Thursday, April 2, 2020
Computer Aided Drafting And Design Essays - Computer-aided Design
Computer Aided Drafting and Design CADD stands for Computer Aided Drafting and Design. By using the computer for the functions normally utilized by hand, a greater amount of efficiency can be attained. By drawing lines with a computer on a screen, corrections can be made without erasing the entire product. CADD is a lot like a word processor, letting people draw whatever they choose, print it, and if corrections are needed, only a small amount of time is needed to correct it. CADD has the speed of a technical sketch in the accuracy of a normal drawing. CADD programs can utilize different methods in the way they draw their pictures. Some use co-ordinates, which is the standard method, and some might use inches or centimetres. The standard method of co-ordinates gives a product which is compatible with other systems. One co-ordinate point might represent 1/10 of a millimetre in actual space. Then 1 millimetre is 10 co-ordinate points. CADD systems were developed along with the computer. They were developed very slowly. They went from being very large, clumsy, elaborate machines which needed lots of human intervention to one program on a floppy disk. When the power of computers increased, so did the possibilities of CADD. Images on CADD systems are drawn with the aid of a keyboard, mouse, or tracking ball. One selects the starting point of a line, the ending point, and the line is drawn. A scale at the bottom of the screen tells how long the line will be. On some CADD systems, the computer itself can measure how long the line will be while the operator inputs the length of the line. Lines are the basis of all drawings. Straight lines are fairly simple and quick to make, but what about curved or wavy lines? That's what different CADD commands are made for. Different CADD commands make different things on the screen possible. There are commands for dimensioning, labelling, making circles, boxes, etc. Some generic commands and their functions are: XYZ up- This allows the operator to rotate, tip, flip, and move the object by degrees. Top, front, and rear views are used. Drawing below: MOVE- Move means moving the object. Move can be used left, right, up, down, forwards, and backwards. MOVE must be specified by how many units (co-ordinates) the object must be moved and in what direction. SCALE- Makes the object smaller or larger, and by what scale. Eg: reduce by 50, increase by 50, etc. LINES- This is the generic drawing command for lines. A start point and end point must be indicated. COLORS- What color the lines or object must be. The foreground and backround (in 3-D CADD) can also be specified. ERASE- Erase line, object, all, or just a part of the screen, which is specified similar to move. PLAN VIEW- This command will usuallt draw the 3 views plus a 3-d view of the object. ZOOM- Zooms in on the object. CIRCLE, ARC- Draws the chosen image. SPLINE- Draws a "wavy" line as like below. TEXT- Writes text. COPY- Copies the object, line, etc. MIRROR COPY- Copies the object in a mirror image. Some commands, like the ones listed below, might not be availible on all CADD progarms. They do specific tasks. Some are: Hidden line and Surface Removal- Removes hidden lines and surfaces, automatically or by the discretion of the operator. 3 Point Perspective Display- Displays the object in the 3-point perspective, as in technical sketching. Object and Group Designations- This is usually independent. This identifies individual objects on the screen, like a box within a box. Move Vertex- Molds and re-shapes objects. CADD comes in many forms. 3-D CADD uses lines in a 3 Dimensional form. This is useful in drawing complex buildings and spheres. CADD output comes in many forms also. Images may be produced by printer, which is less accurate, and by plotter, which draws all lines and curves by a small pen. This is the most accurate form of CADD reproduction and output. CADD is widely used in industry. It is slowly replacing all hand methods, since it is fast and simple. A drawing that might take 10 days to make could now take 10 minutes on computer. The future of CADD depends of the demand of the functions for the different programs. CADD in schools is being taught also. As you can see, CADD is slowly becoming the most widely used system of industry in the world. Its functions make design fast and easy, and without many errors. Next time you need to finish that drafting project and have only
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Essay Example
Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Essay Example Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Paper Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Paper Essay Topic: Film Mississippi Burning is a thought provoking film, which explores racism and segregation between black and white people, in a small southern town, in the United States of America. The film is set it the late 1960s, during the Civil Rights Act, where the southern community of America were unwilling to change their lifestyle and include black citizens into the society. This lead to economical and social oppression, whereby poverty in the south increased and a rise in violence and crime, meant that it was a dangerous place to live, especially for black citizens. The film contains many symbols and underlying meanings which the average audience would not understand. The opening sequence of any film, clearly establishes the mood and setting of the film. It needs to be interesting and powerful in order to captivate the attention of the audience. In Mississippi Burning, the opening scene establishes the mood as being one of anger and hatred. There is an establishing shot of a dull and dilapidated washroom, with two sinks, one of better quality than the other. Symbolically, the vertical drain pipe acts like a division between the two sinks and the two races. A white man enters the shot and uses the sophisticated wash basin, whilst a young black boy washes his hands in the unclean sink. This immediately informs the audience about what the film is going to be about. Also some of the audience, who did not experience segregation, get an insight into what life was like during this period of time. Alan Parker uses lighting to great significance. The opening shot is dull and unlit, and significantly the light through the window, shines on the sink, which is used by the white citizens. This has an unconscious impact on the audience, and they realise that the white citizens are being favoured in this town. However what the director is also trying to portray, is the fact that the economic recession has had an impact on the whole society. The black people are only slightly poorer than the white people, because the two societies are using the same dilapidated washroom. This tells us that the whole community is not as socially or economically advanced as the northern areas of America. The background music is also symbolic. The soundtrack suggests that the film is of a serious nature, because it creates an atmosphere of grief by the using a lament Blues song, originated by black African-Americans, who were enslaved by white people and used this type of music to express their feelings. This further cements the racism link. The images of the next establishing shot, a burning church combines excellently with the music to make the scene very depressing and dull. The church has a moral message. It suggests that these people are against Christian values and suggests that this is a place of hell. The burning cross is an oblique reference to the Ku Klux Klan, a group of white people who terrified black and Jewish people. As the church finally collapses the camera zooms in making the experience more intense. Alan Parker then uses several camera techniques, which allows the audience to take in the symbolic information. The camera pans up and the flames die down, and there is a black background with white text saying Directed by Alan Parker. I think that the director combined these images of the washroom and burning church; to make the audience tense before the action unfolds. An important aspect of the opening sequence is the fact that there has been no dialogue so far, which sustains tensions and the silence during the opening scenes creates a menacing atmosphere. The whole screen then becomes black and the next establishing shot is a car in the black night, with two-thirds of the screen still black, representing the menacing night. The background music has stopped and we can hear the real sounds of the cars. We then get a close-up shot of the unknown faces in the car; we cant distinguish who they are at the moment, although it seems ironic in a sense that there are two white people and one black person in the same car. In the next shot the camera angle expands to show that the road is in the middle of nowhere and that there is nobody to stop an attack from happening. The camera then switches into the car where the lighting is very dark but the characters seem quite relaxed. It seems too calm, and I think the director is leading the audience into a false sense of security, because the mood of this scene doesnt seem to fit with the outline of the film. Then a drum beat starts, which symbolises the Death March, and adds to the narrative tension. It prepares the audience for the death of someone, possibly the foreigners in the car. The camera then changes to a long shot and the audience spots another anonymous car, following the first car. This second car, an iconic truck of the southern white American citizens, has its lights turned off because they want to remain ominous. The audience feel unsympathetic and sinister towards the mysterious people in the truck, because the viewers are unaware of who they are and what they look like. The director then increases narrative tension, by increasing the sound volume, as the truck approaches the saloon car. This also increases the narrative pace of the film and the audience know that they are about to witness something dramatic. Then all of a sudden, the tension is cut and a police siren starts to wail, and a side shot of the two cars shows that the truck behind is a police car. As the two men get out of the police car, the unsure audience are eager to find out if these men are really policemen, but the director uses lighting very cleverly to