Analysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness - 963 Words

As Steven Patrick Morrissey said â€Å"Racism is beyond common sense and has no place in our society.† Tragedies in African nations have been glossed over or omitted throughout history. The Congolese genocide, prompted by King Leopold II’s acquisition of the Congo Free State, killed an estimated 10 million people. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, can be criticised through many different lenses. Though Natives are a large part of Conrad’s narrative of European atrocities in the Congo, his treatment of Congolese Natives throughout the book show them to be nothing more than props. Conrad skews Natives language, culture and intelligence to fit Europeans schema for Africa and Africans. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is placed in a colonized Congo. ...despite Heart of Darkness s (Joseph Conrad) obvious anti-colonist agenda, the novel points to the colonized population as the standard of savagery to which Europeans are contrasted (Tyson 375). He tries to showcase the evils of these Europeans, but sacrificed showing the effects on the people most affected. The Natives. Nearly 50 years after Conrad’s death, Chinua Achebe wrote a criticism of the role of Africans in Heart of Darkness. Achebe writes most about Conrad using Africa as an antithesis to Europe, by illustrating Africa as uncivilized and primitive. Tony C. Brown speaks about Marlow’s changed view of the West through a more ‘primitive image’. Throughout the book Conrad demonstrates and inconsistent and disparaging portrayalShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1504 Words   |  7 Pagescontrol over others and can be found in both people and objects. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness the main character and narrator Marlow identifies a force within ivory that conveys a sense power within the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz. The African ivory trade was flourishing in the early 1900’s. Obtaining the precious object transformed some i nto greedy connoisseurs with endless intentions to get their hands on all of the continents ivory. Conrad shows that the power that is emitted from the ivory falls intoRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s The Heart Of Darkness 1801 Words   |  8 PagesAlly Jones Professor Smith English 1302 November 18, 2014 Female Roles in Joseph Conrad s the Heart of Darkness: In regards to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, many literature reviews focus on the motifs of Imperialism, the symbolism of darkness and fog, or the aspect of racism in Conrad’s work. During the era which Conrad wrote, England was going through the Victorian Era, which was marked by a shift in views on morality. The term â€Å"Victorian morality† is used today to describe values whichRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness 1713 Words   |  7 PagesMonth: January 2014 Name: Faris Khan Period: 3 Title: Heart of Darkness Author: Joseph Conrad Date started/date completed: 1/19 - 1/28 Pages read: 96/96 (Including the ten page introduction, 106/96) Rating of book (1-10): 9/10 Above you rated this book. Explain in detail why you gave this book that score: Author Joseph Conrad uses a very interesting method of narration in his novel, Heart of Darkness. The novel itself is written in first person, from the perspective of an unnamed sailor aboardRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness 1396 Words   |  6 PagesShelly Pyakurel Ellen Stockstill English 4 DC 27 April 2015 Research Paper Heart of Darkness is a novel by Joseph Conrad that centers on Marlow, a man who goes to the Congo for a job opportunity. He meets a man named Kurtz, who is well known by many. Once he gets to the Congo, he sees colonialism first-hand. He sees that the natives of the country were practically enslaved and forced to work under very harsh conditions. The two major characters of the novel are Marlow and Kurtz. There are many minorRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1552 Words   |  7 Pagesfollowers. Historically, people have been socialized to accept and adhere to these stereotypes. Women have an important role in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Women are used in this novella reflect an important aspect of culture: sexism. Heart of Darkness was originally published in 1898, a period where women were facing especially harsh discrimination. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells the story of Marlow, an experienced sea captain, who is setting out on a mission to rescue Kurtz, an intelligent butRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1555 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough the author Joseph Conrad never met the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who died more than a century before Conrad’s birth, their distinct philosophies still have numerous points of intersection, suggesting some fundamental truths within the structure of the human reality. Through the novella, Heart of Darkness, Conrad details his perspectives on the faults of man and reality as a whole, with views often coinciding with many of Leibniz’s own, as found in his numerous philosophicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1233 Words   |  5 PagesImperialism has often been described as a light, a method to guide the uncivilized. However in Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad sheds true light on the subjec t. In the novel, Conrad exposes the situation in Congo during the era of Imperialism for the Europeans. Conrad reveals the exploitation of the natives through a tale of Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his nightmarish journey up the Congo River to meet a reputable European trader, Kurtz. As the life of the great Kurtz comes to a close, theRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1250 Words   |  5 Pages Written in 1902, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness follows the character Marlow in his journey up the Congo River to find the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory trader. In the story, Conrad explores the issues of colonialism and imperialism. The Company has enslaved native Congolese to help them mine for ivory