Conflict in Short Story Essay Example for Free

Conflict in Short Story Essay Essay on the Conflict Presented in William Faulkner’s Short Story, â€Å"Barn Burning† Conflict in literary works can be presented in a multitude of ways and it can be about almost everything that presents opposing forces. In William Faulkner’s short story, Barn Burning, the conflict is indeed about two opposing forces—that of the father and the son who values different things and who sees things differently. However, this is not the only conflict that the story illustrates. More than the physical conflict which the father and the son so obviously have, there is a hidden conflict present which is within the son. This conflict is the battle between what is right as defined by the law which the son upholds versus what is correct as defined by familial loyalty. The story revolves around the case of the father, Mr. Snopes who is accused of burning the barn of Mr. Harris. Though the case is dismissed, the Snopes name is forever tainted and the family decides to leave town and relocate. In the beginning of the story itself, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, the little boy protagonist and youngest son of Mr. Snopes is in turmoil since he knows that his father did indeed order that the barn of Mr. Harris be burned. Readers are able to see the conflict within the character of Sartoris who wants to say the truth but who wants to be loyal to his father, a father who nurtured, sheltered, fed and protected him. Sartoris decides that he will be loyal to his father even to the point of regarding Mr. Harris as their common enemy: â€Å"our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! Mine and hisn both! He’s my father! † (Faulkner, 1939, p. 1137). This parade of thoughts that Sartoris conjures up in his mind is the beginning of the battle of his conscience of whether he wants to abide by the loyalty that he owes his father and family or abide by societal laws. These thoughts are actually also a reflection of Sartoris convincing himself that he must at all cost, abide by familial loyalty. The same strain of thought pops again when the judge in charge of the case calls on Sartoris to testify whether his father really had a hand in the burning of the barn: â€Å"He aims for me to lie, he thought, again with that frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do it. † (Faulkner, 1939, 1138). Sartoris knows that his father is guilty and yet he also knows that he must lie to protect his father and the reputation of the rest of the family members, that he has no choice. Later on when the family leaves town to relocate, the father calls the son to ask him whether he would tell the judge the truth. This moment is where the father explains to the son what to do and what the importance of familial piety and loyalty is: â€Å"You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you† (Faulkner, 1939, p. 1140). This explanation of the father sums up the conflict that they have with each other: the father thinks that even if a family member is wrong, the others have to stick to that wronged member while the son thinks that truth and justice are more important. This difference in opinions, values and perspectives turn out to be crucial points in the end when the father runs into trouble again and decides to burn another barn. The son finally decides without hesitation that he will not stand up for his father and for the rest of the family who chose to stand with the father. The son decides to stop the father by calling the attention of the barn owner that there is something amiss. Thus, the son wins over the father twice in the sense that he chooses to abide by his own beliefs while at the same time upholding the laws of society and saving the property of the other. However, there is also a sense of loss of the boy since he has lost his family and he causes the death of his own father by reporting him to De Spain, the barn owner. In a way, the father’s explanation with the son comes true: since the son did not stick to his blood, his blood will also not to stick to him meaning that his family (the rest of the Snopes) will also decide to leave him or be disloyal to him. In conclusion, the conflict in the story is between father and son; and between the son’s loyalties to his family versus his moral obligations to the laws of society. Both conflicts are also resolved by the end of Faulkner’s short story with the death of the father. However, there is a possibility that a new conflict arises in the loneliness that the son is now going to experience as he makes his own way in the world and whether he can survive that loneliness. References Faulkner, W. (1939). Barn burning. The Harper American literature, v. 2, 2nd ed. Ed. McQuade, D. , et al. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers Inc. pp. 1137-1149.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Essay -- lily, society

