad together. From 1952 to 1958 they lived in France, Italy and Spain largely on Sillitoe's air force pension. Encouraged by Robert Graves, whom he met on the island of Mallorca in 1956, Sillitoe began to write his first novel, SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1958), a story about working-class life in Nottingham. Adapters of the book †¢ Amanda Whittington Previous plays for New Perspectives include: The Boy on the Hill; Last Sto p Louisa’s; and Player’s Angels.Other plays include: Ladies Day (Hull Truck); Satin N Steel (Nottingham Playhouse and Bolton Octagon); Be My Baby (Soho Theatre and subsequently staged by Oldham Coliseum, Hull Truck and Salisbury Playhouse); Born To Run (Third Space); Bollywood Jane (Leicester Haymarket); The Wills’s Girls (Tobacco Factory, Bristol and Radio Four). Publications include: Satin N Steel and Be My Baby (Nick Hern Books); and Twist & Shout, Runaway Girl and Shirley’s Song (SchoolPlay). Amanda has also written for film and television, and was joint winner of the 2001 Dennis Potter Screenwriting Award. David Brett David Brett is an English actor, singer and arranger. David Brett is one of the original members of The Flying Pickets. He arranged a number of the group's songs, including the number one hit Only You. Brett is working as an actor, mainly performing on stage, but he has also participated in a number of TV productions and played Dedalus Diggle in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone[1]. Characters Arthur Seaton: (21) a tall, iron-faced, crop-haired youth Loudmouth: (40) a sailor Brenda: (30) a married mother of two Em’ler: (20’s) Brenda’s friend, a bit touchedWinnie: (25) Brenda’s sister, small and fiery Waiter: too old for the job he’s forced to do Sweeper Girls: (20’s) factory workers Tealady: (40’s) a fixture of the factory Jack: (30) self-contained, fresh-faced, with a perpetual frown Robboe: (40) the foreman, a quiet man with tortured eyes Aunt Ada: (50) the personality of a promiscuous barmaid Mick: (40’s) an Irish drunk Landlady: (50’s) worldly-wise and cynical Courting Couple: (20’s) love-struck Grieving Man: (30’s) confused and sad Doreen: (19) fresh and innocent with a sharp edgeSwaddies: (20’s) army thugs Can be staged with a minimum of six actors, playing: Arthur Brenda/Tealady/Landlady Jack/Loudmouth/Grieving Man/Sw addie Winnie/Aunt Ada/Sweeper Girl/Ratface Doreen/Em’Ler/Sweeper Girl/Courting Girl Waiter/Robboe/Mick/Courting Boy/Swaddie Principal Analysis Arthur: Arthur Seaton, a lathe operator in a bicycle factory in Nottingham, England. The blond, muscular twenty- one-year-old fights to remain independent of society, employers, and marriage. He dates married women—first Brenda, then Winnie—and engages in boisterous drinking bouts.After a beating by Winnie’s soldier husband, he settles for the single Doreen, deciding that he need not reject all that life offers to remain independent. Brenda: Jack’s wife and Arthur’s lover. A young mother of two, she is bored with Jack and finds romance and excitement with Arthur. She is part of the dangerous â€Å"Saturday Night† life of the first half of the novel. After having an abortion, and after Arthur, discovered by Jack, has been beaten, she fades from the action. Doreen Greatton: a factory worker. Nine teen years old and single, she is eager to be married but seeks to curb Arthur’s excesses.She represents marriage and settling down to Arthur in the â€Å"Sunday Morning† half of the novel. She fails to get him past every pub but has won commitment from Arthur at the end. Winnie: nicknamed â€Å"Gyp,† Brenda’s sister. She is livelier and more reckless than her older sister. She, too, has an affair with Arthur. Her husband, Bill, is a soldier stationed in Germany. He returns on leave with a friend and, tipped off to the affair by Jack, beats Arthur. By dating Winnie, Arthur hastens an end to the dangerous life that he is finding to be a strain.Jack: Brenda’s husband and Arthur’s foreman at the factory. He is steady but dull. Rather than confront Arthur, he betrays him to Bill, Winnie’s husband. Aunt Ada: Arthur’s widowed aunt, a large, boisterous, and nurturing mother figure whose house teems with family at Christmas. Following his beating by Winnie’s husband, Arthur becomes withdrawn and cautious. It is in her house, under her vital influence, that Arthur breaks out of his withdrawal and returns to life, but with new attitudes. In different Media Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was first a novel written by Alan Sillitoe in 1958.It was one of the first kinds of Kitchen Sink Drama’s, with other noticeable ones being Angry Young Men and Billy Liar. It was adapted into a film in 1960, starring Albert Finney. The screenplay was adapted by Sillitoe himself. The next adaptation was by David Brett in 1964 as a low budget stage show, with a then unknown Ian McKellen in the role. The next proper adaptation was by Amanda Whittington References and Themes in the 21st Century Adultery Loyalty Revenge Violence Love/Friendship Deceit Rectification of your Mistakes

