Salem Witch Trial vs Mccarthyism - 1208 Words

A review of A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials, by Laurie Winn Carlson, Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 2000; 224 pp. $14.95 Paperback. ISBN: 1-566633095 A FEVER IN SALEM POSITS A biological cause for the early modem witchcraft epidemic, which resulted in the hanging of 19 people in Salem, MA, in 1692. Witchcraft persecution, Laurie Carlson writes, arose because of the strange behavior of the supposedly bewitched accusers. She concludes that the cause was a disease unrecognizable by the science of the time: encephalitis. The history of the Salem witchcraft epidemic is well known. In the winter of 1692, two girls suffered convulsions and hallucinations, alarming fast their families and subsequently the entire†¦show more content†¦Is Carlson suggesting the epidemic actually had supernatural influences? Carlson also takes aim at the psychological profession, as she does in an earlier footnote comparing the late 15th century witch hunting guidebook, The Malleus Maleficarum, with the handbook of the American Psychological Association, the DSM-IV. Readers of SKEPTIC may be especially interested in Carlsons brief mention of women taken by planets while they slept, remarkably similar to modern descriptions of alien abductions. As interesting as all this is, especially to skeptics in search of natural causes for apparently supernatural events, A Fever in Salem is far from exemplary. Fundamentally, the evidence offered for the epidemiological hypothesis is inconclusive. I do not doubt Carlsons statement that historical epidemiology is inherently plausible, but this does not let her off the empirical hook. A Fever in Salems recounting of events beyond Salem is alternately superficial and contradictory, in spite of the authors own assertion that her hypothesis fails if it cannot be applied to Europe as well. Europe suffered under witchcraft accusations for more than a century, with approximately 100,000 casualties. Carlson hints that the Salem symptoms could be compared to what happened in Europe or other areas of New England, but never fully explores it. If she wants to build her case solely on Salem, discussion of witchcraft outside ofShow MoreRelatedThe Powerless- Analysing Mccarthyism Vs. The Salem Witch Trials2054 Words   |  9 PagesThe Empowerment of the Powerless- Analysing McCarthyism Vs. The Salem Witch Trials During the witch trials, almost two hundred innocent people were convicted of consorting with the Devil and practicing witchcraft, and a surprising twenty people were hanged for their lack of confession. The source for this mass hysteria, was nothing more than the silent influence of eleven young girls ranging from the age of nine to twenty-five. They began to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft, gaining them theRead MoreArthur Millers The Crucible And The Second Red Scare1293 Words   |  6 Pagesidentified as Communists† (Miller â€Å"Why I Wrote The Crucible†). Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is an effective allegory due to Miller connecting Salem to McCarthyism by the showing the people of Salem being driven into rash actions and unjust court systems because of their paranoid spirits. The most apparent similarities between Salem and the Second Red Scare are the trials themselves, however, Miller does not utilize them as his strongest connections. Miller create s the most connections through mirroring charactersRead MoreThe Mccarthy Hearings Vs The Salem Witch Trials Essay1011 Words   |  5 PagesMcCarthy Hearings vs The Salem Witch Trials The McCarthy Hearings and the Salem Witch Trials both transformed the thought process of Americans today. Despite being described as completely unique and distinguished events, they both are eerily similar in appearance. The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are both described as witch hunts with several similarities in the way the inspired fear but they have several differences in the motivation and the end of each event. The Salem Witch Trials is know forRead MoreMccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials1195 Words   |  5 PagesMcCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence (â€Å"McCarthyism†). The Salem Witch Trials was when more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed because of these accusations (Brooks). During the Red Scare like there are accusations of people committing treason during the Red Scare. In The Crucible people are accused of being witches during the Salem Witch trials. There are many similarities and differencesRead MoreThe Crucible : An Allegory For The Red Scare2011 Words   |  9 PagesAmericans being equal in status to White Americans during the Civil Rights movement. Although the crucible takes place in 1692, Salem, it reflects the concerns of 1950?s American life and is an allegory for the Red Scare, and Homosexuality. [2: Wall, Wendy. Anti-Communism in the 1950s. www.g ilderlehrman.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. .] The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, which was a puritan town.