From Realism through the Postmodern Era (5DB) Essay

From Realism through the Postmodern Era (5DB) - Essay Example Her works are like little narrative that have gone through the many cultural and racial changes. Her paintings seem to be unfinished, however, Laylah's paintings are able to say a lot about any historical period: from Nazi German to the Salem witch trials. All of her paintings have small cartoon-like figures who are hard to be identified in sex, nationality or race, but these figures are like the mirror of the present (Art in the twenty-first century). This painting, as the majority of Laylah's works, does not have a title. It was completed in the year 1998 and is the part of the Greenheads and Attack of the Bluehead series (Bonami 2006). There are four individuals on the paintings, with improper body structure. It seems that the figures in green suits have committed some form of crime and will be punished for it, but at the closer looks it appears that the painting is about the identity and power struggles in the modern society. The individuals with the raised hands have the green and orange dress, while the person who is representing the authority wears the while dress. It is interesting that despite of the idea that the painting is the reflection of the modern societal power division, the person in the while dress reminds the Egyptian aristocracy from the times of Pharaohs. Even his hat is of the same form as Egyptian's.

The mantle of mistakes

The mantle of mistakes A mistake is made, the consequences pour forward. For each mistake, there is the concomitant necessity to atone, but, if one corrects their mistake before it is too late, they may be able to evade that atonement. In William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, one is able to witness how severe mistakes that are neglected, and left unrealized, lead to the tragic destruction of the two protagonists. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, the two protagonists, are from two different families, who have past rivalries and do not associate with one another. Romeo and Juliet hurriedly marry each other, but because of their ill-fate, they eventually meet their demise. Their death is caused not so much by their own flaws as by numerous obstacles in their path, which are created by other characters. The characters that induce the most dramatic and critical affect upon the young couples death, are Tybalt, the Nurse, and Friar Laurence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hot-blooded and furious cousin of Juliet, Tybalt, bears a grudge against Romeo, which inevitably leads to a series of misfortunes. When he confronts Romeo at the Capulets party, he is dishonoured in front of a whole debauchery because of Romeo. Later on, he pursues Romeo to take revenge, â€Å"Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries, that thou hast done to me† (Act III, sc i, ll 65-66), and erroneously slays Mercutio, Romeos friend. Romeo then slays Tybalt to avenge his friends death, and, runs away. Meanwhile, the Prince, who is the leader of the city, announces that Romeo is banished from Verona, â€Å"Immediately we do exile him hence† (Act III, sc i, ll 187). This causes Juliet to weep for her husband. Her parents assume that she is sad because of Tybalts death, and decide that she should get married to the County Paris immediately, which is a great misunderstanding. Above all, her father threatens to disown her if she does not marry Paris. T his forces Juliet to take drastic measures, and drink the potion that Friar Laurence provides her with, which is followed by the death of Romeo and Juliet. If Tybalt did not pursue Romeo and initiate the conflicts, neither Mercutio nor Tybalt would have met their end, and Romeo would not have been banished. If Romeo did not get exiled, Juliet would not have gone to such drastic measures to evade her marriage with Paris. If Juliet did not take Friar Lawrences potion, Romeo would not have killed Paris, or drank the poison, and Juliet would not have committed suicide. In other words, if Tybalt did not make the mistake of disregarding the Prince and Lord Capulets strict orders, the deaths of the innocent characters would not have occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides the childish behaviour of Tybalt, an adult that should take responsibility for the tragedy is the Nurse. The Nurse is the person who has been taking care of Juliet since the day she was born. Unfortunately, even she makes mistakes. She helps the two marry each other. She even goes as far as to tell Romeo, that, â€Å"For the gentlewoman is young and therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing† (Act II, sc iv, ll 163-166), meaning that she makes sure that Romeo knows, that he better mean that he wants to marry Juliet. The Nurse helps Juliet to get to her wedding, which is very foolish of her, since she does not even think the slightest bit about what would happen if the two were to marry. After Romeo is banished, the Nurse does not support him anymore. Moreover, she does not understand that Juliets love for Romeo is genuine, and not some childish infatuation. She be trays Juliet, even though she is a wise and experienced woman. She encourages her to forget about Romeo and marry the County Paris instead, â€Å"I think it best you married with the County† (Act III, sc v, ll 225), which discourages Juliet greatly, since the Nurse was the only person Juliet