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most Essays

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most Essays Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most common eating disorders in the world. One in ten Americans suffer or have suffered from an eating disorder in their life. Disorders like these two listed are common in both females and males in their early stages of adulthood. The prevalence in women that suffer from bulimia are 0.3-0.5% , then for women who suffer from Anorexia is 1-3%. From this statistic, it is inferred that these two eating disorders have contrasting characteristics. Even though Bulimia and Anorexia are two types of binge-eating disorders, both have different contrasting effects on t he body such as physical changes to ones' body , Triggers, and negative effects physically and psychologically . Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where a person is consumed with binge eating followed by extreme methods of pu rging. The physical changes to body are Puffiness in the face below cheekbones, swollen glands, and sometimes bursting blood vessels in the eyes. Bulimia triggers a person's body in ways that exhibit anxious behavior. Someone who has Bulimia Nervosa has less control over their food intake than a person who has Anorexia Nervosa. People who have Bulimia lack control over their daily intake , following extreme diets for example going a day without eating, in-combination with the impulse to eat a large amount of food. This eating disorder may result in negative effects on one's body physically and psychologically, such as heat failure, damage to esophagus and teeth. People who suffer from this eating disorder tend to display a perfectionism behavior and have a tendency to be highly self-critical. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where a person fears weight gain and avoids eating, or eats small irregular food portions. A person with this eating disorder has physical changes in their body like loss of their hair, slow movements. Someone who is Anorexia Nervosa exhibits triggers such as compulsive controlling, for example their strict control over their food intake. Also, they tend to be consumed with analyzing the smallest things. This disorder effects the body negatively due to the cause of conditions it can cause such as Amenorrhea; which is the loss of one's menstrual cycle, osteoporosis, and infertility. Anorexia Nervosa causes one to become isolated from others, like their family and friends. In conclusion, Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa are both self-destructive eating habits, but must be identified in different ways. They both have very contrasting physical characteristics that set them apart from one and another. Both can have different effects on one's body and daily functioning.

Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer is a malignancy in the skin and is the most common of all cancers. There are three types of major skin cancers, which are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common type, develops in the basal, or bottom, layer of the epidermis. Squamous cell carcinoma develops in the upper layers of the epidermis. Melanoma develops in the melanocytes, or pigment cells, which are the basal layer of the skin. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Skin cancers can grow in any part of the skin, however, most grow in areas that are exposed to the sun, especially the face, neck, hands, and scalps. Exposure to direct sunlight, especially in early childhood, is the major risk factor in getting skin cancer. People with pale skin are the greatest risk of skin cancer, particularly if their skin burns or freckles easily. A family history of skin cancer can also increase a person's risk. Another factor is a person's diet. A recent study found that patients on a diet of 20 percent fat had fewer precancerous growths and non-melanoma skin cancers than those who had a diet of about 38 percent fat. Early detection and treatment are the keys to survival, especially for melanoma. Any of the several skin changes can be a sign of a skin cancer and should be reported to a doctor. These changes include any change in size, shape, color, or texture of a mole or other dark pigmented area. A mole could become itchy or tender and if it's a new mole it may feel hard or even bleed which can also lead to skin cancer. Lastly, a skin ulcer that doesn't heal or a black spot under a toenail or fingernail that extends beneath the cuticle could also lead to a type of skin cancer. To confirm a diagnosis of skin cancer a doctor may perform a biopsy, by removing a small piece of the skin to examine under a microscope for the presence of cancerous cells.

