Mental Illness The Main Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Mental illness is seen throughout society as a negative subject, many suffer through not only with the disorders but, also the shame that comes along. In this article we will look at one of the most severe mental disorders in hopes of achieving a better knowledge of the disorder and to debunk some of the misconceptions of having a mental disorder. Approximately fifty million Americans suffer from mental illness. Of those fifty million only about twenty-five percent seek help due to the stigma behind mental illness. Mental illness ranges anywhere from extremely mild cases to some of the more severe illness such as schizophrenia (Brown, Kaylene; Bradley, Loretta J. 2002). Schizophrenia is a mental illness, which affects one percent†¦show more content†¦2012). SOCIO METHODS OF TREATMENT The treatments for schizophrenia vary and usually use a combination of treatments for the individual. The treatment involves several professionals for examples physicians, psychologist, therapists, and social workers. The reason for involving multidisciplinary is because schizophrenia has many dynamics. The first choice in treating schizophrenia is medication, the majority of patients can be relieved of many symptoms by medication alone however, almost always receive other treatments alongside. The medications used in treating schizophrenia are antipsychotics. Antipsychotics have been around and in use since 1950. Some of the earliest antipsychotics are still widely used for treatment today. They work by blocking the dopamine receptor. With blocking the release of dopamine the prolactin hormone is able to increase (Patterson, A., McCahill, A., Margaret, E. 2010). As with any medication there are side effects. With these types of antipsychotics that increase prol actin hormone, it is common to see weight gain, enlarged breast tissue, and possibly even lactation. These side effects can be found in both men and women (Patterson, A., McCahill, A., Margaret, E. 2010). Antipsychotics have also evolved in recent years; they have been made to work more efficiently. They work on a broader spectrum and can treat a wide variety of symptoms with less side effects, resulting in patients being able toShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Macbeth And Macbeth1510 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare portrayed mental illnesses in Macbeth fairly accurately. The characters in the tragedy of Macbeth show many characteristics and warning signs of mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and depression. Since there is scarce evidence of medical testing and research with the mind during the 1500s and 1600s, Shakespeare most likely didn’t understand that the way he portrayed the character’s actions are characteristics for certain diagnosed mental disorders. TheRead MoreSchizophreni A Mental Disorder Essay1427 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that often appears in someone’s early adulthood stage, but it can emerge at any point of time in life. This disorder affects the brain and is considered as psychosis, which is a type of mental illness that makes people with it unable to differentiate between reality and imagination. The first person to identify schizophrenia as a mental illness was German physician Dr. Emile Kraepelin in 1887 and categorized it as dementia that occurs early in lifeRead MoreThe Stigma Associated With Schizophrenia1554 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stigma Associated with Schizophrenia. Jason Branch Fayetteville Tech Community College Author Note This paper was prepared for English 112.02, taught by Mr. Charles King on April 2, 2015 Abstract Mental illness is an area that many people are uncomfortable with. There is something suspicious about people who tend to appear mentally ill. This creates nervousness, fear, while presenting the unknown; therefore, Stigma. Now Stigma is defined as disgrace or public disapproval, which can leadRead MoreSchizophreni A Devastating Psychotic Disorder1710 Words   |  7 Pages Could you imagine waking up one day realizing you not only lost everything you thought you once had, but realizing they never existed? Schizophrenia is a â€Å"Devastating psychotic disorder that may involve characteristic disturbances in thinking, perception, speech, emotions, and behavior.