could earnestly confide in. This betrayal by the Nurse leaves Juliet alone to make her own decisions. The Nurse is supposed to be one of Juliets best friends. Now when it is important for Juliet to have someone support her, she is disheartened. She also knows of the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet, yet she does not notify others of it. As a result, the Nurse thinks she is helping Juliet by leading her on that path, but, in truth, she is only helping her towards her death. That is an error that could have been easily resolved, but, she does not even know she made that error in the first place. Otherwise, if the Nurse continued supporting Juliet, she would have confided in her, and the Nurse could have stopped the whole tragedy from happening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Likewise, the gullible and somewhat secretive Friar Laurence plays a big part in the death of the young couple. He is a Franciscan Friar and is well-known throughout Verona. The Friar does all his actions, without even slightly thinking about the results. He is present throughout Romeo and Juliets lives; he unites them, comes up with a plan to keep them together, and is an ally throughout their tragedies. Nevertheless, Friar Laurences foolish actions in marrying Romeo and Juliet, creating thoughtless plans, and his fear of committing sin, all contribute to the deaths of them. For instance, after the death of Mercutio and Tybalt, and Romeos banishment, Friar Laurence is still not aware of the consequences of Romeo and Juliets marriage. Instead, he continues his effort in reuniting Romeo and Juliet. The plan he concocts for reuniting them is very risky, and badly thought out. Juliet is willing to commit suicide if the Friar does not help her, so, to appease her, the Friar gives her a potion to drink, and that potion, would keep her in a death-like state for forty-two hours. Meanwhile, he sends a letter to inform Romeo of the plan, but it never reaches him. Friar John, the person who is supposed to deliver the letter, says this to Friar Laurence, â€Å"I could not send it-here it is again-† (Act V, sc ii, ll 14). This tells the reader that Friar Laurence does not tell the messenger the importance of the letter beforehand. Also, Friar Laurence does not abide by his agreement with Romeo, â€Å"Sojourn in Mantua; Ill find out your man, and he shall signify from time to time† (Act III, sc iii, ll 168-169), which means he would notify Romeo of happenings via his manservant, Balthasar. Furthermore, the Friar contributes to the death of Juliet by his cowardly behaviour in the tomb. He does not comfort her at seeing her love dead and he also does not give her hope for future life other than life among holy nuns, â€Å"Ill dispose of thee , among a sisterhood of holy nuns† (Act V, sc iii, ll 156-157). After that, he abandons her, as he does not want to be seen or caught in the midst of all the drama. This is very irresponsible, cowardly, and selfish, especially since Juliet threatens to kill herself in the presence of Friar Laurence earlier in the play. In short, because of Friar Laurences short-sightedness and mistakes that he overlooks, he dooms those he tries to help. He puts the core of the catastrophe into motion, all starting with rashness, hastiness and numerous bad decisions. He tries to please everyone, but ends up pleasing no one. Therefore, if the two did not know Friar Laurence at all, this would not have ended as a tragedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In brief, from the very beginning, the young couple is destined to die. Almost every decision that the three characters make, leads up to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The deaths are the fault of the people who do not realize their mistakes earlier, and now grieve. These characters are Tybalt, the Nurse and Friar Laurence. They assist fate in succeeding to not allow Romeo and Juliet to be together. All of them make considerable mistakes by not thinking before acting. If the Nurse had continued supporting Juliet, Friar Laurence had thought carefully and Tybalt did not hold a grudge, these deaths would not have occurred. The outcome would have been completely different. The errors and senseless decisions that they made, became the sorrow of their whole lives.

Structural Sociologists vs Interpretive Sociologists Essay examples --

Is it true that structural sociologists use only quantitative methods while interpretive sociologists use only qualitative methods? The methods that sociologists use to conduct their research vary and can depend on practical considerations such as suitability of the method, and theoretical considerations such as the sociologist’s theoretical position. Interpretive sociologists focus on the meanings and definitions which guide and direct behaviour, they claim that understanding human behaviour involves seeing the world through the eyes of those being studied. Structural sociologists can be called positivists. Positivist sociology models itself on the natural sciences such as physics, it is concerned with behaviour that can be directly observed and quantified e.g. the number of visits to the doctors in one year. It attempts to explain human behaviour by discovering cause and effect relationships e.g. Durkheim claimed he had found a causal relationship between social isolation and suicide. Interpretivists use a range of research methods. They often use unstructu...