[endnoteRef:3] Reverend Parris is praying over his daughter, Betty, who appears toRead MoreThe Hands Of An Angry God1627 Words   |  7 Pagesdirected to a Puritan congregation urging with orthodox fervor for transgressors to repent. Arthur Miller wrote the allegorical play The Crucible in 1953, lively portraying the hysteria occurring during the Salem Witch Trials in an effort to describe his perceptions of the post-war climate of McCarthyism and the sheer terror of Communism. In the pulpit oratory â€Å"Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God†, Edwards eloquently uses imagery, metaphors, and symbolism in order to instill fear in his congregation andRead MoreMccarthyism : Alive Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow2146 Words   |  9 PagesMcCarthyism: Alive Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow â€Å"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong - these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.† Winston Churchill Winston Churchill was correct to state that history does in fact repeat itself, and when one looks at the past one can see that McCarthyism, the executionRead MoreEssay about The Fear of the Noose in The Crucible by Arthur Miller713 Words   |  3 PagesArthur Miller establishes a period in the American history known as the Salem witch trials of 1692. It is a well built Puritan society in which the citizens are bonded with the church. During this time McCarthyism was in play, it was the anti-communist suspicions into the U.S. The theme in the story The Crucible was honesty and truth versus scapegoat. Arthur Miller used the noose to lead the reader to the theme of honesty vs. scapegoat. The noose represents the most prevalent symbol in The CrucibleRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx Essay2047 Words   |  9 Pageswith their followers. These followers then spread their fraudulent ideas, which often added greater fire to their passionate causes. This characteristic, exemplif ied in their own time period by McCarthyism, inspired both Miller and Bradbury to create their works. Bradbury, unsettled by the McCarthy trials, critiques the negative effects of communism in his projection of the near future. This near future involves a suppression of knowledge rooted in a ban on all books. Government leaders suppress

Creating Tension Through the Presentation of Magwitch and...

How does Dickens create tension through his presentation of Magwitch and Miss Havisham in Great Expectations? Introduction ============ Great Expectations is about a young boy, Pip, who lives in a deprived town with his sister (Mrs Joe) and her husband (Mr Joe). Pip meets a fugitive, Magwitch and after meeting with this runaway he fears from his life. Pip is then summoned to go and play at Miss Havisham’s house. He then falls in love with Estella who chooses to ignore Pip, which makes him feel pitiful and he hates himself for this. Suddenly his life starts to change as he receives an astonishing gift from a covert benefactor. Pip becomes rich and decides to go and live in London. After becoming rich, Pip decides to forget†¦show more content†¦Magwitch asks Pip to get him a file or Magwitch will kill him. Pip is sad because he had just been to visit his mother and father’s grave. The weather was dull; it a rainy and stormy day. Pips mood was reflecting on the weather. This is called pathetic fallacy. With Miss Havisham Pip is nervous just by looking at the house. â€Å"The great front entrance had two chains across it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this shows that Pip was frightened of Satis House. Also all the windows had iron bars on them and there would be no light in Satis House. â€Å"†¦ And had a great many iron bars to it† this shows that the windows had iron bars to them. â€Å"†¦ No glimpse of daylight could be seen in it† this shows that it was dark within the walls of Satis House. Dickens uses sinister language choices to create tension an example of this is â€Å" the great†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which refers to Satis House having an immense entrance. This creates tension because Satis House is described as dark and dreary as I have given evidence of this above. In the graveyard it is stormy, its raining, its dark and Pip is sad because he is visiting his parents grave’s. (Pathetic Fallacy), in Satis house its dark and prison like. I have compared both settings. Dickens creates tension through his presentation of Magwitch and Miss Havisham by creating the two similar settings and comparing both Magwitch and Miss Havisham to one another. Paragraph Three – Dickens creates tension through his initial description of

The Bell Jar Cancer versus Depression Essay Example For Students

The Bell Jar Cancer versus Depression Essay Integrated into the story of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a case history of a depression patient, from its subtle beginnings to its terrifying consequences to its shaky resolution. On the subject of this depression, there is an article written by William Styron which, in the course of describing his own dealings with the disease, he compares it to cancer. It is my own firm opinion that this assertion is perfectly valid, and it can be shown through careful analysis of the causes and effects of both depression and cancer that this is so. In addition, using The Bell Jar as an example of a case of depression, we will see how this comparison makes clear sense. First, we must address the nature of cancer and its effect on the individual bearing its weight. Cancer is the result of a mutation of the genetic material of a cell, resulting in the lack of some inhibiting factor which would otherwise restrict the uncontrolled reproduction of this cell. As a consequence, this cell reproduces without bound, generating a cluster of cells which are reproducing uncontrollably, and which use the resources of the body to an