Edith Wharton’s novel of manners The House of Mirth is a satirical representation of upper society. The personification of this satire is the character Lily Bart. The leader is led to believe that Lily is trapped by her upbringing in higher society, which is seen in Wharton’s use of characterization, imagery, and motifs throughout the novel. Wharton’s characterization of Lily Bart focuses on her beauty as the reason for her acceptance into high society. During the tableaux vivants at the Welly Brys’, Lily’s simple costume was the main focus of the men at the party: â€Å"This was the world [Lily] lived in, these were the standards by which she was fated to be measured! Does one go to Caliban for a judgement on Miranda?† (130). Wharton notes through Selden’s thoughts that Lily’s only place in high society is as a result from her beauty. The allusion to The Tempest by Shakespeare only furthers this fact, as Wharton then implies that without her beauty, Lily would not have a place in high society. Wharton’s concept of fate associated with Lily furthers the idea that Lily is trapped because of the predetermination of life and Lily’s upbringing culminate into Wharton’s trapped character of Lily Bart. The next time that Selden sees Lily again, it is on the train t o Nice when he comments on her beauty: â€Å"[At the Brys’, Lily’s beauty] had had a transparency through which the fluctuations of the spirit were sometimes visible; now its impenetrable surface suggested a process of crystallization which had fused her whole being into one hard brilliant surface†¦ to Selden it seemed like that moment of pause and arrest when the warm fluidity of youth is chilled into its final shape† (182). Wharton’s indirect characterization of Lily through Selden s... ...it to love because she still desires money and power. Wharton creates Lily with her character flaw of indecisiveness to lead her down her fated path; she is trapped by her desire of association in society and longs for the freedom that love would bring. Edith Wharton created The House of Mirth to mock the society that she lived in and gave Lily the negative traits associated with it. With these negative traits and Lily’s upbringing, Wharton creates a character that is trapped by her upbringing desire to have a permanent place in society but also yearns for love, expressed through Wharton’s characterization of Lily Bart, imagery associated with Lily, and the motif of Lily’s fatal flaw. The end result is Wharton’s fated demise of her heroine with neither love nor a position in society. Works Cited Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. Toronto: Bantam, 1986. Print.

Felon Disenfranchisement Essay

Disenfranchised felons should be reintegrated into society and recover their right to vote. Disenfranchisement is the harshest civil sanction imposed by a democratic society. Some of the problems involved with disenfranchisement include racism, inaccurate polls, and the massive amount of people affected. If the voice of the entire population does not include all sources and agendas, the polls will not be accurate. In Camilli’s research, it is assumed that the enfranchisement of the population is important for a fair and effective democratic community: those governed by this community must be able to vote. (2-3). Racism, although seemingly not the topic at hand, is indeed a primary contributor to this problem. One such limitation of felon disenfranchisement is the disproportionate impact of felon disenfranchisement on racial minorities in the United States, also the close election vote totals in recent prominent elections which may have been swung by the existence of felon dise nfranchisement. As Joseph Camilli points out, disenfranchisement has a disproportionate impact upon racial minorities. African Americans are affected more and also men are affected more in general. This brings forth the argument that the outcome is racist or even sexist. This is important when looking at recent elections involving racial minorities (3). Even if the desire is not intended to have racist outcomes, sometimes disenfranchisement laws still do. In Elizabeth Hulls research, she explains the number of black juveniles in the penal system, forty percent of whom will be prohibited from voting during some or all of their adult lives is astoundingly high. Many are first-time offenders who readily accept a guilty plea in exchange for probation. In the process, they often forfeit voting rights before they have even had an opportunity to exercise them. Given these consequences, it is hardly surprising that the United States Civil Rights Commission recently concluded that the disenfranchisement of ex-convicts is â€Å"the biggest hindrance to black voting since the poll tax†(Hull 1). In retrospect, maybe disenfranchising the nation’s future is not the best idea. Racism is a large problem of disenfranchisement. Disenfranchisement also affects this nation’s polls because large groups of people are not represented. The sheer number of felons with no right to vote skews the elections, especially those on the local level, and smaller communities. If the amount of felons were not so great, it may not be such an important issue. Since about one out of every forty-four people cannot vote, it implies that the polls are not accurate. Disenfranchisement is crippling in some areas where voting should be important. Small communities are completely underrepresented, and a small group has a larger influence. This has a large impact on certain issues when the entire population is required to make a sound choice. Felons have paid their debt to society; they should be reintegrated into mainstream society as smoothly as possible. It also may be a deterrent to future crime if they were to be able to re-experience a