† (Barlow Durand, 2015, 2012). Meaning that it’s a mental disorder that completely allows your mind to be in an altered state, making it almost impossible to tell the difference between the real truth and the truthRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Schizophrenia863 Words   |  4 PagesSchizophrenia has about s ix main developing factors. Once you are informed you’re a patient of this mental disease you will shorty experience symptoms that are considered both positive and negative. After watching Elyn’s Tale of Mental Illness you start to see some of the symptoms first hand. She has gradually has worked her way up the ladder beating this mental illness. She has come from being in a hospital and mental centers to becoming a professor. There are many things that aid to developingRead MoreIs Schizophrenia A Mental Illness?1726 Words   |  7 Pages SCHIZOPHRENIA Kennya Castro â€Æ' Schizophrenia is a mental illness that plagues about 1 out of every 100 Americans. Despite this fact, most of the general public remains ignorant to the basic pathology of the disease and the mechanisms of identifying and treating it. It is considered by some to be a â€Å"scary† mental illness and is often ignored, when compared to the other equally serious and caustic ones like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (also referred to as GAD), ADHD, and Chronic Depression. ThisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Henry s Demons By Patrick Cockburn1092 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book, Henry’s Demons by Patrick Cockburn, Patrick and his family explain the extensive, long term effects of schizophrenia on the people who are diagnosed, and their loved ones. Henry goes through his first psychotic breakdown in 2002, when he almost drowned trying to swim the Estuary at Newhaven. He spends several years at the mental hospital, attempting to escape more than 30 times, fighting with himself t o recover. This book truly teaches about the disorder and explores the subjective experienceRead MoreChronic Brain Disorder Among The World1134 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the national institute of mental health (2009), schizophrenia is the most affected chronic brain disorder among the history of the world. People affected by this mental condition loses contact with reality such as a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavioral attitudes, some kinds of other perception, which can result into inappropriate actions leading to all kind of law violation and feelings of worthless less. However, withdrawal from reality and personal relationshipsRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Multiple Personality Disorder773 Words   |  4 PagesAs an overview, schizophrenia is a brain mental disorder. A schizophrenic person has lost touch with reality. They may also experience hallucinations, delusions, hearing voices, seeing things that are not there.They may believe tha t other people are threatening to harm them. Sometimes they don t make any sense when they talk. The disorder makes it hard for them to keep a job or take care of themselves. The disorder usually starts in a person’s early twenties to late twenties, and it affects aboutRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects On Society1461 Words   |  6 Pages Mental illness affects millions of people in the United States and in other countries. Disabling mental illness is seen in and out of local hospitals and other skilled nursing facilities daily. Timby and Smith (2011) define schizophrenia as a thought disorder characterized by deterioration in mental functioning, disturbances in sensory perception, and changes in affect. Schizophrenia effects about one percent of the population and shows no regard to ethnicity, culture, or environment

Crisis management; BP - 2129 Words

Introduction When an organization is in a crisis, it dominates the organization’s agenda and requires immediate action. The way the organization responds to a crisis can differ in many ways. In this essay I would like to discuss the crisis of the British concern British Petroleum (BP). At first I would like to provide more information about the crisis and its consequences, then I will identify the kind of crisis we have to deal with, I will discuss the several communication strategies BP have used, I will explain the different reactions of the public on the crisis. At last, I will give the oil concern some advice, in case a reoccurrence takes place. The BP oil spill The BP oil spill was a big natural disaster in the Gulf of Mexico†¦show more content†¦BP made mistake after mistake and it seems like Tony Hayward did not attend any media training. It is almost impossible to deny that a lot of things went wrong in the communication concerning the explosion of the platform and the following oil spill of the British oil concern BP. In the first instance, BP denied there was oil leaking out of the oil well. After that BP trivialized the consequences of the ecocatastrophe. Even the CEO Tony Hayward made some dull statements. What did BP do wrong? BP made a big mistake right after the explosion. They were not open and honest about the situation. First they denied the oil spill. When it became clear that there was definitely an oil spill, BP denied there would be any consequences for the environment and trivialized the situation later on. The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume said top executive Hayward, while scientists, biologists and satellite images proved the opposite. The photo shopped images of the crisis did little good for the oil concern. In the first weeks of the crisis BP used two â€Å"Nonexistence strategies†. BP used the â€Å"denial strategy† which means that they gave a simple statement denying that the crisis existed. After the denial strategy BP used the â€Å"clarification strategy†. This strategy was anShow MoreRelatedBP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 905 Words   |  4 PagesCASE STUDY- MINI CASE: BP GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL CASE SUMMARY 1. In a narrative format, summarize the key facts and issues of the case. In the case of the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, we examine the effects of an organization not being prepared for this particular crisis. The world scrutinized the actions, inactions, and the human decisions made by BP that led to a major catastrophic crisis. The organization was not prepared for a crisis of this magnitude. Our text stated that this type of negligenceRead MoreBp s Risk Management Practices3099 Words   |  13 Pagesspill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 resulted in considerable damage to the environment, economy and human livelihoods. While BP, as one of the parties involved in the operation of the oil drilling on Deepwater Horizon rig, suffered huge financial loss and reputation loss, it was found to be the one to be mostly blamed due to its lack of risk management. As poor risk management can lead to an astonishing disaster like this, it appears to be necessary for every business to learn from BP’s mistakes andRead MoreInternal and External Communication on Bp Gulf Oil Spill Essay3877 Words   |  16 PagesRecommendation 11 Internal communication 11 External communication 12 Executive Summary BP oil spill in April 2010, had incurred serious damage to both the company and publics. Though some internal and external communication strategies were carried out after the accident, more improvements should be made by BP to maintain the safety and reputation. The internal strategies used by BP, employing appropriate communication channels and appointing a CEO who is familiar with American culturesRead MoreThe Gulf Coast Oil Spill Extending the Theory of Image Restoration6493 Words   |  26 PagesSouthern Mississippi, United States a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t The explosion of Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon, an oil-rig licensed to BP, set in motion a chain of unfortunate events that led to BP’s ruptured oil well disgorging millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the spill, the corporate image of BP has been severely challenged. The company has used many strategies to preserve and restore the corporate image, and has sought means to mitigate the intensityRead MoreThe Crisis Involving Smithville Industrial Chemical Plant And The Mistakes1123 Words   |  5 Pagesthe effects that have been seen in the previous crises involving prominent organizations such as BP and the Sandusky case. Ensuring that the company has some sort of backup plan when the company goes into the limelight on issues, is an important part of making sure that the stakeholders can be forgiving and go past the crises without much loss to the company. This paper is a case study of the crisis involving Smithville Industrial Chemical plant and t he mistakes that they made in the course of theRead MoreThe Importance Of Leadership During Crisis Situations And Best Practices For Weathering The Storm1839 Words   |  8 Pagesimportance of leadership during crisis situations and best practices for weathering the storm. Chapter 7 focused on the importance of leading after the crisis. The concepts introduced and explained have significant relevance and value to leaders and followers in the today’s marketplace. Group Consensus Three Concepts. The three important concepts from the assigned reading were the essential leadership fundamentals, leading by example, and the importance of leadership during crisis. Essential LeadershipRead MoreThe Spill Of The Bp Oil Spill1602 Words   |  7 PagesThe BP Oil Spill began on April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP leased, Transocean owned, Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 and injuring 17 of the 126 crew members. The explosion also sank the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig triggering a massive oil spill that would last for 87 days and leak 4.9 billion barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. After the explosion, BP and the federal government enlisted the best minds in the country and worked tirelessly to come up withRead MoreThe Planning Function of Management at British Petroleum1241 Words   |  5 PagesBP organization direction Planning function of management British