Boutique Hotels vs. Chain Hotels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boutique Hotels vs. Chain Hotels - Essay Example The variety of kinds of hotels offers a selection according to one’s preferences. The availability of chain hotels and boutique hotels enable the customer to consider the selections and what each can offer. Chain and boutique hotels may be compared in terms of branding, experience and value for money. Hotel branding is a fundamental aspect of providing a distinct characteristic to the establishment. Historically, the hotel industry is an interesting study of the market and the ups and downs of the economy. Hotel franchising is widely attributed to Kemmons Wilson who founded the ever popular Holiday Inns by offering the brand to investors who are willing franchisees. The franchisor, in turn, provides for a centralized development of the product that is consistent with the franchise name in all of its important aspects. Consequently, others followed suit and the Mariott, Radisson, Hyatt, Ramada, Hilton and Howard Johnson came into existence. Perceptively, brand awareness for the se chain hotels yields a customer base that patronizes the brand as a whole but with concurrent disadvantaged for the franchisees and the franchisor (Langois 7-9). On the other hand, independent hotels such as boutique hotels thrive by providing a unique brand that caters to a particular niche in the market by taking advantage of a good location, a personalized level of service and a different offering specifically for its target market. Technology has afforded boutique hotels to develop their individual brands to compete with the encompassing scope that chain hotels have through internet marketing tools and with the help of organizations like Leading Hotels of the World and Preferred Hotels that promote them (ibid 13-14). Subsequent to branding, the experience of staying in a hotel is a main goal for engaging the market. Ensuring that the clientele are satisfied with their accommodations and that the companies offer the amenities that are necessary for a comfortable stay is the mai n thrust of the industry. The emergence of boutique hotels as a suitable alternative to well-known chain hotels had become more prevalent in the recent years. These boutique hotels are independent and usually owned by a single or individual group of people venturing in the business. They are smaller in scale with around 100 rooms but where they lack in size they make up for in service as they are able to customize a personal kind of service because of the ideal number of guests (Balekjian and Sarheim 2). The difference between the definition of a boutique and chain hotel is difficult to categorically sum-up. Boutique hotels are associated as being design-oriented and offering a unique experience than the typical notion of a hotel while international chains have been known to be â€Å"standardized business hotels and scrutinized for providing consistency at the risk of being impersonal at each location and property† (ibid 3). A particular market group may be more at ease with chain hotels with homogeneous services while some may be more obliging to stay at a place that is distinctively with its own flare. Many new innovations are emerging in the hotel industry to answer the varied growing needs of the clientele. The boutique hotel sector is proving itself as a formidable substitute to the conventional hotel chains that are common sights in many destinations. Realizing the most value for money is now a major category in how

Epidemiology (article analyses) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Epidemiology (article analyses) - Case Study Example The aims of the study were to estimate the impact of these risk factors among HIV-infected population as compared to the general population and to determine the relative risk death among successfully treated HIV-infected patients without such risk factors (Obe et al, 2011). The sampling frame was based on all Danish HIV-infected patients who started HAART in the period 1 January 1998–1 July 2009 while the comparison cohort consisted of individuals matched on date of birth and gender. Only patients who had been on HAART for a period of one year were included in the study. A major finding of the study was that probability of survival from age 25 to age 65 was substantially lower in HIV patients confidence interval compared to the comparison cohort. There was a significant increase in mortality among HIV-infected patients aged 25-65 as compared to the comparison cohort. However, among patients not exposed to the three risk factors under consideration, mortality was almost equal to that of the general population comparison cohort for the age group 45–65 but doubled for the age group 25–45. The probability of survival at 65 years of age was 0.48 among HIV-infected patients and 0.88 in HIV-free group. However, for HIV patients with no risk factors, the probability of survival at age 65 was 0.86. Generally, it was observed that risk-taking behavior does not automatically result in increased mortality among HIV-patients without other risk factors. The study improves onto the general thought that proper management of HIV can substantively reduce mortality rates among HIV-infected persons. However, cormobidity as well as other risk factors as well as alcohol/drug abuse can increase mortality in HIV-infected patients on HAART. In conclusion, although HIV-infected patients on HAART still have higher mortality rates, the presence of other risk-factors, which can be identified early, further inflate this risk. Consequently,

Development of Person Centred Nursing Care