normal life, and include all of the rights they were missing. Perhaps they would even un derstand how important their rights were and serve to discourage fellow members of the community from future crime. Ex-Felons deserve the right to vote and for a strong democratic community should not be disenfranchised. In some cities, more than 50 percent of young African-American men are disenfranchised. A vast majority of prison inmates are African-Americans. Twelve percent of all African-American men in their twenties are incarcerated. This suggests that of the current population, more than a third of the black male community will be disenfranchised. More than a third of the 4.7 million disenfranchised felons are African-Americans. In four of the states with lifetime bans for felons, a quarter (Virginia, Iowa) and a third (Florida, Alabama) of all black men are ineligible to vote. As noted in Guy Stuart’s research, between 1935 and 1970, about 106 out of 100,000 Americans were incarcerated in federal or state prison; by 1980, the rate was 139 per 100,000; and in 2000, it was 478 per 100,000. The increases have not been solely confined to those incarcerated; the jail population and the number on probation and parole have also increased, from 662 per 100,000 in 1980 to 1,878 in 2000. Furthermore, the high incarceration rates disproportionately affect African Americans and Lati nos (5). â€Å"In its 1974 decision in Richardson v. Ramirez, the Supreme Court held that this language in the Fourteenth Amendment (the so-called Penalty Clause) provides an affirmative sanction for at least some forms of felon disenfranchisement,† (Hinchcliff 1). Hinchcliff also points  out that disenfranchisement upon minorities right now is greater than in any other time in history, especially upon African American males (1). The amending law in 1984 specified that if they resulted in racism despite intentions, it would be unconstitutional. About 3.9 million citizens in the U.S. were not able to take part in this year’s election, because of U.S. disenfranchisement laws regarding convicted felons. It is also important to focus on future obstructions such as how much the United States population has increased in the past few decades. Further obstructions that impede felons’ reintegration and lifelong barriers that affect their entire future are difficulties in employment, buying or renting a house, going to college, and other advantages open to the public. These ex-felons are continually punished by society. They must state if they have a felony when attempting to gain a job. The federal government claims that it is the stateà ¢â‚¬â„¢s prerogative. This causes much confusion, and many felons were able to vote in their area but did not know it due to the common misconception that felons could not vote. Some states ban voting by felons on probation or parole or even those who are no longer under any supervision by the criminal-justice system. Felons should be punished but not continually throughout their lives. Once their debt to society has been repaid, why should their rights still be forfeited? If people show criminals that their votes counted after they were released from prison perhaps it would encourage law abiding behavior. Why should these felons be excluded when they are also affected by elected leaders? According to Siegel’s research, Today, there are over 1. 5Million adults currently incarcerated in state or federal facilities, with an additional 700,000 individuals serving time In local jails (Sabol & Couture, 2008). Minorities of color are severely overrepresented within the criminal justice system. (Despite representing 13 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans compose 38 percent of presently incarcerated inmates; similarly, Hispanic total just over 15 percent of the overall population and 20 percent of inmates. (1) According to the research done by Guy Stuart, U.S. incarceration rates have been rising quickly in the past few decades. Most of the country has disenfranchisement laws. Almost forty percent of those disenfranchised are African American men. Slightly over six percent of the African American community has been disenfranchised. â€Å"This level of disfranchisement may have  had a significant impact on electoral outcomes in a number of states over the past twenty years, largely because those disfranchised would more likely have voted for the Democratic Party candidate† (1). Some people suggest a cool down period. They believe the felon should have to wait for years after serving his/her sentence. Sometimes this is so far out of hand that the felon would die of old age before he/she could vote again. They should be given the chance to prove they have been rehabilitated. Another argument against this unjust disenfranchisement is the felon knew the crime called for punishments, including loss of privileges. Some people believe since they already knew the punishments involved, that the ex-felons should not be given a second opportunity. A felony should not call for a lifetime punishment, especially when the crime does not always fit the punishment. Disenfranchisement is immoral, unbeneficial, and illegal. Unless an ex- felon has committed voter fraud, why should their punishment include disenfranchisement? Since it affects largely African American men more than other cultural and ethnic backgrounds, it has perhaps unintended racist outcomes. Felons have already paid their debt to society with the ir prison time and any fines they may have had to pay. A life sentence is an unnecessary addition to their sentence. They may not feel very accepted by people if they cannot vote. Normally people may want an ex-felon to feel very at home in society so as not to alienate them. Polls that are accurate are important to all people, because they do not just affect law-abiding citizens. They also affect felons and ex-felons. Works cited Camilli, Joseph â€Å"Minnesota’s Felon Disenfranchisement: An Historical Legal Relic, Rooted in Racism, That Fails To Satisfy a Legitimate Penological Interest.