and rubber in the area. The Congolese experience brutal working conditions as the company profits off their free labor. Racism is evident throughout the story with Marlow calling the blacks â€Å"savages†Read MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Da rkness1080 Words   |  5 Pages1 Kathrine Carrasquillo Dr. David Mulry Engl 2112 Feb 13, 2017 Who is Mr. Kurtz, and what does Conrad use him for? Mr. Kurtz is the main character in Joseph Conrad s English novella, Heart of Darkness. There is no proof that Mr. Kurtz is based on a real person, so it is assumed that he is a made up character. When Mr. Kurtz is first introduced the audience learns that he is a Belgian ivory trader and he was sent to Africa by his employer for work. At first glance, Mr. Kurtz just represents a normalRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness 2026 Words   |  9 Pages Ryan Li 7/22/17 AP Lit/Comp Summer Reading Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is written by Joseph Conrad and published in 1899. It is a novella written in the early modernism literary period. Joseph Conrad was born as Jà ³zef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski on December three 1857 in Berdichev, Ukraine to Polish parents. He was raised and educated in Poland. After his career is the seafarer in the French and British merchant Marines, he wrote short stories which he used his experiences

Mental Health Concerns in an Old Adult

Question: Write an essay on "Mental health concerns in an old adult". Answer: Introduction Cognitive abilities are the skills we use to do our daily tasks, be it simple or complex. With age this ability deteriorates. Cognitive changes or impairment was once considered an inevitable part of aging. But in severe conditions it can lead to an abnormal state, dementia. There is evidence that cognitive impairment is associated with poor social and work outcomes, and an early treatment has potential to change functional outcomes of illness. Older adults are always at a risk of cognitive changes which demands a prompt action so that their quality of life can be made better (Tatari et al, 2011). About 20.5 percent old adults experience mental health concerns but only two of three get proper treatment. Dementia is the most common such condition and about 5 million old adults (65 and older) suffer from Alzheimer. Nevertheless many other symptoms like depression and anxiety go unnoticed in old patients. The older adult, whose age is 65+ suffers from fatigue and has lost interest in recreational activities. He is mostly sad and in depressive mood, sleeping pattern has also changed. He is confused and has a big time trouble taking decisions. Further he suffers from memory loss or short term memory. These are some of the warning signs which were brought into notice to the healthcare providers by his family. Fortunately there is a test which screens and assesses the mental state of an old adult who reflect any mental health concerns which is called MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination). The old adult has a strong educational background hence this test can be easily performed on him. It consists of 11 questions measure test in which the maximum point is 30. There are some advantages as well as disadvantages of the test. It doesnt require any specialized training or equipment and can be performed very easily as it takes just 10 minutes to examine the patient. It is the most reliable and wi dely used test to rule out mental diseases in older adults. The disadvantage is that this test is considerably affected by the factors like age, education, culture. In severe dementia cases recording changes becomes difficult (Lancu Olmar, 2006). The old adult is hence brought to continue with the test and accordingly consider the goal of treatment for him. This test evaluates five cognitive functional areas: Orientation, Registration, Attention and Calculation, Recall, Language. The procedure to conduct Mini Mental State Examination to assess the five areas on him is as follows: Orientation (score-10): This area of the test assesses the memory of the old adult. Ask the older adult about the date, day, month, year followed by the season. For each correct answer award one point. Then ask him about the country, state, or anything related to the place and give him one point each for the correct answer Registration (score-3): Call name of any three objects slowly. Tell the patient to repeat object names one by one. Give the score depending on the names recalled. Suppose the patient doesnt name all the objects correctly then continue saying the object names until the patient gets it right. Make a note of how many trials patient took to recall the names. Attention and Calculation (score-5): Starting with 100, tell patient to count backward by seven. After patient answers five tell him to stop. Give points depending on the correct answers. Alternatively, the older adult can be asked to spell world backward. Score again depends on the letters spelled correctly (e.g., 5 points for dlrow, 3 points for dlorw). Recall (score-3): Ask patient to recollect the names of the three objects stated above. Note down the scores. Language (9 points): For this show the old adult a pencil and a wrist watch and ask him what he sees. Award one point each for correct naming. After that, give patient just one chance and tell him to repeat this sentence (No ifs, ands, or buts.). Points are given. Give a command in three stages to the patient. In your hand take a paper, fold it, and keep it on the floor. For every command understood correctly give one point each. Write on a paper, Close your eyes. Big enough letters should be there. Ask patient to do what the paper says. Give the score if he does close his eyes. Tell patient to write a sentence on a paper. The sentence must be written promptly and shouldnt be senseless. Grammatical mistakes or incorrect punctuation is negligible. Ask the patient to copy this figure as it is: Interpretation: As a result of the five areas test, the older adult shows cognitive impairment which means according to MMSE data the patient has mental illness. He shows traces of confusion, indecisive patterns. He is not able to think properly and cant pay attention. At the same time older adult shows considerable