Behavior Theories Essay -- Psychology Psychological Essays

Behavior Theories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wide study of human beings has led psychologists to the development of many theories explaining the elements that cause a persons behavior and attitude. In this paper I would like to reflect upon some of the theories we studied such as: the cultivation theory, social learning theory, the attribution theory, and the cognitive dissonance theory, and relate them to my life and surrounding environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’d like to first start off with the cultivation theory (also keep in mind the social learning theory, it is of the same nature). For those unfamiliar with this theory it states, the more media one consumes the more likely he or she will perceive the world as scary place. Now to be totally honest my views about violence in the media and its affects on people were pretty firm. I never agreed with this idea whatsoever. Because I myself watch a ton of violent programs and listen to probably the most controversial music today, it was hard for me to accept that this media was supposedly inflicting harm upon others physically and mentally, when in no harmful way did it affect me. I always felt that people who were â€Å"unintentionally† affected by the media and act out violently because of certain programs or music just needed a basis for their stupidity or in other words a cheap excuse. I just believe that if a child is persuaded into burning the family couch resulting in the death of his little sister because he saw it on a past episode of Bevis and Butthead, then I feel that child is unstable. It's not the content of the media we need to examine its the child that needs to be picked apart and dissected. I have yet to experience a personal situation like this in my life the only cases I can relate to are the ones put on display on TV and in the papers. Everyone has their own individual thoughts and mind frames, some choose to be leaders, while others choose to be followers, who do you think is more likely to be persuaded by the media? But I would like to say that after studying both the cultivation and social learning theories in class, I have been able to open up and accept that â€Å"some† media content can and has had a negative affect on â€Å"some† people. The most interesting thing that I never really thought about until after the discussion of these theories was learning that people are more likely to copy act ions that receive positiv... ...ated. This is one of the biggest problems among us college students today’s, drinking and driving, when are we going to realize its stupid. The answer to that would be Guys you know I don’t like drinking and driving BUT I’ll do it this one last time. When my friends and I go out we always try to have a DD, but a lot of the times being around people that are drinking and acting goofy, is very persuasive in getting that person to drink. Now what. Well now the parties over and everybody’s drunk, so who’s going to drive, obviously someone who was not willing to in the first place because they felt its not smart. But you know how quickly alcohol can change that, â€Å"I’ll drive I’m fine, no really I’m fine I only had about twelve beers, I can barely walk or talk, but I’ll drive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to say that learning about these theories and their meanings and differences has been totally interesting and helpful to me, honestly. I think its pretty cool to know a little bit more about people and why they act the way they do, particularly my family and friends and even myself. It has and will allow me to make better judgements about situations and the behaviors of others. Behavior Theories Essay -- Psychology Psychological Essays Behavior Theories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wide study of human beings has led psychologists to the development of many theories explaining the elements that cause a persons behavior and attitude. In this paper I would like to reflect upon some of the theories we studied such as: the cultivation theory, social learning theory, the attribution theory, and the cognitive dissonance theory, and relate them to my life and surrounding environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’d like to first start off with the cultivation theory (also keep in mind the social learning theory, it is of the same nature). For those unfamiliar with this theory it states, the more media one consumes the more likely he or she will perceive the world as scary place. Now to be totally honest my views about violence in the media and its affects on people were pretty firm. I never agreed with this idea whatsoever. Because I myself watch a ton of violent programs and listen to probably the most controversial music today, it was hard for me to accept that this media was supposedly inflicting harm upon others physically and mentally, when in no harmful way did it affect me. I always felt that people who were â€Å"unintentionally† affected by the media and act out violently because of certain programs or music just needed a basis for their stupidity or in other words a cheap excuse. I just believe that if a child is persuaded into burning the family couch resulting in the death of his little sister because he saw it on a past episode of Bevis and Butthead, then I feel that child is unstable. It's not the content of the media we need to examine its the child that needs to be picked apart and dissected. I have yet to experience a personal situation like this in my life the only cases I can relate to are the ones put on display on TV and in the papers. Everyone has their own individual thoughts and mind frames, some choose to be leaders, while others choose to be followers, who do you think is more likely to be persuaded by the media? But I would like to say that after studying both the cultivation and social learning theories in class, I have been able to open up and accept that â€Å"some† media content can and has had a negative affect on â€Å"some† people. The most interesting thing that I never really thought about until after the discussion of these theories was learning that people are more likely to copy act ions that receive positiv... ...ated. This is one of the biggest problems among us college students today’s, drinking and driving, when are we going to realize its stupid. The answer to that would be Guys you know I don’t like drinking and driving BUT I’ll do it this one last time. When my friends and I go out we always try to have a DD, but a lot of the times being around people that are drinking and acting goofy, is very persuasive in getting that person to drink. Now what. Well now the parties over and everybody’s drunk, so who’s going to drive, obviously someone who was not willing to in the first place because they felt its not smart. But you know how quickly alcohol can change that, â€Å"I’ll drive I’m fine, no really I’m fine I only had about twelve beers, I can barely walk or talk, but I’ll drive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to say that learning about these theories and their meanings and differences has been totally interesting and helpful to me, honestly. I think its pretty cool to know a little bit more about people and why they act the way they do, particularly my family and friends and even myself. It has and will allow me to make better judgements about situations and the behaviors of others.