† Hamline Journal Of Public Law & Policy 33.1 (2011): 235-267. Legal Collection. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Hinchcliff, Abigail M. â€Å"The ‘Other’ side Of Richardson V. Ramirez: A Textual Challenge To Felon Disenfranchisement.† Yale Law Journal 121.1 (2011): 194-236. Academic Search Elite. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Hull, Elizabeth. â€Å"Disenfranchising Ex-Felons: What’s the Point?† 1 Mar. 2003. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. Siegel, Jonah A. â€Å"Felon Disenfranchisement and the Fight for Universal Suffrage.† Social Work 56.1 (2011): 89. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Stuart, Guy. â€Å"Databases, Felons, and Voting: Bias and Partisanship of the Florida Felons list in the 2000 Elections.† Political Science Quarterly 119.3 (2004): 453-475. Academic Search Elite. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Wearable tracking system for analysis of footballer efficiency

â€Å"My function in the application of systems technology in the group project† The inclusive purpose of this Part A Group undertaking was to develop a racy, wearable trailing system for analysis of footballer efficiency during a lucifer. I was portion of Group B of Group 8 ; my group’s assignment was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform of the GPS-based system. The group consisted of four people including myself. In drumhead the complete purpose of this undertaking was to develop a wearable GPS-based trailing system that can temporal enter the football players efficiency during an increased continuance of a 5 minute football lucifer. The possible donee for this system is the primary stakeholders who were identified as the football manager or lookout as they benefit from the football players efficiency. They would be able to place if the football participant is worth their salary merely by analyzing their public presentations during lucifers. Accelerometer is an electromechanical device which measures acceleration due to motion and gravitation. The dynamic acceleration which is engendered by quivers from motions allows the capacitive accelerometer to specify in which way the user is traveling and what velocity. The inactive acceleration which is generated by the gravitative pull the measurings portrayed the angle of joust in relation to the Earth’s gravitative pull. A big sum of clip and attempt throughout this undertaking has been spent on team-working – organizing the Group B squad, redacting the paperss achieved between us into a consistent manner and linguistic communication suited for non-technically minded readers. The intent of the group undertaking was to derive organizational, proficient, and systems technology accomplishments and cognition which I had expanded my apprehensions throughout this undertaking. This study is structured into separate subdivisions – the first depicting the paperss created to help from a systems position. The 2nd focal points on the systems technology methods that have been applied ; why they were selected ; how they were tailored ; how good they worked and how these applications could be improved. The 2nd focal points on the functions I played within this undertaking with what I contributed besides. The overall end of the group undertaking was to develop a robust, wearable trailing system for analysis of football player effectivity during a lucifer. The purpose for my tutorial group – Group B nevertheless, was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform to enable extraction of the needed informations for tracking the system’s acceleration forces over clip. In this undertaking, I took the enterprise to be the squad leader/manage whose duty was to pull off and put to death the sub-system developments. I made sure that my fellow squad members followed the Management Plans integrating the applications of the systems technology procedure used for this undertaking. As the tutorial group director I had the duty to set up the squad into a construction so that all members felt non merely that they had something to lend, but besides a say in the concluding sub-group study. That manner when it came to the testing of the overall system they wouldn’t feel that they had cheated their manner without lending to anything. One of the chief deliverables for this was in the signifier of a written study, which as a consequence of its size, and in an attempt I tried to include all group members, featured an input from each of them. To back up this undertaking I created a System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) and a Project Management Plan ( PMP ) with a small aid from my squad