Petroleum (BP) has had their key successes from the various strategies and goals that the organization has which include the companys technology transformation and alignment of objectives to the analysis of its competitors and market conditions. This is what has helped to make BP a successful company. The company believes that the essence of its survival is its ability to gain strategic and competitive advantage which has helpedRead MoreDear Ceo And Board Of Trustees Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesMexico sinking the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and tragically killed 11 people This oil spill is now considered the worst oil spill in United States history. During the search and rescue, an underwater camera was discovered which revealed a leak in the BP pipeline. Because the well is located approximately 5,000 feet beneath the deep, dark sea with temperatures just above freezing and extremely high pressure, it made it almost impossible to repair the leak. It wasn’t until Jul y 15, 2010, that diversRead MoreLeadership in Crisis Situation1566 Words   |  7 PagesBritish Petroleum (BP) experienced a catastrophic explosion, resulting in 11 casualties, 15 serious injuries, and an uncontrolled discharge of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for the next 3 months. Countless number of livelihoods that relied on the gulf’s ecosystem was indelibly marred by the environmental disaster, costing billions in damages that are still being accounted more than 2 years later. During the crisis, many differing accounts of leadership emerged – US Gov’t, BP Execs, and the JIC

Consumer Behavior Analysis free essay sample

Our country is extremely diverse. We are reminded this every day, especially if we live in metropolitan areas. In Dallas, for instance, it is quite common to be in constant contact with individuals from all corners of the world. Marketers, even in the United States, have to understand how to navigate the different cultural, religious, and social differences when selling products. This challenge is magnified when a marketing team is asked to sell a product abroad. In this type of situation, the social, cultural, and religious challenges are magnified, and what sells well here, might not work near as well in another country. Two extremely prominent US companies have faced these challenges abroad. First of all, Apple, the makers of the Iphone, faced many challenges in Japan. Secondly, the Walt Disney Company learned quite a few lessons during the development of Hong Kong Disneyland. This paper will analyze the challenges of Apple and Walt Disney when they expanded to these countries. Apple Apple Computer, Inc is located in Cupertino, California. The company was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. From 1976 until today, Apple has been a company synonymous with innovation (apple-history, Jan ) . Apple is largely responsible for the growth of the personal computer, and the Ipod and Iphone are now staples in America and almost a part of our culture. In 2010, Apples sales topped 65 billion dollars, and Apple is viewed by many as the most successful company in the world (apple-history, Jan ) . When Apple launched the Iphone 3G, the launch was worldwide, and sales were brisk. The entire world was stricken with the Iphone bug. The Ipod was already a staple around the globe, and an Ipod that could also be used as a phone was just what everyone was asking for. There was, however, one country that Apple really wanted to conquer. Apple joined with Softbank Corp. in Japan to market the Iphone 3G to the Japanese populous (Kane, Sept) . Softcorp was the third largest mobile provider in Japan, and the Ipod and Apple Computers were extremely popular in Japan, so Apple predicted incredibly brisk sales in the technology-savvy country (Kane, Sept) . On the first day the Iphone was offered, sales were indeed quick. Many locations sold out nearly immediately. After the quick opening day sales, something Apple and Softcorp did not prepare for happened. The sales slowed down to a crawl, with sales reaching less than a third of what was predicted by analysts (Kane, Sept) . There were a few reasons for the decline. First of all, Apple failed to realize that there were already 10 domestic cellular phone manufacturers fighting for the market share in Japan. Apple also failed to realize that the new, groundbreaking Iphone was neither new or groundbreaking in Japan. The Iphone was largely successful abroad because of the 3G access it boasted, but in Japan, almost everyone phone was 3G (Kane, Sept) . In addition, the highly technological Iphone was not really anything new for the Japanese. In actuality, in many ways it was viewed as a step backward to these consumers. Many cell-phone staples for Japanese customers was not present on the Iphone (Kane, Sept). For example, Japanese residents like to add cartoonish