Preparation and analysis of inorganic and organic compounds Essay

Task 1 titration of sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid In this experiment the sodium hydroxide is neutralized with Hydrochloric acid to produce sodium chloride (the soluble salt) it is then crystallized in a dish. The equation for the above reaction is →NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H20(l) Method Add 25cm3 of sodium hydroxide into a conical flask then add couple of drops of methyl orange indicator Next fill the burette with HCL using a funnel to the 0 mark Add HCL to sodium hydroxide in small amounts swirling constantly keep adding until the solution changes to a red colour record your result Using the same volume of HCL now add it to another 25 cm3 of sodium hydroxide to produce a neutral solution Use a Bunsen burner and an evaporating dish to reduce the volume to half Finally leave to evaporate in a crystallizing dish to produce a white crystalline solid Average Volume = 26.35 Mass of Evaporating dish = 53.86 (Mass = 55.04 – 53.86 = 1.18g) Mass = n x Mr = 0.025 x 58.5 = 1.4625 Calculating Percentage Yield 1.18 x 100 = 80.7 % 1.4625 Test for ions present Sodium Na+ — test carried out = flame test – result golden yellow This happens as the electrons move to higher energy level and then fall back down when heated which gives out yellow light. Chloride test → test carried out = add silver nitrate – result white precipitate of silver chloride was formed Task (e) Purity analysis of NaCl In this task I will be showing the purity analysis of NaCl the same procedure will be carried out as before but this time 0.1 moldm-3 of sodium chloride is titrated with 0.05 moldm-3 silver nitrate the indicator will be the chromate indicator The chemical formula for the following reaction is:NaCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → AgCl(s) + NaNo3(aq) RESULTS These are the results obtained for the following experiment: Rough 1 2 Final burette reading 19.9 20.5 20.6 Initial Burette Reading 0.00 0.00 0.00 Titre 19.9 20.5 20.6 Average Volume = 20.55 Converted to dm3 /1000 1)calculate no of moles of silver nitrate N= C x V =0.05 x 0.02055 = 0.010275 moles 2)answer = no of mole of NaCl (1 : 1 ratio) 3) Calculate the actual concentration of NaCl C= n/V = 0.010275 = 0.10275moldm-3 0.01 4)percentage purity ppurity = 0.1 x 100 = 97.3%) 0.010275 Task 2 Method: 1)shake 2g of 2- hydroxybenzoic acid with 4 cm3 of ethanoic anhydride in a 100cm3 conical flask 2) add five drops of concentrated sulphuric acid agitating the flask for about 10 mins the whole wil form a crystalline mush 3) Dilute by stirring it in 4cm3 of cold glacial ethanoic acid and cool by placing in a water bath containing crushed ice 4) filter off the crystals using a Hirsch funnel and wash once with ice cold water 5) place the crude aspirin in a 100cm3 beaker add hot water not boiling water till it dissolves 6)cool and filter of crystals this process is known as recrystallisation 7) Take 4 test tubes add 2cm3 of distilled water in each and in 1 tube add one crystal of the product before recrystallisation and shake 8) Second tube add one crystal of the recrystallised product and shake 9) Third tube add one crystal of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid and shake 10) In last tube add one crystal of known pure aspirin and shake 11)To each tube add 2 drops in turn of neutral iron (III) chloride and shake Following this method I got the following results Mass at start was 2.04 Finishing mass was 2.08 Amount of yield: 138 →180 1 →180/138 1 →1.3 2.04 → 2.652 2.08 x 100 = 78.4% 2.652 Organic testing To test for a phenol group Method: Add neutral iron III chloride(if a phenol group is present it will change into purple complex and if theres no purple then the aspirin is pure) Using the following method my result showed a purple complex showing that my aspirin was impure Melting point analysis

Stronger Faster Smarter

Stronger, Faster, Smarter By Mary Carmichael A. Account The text â€Å"Stronger, Faster, Smarter† written by Mary Carmichael states that exercise is the key to develop a healthier and smarter brain. According to the text, studies show that exercise such as aerobic doesn’t only increase the size of the muscles via the increased blood flow, the same thing happens to the brain. More blood equals more oxygen, which helps maintain the brain cells nourished better. The same kind of exercise has also coaxed the human brain to produce new nerve cells and caused older nerve cells to form interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. All which results in a stronger, faster and smarter brain. These statements are fully held out by research in the field of neuroscience and kinesiology described in the text and also confirmed in the field of biochemistry. With the view of a biochemist the evidence lies on the molecular level. When exercising, our muscles contract and release and within this particular motion a protein called IGF-1 finds it way to the brain through the bloodstream. This protein informs the brain of the increased activity due to the exercise, which makes the brain crank up its production of different chemicals needed to keep the body working in a new and more stressed state. One of these chemicals is called brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF and is indispensable when we talk about growing a bigger, stronger, faster and smarter brain. In fact a book on this subject calls it â€Å"Miracle-Gro for the brain. It fuels almost all the activities that lead to higher thought†. With this piece of information we can conclude in a scientific way that an increase of body exercise results in a higher production of chemicals and molecules in the