low memory symptoms and recalling issues. In general, according to MMSE score, 24 or any score greater than that is considered as normal cognition, 9 score or less than that is considered severe, 10 to 18 points is moderate and 19 to 23 is mild cognitive impairment. As per the score, this patient may have some degree of dementia along with other mental diseases as well. Diagnosis of this cognitive impairment in a person indicates significance of the treatment that he should undergo and especially in these severe cases an early intervention is important (Brooker, 2004). This mental illness care treatment highlights three main perspectives i.e., management of challenging behaviors, mainten ance of cognitive functions and reduced emotional disorders. Each and every area has potential to improve the quality of life which in turn also affects those providing care (The royal college of psychiatrists, 2007). The older adult, along with the diagnosed mental illness, also has a history of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and bipolar disease. He experience obsessive thoughts which are often sadistic, creates anxiety and uneasiness. For this to counter he gets into compulsive behavior. He may have at times depressive mood and sometimes may feel super energetic. The older adult who demonstrated cognitive impairment from the MMSE data may have delirium as well which is also known as an acute state of confusion and frequently occurs in people with dementia (Gagliardi, 2008). It causes emotional breakdown at times and the patient may have poor memory, trouble sleeping, difficulty recalling or uttering words and severe disorientation. Further the diagnosis depends on symptoms observation e.g., Onset: Delirium starts showing in a short time while dementia begins with small symptoms which slowly worsens. Attention: Being non-attentive in delirium is quite significant while a person with dementia is generally alert during the first stages. Fluctuation: Symptoms of delirium fluctuate throughout the day whereas in dementia thinking skills and memory remains constant throughout the day. MMSE results for patients with delirium are different. It very soon accompanies acute mental illness in the older adult. The decrease of two or more points in MMSE determined the development of delirium (Nayeem et al, 2005). The older adult having delirium may undergo examinations to assess their mental thinking ability, attention etc., which can be done with screening or tests as mentioned above. There can be tests related to neurology (e.g., vision, coordination, balance and many reflexes check) as well as physical exams (urine or blood tests). Many other physical conditions such as pneumonia, asthma can interfere with normal brain functioning. Medications like blood pressure medicines and abusive drugs can further worsen the cognitive abilities. The older adult who is suffering from mental illness according to MMSE data may score low grades because of the delirium condition since low vision may impact the complex commands given. Similarly poor coordination and reflexes can get low scoring in registration, attention and calculation areas of test. The very first goal of treatment in delirium and mental illness is to identify, control or reverse any symptom. The treatment basically depends on the reason causing delirium after which the focus is solely on providing the best environment for the patient to benefit physically and mentally. Stopping unnecessary medication to end confusion can improve cognitive function (The New York times, 2016). Also, patient should be taught to stay away from substances which can worsen confusion e.g., alcohol, drugs, narcotics (such as morphine, codeine), central nervous system depressants. The patients treatment includes component like support therapy and medicinal management. Fluid and nutrients intake should be taken care of as the patient might not be able to maintain a balance. Such older adults if diagnosed at an early stage for any sort of mental illness or chronic disease, they can be benefited with the course of treatment and their quality of life can be made far better. Conclusion Older adults after a certain age are at a risk of developing many physical and mental problems which can affect their cognitive abilities. Many factors like psychological, biological decide the level of mental health of a person. Dementia affects a persons ability of memory and thinking capacity. It states a confused state of a person. According to WHO, around 47.5 million people are affected with dementia worldwide. Early diagnosis is very crucial to set goals of treatment. Both medicinal and psychological intervention is influential to counter this mental health. MMSE test consists of 30 points questions. It is an effective tool to rule out dementia, Alzheimers disease in a patient. It assesses five areas i.e., orientation, registration, attention, and calculation, recall, language. The older adult diagnosed with dementia can have some traces of delirium as well and differentiating them becomes sometimes difficult and necessary. The old adult having mental illness as per the MMSE d ata may have delirium because this state may demonstrate many physical weaknesses adding to low score in the test. Providing social care in long run to the old adults should be a priority and also to provide them mental health education at the same time. References: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician (1975). Journal of psychiatric research, 12(3), 189-198. Brooker, D. (2004). What is person-centered care in dementia?. Reviews in clinical gerontology, (13), 215-22. Gagliardi, J. (2008). Differentiate among delirium and dementia in elderly patients. Journal of ethics, 10(6), 383-388. Lancu, I., Olmar, A. (2006). The mini mental state examination. Harefuah, 145(9), 687-90. Nayeem, K. et al. (2005). Use of serial Mini-Mental State Examinations to diagnose and monitor delirium in elderly hospital patients.J Am Geriatr, (53), 86770. Tatari. et al. (2011). Mini mental state examination in first episode of psychosis. Journal of psychiatry, 6(4), 158-160. The royal college of psychiatrists. (2007). The nice-scie guideline on supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care. The British psychological society, UK.