hide the identity of the two men, which adds mystery and suspense to the atmosphere of the scene. The viewers know that everything in the shade is underhand. The short scenes and good use of cutting allows there to be an increase in narrative tension and pace of the film. The scene seems somewhat interrogational, where the policeman shines a light on the faces of the people in the car. As soon as the man who got out of the car talks, his personality becomes apparent. His appearance makes him seem psychotic and menacing and he uses impolite and informal speech. He has a southern accent and comments on the smell of the person in the car, calling him a nigger loving Jew boy. The audience immediately dislike this vulgar, racist and aggressive character. In complete contrast, the northern citizen is polite and the director wants to portray him as a young, idealistic, civilised man. He refers to the police officer as Sir, after he realises that he is an aggressive man. The audience feel sympathetic towards the driver as he is polite, but also because he has feminine features. The black man in the back knows whats happening, and tells his friend not to look at the face of the southern man, but its too late and he shoots the driver. The audience hears three shots and assume that all three men in the car are dead. Although there are no images the sounds of the racist killers laughing about the atrocities that they had just committed, brings a sad and hateful mood to the opening sequence. Again, there is a pause of a couple of seconds, with just a black background, allowing the audience to reflect on the events that have just happened. There were some very strong images on show in the previous scenes which are vital for the rest of the movie. It prepares the audience for the rest of the film, and it gives them knowledge of the historical, social and economical context of the film.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Cultural Transformation in Extended Care Nursing Homes Term Paper
Cultural Transformation in Extended Care Nursing Homes - Term Paper Example Cultural transformations in a nursing environment refer to the changes in the perceptions of the care providers on the mode of delivery of services to their clients - the residents (Hojlo, 2010). The transformations are necessary due to the need for improved services at the centers. The cultural transformation process is not a simple change but a paradigm shift involving three main stages namely, ââ¬Ëa time of chaos and confusion, crisis, and acceptanceââ¬â¢ (Hojlo, 2010, p.45). This paper illustrates the contribution of nursing to cultural transformation for improved services. It makes use of a practical project that has proved effective towards this objective. Introduction to the project The project is a step towards creating a friendlier environment for the residents in these nursing homes. The entire transformation process is systematic and bound occur in phases. ... There is need for a more one-on-one correspondence between residents and the nursing assistants. On one hand, residents have affairs that require privacy at certain points and on the other hand, there is a need for the residents to engage in some organizational activities. The move is driven by the provisions on the Bill of Rights for the residents in these nursing homes. Just like the other ordinary healthy people, the residents are entitled to good housing environment and follow his or her choice and preferences in various daily requirements. The individuals are entitled to us basic commodities that are in their living environment. The individuals also have the rights to privacy. Overview of the project The project takes on three different dimensions. The first initiative is choice of items in the food menu. It involves discussing with residents and families on the schedule of food items depending on their preference and the bodily requirements. Another initiative is introduction o f various sporting activities. The third component of the project is conducting a get-together occasion in which the residents share their experiences with families, friends, professionals, and other patients. Literature Review The cultural transformations in the nursing homes are inevitable due to the changing needs of the residents in such homes. Person-directed care has a central focus on the needs, interests and the lifestyles preferred by an individual (HealthInsight New Mexico, 2012). This is because every individual has unique needs, strengths, and relationships that should be addressed. The provision of strong health care services requires high levels of competency and professionalism with a major focus on the quality of life and the quality of care given to the residents
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Lab report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4