characters to their emails. The Iphone did not have this option (Kane, Sept) . Also, Japanese consumers viewed the Iphone as very expensive. Essentially, Apple introduced a product that was inferior to the competitors offerings at a higher price point. Common knowledge says this is a no-win situation. To add fuel to the fire, the one plus that the Iphone boasted in Japan, the App Store, did not take hold either (Kane, Sept). Japanese consumers are very leary of allowing their personal information to be added to their cell phones, and the App Store cannot work without a credit card stored (Kane, Sept). The Iphone was not a failure in Japan, but it was not nearly as successful as Apple assumed it would be. Hong Kong Disneyland The Disney Corporation is thought of as one of the most wholesome and magical companies in America and around the globe. Children of all ages wait with bated breath for new movie offerings by the Disney Corporation. We have Disney Stores in almost every mall in America, and most cable companies offer at least three channels devoted to Disney characters. Most children, and many adults dream of and plan vacations to Disney World, and some families make the trek to the theme park yearly. In addition, many couples plan their weddings at Walt Disney World, and the brides and grooms feel like Cinderella and Prince Charming on this magical day. We all know Disneyworld is a magical place, a place where a kid can be a kid, dreams come true, and we can let loose. Of course, nearly every company has had to deal with some sort of controversy, and The Disney Corporation is not immune to public scrutiny either. In 2005, The Disney Corporation opened a park in China, Hong Kong Disneyland (Bradsher, June) . The crux of the issue at Hong Kong Disneyland was a popular Chinese dish that Disneyland offered at wedding banquets, Shark Fin Soup (Bradsher, June) . Shark Fin soup is a traditional meal at Chinese weddings. In fact, Chinese connoisseurs enjoy many meals that cause a ton of angst around the world. Often restaurants in China serve Leopard, Penguin, exotic snakes, Anteaters, and many other rare species (Bradsher, June). None of these dishes are as popular in China as Shark Fin Soup. The Disney Corporation decided to offer Shark Fin Soup as an option at wedding parties in fear that if the dish was not offered, weddings would not be planned at Hong Kong Disneyland (Bradsher, June). In fact, the outrage about the dish did not come from China at all. Most of the protesting over the dish happened in America and Europe, with certain groups wearing t-shirts with Mickey and Donald hovering over sharks without fins, and children in schools outwardly protesting (Bradsher, June). Disney officials did keep Shark Fin Soup on the menu at wedding parties, but every guest that requested a bowl of soup was also handed a pamphlet that explained the declining numbers of sharks in the wild (Bradsher, June). Comparisons Apple and The Disney Corporation both experienced challenges they did not foresee when they ventured into foreign grounds. In fact, marketing abroad was not new to either of these companies, but both of these particular situations were very difficult for these companies for very different reasons. Apple had a real problem marketing in Japan because the product offered, the Iphone 3G, was more expensive than other offerings and offered less than the competitors. The Disney Corporation did not have an issue marketing in Hong Kong, and the park was wildly popular, like the parks are in other parts of the world. The problem Disney faced was that he cultures of China, which the company tried to be sensitive to, cause ire around the rest of the globe. The problems these two companies dealt with were very different, but the root of the issue was the same. It is very difficult for a company to make everything work for everyone. Conclusion Apple and The Disney Corporation are two of the most successful companies in America and around the world. Even though these two companies share a level of success that 99 percent of the corporations in America can only dream of, they still have their issues. Marketing is extremely difficult, even in one country. Marketers have to deal with different economic classes, social differences, cultural differences, and religious differences. When a company decides to go global, everything that a marketer deals with is magnified ten-fold. The economic differences can be much larger, the social differences can become a river, the cultural differences a lake, and the religious differences an ocean. The cases of The Disney Corporation in China and Apple in Japan prove that no company is immune to problems and strife, and any new marketing venture requires a great deal of research and trial and error. These two companies were large and successful enough to sustain these blows, but the issues could have been detrimental to smaller firms.