extent beyond their proportional allotment. Eventually, the requirements of the tumor exceed the bodys ability to provide, and the individual dies. Treatment of cancer includes surgery, the use of chemotherapy, and the use of radiation therapy. Surgeons removing a tumor make every attempt to remove as much of the affected tissue as possible, because the presence of even a single, properly placed cell left after surgery could result in a second bout with the cancer. Chemotherapy entails exposing the cancer to a barrage of chemicals whi ch are toxic, in the hope of poisoning it to death. Unfortunately, these chemicals, which are toxic to the tumor, are also toxic to the patient. Chemotherapy results in a plethora of serious negative side effects for the patient, even for all of its ability to fight the disease. Radiation therapy works by the same premise as chemotherapy, but instead of chemicals it is radiation that is used to try and destroy the cancer. Interestingly enough, often it is radiation which generates the mutation in the genetic material of the cell which causes the cancer, and yet it is possible to treat the cancer with radiation (exposure to certain chemicals can cause cancer too, resulting in the same paradox relating to chemotherapy.) Now, these treatments for cancer can be related to treatments for depression, as we will see shortly. Important to any discussion of cancer is a consideration of its causes. Because of the statistical nature of genetic mutations, which are the cause not only of cancer but of evolution, more spontaneous, natural genetic mutations must be negative than advantageous. Some of these negative mutations result in cancer. These natural mutations (another paradox) are caused by sunlight, chemicals in food, and normal biological processes occurring in the cell. In all cases of cancer except for a select few, the victim has nothing to do with the cause of the cancer. Obvious exceptions include the use of tobacco and the careless exposure of ones skin to the sun. These situations are ones where the victim is wholly responsible for their condition, though we can still maintain compassion and make medical attempts to remedy their problem. One other issue relating to cancer which needs to be addressed is that of pain related either directly to the cancer, or to its treatment. In many cases of cance r, the patient is in great pain. Often this pain results from the cancer itself, though many times the treatment (particularly chemotherapy and radiation therapy) results in pain and sickness. Doctors are permitted to prescribe pain medication, and in some states cannabis, to alleviate this pain, though many times they are reluctant to prescribe pain medication for extended periods of time (or cannabis at all) because of a fear of raising the suspicions of local or federal drug enforcement agencies. In general, however, the pain of a cancer patient can be satisfactorily soothed, though rarely entirely relieved. A similar discussion of depression is necessary to thoroughly understand the situation, and begins as follows. Depression is

Pros and cons of abortion to the society

Introduction For a very long time now the issue of abortion has been one of the most controversial and problems on the planet pitying two major sides. On one side pro-lifers insist that it is immoral and amounts to murdering an innocent child while pro-abortionists argue that is just a form of birth control and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it as all children should be born when they are wanted.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and cons of abortion to the society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The numerous legislations, policies by governments and even hard-line stands by some organizations like the church have over time made this subject more controversial instead of offering solutions, and at one point one may argue that there would never be a consensus on the abortion issue. The debate on abortion is likely to go on for several years unless the sturdy stands taken by both pro-lifers and anti-abo rtionists are softened. Those for or against abortion have to find ways of accommodating the views of each other regarding the issue. This paper will evaluate the issues surrounding the abortion debate while at the same time seek to find solutions to the conflicting ideas. Pros of abortion There are several arguments that one forward in support of abortion. First of all, any birth of a child should occur when the parents want and not by chance (Potts et al. 229). This way it would go a long way in assisting the world to have an environment where all children that are born in this world have an environment conducive for proper development. There is no need for inflating the world with many children who cannot have access to basic needs like adequate clothing, food, shelter, and education. It should also be noted that when a person decides to carry out an abortion it is not out of her dislike for children but because she feels that it would not be a wise decision to proceed with the p regnancy as it is still not yet the right time to have a baby (Potts et al. 229). In the case of rape or incest, keeping a pregnancy is very traumatizing to the person raped as no one would wish to keep a child that is a result of this, and the best solution to this problem would be to abort the unborn child. For the case of rape, the emotional effects of the occurrence are too traumatizing and take time to heal, and some rape victims do not recover at all. Adding a child to the rape victim is like adding more salt to a wound and would be a constant reminder that is likely to add more emotional trauma to the victim (Khoster 35).Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many studies on the morality or immoralities of abortion have found that some of those against the morality of abortion tend to agree that it is acceptable to abort a pregnancy that is a result of rape. For instance, the gulp poll carried out in Canada found only 13% of the respondents were against the practice completely while interestingly a whopping 65% were of the view that it is acceptable to abort an unwanted pregnancy in certain conditions like if it is a result of rape (Flanagan 130) There has also been an unending debate on the exact time that a fetus acquires life and becomes a person with rights and ability to have feelings (Sather 159). Sather further argues that before the 24th– 28th week, the fetus has not yet acquired human features and it does not amount to murder if you perform an abortion before this time. Pro-lifers led by the Catholic Church insist that life begins at conception and anyone who is found guilty of having performed an abortion could be excommunicated from the church because of committing murder (Kohmescher 137). That is not all several studies when life stars in the case of an unborn child have resulted in conflicting dates. The impending standoff as to, when a person can and cannot have an abortion, have left it possible for anyone to conduct an abortion. It is not clear as to when life begins, and as so long as a woman feels that she cannot have a baby, she has the freedom to do it since it is not yet clear when the life of a person begins. Sometimes complications can occur to a pregnancy that may put the life of the mother or unborn child in danger and even at times all of them. In this case, abortion ought to be permitted to save the physical health of the mother although some of those advocating for abortion have often argued that the mental health of the mother ought to be included when talking about health (white Baldwin 113). At this point, the life of the mother is given first consideration as the fetus cannot survive without the mother, and in any case, the chances are that the mother can always get other children if she wants, but there is no way a fetus can survive on its leave alone getting other parents which is impossible.Advertis ing We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and cons of abortion to the society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cons of abortion Several disadvantages of abortion are argued out by pro-lifers. Most of the books on the subject are mostly in support of the drawbacks of abortion as compared to the advantages. According to Koster abortion is only a temporary and irrational decision that make women feel that they have gotten some relief to an unwanted child against chances of permanent loss of infertility (Koster 304). She further argues that although removing an unwanted pregnancy may somehow offer relief to the woman the possibility of becoming infertile especially if an unqualified person performed the operation is very significant and once you lose your fertility there is zero chance that you will regain it. Even when performed by a qualified medical doctor there is a chance that complications may arise like in some medical p rocedures and if this happens, you could definitely lose your fertility. In fact, interviews conducted on women who had complications when performing an abortion revealed that a majority of them had lost the ability to conceive or hard a miscarriage (Koster 304) The relief that one feels after procuring an abortion is usually short-lived, and it dies after some time leading to a permanent feeling of guilt and sadness. In fact, in most of the times, this feeling of relief is just a deliberate attempt by the psychology of a person to delete the sense of guilt and shame that creeps in immediately one procures an abortion (Holman 321). Holman further adds that although most of the legislation and policies concerning abortion allow the practice in the case of schoolgirls the idea that you once killed part of you is not likely to go away and will haunt you forever. A lot of pro-lifers would equate abortion to murder, and it is therefore morally wrong and should be outlawed. Genovesi defin es murder as an intentional act of taking away the life of a human being (Genovesi 340). Fro this he further adds that since the fetus of a person has life, then taking it away will amount to killing it, which is the same as murder. Of course from this reason arguments are bound to arise as to when the life of a person actually begins. To all Christians led by the Catholic Church, it is completely unacceptable to allow a person to take away another person’s life for whichever reason and at whatever stage in life as it is still murder.