Lab report - Essay Example Centripetal force is the description of the net force acting on an object moving in a circle. Any object moving in a circular motion will have a force acting on it to prevent it from deviating from the path of motion. The force also causes the object to deviate from its straight line motion. The direction of centripetal force is perpendicular to the velocity vector as the object is changing its direction and undergoing an inward acceleration (James Shipman). An object moving in a circular motion is accelerating. The acceleration is as a result of changing velocity either the changing magnitude of the velocity vector or the direction. Even if the body is moving at a steady speed, it is accelerating due to changing direction. The direction of acceleration is inwards towards the centre of the circle. In the diagram above, the particle is moving with constant speed but its acceleration is changing due to the changing velocity factor. Due to this change, acceleration is noted and directed towards the centre. The direction of instantaneous velocity is obtained by taking the two radial vectors defining a circle in constant motion. As the two radial vectors get closer together, becomes tangent to the circle. Since the direction of the velocity is equivalent to the direction of, then the velocity vector is in the direction tangent to the circle pointing perpendicular to the position vector (James Shipman). Resolving tesnion in 1 and 2 into vertical and horizontal elements, we find that horizontal components T1cosá µ ¨ and T2 cos á µ ¨ are in the same direction. These components add up to give centripetal force (James Shipman). The centripetal force for measurement 2 and 3 are the same because, in both cases, the masses on the hanger are almost the same. In measurement 2, the mass is 0.82 kg and in measurement 3, the mass on the hanger is o.84kg. These two masses produce relatively the same
Monday, January 27, 2020
Poor Nurse Patient Communication In Mental Health Setting Nursing Essay
Poor Nurse Patient Communication In Mental Health Setting Nursing Essay Communication is defined asthe imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writing or signs. It is the tool which strengthens healthcare provider-patient relationship through which therapeutic goals are achieved (Park et al, 2006). Effective communication occurs when a desired effect is the result of information sharing, while poor communication leads to uncertainty and frustration. There are many situations where poor communication can lead to confusion. It includes not only building rapport but also leading to patients queries unanswered, discussing medical issues at patients bedside while ignoring them, talking harshly to patients etc. This can result in lack of support, disrespect and especially, harm to the patients. During my Mental Health Clinical at a private Hospital, I encountered a patient with diagnosis of Schizophrenia, and his Mental Status Examination (MSE) revealed that he had circumstantial ideas. I asked him a question and he talked irrelevantly about it. The nurse, who was listening to our conversation, scolded the patient saying why was he not answering relevantly. The nurses way of talking was very rebuking and lacked empathy. Upon getting scolded, the patient got aggressive and embarrassed, yet left silently. I visited the patient later, continued the MSE politely, and he answered me well. In my patients scenario, the nurse emotionally abused and demoted my patient rather than encouraging him. I believe this lowered my patients self-esteem and shattered him psychologically as evident by his gesture of leaving the room in silence due to aggression. Gadit (2011) states that verbal abuse can cause significant psychological problems in later years and brain damage. This means that skilled communication of a nurse helps a patient reduce his worries, making him comfortable. Moreover, patients verbalization of feelings and thoughts aids a nurse in correctly identifying his problems and performing interventions. Therapeutic communication holds importance as it contributes to a patients emotional growth or reinforce his or her illness. (Masilani, 2010, p.02). Thus, poor communication shatters the nurse-patients therapeutic relationship and acts as a barrier in expression of patients feelings which may lead to flawed nursing care. Nurses poor communication leaves a negative imag e in a patients mind regarding nurse and the institution, impacting greatly on his treatment. Patient would not express but build on feelings deep inside, which can lead to depression. My patient was not able to answer promptly due to his disease process. Through positive regard, assurance and encouragement, the nurse could have helped the patient. Instead the nurse demoted him and lowered his self-esteem. A model by Shanon and Weaver (1949) explains where the gap was formed. This model has 8 elements: source is an individual or a group that wants a message to be delivered ; encoder is the specified format for later interpretation; message is the idea that is being communicated; channel is the route that the message travels on; noise is any interference in the communication; decoder is the interpretation of the message from its original form into the one that the receiver understands; receiver is the intended recipient who takes in the message that the source has sent and feedback relates to the source whether their message has been received, interpreted correctly or lost in the noise. In the above