This Boys Life Essay Example

This Boys Life Essay Tobias Wolff Memoir Tobias Wolff opens up his Memoir with the image of him and his mother fleeing to find a better life in the Old West. Tobias wants to start from a â€Å"blank page† and decides to go as far as changing his name to Jack. Tobias feels guilty and unworthy and has extraordinary desire to transform himself into the boy he fantasizes about being. Tobias wants to be the privileged, independent boy that he describes himself as, in his letter to Alice, â€Å"I represented myself to her as the owner of a palomino horse named Smiley who shared my encounters with mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and packs of coyotes on my father’s ranch, the Lazy B. When I wasn’t busy on the ranch I raised German shepherds and played for several athletic teams† (Wolff 13). â€Å"Jack† is determined to impress Alice with his made up image of himself as a: free, self-relying adventurer, talented, and decently wealthy boy; all of which Jack isn’t, nor possesses. We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jack does not own a horse, and the most adventure he has ever underwent, was the time he tried to find uranium under piles of rocks. More than anything Jack wants to have a loving father and a real family. His biological father, Arthur Wolff, lives separate of the family in Connecticut; Arthur even ended all of his Child Support payments for Jack which were critical for the survival of the family. Jack’s family does not have enough money to buy or support a German shepherd so there is no possible way he could have raised one. Lastly, even though Jack is a semi-athletic kid, he never continues with the sport/activity that he picks up and usually ends up dropping it after some time. Jack does not attempt to realize that this image of him is a fantasy, and can only keep dreaming of transforming himself into the charming young man he so heavily desires to become. Eventually Jack begins to live in his â€Å"untrue† fantasies because it is the only thing that provides him with stability in his otherwise extremely unstable life. In changing his name, Jack feels that he is one step closer to becoming more like his idealized image of himself, and one step further away from his father, Arthur, who has until now, caused Jack and his mother nothing but troubles. â€Å"I didn’t come to Utah to be the same boy I’d been before. I had my own dreams of transformation, Western dreams, dreams of freedom and domino, and taciturn self-sufficiency. The first thing I wanted to do was change my name† (Wolff 8). By changing his name, Jack would be further away from his father and closer to the ideal image he has ecreated for himself. Jack’s feelings of guilt and unworthiness are motivators for his dreams of becoming that â€Å"hero† kid he so heavily desires to become. Jack wants to try and adopt his father’s responsibilities and provide for his mother and somehow bail them out of their poverty and unhappiness. Jack is still a small boy however and their situation is far away from his grasp. In order to feel self- sufficiency and happiness Jack ignores reality and begins to fabricate his â€Å"heroic† image. Jack’s life in Chinook hit an all-time low. As Jack sets out on his early morning paper route, he feels oppressed by the predawn darkness and is reminded of other absences in his life, especially now that he is on his own, â€Å"The absence of light became oppressive to me. It took on the weight of other absences I could not admit to or even define but still felt sharply, on my own in this new place. My father and my brother. Friends. Most of all my mother† (Wolff 99). It is interesting to see how Tobias uses â€Å"absence of light† as a symbol to show that he is undergoing days of darkness. Tobias isn’t literally in the dark, but he is isolated from everyone he loves: his brother, father, friends, and especially his father. Jacks loneliness is intensified by Dwights cruel methods of punishment and ceaseless criticism of his every move. The scornful criticism that Dwight doles out does not hurt Jack as deeply as he intends. In time, Jack becomes somewhat immune to Dwights cutting remarks and eventually they seize to even hurt, â€Å"All of Dwight’s complaints against me had the aim of giving me a definition of myself. They succeeded, but not in the way he wished. I defined myself by opposition to him. In the past I had been ready, even when innocent, to believe any evil thing of myself. Now that I had grounds for guilt I could no longer feel it† (Wolff 134). Jack understands that Dwight wishes to change Jack with â€Å"helpful† criticism, but Jack despises Dwight so much that he undercuts and opposes everything Dwight says. Jack cannot bring himself to believe that the criticism is true. In criticizing Jack, Dwight is trying to redefine him, but Jack is too strong to believe Dwights insults and â€Å"helpful suggestions†. Tobias Wolff does a very nice job at closing up his Memoir and making the reader feel as if it was complete. Tobias Wolff speeds up the last chapter and combines it all into a very small section. In this section the reader learns: that his father has gone insane, Dwight gets arrested for almost strangling