members. The intent of these direction paperss to place and depict the overall systems technology procedures and methods to be used during the development of this Group undertaking. I was entirely responsible for the PMP due to the fact that I was the sub-group director so it was my responsibility to pull off the undertaking and put to death it with organizational and proficient abilities. To guarantee that there was communicating about the systems development throughout the undertaking I incorporated a communicating direction program. The communicating program involved a directory which had more than one contact information for each forces involved in our sub-group. I found it utile as I was able to update them utilizing the societal networking such as WhatsApp and Facebook to look into their electronic mails when needed. So following the communicating program was successful. I allocated two of my co-workers from the group to bring forth the Work Breakdown construction. The intent behind utilizing this was to be after our work more expeditiously. The undertaking was characterised by time-limited activated with assigned fixed clip frames. The WBS affected the undertaking because it helps do the development of the sub-system consistent supplying effectual undertaking executing. By treating the undertakings at manus more clearly I was able assign duties. The functions provided were given to each of the members based on their strengths and what they were willing to make every bit good. In order to follow the communicating program described in the Group study, I created a Facebook page for the Super Group to maintain up to day of the month with the other members of Group A and Group C of this undertaking. The page was rather successful as the pupils involved in our Super Group were now cognizant of the meetings up-coming with their anterior dockets. Members from each group were made admins so that they could add their fellow group members who I had missed out from their tutorial groups. With this page we were able to hold a successful football lucifer with the to the full incorporate system attached to one of the participants. As system technology procedure are characteristic within the overall system life rhythm. This attack is iterative to the system design and development. The lifecycles used was SEMP, CONOPs, System Requirements, Software coding and Hardware fiction, Unit proving, Subsystem and system confirmation, Validation ( Testing ) . However, to develop the accelerometer I customised this to accommodate my group’s life rhythm procedure of the sub-systems development. This diagram was designed like this as I believed that this would be a suited manner in implementing the following activities. The first phase of the customised VEE diagram is the Requirements. As a group we recognised the user, system, functional and non-functional demands of the sub-system this helped with implementing the following phase of Management Plan paperss. This phase encountered the Project Management Plan ( PMP ) and the System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) . The intent of such paperss provided a comprehensive baseline of what needed to be achieved within the undertaking, how they were achieved, who would be involved and how it will be communicated throughout the undertaking. Cardinal direction: intents – hazard registry Once these were written to a satisfactory criterion, our coder executed the 3rd phase of our life-cycle. This contains the cryptography and testing of the sub-system. We could non go on to the following phase until the concluding execution of the accelerometer was verified by me. Until so, I took the chance to leap to the study composing phase and get down the initial bill of exchanges of the Group and Individual studies. After I verified our sub-system coding the integrating of the trailing system could be accomplished. The integrating merely took approximately two hours as it was rather easy one time all the sub-system cryptography were verified. This meant that in comparing to the Gantt chart which we achieved we were in front of agenda. This had an advantage as my sub-group were able to concentrate on the group study at manus utilizing up the clip allocated for the integrating of the system. When it came to the proving I didn’t take part in the lucifers its ego but I was the one entering the lucifers. I shared the images and picture with the other members in our super-groupo via facebook because I was the one videoing the testing. This means that the images seen in Group 8 sub-group group studies are most likely to be similar. In decision the biggest obstruction, for me in my sentiment, was successful completion of this undertaking was team-working by trying to finish our assignment in clip with the other sub-groups in this undertaking. I found it disputing to do certain that my co-workers kept to the deadline of the undertakings that were allocated to them. Although at the terminal of everything the system constructed performed really good, bring forthing informations required. It was compacted plenty to be worn without set uping the footballer’s public presentation but it could hold been improved if we was provided with a lodging device for the system. As the system was attached to my co-worker with a brand displacement lodging device wrapped around him with tape.