body, where BDNF is one of them. With an increase of BDNF, blood and also oxygen we can conclude that not only does the process of exercise lead to an increased memory and improved function due to an increase of the size of the brain which occurs of the higher amount of bloodstream, it also leads to creation of new nerve cells and their branching out, connection and communication or what we in normal sayings would call an increased ability to learn. B1. Essay Who should be held responsible is the question. And the answer is pretty simple. The educators. And the reason is simple too. As pupils, high school and college students we spend a total of almost 20 years of studying, some even more. At least a quarter of a day is held in these educational institutions that are meant to transform us from an individual to a working but also thinking part of society. Being smarter is the actual goal you set yourself; it is what the society expects when we go to school. We are taught that by being present and participating in the lessons, we learn. But what we forget or don’t know is that a crucial ingredient of learning is being fit to learn. A statement scientifically proven by numerous professors and biologist. An increase of blood flow to the brain due to exercise increases the flow of oxygen, which creates a more healthier, fresh and clean environment where new brain cells can be formed and interconnect with each other to shape what we call learning. Some people will maybe say that keeping yourself fit is a personal responsibility, but what these people forget is that obese people and people who don’t exercise could actually do more good for the society if they were fit. Everyone nowadays know that people who exercise are less likely to get life-treating diseases and studies in physiology also show that an active life equals a longer life. The society benefits from this in many ways. Not only do we live longer, we use less money on medication and treatment. But there is also a missing benefit that we forget. A fitter and healthier society equals a more intelligent society. When you look at societies with a higher level of education and compare them with societies with the exact opposite you will see a dramatic difference in wealth and happiness. I am not stating that you can’t be happy if you are poor or uneducated, but my point is that a clever and educated population tend to form societies where the foundations are based on higher level of theory and education. When taking little Denmark in perspective to the most of the world you will see that we differ by giving every citizen a chance to become an educated individual. Just by having this opportunity you can live a life in wealth and happiness, which you wouldn’t be able to in many other countries. This is also called the â€Å"Jantelov†, which says that you are no better than anybody else. A garbage man has the opportunity to become a lawyer or a doctor but as a garbage man he can live in a middle-class neighborhood and hold is head high without feeling anyone judging his choice of career. He may not have a high level of education, and his work hours may be awkward but he can enjoy the rest of the day with his family and recharge to next day of work. All of this is possible because the country is built by intellectual and educated people who have learned how to build a well working society where everyone have equal rights and have a place in society. To bare out my statement of a more intelligent society equals a happier society, independent studies and surveys in the field of social science all show that Denmark is the happiest place on earth. Little Denmark is ranked above USA, the richest and most powerful country in human history and even way above those paradise-like places like Hawaii. Based on the values of â€Å"Jantelov†, and the way the Danish society system is built by well-educated statesmen you actually have evidence of not only a wealthy, but also the happiest country in the world. It is therefore a united responsibility that should be held out by educators because their role and job is to educate and teach us how to learn. An increased effort done by educators in the field of exercise will contribute as a social benefit because a more fit and healthy society benefits in not only a wealthier and happier but also a more intelligent society. Another good reason why educational institutes should be held responsible of exercise is that they are the places that young people spend most of their time. They are the places we meet with our classmates and going to school or university is a daily routine. When we wake up we know that within few hours we have to head to one of these educational institutes where the educators have the responsibility to teach us. The main purpose is to learn what the educators teach us. Day after day we go to school to learn, but why don’t we exercise every day? This could become a reality if the educators also were coaches or brain trainers, so they didn’t only have the responsibility to teach but also to train our brains to learn with the help of fun games that motivate us to move our bodies. And motivation is the key element to exercise. If we make these games as important as the lessons we would create a social security net which doesn’t let people complete the educational without completing the â€Å"obligatory games†. The ancient Greeks did this as well, and said â€Å"fitness was almost as important as learning itself†. And an old Turkish saying my mom once told me says, â€Å"a healthy mind rests in a healthy body†. But you don’t have to be a scientist, biologist or even a Greek philosopher to see and feel the change in your body and brain when you exercise. Anyone can