Salem Witch Trials (US HISTORY) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Salem Witch Trials (US HISTORY) - Research Paper Example 17th century North America was characterized by beliefs in supernatural powers. People believed that supernatural beings played a role in everyday life. There was also strong believes that Satan was active on earth. The concept of supernatural beings emerged from Europe and quickly spread to North America during the period of colonization. It was believed that peasants practiced witchcraft by invoking charms for agriculture and farming. The principles of white magic moved to dark magic. This was associated with evil spirits and demons. Witchcraft persecutions became a common event in Massachusetts because people associated witchcraft with the devil. Most women and men in Salem believed that the misfortunes experienced in the society were related to the work of Satan and his agents on earth (Fradin and Dennis 51). The agents were believed to be witches and were accused of overseeing occurrences such as the death of an infant, crop failure and disasters. King James II placed Sir Edmund Andros as the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony after the Royal Charter was vacated in 1684. In 1689, the new governor was overthrown following a revolution called the Glorious Revolution. The revolution ousted King James II and replaced him with a protestant ruler. The new ruler lacked the constitutional power or authority to rule. After the king was overthrown, disputes emerged between the colonial settlers in North America. The tensions led to a war in which a number of English settlers were repeatedly attacked (Goss 18). The war forced the settlers to leave their settlements and seek refuge in Essex County. Later, a charter for a bigger Province in Massachusetts was given. In the absence of a valid charter to rule the colony, the colonialists and their administrators did not have a legitimate government that could handle capital cases. Massachusetts had a village called Salem Village that was known for internal disputes. The

Crime And Punishment - Style Essay -- essays research papers fc

Chose a character who might-- on the basis of the character’s actions alone-- be considered evil or immoral. Explain both how and why the presentation of the character makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the character of Raskolnikov is one who may be considered evil or immoral for his actions, however his portrayal by the author is one that instills sympathy in the reader for the character due to his motives and personal, internal consequences he suffers for his crime of murder. There is considerable evidence supporting the view that Raskolnikov wants his theory surrounding the murder to be proven wrong, to get caught, and to be punished. This tells the reader that deep down, Raskolnikov knows in his heart what is wrong and right, and that he wants to be brought back down off his pedestal and enter back in to normal human society. Raskolnikov’s theory of the "superman" who is above all societal constraints and able to stamp out the weak and detrimental people in society for the common good, is one that is obviously skewed. This prompts Raskolnikov to doubt his reasoning for and consequent execution of the crime. He knows that his theory is wrong, but he has been created by the society in which he lives, which allows him to conjure up wild fantasies and delusions of grandeur. The sympathy Dostoyevsky enforces upon the reader for Raskolnikov is held by the overwhelming signs pointing towards the notion that he knows that he is wrong in his doings. The first indication of Raskolnikov’s need for punishment for his crime appears in his preparation for the crime itself. It is by no means meticulous. To be sure no one will suspect him, he rehearses the crime, counts the steps to Alyona’s house, and even devises a noose to carry his axe. Yet as incredible as it may seem, he makes only the most elementary plans for securing the axe and returning it unseen. Everything rests upon Natasya’s absence from the kitchen at the precise moment he needs it. Obviously, Raskolnikov is attempting to set himself for failure in this crime so that he may be caught and brought back down and in to society again. The reader may also feel sympathy because Raskolnikov is looking for a way out of his destitute condition. And while his methods are not those of a normal person, the intention prevail... ...p;quot;louse" can affect him so severely, there must be more to life and the human condition than a neatly thought-out theory. He does not know what it is, but intuitively feels that by suffering punishment he may discover it. All his inner conflict surrounding the crime and its consequences, as well as the way he treats himself in order to return to society, instill sympathy in the reader for him. The society that created Raskolnikov and his mental condition ironically is the same one that he longs to once again be a part of, and one able to forgive and sympathize with a creature born out of its own flaws. Dostoyevsky instills sympathy for his character through blame on society. He does not hope to condone his character’s actions, only to shift responsibility for Raskolnikov’s mental state on the society that for so long put him down and allowed theories and ideas of getting out of destitution to run rampant in his mind. The irony comes when that same society accepts and understands his cause for wanting to again be normal and function as an effective person. Works Cited Dostoyevsky, Fydor. Crime and Punishment. Wordsworth Editions Limited. Ware, Hertfordshire. 1993.