Development of Person Centred Nursing Care The aim of this essay is to describe the history of person-centred care, explain why person-centred approach is important in healthcare environment and how it is achieved. This essay will also explain the concept of a person-centeredness, the concepts of a person and personhood and the issues arising from this perspectives. Furthermore, it will describe the core concepts and frameworks. Concept of person-centred care (PCC) and patient-centred nursing framework (PCNF) suggest that all healthcare staff should focus onto values and beliefs of an individual while realising the importance of knowing self and competency amongst other factors within the healthcare staff (McCormack McCance, 2010; Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2010). Principles of PCC are underpinning many guides, codes and publications. These are here to assist the healthcare staff making sure that the individual at the centre of their care will experience high quality care (Department of Health (DH), 2012; Nursing and Mi dwifery Council (NMC), 2008; RCN, 2010). Because of the complex nature of PCC this essay will only explain the above mentioned principles in more depth (values and beliefs of an individual, knowing self and competency). Furthermore, this essay will identify the issues involved in delivering PCC, including the media case involving Mid Staffordshire NHS and Francis report (2013). From historical point of view the term person-centeredness was developed by psychologist and one of the founders of the humanistic approach Carl Rogers, who focused mainly on creating therapeutic relationships with his clients. Rogers identified three core conditions important in delivering person-centred therapy – empathy, therapeutic genuineness and unconditional positive regard for all clients (Josefowitz Myran, 2005). Empathy is described as the ability to put oneself in the person’s place, imagining how one would feel in their situation (NMC, 2010). Accurate level of empathy and congruence defines the genuineness (Truax et al., 1966) of the therapist. Rogers (1957) describes unconditional positive regard as the acceptance of person’s positive, negative feelings and experiences. Now that the historical background of the person-centred approach was explained, it is important to understand the concept of a person. This concept represents the humanness and the way one is constructing a way of life. Attributes of a person such as desires, motives, memory and others, shape moral values, spiritual or religious and political beliefs and also emotional involvement in relationships (McCormack McCance, 2010). Among several perspectives explaining the concept of a person there is the hierarchy of attributes perspective, which suggests that to be classed as a person, one has to collect several physical and psychological attributes (McCormack McCance, 2010). The issue surrounding this approach is that an individual suffering from dementia (loss of a memory attribute) would automatically lose the person status (McCormack McCance, 2010). Concept of personhood defined by Kitwood (1997) suggests that in context of relationship and social being, others give a status to hum an being. This status is based on trust, respect and recognition. Regardless of the differences, these perspectives can be connected through the authenticity. It is a process of self-discovery based on person’s values, ideals and actions. It is a realisation of ones potential and also acting on this potential while accepting the responsibility for the consequences of life choices (Starr, 2008). Respecting and accepting a person as an individual, their values and beliefs and providing an individual approach to person’s needs and care is fundamental in PCC because it ensures that the person is participating in their healthcare as an equal partner (RCN, 2014). RCN (2014) also states that involvement of a person in their own care is beneficial for the person because they experience greater satisfaction with care and the system becomes more cost-effective. VIPS framework suggests that to ensure PCC it has to be understood that every single human life has an absolute value. Each person’s values and beliefs are unique and therefore each person requires an individual approach. All health care staff should be able to see and understand the world from the person’s perspective and create a supportive social environment (Brooker, 2004). McCormack (2004) defined four core concepts of person centred nursing paying attention to personal values and beliefs in his first core concept being in a social context. For a nurse the social context of a person means a true understanding of person’s context (their values, beliefs and life experiences) which allows creating a life plan that nurtures an individual personhood (McCormack, 2004). Schofield (1994) states that concerns in care can be clarified when individual’s biographical details and social context are recognised by an experienced nurse. Furthermore, being able to work with ones beliefs and values reduces generalisation based on pre-conceptions and previous experiences (McCormack McCance, 2010). Clarke et al. (2003) found out that this biographical approach improves PCC as it encourages healthcare staff to see the person and not a patient, which is helpful in building relationships with patients and their family. McCormack’s (2004) remaining core concepts are being in relation, being in place and being with self. Being in relation emphasises the importance of relationship s between healthcare staff and the person. Being in place suggests that the place where care is delivered has an impact on the care experience. Being with self explains that forming of values and