Tobias’s mother, Tobias gets kicked out of Hill, and enlists in the army. Suddenly this momentum seizes and again the memoir begins to come to a graduated pace. Tobias continues his Memoir by introducing this quote, â€Å"When we are green, still half-created, we believe that our dreams are rights, that the world is disposed to act in our best interests, and that falling and dying are for quitters. We live on the innocent and monstrous assurance that we alone of all the people ever born, have a special arrangement whereby we will be allowed to stay green forever† (Wolff 286). The memoir thereafter changes perspective and again continues from where we left off, Tobias just sold Dwight’s guns and is heading home feeling happy and self-satisfied. Tobias leaves the pawnshop with a huge sum of cash believing it would last him for months. Tobias imagines his family reunited again with his brother, mother and father. He also envisions himself with good grades, being the captain of the swimming team, and the school embracing him with arms. Tobias feels happy and self-satisfied because as he says, â€Å"In this world nothing was impossible that I could imagine for myself. In this world the only task was to pick and choose† (Tobias 287). Tobias can keep dreaming that everything will be perfect: he will become wealthy, his family would reunite, and his education/talent would be immense. Tobias understands that he isn’t living in the real world and is only dreaming, but he doesn’t want to let go of this utopia where everything is perfect and nothing can cause him pain. Tobias continues driving home self-satisfied and happy with Chuck. Going back to the introductory quote, we can see how eventually Tobias realizes that almost all of his dreams did not come true, and he finally began to separate reality from fantasy. He realizes that as a kid he was still â€Å"half-created†: didn’t know what he wanted to become, what he was going to do with his life, and what his purpose was. Tobias also understands that not all dreams can become reality and life does not always give you flowers; it can be harsh and cause many hardships, unlike whereas in your dreams everything is ideal. Tobias also finds out that life did not predetermine him to become someone famous or well known, but he simply became a plain soldier who serves in the military and eventually goes to Vietnam. Tobias can’t stay â€Å"green† forever, meaning that he can’t keep searching for who he really is, can’t keep dreaming of being ideal. He must begin to act in the real world and let go of his fantasies. This Boys Life Essay Example This Boys Life Essay Tobias Wolff Memoir Tobias Wolff opens up his Memoir with the image of him and his mother fleeing to find a better life in the Old West. Tobias wants to start from a â€Å"blank page† and decides to go as far as changing his name to Jack. Tobias feels guilty and unworthy and has extraordinary desire to transform himself into the boy he fantasizes about being. Tobias wants to be the privileged, independent boy that he describes himself as, in his letter to Alice, â€Å"I represented myself to her as the owner of a palomino horse named Smiley who shared my encounters with mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and packs of coyotes on my father’s ranch, the Lazy B. When I wasn’t busy on the ranch I raised German shepherds and played for several athletic teams† (Wolff 13). â€Å"Jack† is determined to impress Alice with his made up image of himself as a: free, self-relying adventurer, talented, and decently wealthy boy; all of which Jack isn’t, nor possesses. We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on This Boys Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jack does not own a horse, and the most adventure he has ever underwent, was the time he tried to find uranium under piles of rocks. More than anything Jack wants to have a loving father and a real family. His biological father, Arthur Wolff, lives separate of the family in Connecticut; Arthur even ended all of his Child Support payments for Jack which were critical for the survival of the family. Jack’s family does not have enough money to buy or support a German shepherd so there is no possible way he could have raised one. Lastly, even though Jack is a semi-athletic kid, he never continues with the sport/activity that he picks up and usually ends up dropping it after some time. Jack does not attempt to realize that this image of him is a fantasy, and can only keep dreaming of transforming himself into the charming young man he so heavily desires to become. Eventually Jack begins to live in his â€Å"untrue† fantasies because it is the only thing that provides him with stability in his otherwise extremely unstable life. In changing his name, Jack feels that he is one step closer to becoming more like his idealized image of himself, and one step further away from his father, Arthur, who has until now, caused Jack and his mother nothing but troubles. â€Å"I didn’t come to Utah to be the same boy I’d been before. I had my own dreams of transformation, Western dreams, dreams of freedom and domino, and taciturn self-sufficiency. The first thing I wanted to do was change my name† (Wolff 