feel that they have a lot more energy and think clearer when they have exercise on a daily basis. But in our modern culture things such as game consoles and computers have taken over exercise and increased the proportion of overweight people. And after days and months or maybe years with no exercise we lose the motivational compositor that keeps reminding our brain that exercise is a good and satisfying for not only our body but also the brain that rests in it. And this motivation is then replaced by the fun of video games and socializing on the Internet. But a way we can re-experience the lost motivation is by doing something social and fun such as playing a game of soccer, which replaces the fun in video games and living a social life in cyberspace. By doing so, as an everyday routine in the educational institutes it will become as normal as getting up from bed, eating, brushing your teeth and going to school. It will be a regular everyday task almost an instinctual habit. And this is how and why the educators should be held responsible of training us to become better learners so we can develop stronger, faster and smarter brains.

Many of the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely Essay

Describe the reasons for their loneliness and explore the different ways they seek comfort. Many of the characters in the novel ‘of Mice and Men’ are lonely because they grew up in an unurturing and unfriendly environment. The reason for this type of negative and depressing attitude is due to the ‘Great Wall Street Crash’. This tormenting economic crash took place at the same time when the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set, in the year 1929. Families fell apart as the men were forced to leave behind their roots, and seek employment on ranches in order to bring back stability in their lives again. Relationships were never formed on these ranches as no one had any time nor interest in trying to communicate and bond with the other ranch hands or other residents. The only object the ranchers were attracted to was making money and moving on, therefore there was no stability. Tragically, vast amounts of people committed suicide, as they could not bear to live their lives recounting all their losses. Coincidentally the meaning of the town Soledad is ‘our lady of loneliness’. Loneliness is a spreading disease, which has the power to make the most cheerful people dull and gloomy as they begin to feel isolated. There is no direct cure for loneliness; therefore no one knows how to deal with it. This is the stage where the effected people begin to split into two distinctive groups depending on each individual’s character; the two groups are known as introverts and extroverts. The people that are catogrised in the introvert group suffer the most as they keep all their emotions locked up inside, leading in them taking their anger out on themselves. Whereas the extrovert group has a completely different way of approaching loneliness, they begin to take their anger out on other people in such ways as being aggressive and flirtatious to overcome their feelings. There is a vast comparison between the two groups; if you look at it between characters, which are extroverts and introverts, at one extreme you have Crooks a Negro who is partially crippled, and then you have Curley, a cruel, insensitive extrovert. All humans need to be comforted at the time of need as this is the human desire, therefore, it is not surprising that the characters in this novel also require comfort. Some characters similar to Crooks need friendship-based relationships so that they can communicate with other people. Other characters similar to George and Lennie have their future dream to look forward to and work towards that is their target. The definition of a dream is: ‘Dream n. Train of thoughts, images, or fancies passing through mind during sleep; Conscious indulgence of fancy, reverie, thing of dream-like beauty, charm, goodness, etc.’ (Taken from the Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, Third Edition) A dream is something you indulge in, to escape momentarily from life. This seems to be the context that John Steinbeck intended his characters in Of Mice and Men to dream in. They are all craving for something – in the case of George and Lennie, that something is land. All the dreams in this novel are similar to the Great American Dream, which is that you can achieve anything if you have the mind and desire to do it. However, most of the characters who have dreams know that their dreams may never become reality, but never the less it still provides comfort for them. Crooks is partially crippled, ‘his body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine’, yet self-dependant Negro, he too is very lonely. Crooks’s personality is quite interesting, as he is very defensive and protective of himself: ‘He kept his distance and demanded that others kept theirs.’ Crooks is very cautious about those who approach him, this is as he does not want to be in any more pain than he already is; he is frightened that someone will not only hurt him physically but harm him mentally as well. He is fully aware of his rights, he knows the limitations of what he is allowed to do and what he has not got the right to do. Crooks is lonely as he has not got anyone to talk to due to the colour of his skin, he does not even know how to act around other guys. All he spends his time doing is reading the ‘battered magazines and dirty books’ which were scattered all around his bunk: â€Å"Books ain’t no good, a guy needs somebody – to be near him†¦A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Later on in the chapter we realise that all Crooks is longing for is companionship, however, it is evident to see that Crooks is a bad communicator: â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† Crooks reacts angrily, his anger is and pride is a defense against the harsh treatment he has been subjected to and experienced for most of his years in life. He has been held back without any real conversation for an eminent amount of time, therefore leading to his language being unwelcoming as it is aggressive and defensive. Loneliness has had a negative effect on Crooks as it has made him verbally aggressive and very protective of what is his and his right. In chapter 4, John Steinbeck does a role reverse, instead of a white man tormenting a Negro, a Negro torments a white man, in this case Lennie. Crooks took a lot of pleasure in torturing Lennie the night George went into town, he had pleasure form teasing Lennie by suggesting that George would not bother to return as he better off without the presence of Lennie: â€Å"I said s’pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more†¦Just s’pose that.† Crooks enjoys having the power over Lennie, he uses persuasive and manipulative language to prove his point, for once in all the time on the ranch he has an advantage over a white man. This inspires him, Crooks is feeling good at this point; he feels self-assured as though he can take on anything: â€Å"†¦Now you jus’ get on out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.† Crooks builds up his confidence to such an extent that he forgets his status on the social hierarchy. However, Curley’s wife coldly reminds Crooks of his unsuccessful position as a black man; a ‘nigger’: â€Å"Well, you keep your place here nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easily it ain’t even funny.† This racist statement reminds Crooks of his old self, leading to him remembering that he has ‘reduced himself to nothing’, he ‘pressed his body against the wall’, in shame. Crooks achieves comfort from remembering his childhood; Crooks came from a background full of love and care for each other, he knows what the true value of companionship is: â€Å"I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They were always near me, always there.† Crooks past childhood is full of affection and love in contrast to Crooks now, an isolated and lonely man who is referred to as a ‘nigger’. Crooks is in vast emotional pain as he knows what he is missing out on, however, some people may argue that he is actually quite advantaged as at least he has old memories to refer back to. Crooks also gets comfort from asking to be allowed to join the dream, which George, Lennie and Crooks hold: â€Å"If you would want a hand to work for nothing- just his keep, why I’d come and lend a hand.† Crooks wants things to go back to as he was a child, he wants to revisit the happy days of his life that are now just a vague memory to him. Crooks knows that the only way he can do this is by joining the dream that George, Lennie and Crooks share. However, Crooks soon finds out when George rejects him from sharing the dream that he is destined to be an old isolated Negro. George Milton is one of the main characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, he is quiet, modest and clearly a good worker. George is considered as one of the fortunate characters in this particular novel, this is as he atleast had a chance to experience the true value of companionship and unconditional value with his best friend Lennie Small. His companionship with Lennie ‘staves of loneliness’, as well as giving George a role in life; a clear task to look after Lennie. It is evident to see that at the beginning of the novel George feels superior with this role as it gives him a sense of power over Lennie: â€Å" â€Å" George has learnt vastly from his past experiences with Lennie; this allows George to have a two-way relationship with Lennie, one that of a best friend, and another that of a parent. George feels a sense of duty and responsibility towards Lennie as a parent: â€Å"Don’t really seem to be running, though. You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie.† However, as the novel progresses George begins to realise what companionship is, ‘we kinda look after each other’, now this role simply makes George feel different from the rest of the ranch hands as it entitles him to a status. Nevertheless, George still recognises that he is still lonely, despite having a companion, it may be more discrete than others may, but he is still lonely. George and Lennie do not interact on an intellectual level; Slim describes George as a ‘smart little guy’, where as Lennie is described by George as ‘dumb as hell’; therefore the comparison on their intellect is eminent. At times George thinks he is talking to himself, as Lennie never really responds to his questions. Therefore Lennie can never really understand George emotionally or physically. George seeks comfort by the companionship with Lennie, they both look out for each other: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† George relies on his companionship with Lennie to get through the unurturing and unfriendly environment of Soledad: â€Å"†¦it’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know’ George values and treasures his special relationship with Lennie, he loves him so much that he can even sacrifice him for Lennie’s own benefit. George also seeks comfort by his simple dream, he wants him and Lennie to have land of their own, and they want to be their own managers and look after each other until they grow old: â€Å"Some day-we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres†¦when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George’s dream, although extremely similar to Lennie’s, is probably more