scenario, I was the source who put the model into action. Encoding was my speech and expressions. I was doing the Mental Status Examination and it was my message. Noise was the nurse who interrupted and distorted my message. When the noise over rode the source, problem in the decoding occurr ed, leading the receiver to get aggressive and embarrassed. This gave the feedback that the message that was sent has got an error and needs to be revised. Building on the feedback, I gave patient sometime, and interacted with him later to continue his examination for his benefit Barriers to effective communication can impede or deform the message. There may be physical barriers that often occur due to the environment. Example of this is the shortage of staff, lack of time, increased workload, improper building etc. In the above scenario, the unit allotted for psychiatry was undersized and less spacious. Nurses and the patients were locked in the small unit, where they could easily listen to each others conversations. Second barrier can be the system fault. It refers to problems with the system in an organization. Examples include a lack of clarity in responsibilities, supervision and training. Keeping the scenario in mind, a nurse has the basic responsibility to practice empathy, as studies link empathy with therapeutic relationship (Reynolds Stewart, 2002; Neumann et al, 2012). Attitudinal barriers occur as a result of problems with staff. Examples include poor management, communication errors, personal attitudes of individual staff due to lack of motivati on and insufficient training etc. The above Private Hospital setup reflected that there was no supervision and the staff did not seem much competent. When looking into the socio cultural context, a news report reveals that mental health is the most neglected field in Pakistan (Qasim, 2012). In such conditions, if the communication flaws persist, a patients mental health is likely to be devastated. Another survey in Pakistan shows that patients satisfaction depends on a healthcare providers communication and behavior with them during their length of hospital stay (Danish, Khan, Chaudhry, Naseer, 2008). As psychiatric patients usually have repeated admissions and prolonged hospitalizations, therefore therapeutic communication can allow a nurse to deliver quality care to the patients, thus satisfying their needs. Moreover, departments of psychiatry in Pakistan are not well equipped specially in terms of psychiatric manpower (Gandit 2006). Literature emphasizes that swift pace and content is required in the field of research. Poor communication can be attributed to a number of factors. Lack of understanding, which includes value to proper communication and empathy in therapeutic relation, is one of the causes . Sometimes patient factors do not allow healthcare practitioner to communicate properly as it has been observed that harming behavior, emotional blocks and other psychotic symptoms do not allow nurses to continue therapeutic communication (Pfeiffer, 1998). It was also evident in my patients case that nurses communication can lower self-esteem and promote distress. Excessive poor communication of the nurses can lead to constant aggression and anxiety of communication, ultimately worsening patients mental health. To sustain a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship I would recommend that institutional management should arrange communication skill workshops for staff, as researches show that workshops help in improving nurses communication skills and their sense of preparedness (Lamiani Furey, 2009). The nursing supervisors should also identify the causes which hinder in communication. Moreover, nurses could reflect daily upon their communication skills, analyze the mistakes and try to work on it, as reflection is a powerful educational tool in nursing that can enhance clinical experience (Bradbury-Jones et al, 2009). They can also take ongoing feedbacks from colleagues and try to improve on their weak points. Since psychiatric patients have problems in communicating and forming relationships (Hem Heggen, 2003, p.102), therefore I would suggest that psychiatric nurses should have profound awareness of when to show empathy during communication. In my opinion medical and nursing students should focus on efficient communication while studying psychiatric course, so they can continue to practice it precisely. Furthermore, as discussed above, a barrier to effective communication is the lack of supervision. For that, ongoing rounds and evaluations should be done by the higher authorities to witness the exact situation and happenings, since it is noticed that in the supervision of the higher authorities, communication is more therapeutic. Thus, I recommend institutions to keep an eye on their staffs communication techniques in order to minimize negligence. In conclusion, nurses may commit errors but practice can make them perfect especially in a skill like communication. Thus, nurses must practice as much as possible and try reducing communication errors. As discussed, there are several causes and effects of poor communication especially in psychiatric nursing. But nurses should use themselves as a therapeutic instrument (Hem Heggen, 2003), so that they can help the psychiatric patients for their early recovery. Word Count: 1,342 Words
