MEDICAL IRONY
1 Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a tale of the gullibility that can come to us all with age in "Dr. Heideggers Experiment." [Titles] In this work, there are many principles of irony used to illustrate the seemingly endless aspects of reality that people are somehow able to overlook in an effort to overcome the effects of advanced age. The irony can also be seen as a demonstration of the way that certain areas of the medical community have always seen societies [society's] vanity problems as an opportunity to experiment and sell products, rather than as a psychological problem. [No statement of theme in the thesis?]
2 The first, and possibly most interesting bit of irony, is the characters themselves. All of the subjects in the experiment had led less than noble lives, and consequently, they all were unsatisfied at how they had ended up in their old age. Instead of being grateful for living long full lives, they were bitter, and wanted their youth back. While most elderly people of their era were remembering the past, this group just lived bitterly. [Evidence?] Even Dr. Hedegger seemed to value what his life had been, and almost delighted in the suffering of the others. [Evidence?] Instead of letting themselves learn from life, they just continued on as they always had, and even after the “magical” water was proven not to work, [Evidence?] they resolved to live at its source, and drink it all of the time.
3 It is ironic that in the s...
However, in 1425, the French were able to stop a siege on Mont St. Michael, as hope for winning the war and gossip among the town grew once more. A few months later, Joan began to hear a voice call her from her father’s garden, which she later claimed to be the voice of France’s patron saint, St. Michael. Her voices or revelations become more specific and urgent as more and more towns were conquered by the Burgundians and the English, while Joan become more distant and absent to her family friends to talk with her voices, and soon, it became apparent to Joan that God has given her a mission to save the exiled prince and France, although, with low-confidence with her peasant stature, her voices gave her the confidence and help to pursue the mission. Her father, oblivious to Joan’s revelations, dreams that she’ll join the army, which meant that she’ll be a camp follower, and so, he demanded her brothers to drown her if she did or he’ll do it himself as he and her mother kept a closer eye on her. Despite her parent’s worry and fear, Joan persisted in completing her mission as she made preparations to visit her her first cousin near Vaucouleurs in December to take care of the baby when in actuality, Joan was planning to go to Vaucouleurs, a town loyal to the French, to get help
An ontological view of illness views disease as an entity that is separate from the observed symptoms and is also responsible the development of them (Lecture Four, [DATE NEEDED]). For Galen, this identification of disease as an entity still fits within the structure of humoralism as the main fundamentals, such as the theories of the four elements and four humors, remained. Additionally, his advanced thinking about illness, which allowed for a much more substantial perspective of diagnosis by identifying the causes of such diseases, did not impact his conviction that prognosis and diagnosis for treatment were most critical than a diagnosis for physiology. Galen’s view of humoralism remained in its foundation and practice very similar to the Hippocratics’ version of humoralism, while his great comprehension and command of anatomy shaped physicians focus to an early understanding of the ontological
Heidegger’s Experiment,” Hawthorne regards scientists as individuals who show a remarkable interest in human behavioral patterns. For example, Dr. Heidegger proclaims, “I am desirous of your assistance in one of those little experiments with which I amuse myself here in my study” (160). Since this experiment is being conducted for his amusement, Heidegger is clearly interested in its results. Generally, the doctor wishes to know whether individuals change when given a second chance. He gives the four subjects water from the fountain of youth to see if their behavior changes given a second chance at juvenescence. However, they commit the same imprudent mistakes that they had in their youth. This confirms Heidegger’s notion that people do not change, and Hawthorne is able to depict scientists’ interest in the human mind. The mysterious doctor also states, “Think what a sin and shame it would be, if, with your peculiar advantages, you should not become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age” (“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” 162). Heidegger’s statements to the four subjects reveal his intentions and the overall nature of the experiment. The doctor is concerned with the behavior and recklessness of youth rather than the medicinal properties found in the water of youth. Essentially, the four subjects are being given an opportunity to return to their youth. They must not make the foolish mistakes that they each made earlier in their lives. Instead, the individuals should become sources of wisdom for younger generations. Hawthorne’s portrayal of Heidegger and his interest in the behaviors of his subjects demonstrates scientists’ love for experimentation. Hawthorne regards scientists as individuals who will carry out experiments to better understand human behavior. He clearly portrays this through Heidegger’s experiment in which the subjects’ behavior is analyzed to determine whether humans will change given a second
A look at Joan of Arc’s early life and visions is essential to understanding her early life as a repressed female and unlikely mystic. Author Mary Gordon, in her examination of Joan, writes about an event that took place long before Joan’s visions ...