beliefs is based on knowing self. While these four core concepts were focusing on the person in care, there are also frameworks that relate to the nursing staff. PCNF is a tool which enables nurses to explore PCC in their practice (McCance et al., 2011). PCNF comprises of four main components including prerequisites, care environment, person centred processes and expected outcomes. Prerequisites are the attributes of the nurse which include self-awareness, professional competency, development of interpersonal skills and also commitment to the job (McCormack McCance, 2010). In nursing, knowing self or self-awareness means the way nurses see themselves and the way they construct their own worlds. This has an influence on their practice and engagement with people (McCormack McCance, 2010). Being self-aware is important, because if the nurse is able to recognise her/his own feelings and the effect these feelings have on the ability to be fully focused on the person in their care, it is less likely that the nurse will c reate a block in compassionate care. Reflection on self awareness and identification of personal feelings and blocks improves person-centred nursing practice (Devenny Duffy, 2013). Nurses and student nurses are also required to recognise their limits of competency. Professional competency in nursing requires skills, knowledge and is seen as the ability to prioritise and make judgements and decisions (McCormack McCance, 2010). Nurses have to attend and participate in trainings to maintain and develop their competency (NMC, 2008). These trainings and standard of education for all nursing staff is set by NMC and all registered professionals are required to continue to learn and develop their skills throughout their careers (McCormack McCance, 2006). Competent and self-aware nurses can create optimal person-centred care environment. Care environment represents a context in which care is delivered. Effective staff relationships, shared decision making, skill mix, organisational system and also physical environment are important, because they all contribute to delivering high quality PCC (McCormack McCance, 2010). Throughout every stage of life people expect that delivered care will be consistent, right and meeting individual’s needs (DH, 2012). Therefore, PCC moves away from the previous medically orientated care to collaborative, holistic and relationship-focused care. Positive relationships between the care staff and the person and also the relationships between the care staff themselves are very important because they create therapeutic environment, especially when the team is effective (McCance, McCormack Dewing, 2010). Multidisciplinary teams focus on supporting and caring for people while collaborating (DH, 2012). N urses play a crucial role within multidisciplinary teams delivering person centred processes. This mean that nurses provide holistic care; they actively engage people in informed decision making and that the nursing staff is working with and respecting person’s beliefs and values. Nurses are also able to shape person’s experience by delivering high standard care (DH, 2008). To achieve a high quality care all health care staff should have sympathetic presence while working with people (McCormack McCance, 2010). Involvement in care, feeling of wellbeing, creating therapeutic environment and overall satisfaction with care are included in expected outcomes of PCC (McCormack McCance, 2010). Person centred activities allow a person to be involved in their care as an equal partner (RCN, 2014). Collins (2014) states that these activities include self management support (SMS), shared decision making (SDM), collaborative care and support planning. In SMS a person is encouraged to develop the knowledge about their conditions so they can become skilled and confident managers of their own health. Building person’s capabilities should be based on incorporation of evidence-based health information (Collins, 2014). In SDM person is encouraged to make a single informed decision about their own health with confidence. Person’s understanding of evidence-based information about treatment risks and probabilities is crucial (Collins, 2014). Collaborative care and support planning merges SMS and SDM together enabling the person gain the knowledge about their conditions, become a confident self-manager ensuring they are able to make informed decisions about their care or support they are receiving (Collins, 2014). Despite all the efforts of many health care professionals, there are times when PCC fails to be delivered. One of the major issues in providing PCC in nursing is the fact that a little attention is paid to care experience of a person. This is due to a great pressure on professionals and teams to be highly effective and efficient (McCormack McCance, 2010). This is quite obvious in Francis report (2013) which concludes that Mid Staffordshire NHS was focusing more on financial pressure and becoming the foundation trust rather than quality of care provided. Furthermore, the achievement of targets was also highly prioritised. Acceptance of poor standards of care within the health care teams resulted in denial of privacy, dignity, food, water, assistance in toileting and in many cases in death of patients (Francis, 2013). As a result of this, importance of PCC is now embedded in several policies such as Principles of Nursing Practice (RCN, 2010), National service framework for older peopl e (DH, 2001), The Code (NMC, 2008) and Compassion in Practice (DH, 2012). It can be concluded that the concept of PCC has been around for decades starting with Rogers and his humanistic approach, emphasising the importance of putting the person