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The late Pope John Paul is on record as having condemned the practice and even stating that it would threaten the freedom and dignity of humankind as it promotes a culture of accepting death as a normal thing (Zastrow Kirst 82) Procuring an abortion is not the only solution in the event of unwanted pregnancy as the child could also be put to adoption. It is estimated that in all married couples in the United States alone, between 10% -15% of them do not have the ability to have children (Grunlan 217). This figure is so high that more and more Americans are turning to other countries overseas in order to get children of their own and as Grunlan further adds; this figure has been increasing in the recent years as more mothers turn to abortion as a way of controlling birth. Furthermore, as Zastrow Kirst add, in this age where there are so many available contraceptive methods; there should be very minimal unwanted pregnancies that warrant the need to abort a baby who has already been conceived (Zastrow Kirst 82). Relationship between abortion and the course on religion The main concern in the abortion controversy is whether it is morally and ethically right or wrong. Ethics and morality are significantly discussed in unit one of the course. In unit one, the main issue discussed is how to know what is right and what is wrong. As argued by Aristotle in part of the course, to become ethical he should first reason well and have good character, and total happiness can only be achieved if people are noble. The abortion debate centers on ethics in that while those who are for abortion argue that it offers a solution to lots of problems that could be brought about by having unwanted children, those against it argue that this relief is only temporary. Unit three of the course is mainly on how to live a good life as Christians. In this essential part, the unit deals on acceptable Christian virtues and values. One such virtue is having unconditional love towards others. O n abortion, it is argued that when one performs an abortion automatically, she does not have love for that child regardless of the conditions. Moreover, all Christians should preserve human life and have respect for Gods creations, and failure to do so is a sin. People are also supposed to think critically of their actions and be held accountable to these actions, and, as discussed in the unit, they should avoid searching for quick-fix solutions to problems facing them. The Catholic Church has been the most vocal in speaking against abortion for a long time, and as it stands, there is no chance that this sturdy stand will be reverted. In the book Catholic morality and human sexuality, the author argues that immediately after fertilization, the resulting zygote has human features and should be respected as a human being. Removing it from the uterus amounts to murder (Genovesi 344). Furthermore, if you reject human life at any point, it is like rejecting God as humans are created in t he image of God (Ferrara Ireland 20). Accepting abortion has been argued by the church as accepting a culture of death and living without Jesus Christ as it amounts t killing an innocent creature of God who has not yet performed any sin. Even in cases of rape or incest, the church does not permit abortion (Kohmescher 138). In this case, a woman may seek treatment immediately after the incident but not abortion weeks after the incident, and even if the pregnancy is a threat to human life, there should be an attempt to save both lives human lives are sacred and equal before God an none is unique to the other. Conclusion As it stands today, it seems the debate on abortion will not come to an end soon. The stands taken by both the pro-abortionists and anti-abortionists are so rigid, and there have not been any attempts to build a consensus. For instance, the church will certainly not relent on its claim that abortion is murder and therefore a capital sin while pro-abortionists argue th at having a child should be a choice. The conflicting policies by different governments regarding the issue have added more controversy to this subject instead of offering guidelines. There should be efforts to provide a clear policy on this issue that would be acceptable in the whole world through an international body like the United Nations. Apart from that the church and other organizations that are anti-abortion ought to soften their stand in some incidences like rape which are too traumatizing. Works Cited Ferrara, Jennifer Ireland, Patricia. The catholic mystique: fourteen women find fulfillment in the Catholic Church. Huntington: Sunday visitor publishing, 2004. Print Flanagan, Thomas. Game theory and Canadian politics. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998. Print Genovesi, Vincent. In pursuit of love: Catholic morality and human sexuality. Minnesota: Hutts Publishing, 2002. Print Grunlan, Stephen. Marriage and the family. Michigan: Zondervan. 1983. Print Holman, Thoma s. The family in the new millennium. Westport: Praeger Publishers. 2007. Print liturgical press, 1996. Print Khoster, Winnie. Women and abortion in the Yoruba society, Nigeria. Amsterdam: Aksant academic publishers, 2003. Print Kohmescher, Matthew. Catholicism today: a survey of Catholic belief and practice the third edition. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1999. Print Potts, Malcolm, Diggory Peter Peel John. Abortion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977. Print Sather, Trevor. Pros and cons: a debaters handbook 18th edition. London: Routledge, 1999. Print White, Stuart Baldwin, Timothy. Legal and ethical aspects of anesthesia, critical care, and preoperative medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge university press, 2004. Print Zastrow, Charles Kirst, Karen. Understanding human behavior and the social environment: 8th edition. Belmont: Brookscole, 2007. Print This essay on Pros and cons of abortion to the society was written and submitted by user Romeo U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.