Psychology is, at its simplest, easily defined as the scientific study of the human mind, behavior, and experience. When reading The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales, one cannot help but see the stories presented by Dr. Oliver Sacks, a clinical neurologist, are just as much psychological in nature as they are neurological. Sacks claims to be “equally interested in diseases and people” (p. vii) and seeks to share with the reader the “suffering, afflicted, fighting human subject” (p. viii). It is this identification with the person behind the disease that makes Sacks’ book meaningful from a psychological point of view. One could say Sacks is a physiological psychologist, concerned as he is with how the person, or mind,
The fifteenth century was a gruesome era in world history. Church and state were not separated which caused many problems because the Church officials were often corrupt. The story of Joan of Arc, portrayed by George Bernard Shaw, impeccably reflects the Church of the 1400’s. Joan, a French native, fought for her country and won many battles against England. But Joan’s imminent demise came knocking at her door when she was captured by the English. She was charged with heresy because the armor she wore was deemed for men only but she justified her actions by stating that God told her to do it. Today, Joan of Arc would be diagnosed schizophrenic because of the voices in her head but she would still be respected for serving in the military. But in the fifteenth century, she was labeled as nothing more than a deviant. She was tried and the Inquisitor characterized her as a beast that will harm society. Through his sophistic reasoning, loaded diction, and appeals to pathos and ethos, the Inquisitor coaxed the court into believing Joan was a threat to society and she had to pay the ultimate price.
The Aleut people is the native people of the Aleutian Islands in the western part of Alaska. The earliest people in this region, the Paleo-Aleuts, arrived in the Aleutian islands from the the Alaskan mainland about 2000 BC (Encyclopedia Britannica). Traditional Aleut medicine was quite comprehensive. They had a vast knowledge of how the human body work. In this essay we will explore the history of the traditional Aleut medicine and the many methods they used.
Joan didn’t act on her visions until many years later. Joan was sixteen when she finally gained the courage to report what she had seen. Joan knew that her father would never believe her story, so she convinced her uncle to take her to the local authorities to give her the chance to explain her plan. Here she reported her visions to Sir Robert de Baudricourt, the head of the local court, in Vaucouleurs. He granted her an escort to see Charles VII so she could report her visions to the royal court. To the uncrowned king, she revealed the secrets of her visions and convinced him that she was working God’s plan. The king put her through many tests to prove the orthodoxy of her religion. The head priest found Joan to be blameless and Charles VII granted her a place in the French army (DISCovering
I think that one of the themes found in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment is that if a person is given a second chance at life, it is impossible for a person to change their behavior. Each of the characters all had chosen a lifestyle in their youths which each led a life of prosperity, but to loose their success and respect because of their behavior. The four friends had a life without pleasant memories to recall. They had gotten a second chance to relive life, they returned to their original faults. “Inflamed to madness by the coquetry of the girl-widow, who neither granted nor quite withheld her favors, the three rivals began to interchange threatening glances.” Once back to their youthful selves, the good doctor sees that their morals are still the same as before. Mr. Medbourne is still greedy. Colonel Killigrew still wants to seek the sinful pleasures he once had. Mr. Gascoigne is still lying about politics. The Widow Wycherly is still very vain and conceited. All of them laugh at the doctor since he is still old. They mock the sick, elderly, and disabled of which they had just been so themselves.