into the centre of holistic therapy and care (Josefowitz Myran, 2005). PCC involves the patient in their care. Respecting and working with person’s values and beliefs should be achieved by knowing self and being a competent registered professional with an updated knowledge (McCormack McCance, 2010). Despite the efforts of many health care professionals, it was obvious after Mid Staffordshire NHS case and the publication of Francis report (2013) that some health care teams were failing in many fundamental aspects of PCC leading to death of many patients. After this media case several publications were published by the governing bodies embedding person-centeredness in order to ensure this will not happen again in the future. Reference list: Brooker D. (2004). What is person-centred care in dementia? Clinical Gerontology, 13, 215–222. Clarke, A., Hanson, E.J. Ross, H. (2003). Seeing the person behind the patient: Enhancing the care of older people using a biographical approach. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 12, 697-706. Collins, A. (2014). Measuring what really matters. Towards a coherent measurement system to support person-centred care. London: The Health Foundation. Devenny, B. Duffy, K. (2013). Person-centred reflective practice. Nursing Standard, 28, 37-43. Francis, R. (2013). Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry: Executive summary. London: The Stationery Office. Great Britain. Department of Health. (2001). National Service Framework for Older People. London: Department of Health. Great Britain. Department of Health. (2008). NHS Next Stage Review: A High Quality Workforce. London: Department of Health. Great Britain. Department of Health. (2012). Compassion in Practice: Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staff. Our Vision and Strategy. London: Department of Health. Josefowitz, N. Myran, D. (2005). Towards a person-centred cognitive behaviour therapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 18(4), 329 – 336. Kitwood, T. (1997). Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. McCance, T., McCormack, B. Dewing, J. (2011). An Exploration of Person-Centredness in Practice. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 16, No. 2 McCormack, B. (2004). Person-centredness in gerontological nursing: an overview of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13(3A), 31-38. McCormack, B. McCance, T. (2006).Development of a framework for person-centred nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56(5), 472–479. McCormack, B. McCance, T. (2010).Person-centred Nursing. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2008). The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2010). Guidance for the care of older people. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Rogers, C.R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21, 95-103. Royal College of Nursing. (2010). Principles of Nursing Practice: principles and measures consultation. London: Royal College of Nursing. Royal College of Nursing. (2014). Person-centred care. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/cpd_online_learning/dignity_in_health_care/person-centred_care Schofield, I. (1994). An historical approach to care. Elderly Care, 6(6), 14-15. Starr, S. S. (2008). Authenticity: A Concept Analysis.Nursing Forum,43(2), 55-62. Truax, C. B., Wargo, D. G., Frank, J. D., Imber, S. D., Battle, C. C., Hoern-Saric, R., Stone, A. R. (1966). The therapist’s contribution to accurate empathy, non-possessive warmth and genuineness in psychotherapy.Journal of Clinical Psychology,22(3), 331-334.

Lynyrd Skynyrds Song Freebird :: essays research papers

On their Gold and Platinum album Lynyrd Skynyrd produced a song titled Free bird. It is a very popular song that turned out to be a big hit all over the country. It was written by band members Allen Collins and Ronnie VanZant. I think that this is a very good song with good lyrics that display a lot of meaning. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a southern rock band that has been very popular throughout the late nineteen hundreds. They have produced many songs on many different albums. Songs that come to my mind are What’s Your Name, Simple Man, Sweet Home Alabama, and Free bird. The two main people of this band, or should I say most powerful members were Allen Collins, and Ronnie VanZant. They did a majority of the song writing and seemed to be the two always in the spotlight. One of my favorite songs they produced was Free bird. I have two ideas of what I think this song means. The first one is that I think it is about a guy who is leaving his girlfriend. He says, I must be traveling on now because there’s too many places I’ve got to see. It seems to me that he wants to go because there is other things he wants to do. He wants to be a free man and get away. He also says, that if I stay with you girl things just couldn’t be the same. He states that he is free as a bird now and this bird you can not change. The way I kind of understand it is that maybe he has a problem and she don’t like it and wants him to change, but he knows he cant. I think he comes to believe that the only way to solve the problem is if he just leaves and lives his own life as he wants to. I believe that goes to show why he says he is a free bird that she can not change. Another way I interpreted it, was as a one-night stand and he was talking about what wou ld happen the next day when he has to leave. I think he might like her, but cant change. By changing I think he cant just settle down and be with someone he loves. I think he is too into the one-night stand thing and cant change his lifestyle be dedicated to having a girl friend.