Uses of statistical information Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Uses of statistical information - Research Paper Example Statistics is a science of obtaining, organizing, summarizing, analyzing and making inferences about the data. In short, statistics is about all aspects of dealing with data (Williamson, 2002). There are very many fields that use statistics in their everyday activities and its use is as important as the fields themselves.Each workplace has unique demand and thus the kind of statistics required may vary to suit the needs of a particular work place. The use of statistics in a hospital setting is of paramount importance and is at the forefront in running, managing and decision making in the hospital. However, there exists basic standard statistics which are common in all hospital setting. In order to understand the statistical techniques to apply in a work place, one needs to know the statistical needs of that place (Barker & Harraway, 2005). Statistics are used in a variety of ways within a hospital- ranging from doing simple descriptive statistics for day to day management, for exampl e using routine hospital data in calculating operating costs and evaluating performance of hospital staff to carrying out big studies to address health issues using a series of data collected over a long period of time. One very important type of statistics typically obtained and used in a hospital is vital statistics. Vital statistics basically refers to the important events in human life. For a hospital setting, figures of life and death are widely used together with data collected on causes of death, disease as well as infections for addressing public health issues (Siri & Cork, 2009). Statistics help us understand how and why things happen the way they do and also capture unusual trends in the hospitalized population. The primary statistical knowledge obtained therefore helps in getting an insight into the future using prediction. With all the data the hospital collects on a daily basis, some descriptive statistics are derived. Descriptive statistics are used to show how the dat a looks like as well give a summary of the major components of the data. Coming up with descriptive statistics also helps us know if we captured the data we intended (Scott & Mazhindu, 2005). An example of descriptive statistics used in a hospital where I work, is the average number of patients received per day or per month. This gives an idea of how to monitor and evaluate hospital services to suit our needs. Another element of statistics is making inferences which are basically stating questions in form of hypothesis and answering them based on the available data. An example of such a setting in our hospital is studying whether age has an effect on the healing process of a wound. This question is formulated into a hypothesis and answered by categorizing patients with wounds based on their age and monitoring their healing process. A small sample t-test or an Analysis of Variance test is used to test whether the mean healing rate in one age group is significantly higher than the mea n healing rate in another age group. The decision to reject or accept our hypothesis is based on the probability that the results were obtained by chance alone (p-value) and the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it’s in fact true- ? level Both probabilities should be as small as possible to draw valid conclusions (Plichta & Garzon, 2006). There are four levels of statistical measurements used in the hospital where I work. These include nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio measurements. Nominal measurements are the weakest since the numeric values assigned to the variables only act as identifiers to uniquely name the variables of interest. They do not imply an ordering; neither does the interval represent the spacing between the variables (Trochim, 2006). During hospital assets audit, furniture is numbered just as an indicator for the already verified assets. Some probable statistics associated with nominal scales variables include mode and chi square. On the o ther hand, ordinal measurements

The Rising Cost of Benefits in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Rising Cost of Benefits in America - Essay Example Historical View Although the costs of healthcare have consistently risen over the last twenty years, the recent increases pale in comparison to tremendous spikes during the 1980s. According to Weatherly (2004), â€Å"[p]er capita health care spending increased by 156% from 1980 to 1990, while spending from 1990 to 2000 increased by less than half that amount† (p. 2). It seems strategies have changed today, from the 1980s, when employers absorbed a vast majority of cost increases. The recession of 1991 set employers back, yet health maintenance organizations (HMOs) had a stronger presence, providing economic relief to a certain extent. During that period, HMOs are reported as being a major factor in the decelerated rising costs. Today, employers are faced with a once more weakened economy and steep costs associated with providing benefits. The present difference is the extreme competition within many industries, which makes it hard for organizations to pass costs onto their cus tomers. Consequently, the employee responsibility is increasing, causing them to absorb more of the cost, reducing their overall income (Weatherly, 2004). ... Major consulting groups, the mass media, and healthcare experts have expressed similar research findings; according to Weatherly (2004), â€Å"health care costs are a critical or significant concern to the overwhelming majority of CEOs, Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) and other business leaders† (p. 2). Weatherly (2004) reports on surveys conducted among HR leaders and healthcare experts throughout the country, which convey a single ideology—employees and employers, when working together, can reduce the cost of healthcare. Specifically, â€Å"depending on the specific health care specialty area, between 83% and 96% of employers believe that employer and consumer decisions can have a significant or moderate impact on cost† (Weatherly, 2004, p. 2). Healthcare benefits have been the topic of heated discussion in recent months. Many Americans have voiced concern over the dire situation that the country is currently facing. Weatherly (2004) estimates organizatio ns spend $300 billion each year on providing health insurance for current employees, their dependents, and retired employees. Until 2011, a majority of employers did little to reduce benefit plan coverage and counteract the rising costs. As of 2004, plans offered by employers were relatively stable. Innovative benefit strategies and revamps of overall design were rare to non-existent (Weatherly, 2004). Innovative Strategies Recent reports by HR leaders to assist in offsetting the rapid increase in costs include premium cost shifting from employers to employees, raised deductibles, prescription programs (generic and mail-order), and increased cost-sharing with patients. As mentioned, healthcare costs are expected to climb another 8.9 percent in 2011 and experts expect annual increases into the near future