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Educating Rita essay :: English Literature
Educating Rita essay "I've been realizing for ages that I was you know slightly out of step, I'm twenty six, I should have had a baby by now, everyone expects it, I'm sure me husband thinks I'm sterile. He was moaning all the time you know come off the pills, lets have a baby. I told him I'd come off the pills, just to shut him up. But I'm still on it, see I don't want to baby yet. See, I want to discover myself first, do you understand that? Changes take place in every one through our lives everyday; In this essay I will be exploring the changes that have happened in Franks and Rita relationship in the play Educating Rita by Willy Russell. I will be mainly focusing upon the attitudes of the two main characters towards each other and towards themselves. Rita is a mature woman seeking an education, as she didn't take the opportunity to learn when she was an amateur student because of the environment she lived around in and the fact she didn't want to learn because of her popularity and her working class culture. Frank: Rita why didn't you become what you call a proper student? Rita: you know, boring, ripped-up books, broken glass everywhere, knives and fights and that was just in the staffroom. Nah, they tried their best I suppose, but studying was just for the whimps, wasn't it? See, if I'd started taking school seriously I would have had to become different from me mates and that's not allowed. In reflected, Rita has come to realise how the law expectations surrounding her and her working class culture held her back from her real potential. She wants to change now and break this cycle. Frank, the other main character, is a teacher at the university where she has applied to do her course. He is around his 50's and is Rita's tutor. He is a lazy man, bored and frustrated by his life he too does not feel like he belongs anywhere. Frank does not like his job very much; he does not have any respect for himself at all. FRANK: my dear I actually an appalling teacher, most of the time, you see, you see it most of the time, you see it doesn't matter appalling teaching is quite in order for most of the appalling students. And the others manage to get by despite me. They expect us to teach when the pubs are open. The relation ship between frank and Rita at the beginning of the play is not strong, frank doesn't really want to tutor Rita because he
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Kate Chopin and her influence on womenââ¬â¢s rights Essay
ââ¬Å"I would give the essential, I would give my money, I would give my life for my child; but I wouldnââ¬â¢t give myselfâ⬠(Chopin). The rights that women enjoy today were not always as equal to that of males. The womenââ¬â¢s rights movement transitioned Americaââ¬â¢s views of them from the way they were pre-nineteenth century to now. Novelist Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s literary works was a crux that aided in the strength of the movement. Women faced many hardships, and Kate Chopin, a literary genius, contributed to a lot to the movement. To begin, in the nineteenth century people married at a very young age and women did not work in that time. They were denied employment outside of seamstresses and mid-wives; therefore they couldnââ¬â¢t always realistically support themselves. Women had to get married so that someone could support them. Women were also not their own person; they were the property of their husbands and it was expected for them to get married and have babies. Women were not allowed the freedoms men enjoyed such as that of the law, the church or the government. Married women could not make legal contracts, divorce her husband or win the right to custody of their children. The History Education sector of the university of Maryland states: ââ¬Å"The role of women in the nineteenth century was viewed as ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢subordinate to malesââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ and was therefore subject to the laws and regulations imposed upon them by men.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ (Hoffberger 2) Moreover, for centuries there has always been a struggle for women to find equality and respect from men. Kate Chopin, a great writer of nineteenth century, had written novels that assisted in the upheaval of the previously stated rights of women, or lack of rights. Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s literary works often include male and female gender roles that are sometimes challenged by the female protagonists in the stories. Her literary works include themes about liberation and conformity in society. In Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s fictional short stories, ââ¬Å"â⬠The Story of an Hour,â⬠and ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Babyâ⬠â⬠both show examples of the lack of freedom in the role of women in society. Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s viewpoints in that time period helped her influenced how other women perceived womenââ¬â¢s rights; she was a woman far ahead of her time. At the same time, Kate Chopin was an author who was underappreciated by those in her generation. Much of this was due to the fact that she was a contemporaryà author, who primarily wrote about womenââ¬â¢s sexuality and their roles in the world. She had strong, independent women as role models in her youth so it is not surprising that these same attributes would blossom, not only in her personal life, but in her characterââ¬â¢s lives as well in ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Baby.â⬠While these two works do share some similarities there are also vast differences and a few parallels from Chopinââ¬â¢s own life. Katherine Oââ¬â¢Flaherty, later Kate Chopin, was born in St. Louis, Missouri on February 8, 1851. She was born to stable and publicly known parents, Eliza and Thomas Oââ¬â¢Flaherty. Eliza Oââ¬â¢Flaherty was of French-Creole descent, while her father was a native of Ireland. Unfortunately, when Chopin was only five years old , her father was killed in a train accident. As a result, Kate Chopin lived her preteen years in a female-centered household. She lived with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, all of whom were widows. Her great-grandmother encouraged artistic growth by teaching her piano and storytelling. Chopin got married when she was twenty year olds and had six children till her husband passed away. She was 39 years old when she began to write fiction, her earlier life being consumed with education, marriage and children. Without the backing of the feminist movement, which had barely begun in certain areas of the country, the sexual and scandalous events in her second and final novel ââ¬Å"The Awakeningâ⬠were cause for the majority of readers to ban it from the shelves of great literature. It was not until the mid-1900ââ¬â¢s that the book was promoted in a new light to a more accepting audience. In addition, Peggy Skaggs, the author of Kate Chopin a critical Bibliography, states that ââ¬Å"Chopinââ¬â¢s development as a writer reflect in microcosm the larger movement in American literature from romanticism and local color to realism and naturalismââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ ( Skaggs 10). Furthermore, Chopinââ¬â¢s works have reflected to American literature because of her focu s on love within race and ethnic aspect. In many of Chopinââ¬â¢s stories she has exceeded simple regionalism and portrayed women who seek spiritual and sexual freedom against the more restrictive southern society of nineteenth century. Kate Chopin has emerged as one of the greatest as well as most admired American short story novelists, poet, and essayists. Critic Cynthia Griffin Wolf exclaims: ââ¬Å"The vision in all of Chopinââ¬â¢s best fiction is consummately interior, and it draws for strength upon her willingness to confront the bleak fact of lifeââ¬â¢s tenuous stabilesââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ (Griffin 6). One of theà greatest sample is ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ Desireeââ¬â¢s babyââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ which is ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢perhaps one of the worldââ¬â¢s best short storiesââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ (Griffin 1) Assuredly, the actual settings of ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Babyâ⬠are the first instance where the two stories differ. In ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠, the entire piece takes place in Mrs. Mallardââ¬â¢s home or the scenery outside the house. In fact, the outside scenery plays an important role to the story, paralleling the new spring with Mrs. Mallardââ¬â¢s new found freedom. Whereas the inside of the house does not play as major of a role, not even revealing what room Mrs. Mallard was in when she was notified of her husbandââ¬â¢s passing. In ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Babyâ⬠, the main factors of the setting include the Louisiana Bayou, the gates of Valmonde mansion, and Lââ¬â¢Abri, a vastly larger group of settings than the prior. As in ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠, one setting is described more clearly and most of the story takes place in Lââ¬â¢Abri. The homestead is described as making Madame Valmonde shudder at the first site of it and it being ââ¬Å"a sad looking place, Big solemn oaks, branches shadowed it like a pallâ⬠(Chopin, 243). The description of Lââ¬â¢Abri foreshadowed events to come and symbolized the relationship of Armand and Desiree. Even though the two stories do not share a setting you can see the similarities that there is some obscure background with one major setting paralleling the main character in some way. This, in part, could be due to Chopin wanting to have a writing style of her own. Also the two main characters, Mrs. Mallard and Desiree, benefited from concentrating on the one main setting, largely because this setting was a reason of conflict in the characterââ¬â¢s lives. In the same way that the settings shared likenesses and differences, the plot and theme