Marijuana Subculture

Subculture: Marijuana in the United States Fatima Alikhan ENG 122 Professor Kenneth Newton Monday May 23, 2010 The United States has an approved list of drugs that are considered legal and illegal that create adverse side effects and hold diverse political views. Marijuana is a substance that popular media holds in a negative undertone while other drugs such as valium and alcohol are supported, if not glorified. Popular media is a powerful tool that gathers a mass of people and provides all types of information.Some types of information are historical facts, statistics, entertainment, opinions, and biases which alter the state and views of those who access it. Marijuana has had an extremely controversial political view throughout history and is considered a â€Å"gateway drug,† enabling users to pursue stronger and dangerous substances. Although marijuana includes negative side effects, statistics prove it may be far less dangerous to people and those around them compared to l egalized substances with higher danger percentages.The comparison and political attitudes of marijuana throughout history of the United States is what is examined in this paper to draw awareness to readers on the bias of intolerance towards marijuana. I plan on limiting my topic selection by choosing a limit of 3 substances to compare the statistics against and only recording major milestones that changed the way people viewed marijuana throughout American history. The underlying argument in this paper would be in the form of an ultimatum: legalize marijuana or criminalize alcohol and prescription pain medicine.The American people may not know why exactly marijuana is considered illegal when neither side effects or symptoms cause fatalities or crime when contrasted against prescription pain pills that target teenagers to adults. Alcohol related accidents are also significantly higher than marijuana related stresses however it has been considered wrong, immoral, and illegal for close to a century in United States history. The media’s portrayal of marijuana in movies and television shows has always been a carefree and adventurous approach.Movies such as Half Baked, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Pineapple Express depict the substance as a recreational tool that can enhance the quality of life and entertainment. Television shows such as That 70’s Show demonstrate an accurate depiction of marijuana use in the 1970’s which show a group of teenagers sitting around a circle smoking marijuana, giggling, and eating. Although the 1970’s was known for heavy drug use such as cocaine, LSD, and heroin, and the government’s epic battle on the war on drugs, marijuana was considered to be a gateway drug which led to endless possibilites and dangers.Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, marijuana was portrayed in negative connotations after President Nixon had declared a war on all drugs which was intended for the crack and heroin epidemic however extended itself onto marijuana as well. After the new century, the media began anti-marijuana campaign commercials that would be targeted directly towards teenagers. â€Å"Tests of sensation seeking targeting evaluated the effectiveness of targeted televised public service announcement campaigns in reducing marijuana use among high sensation-seeking adolescents,† (Palmgreen, Donohew, Lorch, Hoyle, Stephenson, 2001).This study used a controlled interrupted time-series design method to match 2 communities where one county and campaign was compared to another county and campaign. Personal interviews were conducted with 100 teenagers in a period of 32 months. The result proved the effectiveness of media towards adolescents. All 3 campaigns had reversed the trend of marijuana use. Televised campaigns that target a large group of people have an effective strategy in conveying a direct message and achieving its purpose.The message that is being portrayed how ever is based off of false assumptions and lack of scientific data. It is simply opinion however the message and the powerful tool of the media conveys a strong image to impose a crime on the substance. The portrayal of other legal drugs in the media such as alcohol and prescription pills is far more appealing to the human eye than marijuana. Alcohol is branded with trademarks and celebrity endorsements that promote an urban lifestyle.It conveys the message that it is chic and savvy to drink or that it can bring excitement to a social setting. Celebrities, fancy cars, sports athletes, musicians, and scantily clad women submit a message through media that drinking â€Å"their† alcohol will allow a person’s environment or self-image to be enhanced. Prescription pills on the other hand are not mentioned much in the media at all. The amount of danger and the percentage of addiction is at such a great risk for Americans however there are no repercussions taken by government or doctors.With the number of soccer moms, teenagers, and role models (athletes, etc. ) that are getting addicted to these substances, it is abnormal that the federal government hasn’t taken action towards monitoring or screening these substances as they do with marijuana. Marijuana charges for possession and distribution cost tax payers unnecessary dollars to keep law enforcement active, house non criminal inmates, and fund anti-marijuana regulations.In contrast, the percentage of income the government and private corporations