Fear of Heights

Many individuals suffer from a phobia or a natural fear of something or a current situation that they may have been in or are in currently. One of the most common phobias is having a fear of heights, also called Acrophobia. Acrophobia is often mislabeled as vertigo. Researchers have said that â€Å"those with an extreme fear of heights, that the stronger their fear is, the bigger the error could be (Callaway, 2009). The fear of heights in different learning perspectivesSomeone that is truly associated with acrophobia can go into panic mode when having to face that fear, normally right away their first thought is to grab ahold of something to help them feel more secure, but then there are others that will start shaking, sweating, holler, panic, or even break down and cry. When the individual that has this phobia starts to show all those signs that is their unconditioned responses starting to show. (Fritscher. 2011) The system that helps alert us is the unconditioned stimulus.  (Rud en, 2012)At times their unconditioned stimulus will kick in to say and make them panic to the extreme levels of them crawling around on all fours or even as so much lay in a fetal position (Fritscher, 2011). Although every person handles their phobia in a different manner, most still find it difficult to trust in their own sense of balance and when this occurs, they can’t think properly because they are trying to deal with the fear of heights. (Fritscher, 2011). An example could be that someone went on vacation, they went to New York with their family.Anyone that goes to New York more than likely knows about the many skyscrapers, one being The Empire State building. That building in particular has 102 floors and has about 1, 860 steps from top to bottom and stands tall at 1, 454 feet (www. esbnyc. com). Now, most that have acrophobia, their unconditioned responses kick in, they start thinking the worse possible thoughts. If they are using the elevator to reach the different l evels building, then you will start to see the signs of an unconditioned response kick in.They will shake, sweat, hard to calm down and will have the fear of not being able to hold onto things. If they are using the steps to reach the different levels, that individual could very well start thinking if the possibility of a fire occurring. Not knowing what level the fire could possibly be on, they start to panic and stop thinking clearly and if they are giving directions over a loud speaker, their fear is going to already be showing and they may not be listening very well to hear the instructions that are given.When we start thinking along the lines of conditioned responses, we could use visiting a skyscraper as an example as well. We can use an individual’s response when they do start to panic, sweat, crawl on all fours or even be in the fetal position. We can associate the conditioned stimulus to their fear of heights and know when they show those symptoms that is their condi tioned response to facing their fear (McLeod, 2008).Certain situations may become helpful and if the individual trust you enough to help them, allowing them to face their fears can be beneficial, but if the individual starts to panic moving he or she to a safe location will allow them to relax and regain their thoughts (Ruden, 2012) When individuals have the fear of heights, it is critical for them to seek some sort of therapy to help treat the anxiety that comes along with phoebe (Ruden, 2012) When trying to find treatment for acrophobia, he or she will find that it is normal to go through a behavioral program.The program with help to slowly expose an individual to different situations such as taking them to heights, allowing the person to express their fears and concerns all the while of teaching that individual relaxation tips that will help them remain in a calm state and be able to help themselves to overcome the fear that they have (Bailey, 2008).

Illegal Drugs And The Affects Of Drugs - 1564 Words

The purpose of the essay is to explain what is illegal drugs and the affects of drugs and evaluate attempts to control it. Any chemical you take that can affect the way your body works is all can be called drugs. For example, caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. It must be able to pass from your body into your brain. Once the drugs are inside your brain, it can change the messages your brain cells are sending to each other, and to the rest of your body. By doing this, they interfering with your brain’s own chemical signals: neurotransmitters that transfer signal across to synapses. Illegal drugs include prescription drugs that have been dangerously modified and substances that are banned by law. Ecstasy, cannabis, heroin, and methamphetamine (meth) are illegal recreational drugs. Using them can cause many health problems. Heroin and methamphetamine are very addictive. Like ecstasy, they can damage the circulatory system and heart. Cannabis smoke contains chemicals tha t cause mental illness in some people and also it can cause visual hallucination. Methamphetamine (meth) is a type of drug and it will make people addictive. Taking meth can cause long term and short term health problems. When taken crystal meth, the meth will create a false sense of well –being and energy. So the drug abuser will tend to push their body faster and further than it is meant to go. Thus, the drug abuse can experience a severe â€Å"crash† or physical and mental breakdown after the effects ofShow MoreRelatedDrugs Essay755 Words   |  4 PagesDrugs may be used in many ways. There are good types of drugs and very harmful, illegal types of drugs. Too many, of any type of drug, are bad for you, but, illegal drugs can cause the worst type of damage to the human body. Drugs can affect your mental and physical health. Accordingly, drugs which are psychoactive, such as cannabis, alcohol, ecstasy and heroin have the ability to affect your mood. 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