Grimms Fairy Tales and Other Versions

Grimms Fairy Tales and Other Versions The subject of fairy tales is a fascinating one, particularly Grimms fairy tales. Many of the most popular fairy tales of today developed centuries ago and have evolved over time into stories for children. Thanks to a number of research projects and the resulting online and print resources, we now have the opportunity to learn more. Why were Grimms fairy tales so grim? Are many of todays fairy tales pale imitations of the originals? How many different versions of such popular fairy tales as Cinderella and Snow White are there? How have these stories changed, and how have they remained the same, as they have been interpreted in different cultures and countries? Where can you find information on fairy tales for children from around the world? If this is a subject that interests you, here are some sites that should appeal to you: The Brothers Grimm An article about Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in National Geographic makes the point that the brothers did not set out to create a childrens collection of fairy tales. Instead, they set out to preserve Germanys oral tradition by collecting stories told to them, in other words, folklore. Not until several editions of their collection were published did the brothers realize that children were to be a major audience. According to the article, Once the Brothers Grimm sighted this new public, they set about refining and softening their tales, which had originated centuries earlier as earthy peasant fare. Some of the most well-known fairy tales can be found in Grimms Fairy Tales, as the English-language version was called. You may have already shared many of them with your child and have several books of fairy tales first found in Grimms Fairy Tales. These include Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Rapunzel. For more information about the brothers and the stories they collected, visit: Grimm Brothers Home Page:  Scroll down the sites table of contents. Youll find it provides a chronology of the brothers lives, information on their major publications, and links to articles, electronic texts, and studies of some of their stories.Grimms Fairy Tales:  Here you will find online versions, text only, of about 90 fairy tales. The Story of Cinderella The story of Cinderella has generated hundreds, some say thousands, of versions around the world.  The Cinderella Project is a text and image archives drawn from the deGrummond Childrens Literature Research collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. The dozen versions of the tale that are online come from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Michael N. Salda serves as the editor of the project. If you are interested in more research, check out the following sites: The Cinderella Bibliography:  This site, from Russell Peck, a professor in the Department of English at the University of Rochester, provides a great deal of information about online resources, modern adaptations, basic European texts, and much more.Cinderella Stories:  The Childrens Literature Web Guide at the University of Calgary provides information on Internet resources, reference books, and articles, as well as a bibliography of childrens books.If you are looking for recommended fairy tale books for your child, you will find the resources helpful in the Fairy Tales section of About.com Childrens Books. Are there versions of Grimms and other fairy tales that you and/or your children have particularly enjoyed? Share your recommendations by posting a message on the About Childrens Books Forum.

Abortion in the Premodern World

Abortion in the Premodern World While modern technology is quite new in historical terms, the practice of abortion and menstrual regulation is ancient. Traditional methods have been handed down for hundreds of generations and herbal and other methods have roots in the distant past. It should be noted that many ancient and medieval methods and preparations are extremely risky and many are not at all effective, so experimentation is quite unwise. We know abortion was practiced in biblical times from the passage in Numbers where alleged infidelity is tested by giving an abortifacient potion to an accused pregnant woman. The bitter water used to bring on the curse may have been quinine or several of other herbal and natural concoctions that are considered emmenagogues, or drugs that bring on menstruation. Such herbs and other concoctions are in reality often implantation inhibitors or abortifacients. According to the biblical tale, if the woman had not been unfaithful, the drug would not work and the pregnancy was assumed to be the husband’s child. If she miscarried, she was considered guilty of adultery and no questionable parentage ensued. Abortion was recorded in 1550 B.C.E. in Egypt, recorded in what is called the Ebers Papyrus and in ancient China about 500 B.C.E. as well. In China, folklore dates the use of mercury to induce abortions to about 5,000 years ago. Of course, mercury is extremely toxic. Hippocrates also offered abortion to his patients despite being opposed to pessaries and potions which he considered too dangerous. He is recorded as having instructed a prostitute to induce abortion by jumping up and down. This is certainly safer than some other methods, but rather ineffective. It is also believed that he used dilation and curettage to induce abortions as well. Abortion opponents often use the Hippocratic Oath of physicians as an argument against abortion per se, but the opposition