receive from alcohol and prescription pills keeps skyrocketing yearly even though the damage done to people and those around them from these substances is rather substantial. The dangers and problems of both alcohol and prescriptions pills in comparison to marijuana have alarming statistics and percentages that make readers astonished as to why marijuana is illegal or why other substances are legal.Alcohol has a long history of being portrayed in medi a as a â€Å"relaxing† elixir after a long day at work or a method of unwinding. The role of alcohol in movies and television are false impressions of what would happen in a social setting if you were to be drinking a certain alcohol or the how much better your time would be spent if you were drinking. Commercials and advertisements use models, cars, celebrities, sports, clubs, and entertainment to promote an image or brand that alcohol brings life, love, and lust to any party however the cold hard truth is that it is far from the perception it sells.This multi-million dollar industry prides itself on a fast growing industry that has the highest percentage of users of a social drug in the United States. â€Å"We do not need the brewers’ reminder that the absolute quantity of alcohol consumed has been steadily increasing at a rate of at least 7% per annum to be aware that it remains far and away the most widely-accepted social drug in this country,† (Aud, 1981, p . 48). Prescription pills have not been much of a harmful substance until this decade.The recent increase in those prescribed with pain and given very high doses of pain medication has been astonishing. Although these substances are intended to target the pain, most pain killers given through a prescription are misused and soon become addictive. A minor toothache or certain back pain that may not require such high doses of medicine are being prescribed by doctors which is leading to numerous amounts of dangers. A local mother who is prescribed pain killers can also be accidentally distributing to her teenagers who may not need the medicine or know how to properly ingest it.The effect of alcohol and prescription pills are a deadly combination but are extremely popular among youth. The combination of both legal substances enhance the altered state of mind one would naturally get from consuming just one substance. Prescription pain killers have been the major focus study among teenager s in the past 5 years due to the availability of them compared to the frequency of its distribution now. The assumptions on health effects caused by marijuana have different results after several tests.Many may presume that marijuana causes an array of mental disorders and lack of control of the mind however, Mitch Earleywine’s research proves no such case. â€Å"In general, the drug is incapable of creating an overdose. It can exacerbate the symptoms of some mental disorders but does not appear to cause them. Data fail to show any marijuana-induced changes in brain structure, but long-term exposure to the drug alters the way the brain functions during complex tasks,† (Earleywine, 2002, p. 143).Issues such as mental illness, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, antisocial behavior are linked to the symptoms of marijuana and although it does not cause any exact disorder, it may enhance those symptoms. Marijuana is now medicinally researched to cure disorders such as insomnia, anorexia, and minor pain. Cancer patients also rely on marijuana to increase their appetite, decrease nerve pain, and combat minor pain (Goodwin, 2010). Marijuana is a substance that comes with many pretenses and opinions that may be based on scientific fact or public opinion portrayed through the media.The tests, evaluations, and studies examined in this paper provide adequate information to the reader in establishing a proper factual idea on what marijuana is, the portrayal of the substance in the media, what its effects and dangers are, and its comparison to other legalized substances that are much more harmful. Although the United States has slowly shown progress in decriminalizing marijuana and accepting the medicinal uses for it in states such as California, there is an underlying common misperception that marijuana is a substance of great danger, civil disobedience, and rebellion.References: Aud, J. (1981). Marijuana Use and Social Control. University of Illinois at Chicago. New York: Academic Press Inc. Baggins, David Sadofsky. (1998). Drug Hate and The Corruption of American Justice. University of Illinois at Chicago. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Earleywine, Mitch. (2002). Understanding Marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. University of Illinois at Chicago. New York: Oxford University Press. Novak, William. (1980). High Culture: Marijuana in the Lives of Americans. University of Illinois at Chicago.New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Philip Palmgreen,  Lewis Donohew,  Elizabeth Pugzles Lorch,  Rick H Hoyle,  &  Michael T Stephenson. (2001). Television campaigns and adolescent marijuana use: Tests of sensation seeking targeting. American Journal of Public Health,  91(2),  292-6. Retrieved June 12, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  67849612). Goodwin,  J.. (2010,  August). Smoked Marijuana May Ease Chronic Nerve Pain. U. S. News & World Report,1. Retrieved June 12, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Doc ument ID:  2170726371).