of the two stories also do. The plots of ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Babyâ⬠obviously have to be different for the most part. In ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠, the plot is a woman who finds out her husband is dead and after an initial shock she feels free to finally live her life. Thus when she has finally come to grips with all of the events and looking forward to her new life her husband comes in and she dies of shock attributed to a pre-existing heart condition (Chopin, 77-79). In ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Babyâ⬠, the plot involves a woman named Desiree. As a child she was abandoned, and taken in by the Valmondes, but as a woman fell in love with Armand, a wealthy plantation owner. They get married and have a baby together, and after a short lived bliss come to find that the baby hasà African American heritage. Armand turns against Desiree, assuming she is the one with African blood in her. As the story goes on Desiree kills herself and the baby only for Armand to find out he is the one who actually has African heritage (Chopin, 1-5). These two plots at first glance do not seem to share anythin g in common, however, there is one similarity gleaming through; the womenââ¬â¢s relationships with their husbands. Both women do love their husbands, but the relationships are not on an equal level. In each case the women are looked upon as possessions. Mrs. Mallardââ¬â¢s thoughts were ââ¬Å"There would be no powerful will bending her.â⬠She openly felt controlled, while Desiree did not seem to care about the controlling attitude of Armand, which is shown in the line ââ¬Å"When he frowned she trembled, but loved himâ⬠(Chopin, 2). While it is evident that the plots are for the most part different, one woman relishing the loss of a husband, and the other so fearing abandonment from hers that she kills herself, the themes are quite similar. Following this further, the themes of the two stories are also shared with many other works by Chopin, women in search of themselves (Korb, 1). Mrs. Mallard from ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠can see her life finally beginning after the death of her husband, as illustrated by the line ââ¬Å"Free! Body and soul free!â⬠(Chopin, 79). She was looking forward to a life by herself, getting to know herself as an individual. Desiree, on the other hand, was searching for an identity, or herself, from the beginning when Monsieur Valmonde found her at the gate. While the Valmondes did take her in she did not feel like she had an actual identity until Armand gave her his name and she became his wife. After it became evident that the baby had African blood and the identity she had as Armandââ¬â¢s wife was taken away, she could not handle the idea of finding a new identity. Another similarity shared by Mrs. Mallard and Desiree is their death, in both instances provoked by their husbands. The similarities and differences are important because while people might be experiencing the same thing in real life, their attitudes towards it may not be the same along with the outcomes, which could have been a goal of the authorââ¬â¢s. As stated earlier, many of Chopinââ¬â¢s works concentrate on women trying to find themselves and in these two cases after the ending of their relationships with their husbands. Whe n reading the biography of Chopin, there is a striking similarity with these two stories in particular. Kate Oââ¬â¢Flaherty met and wed a man named Oscarà Chopin around 1869. She lived a happy life with him and had six children and as stated when Kate was only thirty-six year old, her husband died of swamp fever. While she loved her husband dearly, it is believed that she only first begun writing after her husbandââ¬â¢s death (Kirszner & Mandell, 77). In a way this resembles the way that Mrs. Mallard only thought her life was beginning after her husbandââ¬â¢s death. On the other hand, she could have been portraying her sense of abandonment by her husband in Desireeââ¬â¢s character in ââ¬Å"Desireeââ¬â¢s Baby.â⬠Another reason Chopin writes her characters only release from their troubles as death is because of the time period she lived in. Divorce was often unheard of or taboo. It is easy to see that one of the only main differences is the way that each of the women traveled the path to self-discovery and their outcomes. This in a large part could be from Chopinââ¬â¢s own marriage and life. However, all of her woman characters relate to her own life which helped shape America into a place where freedom and equality for women is possible. Although the women that she created were different, their challenges and accomplishments inspired different aspects of the feminist movement. Chopinââ¬â¢s literary works became highly popular in the late twentieth century and remain popular today. Thus Chopin did not quite spark the flame of the womenââ¬â¢s rights movement, but it was tinder that fueled it into what it became. Her literary works will outlive her as a testament of the strength of women and what they can accomplish. Her contributions will survive to inspire women for generations.
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