had only to do with patient safety. Herbal methods were likely more common and many of the traditional herbs and mixtures are in use even today. Pennyroyal dates at least to the 1200s when manuscripts show herbalists preparing it, but the oil is extremely dangerous and modern herbalists avoid it. Deaths from its use were recorded in the US in the 1990s. A medieval herbal reference called De Viribus Herbarum referred to herbs to induce abortions even earlier in the 11th century. Pennyroyal was among the herbs mentioned but so were catnip, rue. Sage, savory, cypress, and hellebore. Some of the drugs are listed as emmenagogues rather than explicitly as abortifacients, but since the most common cause of a late menstrual period is pregnancy, there is little doubt why they were prescribed and used. Hildegard of Bingen mentions the use of tansy to bring on menstruation. Some herbs have been mentioned for centuries. One is a plant called the worm fern whose root is used to cause an abortion. It is telling that it was also known as prostitute’s root historically. Also used in the same area of Europe were thyme, parsley, lavender, and savin juniper. Even concoctions of camel saliva and deer hair were used. The right of women to seek abortions was not restricted in many places until fairly recently, with most restrictions being related to the time of quickening or fetal movement. Even Plato proclaimed the right of women to seek early terminations of pregnancies in Theaetetus, but specifically he spoke of the right of midwives to offer the procedure. In early times, most pregnancies were not managed by doctors so it was logical that abortion be provided by midwives and herbalists. Other measures to induce abortions have included iron sulfates and chlorides, hyssop, dittany, opium, madder in beer, watercress seeds and even crushed ants. Probably the herbs most commonly mentioned were tansy and pennyroyal. We know that tansy was used from at least the Middle Ages. One of the most brutal methods was practiced in the Orient in ancient times by violently kneading or beating the abdomen to cause abortion, a procedure with great peril to the woman who used it. Even in the 20th century, women were still trying Hippocrates’ jumping up and down method, likely with as little success as their ancient sisters. Wise women have found and used herbs and other preparations to manage their fertility for generations. Some concoctions were contraceptive in nature and others were abortifacients or designated emmenagogues. The latter are now believed to have worked to prevent implantation, a sort of ancient morning after pill. What we know for sure is that in the past as well as now women have found ways to manage unwanted pregnancies. It should be noted that many ancient and medieval methods and preparations are extremely risky and many are not at all effective, so experimentation is quite unwise. There are modern practitioners who do know the folk remedies that are both effective and safe and should be relied upon before even considering such methods. Modern women also have more familiar medical procedures to choose instead of ancient remedies. Sources Konstaninos Kapparis, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Florida. Abortion in the Ancient World (Duckworth Classical Essays). Duckworth Publishers (May 2003).John M. Riddle (Chair of the History Department and Alumni Distinguished Professor, North Carolina State University. Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Harvard University Press (April 1994).

FGM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FGM - Essay Example l such as doctors and midwives have performed the ritual, mostly for financial gain in countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mali, and Nigeria. It is also practiced among the immigrants in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States of America (Kontoyannis and Katsetos, p.32). It is called mutilation because there is no medical reason to remove otherwise healthy and useful organs of the body (Kontoyannis and Katsetos, p.32). FGM is a procedure that has no health benefits on girls or woman, causes severe psychological and physiological problems and it is most practiced in Africa as a cultural ritual. Moreover, Elizabeth Bransfield in her case studies involving FGM in ‘Gender, Anthropology and Religion’ argues that it is a religious ritual and cultural issue. Yet, I argue that it is overlooked that the ritual has no medical reasons because the female body is adversely harmed. Psychologically, the victim of FGM suffers a lot of pain during the procedure which is done mostly in unhygienic conditions and without anesthetic. Also, the removal of the clitoris is painful due to its having a lot of nerve endings. Injuries to the genital area could also leave scars on the victim’s body considering that the procedure is undertaken mostly unprofessionally, in poor lighting and at times in the bush. (Momoh, p.78). The thrashed, fearful and screaming victims could easily aggravate the injuries put on them by the operations of personnel who are not trained in handling medical cases. Lack of medical facilities could also result in dire consequences, including death in case of complications. Infections due to the use of unhygienic procedures is a common side effect that arises due to the use of unhygienic tools, dirty herbs or untested traditional medicines. Death and diverse medical conditions such as bacterial infections which result from the many underlying c onditions under which FGM is done. When the