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay

Hemingway’s story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† appears on the surface as a brief and unremarkable vignette written almost all in dialogue, with minimal action and an unclear final resolution, the story is actually a â€Å"watershed† of narrative invention and a radical shift from Hemingway’s usual perspective, as it is most often defined by readers and critics. As Alan Cheuse remarks in his essay â€Å"†Reflections on Dialogue: â€Å"How D’yuh Get t’Eighteent’ Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent’ Street? â€Å"American writers, â€Å"possess an acute ability to create skeins of seemingly natural language that make up a world out of human speech† (Cheuse) and also represent a special gift for create entire worlds through dialogue, as is readily manifest in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants. † Hemingway’s style of natural language is an elementary base of his technique in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants. † Another narrative strategy is that he strips away the expository writing or the direct information to the reader which would help the reader to place the action of the story in context. Rather than weigh down the narrative, Hemingway leaves his story lean and bare, primarily relying on conflict-charged dialogue between the story’s two main characters. By refusing to included background information or even internal monologue on behalf of the two characters, Hemingway â€Å"leaves virtually everything, even what is at issue between the girl and the American, for the reader to â€Å"figure† out,† and this strategy includes the story’s final resolution: whether or not the girl in story opts to have the couple’s child or whether she chooses as is the man’s desire, to have an abortion. The lack of final resolution is notable enough that even critics are left to their own devices to decide what happens to finish the story and conclude the conflict between the two characters. As one scholar commented, â€Å"the ending has seemed stubbornly indeterminate† (Renner); however, the same critic, Renner, has forwarded a compelling theory as to how the resolution of â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† can be deduced from a careful study of its narrative form, imagery, and symbolism, The conflict in the title: the burden of something unwanted — a â€Å"white elephant† — merged with the symbol of hills suggesting rich fertility extends throughout the story, forms its basic theme, and functions as an axis on which the changing attitudes and evolving conflict between the characters spins. In order to integrate the various levels of narrative along Renner’s theoretical lines in order to find the story’s true resolution, the piece must be examined from a formal perspective with due note given to its imagery and symbolism a well as the nuances contained in the story’s plentiful dialogue, (Renner) which leaves the reader able to deduce that the man in the story has indeed been sensitive to the woman’s situation. According to Renner, the story takes place in four distinct â€Å"movements† and these movements are the key components to understanding the resolution of the story. Renner’s distinction of the four movements follows an ascending structure of character development and character conflict: â€Å"In the first movement we are shown the stereotypical passive female, not even knowing her own mind, accustomed to following a masterful male for her direction in life,† the next movement illustrates the girl’s character development toward â€Å"a dramatic realization of her own mind-her own welfare, dreams, and values;† by the third movement, the girl begins to assert herself, and by the fourth and final movement, â€Å"we see the result of her development toward self-realization† which Renner insists reveals, also, the actual conclusion of the story, (Renner). To extrapolate a probable resolution for the conflict in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† it becomes necessary to examine the conflict which lies under the overt abortion-question of the story. If the story is, indeed, about the â€Å"capitulation† of the girl, then her refusal to capitulate is evident form the action of the story. When the girl says â€Å"Would you please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop talking,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ her victory is indicated. The abortion will not be performed and the realization of her independence form the man has been attained. In this way, Hemingway’s story reveals a feminine point of view and a feminine dominance which is usually not associated with his fiction (Renner). Works Cited Cheuse, Alan. â€Å"Reflections on Dialogue: â€Å"How D’yuh Get t’Eighteent’ Avenoo and Sixty-Sevent’ Street? â€Å". † The Antioch Review Spring 2005: 222+. Meyers, Jeffrey, ed. Ernest Hemingway: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1997. Renner, Stanley. â€Å"Moving to the Girl’s Side of â€Å"Hills like White Elephants. â€Å". † The Hemingway Review 15. 1 (1995): 27+.