8). By changing his name, Jack would be further away from his father and closer to the ideal image he has ecreated for himself. Jack’s feelings of guilt and unworthiness are motivators for his dreams of becoming that â€Å"hero† kid he so heavily desires to become. Jack wants to try and adopt his father’s responsibilities and provide for his mother and somehow bail them out of their poverty and unhappiness. Jack is still a small boy however and their situation is far away from his grasp. In order to feel self- sufficiency and happiness Jack ignores reality and begins to fabricate his â€Å"heroic† image. Jack’s life in Chinook hit an all-time low. As Jack sets out on his early morning paper route, he feels oppressed by the predawn darkness and is reminded of other absences in his life, especially now that he is on his own, â€Å"The absence of light became oppressive to me. It took on the weight of other absences I could not admit to or even define but still felt sharply, on my own in this new place. My father and my brother. Friends. Most of all my mother† (Wolff 99). It is interesting to see how Tobias uses â€Å"absence of light† as a symbol to show that he is undergoing days of darkness. Tobias isn’t literally in the dark, but he is isolated from everyone he loves: his brother, father, friends, and especially his father. Jacks loneliness is intensified by Dwights cruel methods of punishment and ceaseless criticism of his every move. The scornful criticism that Dwight doles out does not hurt Jack as deeply as he intends. In time, Jack becomes somewhat immune to Dwights cutting remarks and eventually they seize to even hurt, â€Å"All of Dwight’s complaints against me had the aim of giving me a definition of myself. They succeeded, but not in the way he wished. I defined myself by opposition to him. In the past I had been ready, even when innocent, to believe any evil thing of myself. Now that I had grounds for guilt I could no longer feel it† (Wolff 134). Jack understands that Dwight wishes to change Jack with â€Å"helpful† criticism, but Jack despises Dwight so much that he undercuts and opposes everything Dwight says. Jack cannot bring himself to believe that the criticism is true. In criticizing Jack, Dwight is trying to redefine him, but Jack is too strong to believe Dwights insults and â€Å"helpful suggestions†. Tobias Wolff does a very nice job at closing up his Memoir and making the reader feel as if it was complete. Tobias Wolff speeds up the last chapter and combines it all into a very small section. In this section the reader learns: that his father has gone insane, Dwight gets arrested for almost strangling Tobias’s mother, Tobias gets kicked out of Hill, and enlists in the army. Suddenly this momentum seizes and again the memoir begins to come to a graduated pace. Tobias continues his Memoir by introducing this quote, â€Å"When we are green, still half-created, we believe that our dreams are rights, that the world is disposed to act in our best interests, and that falling and dying are for quitters. We live on the innocent and monstrous assurance that we alone of all the people ever born, have a special arrangement whereby we will be allowed to stay green forever† (Wolff 286). The memoir thereafter changes perspective and again continues from where we left off, Tobias just sold Dwight’s guns and is heading home feeling happy and self-satisfied. Tobias leaves the pawnshop with a huge sum of cash believing it would last him for months. Tobias imagines his family reunited again with his brother, mother and father. He also envisions himself with good grades, being the captain of the swimming team, and the school embracing him with arms. Tobias feels happy and self-satisfied because as he says, â€Å"In this world nothing was impossible that I could imagine for myself. In this world the only task was to pick and choose† (Tobias 287). Tobias can keep dreaming that everything will be perfect: he will become wealthy, his family would reunite, and his education/talent would be immense. Tobias understands that he isn’t living in the real world and is only dreaming, but he doesn’t want to let go of this utopia where everything is perfect and nothing can cause him pain. Tobias continues driving home self-satisfied and happy with Chuck. Going back to the introductory quote, we can see how eventually Tobias realizes that almost all of his dreams did not come true, and he finally began to separate reality from fantasy. He realizes that as a kid he was still â€Å"half-created†: didn’t know what he wanted to become, what he was going to do with his life, and what his purpose was. Tobias also understands that not all dreams can become reality and life does not always give you flowers; it can be harsh and cause many hardships, unlike whereas in your dreams everything is ideal. Tobias also finds out that life did not predetermine him to become someone famous or well known, but he simply became a plain soldier who serves in the military and eventually goes to Vietnam. Tobias can’t stay â€Å"green† forever, meaning that he can’t keep searching for who he really is, can’t keep dreaming of being ideal. He must begin to act in the real world and let go of his fantasies.