detailed and complicated. Lennie due to his child-like mentality only thinks as far as ‘tendin’ the rabbits’, whereas George assesses the situation by asking himself if they have got enough money, or when will they be able to achieve the dream, before accepting the dream to become reality. George had made it perfectly clear that the dream that he and Lennie share will only become successful if they both achieve it: â€Å"†¦I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† George realised that he just got carried away, he knew from the start that the dream was unattainable; all dreams are unattainable in Soledad, as it is such a disturbing environment. Curley’s wife is possibly the loneliest of all characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, throughout the beginning of the novel John Steinbeck gives the readers the impression that Curley’s wife is a ‘tart’: ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe so that her body was thrown forward’ She is portrayed as tarty through her provocative appearance and flirtatious actions. John Steinbeck deliberately does not give her a name, she is only known as Curley’s wife; therefore a possession of Curley. Curley’s wife has been forced to recognise that her sexuality is the only weapon, the only thing that will ever get her noticed: ‘She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up’ This is mainly the reason for why she is dressed in a sexually provocative manner throughout the novel. Curley’s wife’s complaints of loneliness are likely to be sincere, yet she presents them in a manipulative manner that reduces any sympathy for the character. Her ‘craving for contact is immense’, she is longing for someone to have a conversation with her: â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely.† However, it seems that everyone is ‘incapable’ of having a faithful conversation with her without it including any ‘sexual content’. John Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife, as so desperate that to experience the true value of a relationship that she would do anything to obtain it: ‘If anyone- a man or a woman- ever gave her a break- treated her like a person- she would be a slave to that person.’ Curley’s wife is prepared to carry out any instructions, or meet any demands for anyone that would for once be able to trust her and become her friend, she would do it to such an extent that she would even follow them as if she was enslaved to them. Curley’s wife has a different type of dream from George and Lennie’s; instead of having something to call her own, she wants fame, fortune and respect: â€Å"Coulda been in the movies, an’ had clothes- all of them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†¦Because this guy says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream allows her to escape from her tormenting controlled life and seek comfort from what in her point of view could have happened. Curley’s wife is vulnerable, and innocent, she shows her humanity by consoling in Lennie. However, Curley’s wife seems to have a deep regret that she did not take up either of the men on their offers: â€Å"If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet.† Curley’s wife’s vulnerability shows the most at this point, she is so desperate to get away from her usual lifestyle that she takes the words of a complete stranger to be equivalent of that of a gospel: â€Å"He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream was shattered when the letter that she was waiting for never came, coldly she blamed her mother, accusing her of ‘stealing the letter’. It is understandable that there never was going to be a letter, the men were just taking advantage of the poor innocent girl. Curley’s wife married Curley on impulse; her hasty marriage to Curley proves to be a failed attempt to escape from her own spiral of loneliness, however, it is now that she has come to realise that what she did was immoral; she feels more trapped now then she ever did: â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.† Curley’s failure to satisfy his wife both emotionally and physically is another reason why Curley’s wife is so lonely and has so much hatred built up towards him. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife in Chapter 5, John Steinbeck offers the readers a disturbing image. He describes her with more life and vitality as a corpse than he did as a living character, her ‘rouged cheeks’ and ‘reddened lips’ now after her death give her the appearance of life. In death the ‘meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention’ have gone from her face. This represents John Steinbeck’s first concrete praise for Curley’s wife; he writes for the first time that she appears ‘pretty’ and ‘simple’, a more commendable character as a corpse than as a living human being, as she is not her manipulative self. Therefore, concluding that in a way, some may say that Curley’s wife has achieved her dream as she won her innocence back. Loneliness is a major theme in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. It is only the two characters George and Lennie who stave of it by their relationship. However, the disadvantaged characters are the ones who suffer the most, it embitters Candy and Crooks, moreover, it kills Curley’s wife. John Steinbeck describes loneliness as part of a human condition in this particular novel, it is something we as humans are born with leading it to be either something we fight or succumb to all our lives: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† However, throughout the novel John Steinbeck does not offer any answers to get rid of loneliness, it only shows how different characters deal with this problem differently.