Joan was born into the hundred year war, but her father didn’t fight in the war. He was a farmer with his wife and daughter and was very church oriented. This gives insight as to who her father was. This background formed Joan of Arc’s life. For example, reading and writing was not allowed for the women, but Joan didn’t listen. She learned anyways. “She was born to a tenant farmer Jacques d’Arc” (“Joan of Arc”). Joan of Arc was the only female to read and write, and she was teaching others girls to also read and write. She was a Catholic church girl who didn't go to school. She then learned to read from her father’s books, and he taught her to write. Her father was a farmer and her mother, Isabelle Romee, wasn't really known in Joan’s life's story, but she was still present in Joan’s life she also taught her to be pious.Joan of Arc’s
Jeanne d’Arc, known as Joan of Arc, was born in 1412 to a poor peasant family in France. France and England were in the midst of the Hundred Year War and the English were winning. France was destined to lose until a 17 year old peasant, Joan of Arc, led them to a near impossible victory. She was the person to tip the scales in favor of France and is seen as a highly heroic person. Joan was also a highly religious individual who heard voices at a young age from God and had impressive persuasion skills. When she was 16, with the leadership of God, she knew she was supposed to lead France so she ran away and became a famous historical and religious figure for what she did. Joan of Arc was an important historical and religious figure from the Hundred Year War because she was able to lead the losing side to triumph without any military training, a true sign to be blessed by God.
This essay will analyze Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” in order to demonstrate that it is a “psychological” short story both in its themes and in its emphasis on the moral-psychological aspect of the main characters.
Joan of Arc was considered a martyr, saint, and a military leader. She was born in 1412 in the city of Domremy, France. She was born to farmers and lacked many material things. She was by all accounts a very hard working girl and attended church often. She began hearing voices from God at an early age. These voices told her that her destiny would be to save France. I would like to show in this review the many aspects of Joan’s life from her birth, her battle against the English at Orleans, and finally her death by the English Church. Her personal strength led her to leave her family, fight as soldier, die a horrible death, and finally become the patron saint of France.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s narrative mode of expression has long been made distinct through his involvement apropos of Dark Romanticism and his inventive implementation of profoundly moralistic and partially pessimistic psychological observations regarding human behaviour; therefore it should be unsurprising that, in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” Hawthorne chose to explore the significance of assuming responsibility for one’s self. “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” primarily surrounds an enigmatic, aged doctor congregating four of his decrepit friends to determine whether, when permitted a second chance atjuvenescence, his guests would repeat their mistakes. And they did.Relinquishing responsibility of their thoughts, words, and actions in response to temptations is wont of the unapologetic Colonel
There is a sudden hush throughout the audience, followed by a rush of low whispering. He walks past them, oblivious to the goings-on and proceeds to the front. Something has changed, and everyone is aware. It is painfully obvious that he wanted everyone to know, for the wounds of the change were self-inflicted Putting the scenario this way helps to give an anonymous and general view to the former example. This method is used to show how realistic, even common, this somewhat absurd event may actually be. In a psychological analysis, this is a necessary element in both de-personalizing a situation and giving it potential for universal application. In Hawthorneâs "The Ministerâs Black Veil," many interpretations by way of psychological analysis are possible, and, once exposed, quite apparent. Once revealed, there are many routes for understanding the story in a psychoanalytical context. The main approaches this essay will take involve a "Jungian" analysis, that is, one involving the use of some of the theories and conclusions of German psychoanalyst and pioneer, Carl Gustav Jung, a former student and friend of Sigmund Freud, in interpreting the actions of the characters in the story. Jungâs discord with Freud came when he realized that Freudâs theories involved too many concrete "solutions" to ambiguous problems. Jung began to assert the importance of myth, including findings that myths from around the world seemed to have certain common elements although completely isolated and uninfluenced by one another. Seeing that these similarities were in large number Jung began to apply them to his theories.