Best Analysis The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Best Analysis The American Dream in The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but it's most commonly understood as a pessimistic critique of the American Dream. In the novel, Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an incredible amount of money and a limited amount of social cache in 1920s NYC, only to be rejected by the "old money" crowd. He then gets killed after being tangled up with them. Through Gatsby's life, as well as that of the Wilsons', Fitzgerald critiques the idea that America is a meritocracy where anyone can rise to the top with enough hard work. We will explore how this theme plays out in the plot, briefly analyze some key quotes about it, as well as do some character analysis and broader analysis of topics surrounding the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. Roadmap What is the American Dream?The American Dream in the Great Gatsby plotKey American Dream quotesAnalyzing characters via the American DreamCommon discussion and essay topics Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. What Exactly Is "The American Dream"? The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (read: rich) if they just work hard enough. The American Dream thus presents a pretty rosy view of American society that ignores problems like systemic racism and misogyny, xenophobia, tax evasion or state tax avoidance, and income inequality. It also presumes a myth of class equality, when the reality is America has a pretty well-developed class hierarchy. The 1920s in particular was a pretty tumultuous time due to increased immigration (and the accompanying xenophobia), changing women's roles (spurred by the right to vote, which was won in 1919), and extraordinary income inequality. The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could "strike it rich" on Wall Street. However, this rapid economic growth was built on a bubble which popped in 1929. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, well before the crash, but through its wry descriptions of the ultra-wealthy, it seems to somehow predict that the fantastic wealth on display in 1920s New York was just as ephemeral as one of Gatsby's parties. In any case, the novel, just by being set in the 1920s, is unlikely to present an optimistic view of the American Dream, or at least a version of the dream that's inclusive to all genders, ethnicities, and incomes. With that background in mind, let's jump into the plot! The American Dream in The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 places us in a particular year- 1922- and gives us some background about WWI. This is relevant, since the 1920s is presented as a time of hollow decadence among the wealthy, as evidenced especially by the parties in Chapters 2 and 3. And as we mentioned above, the 1920s were a particularly tense time in America. We also meet George and Myrtle Wilson in Chapter 2, both working class people who are working to improve their lot in life, George through his work, and Myrtle through her affair with Tom Buchanan. We learn about Gatsby's goal in Chapter 4: to win Daisy back. Despite everything he owns, including fantastic amounts of money and an over-the-top mansion, for Gatsby, Daisy is the ultimate status symbol. So in Chapter 5, when Daisy and Gatsby reunite and begin an affair, it seems like Gatsby could, in fact, achieve his goal. In Chapter 6, we learn about Gatsby's less-than-wealthy past, which not only makes him look like the star of a rags-to-riches story, it makes Gatsby himself seem like someone in pursuit of the American Dream, and for him the personification of that dream is Daisy. However, in Chapters 7 and 8, everything comes crashing down: Daisy refuses to leave Tom, Myrtle is killed, and George breaks down and kills Gatsby and then himself, leaving all of the "strivers" dead and the old money crowd safe. Furthermore, we learn in those last chapters that Gatsby didn't even achieve all his wealth through hard work, like the American Dream would stipulate- instead, he earned his money through crime. (He did work hard and honestly under Dan Cody, but lost Dan Cody's inheritance to his ex-wife.) In short, things do not turn out well for our dreamers in the novel! Thus, the novel ends with Nick's sad meditation on the lost promise of the American Dream. You can read a detailed analysis of these last lines in our summary of the novel's ending. This novel is just one very large burst bubble. Key American Dream Quotes In this section we analyze some of the most important quotes that relate to the American Dream in the book. But I didn't call to him for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alonehe stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seawardand distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. (1.152) In our first glimpse of Jay Gatsby, we see him reaching towards something far off, something in sight but definitely out of reach. This famous image of the green light is often understood as part of The Great Gatsby's meditation on The American Dream- the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach. You can read more about this in our post all about the green light. The fact that this yearning image is our introduction to Gatsby foreshadows his unhappy end and also marks him as a dreamer, rather than people like Tom or Daisy who were born with money and don't need to strive for anything so far off. Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world. A dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms, followed by two carriages with drawn blinds and by more cheerful carriages for friends. The friends looked out at us with the tragic eyes and short upper lips of south-eastern Europe, and I was glad that the sight of Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday. As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry. "Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge," I thought; "anything at all. . . ." Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder. (4.55-8) Early in the novel, we get this mostly optimistic illustration of the American Dream- we see people of different races and nationalities racing towards NYC, a city of unfathomable possibility. This moment has all the classic elements of the American Dream- economic possibility, racial and religious diversity, a carefree attitude. At this moment, it does feel like "anything can happen," even a happy ending. However, this rosy view eventually gets undermined by the tragic events later in the novel. And even at this point, Nick's condescension towards the people in the other cars reinforces America's racial hierarchy that disrupts the idea of the American Dream. There is even a little competition at play, a "haughty rivalry" at play between Gatsby's car and the one bearing the "modish Negroes." Nick "laughs aloud" at this moment, suggesting he thinks it's amusing that the passengers in this other car see them as equals, or even rivals to be bested. In other words, he seems to firmly believe in the racial hierarchy Tom defends in Chapter 1, even if it doesn't admit it honestly. His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. (6.134) This moment explicitly ties Daisy to all of Gatsby's larger dreams for a better life- to his American Dream. This sets the stage for the novel's tragic ending, since Daisy cannot hold up under the weight of the dream Gatsby projects onto her. Instead, she stays with Tom Buchanan, despite her feelings for Gatsby. Thus when Gatsby fails to win over Daisy, he also fails to achieve his version of the American Dream. This is why so many people read the novel as a somber or pessimistic take on the American Dream, rather than an optimistic one. ...as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyesa fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder. And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." (9.151-152) The closing pages of the novel reflect at length on the American Dream, in an attitude that seems simultaneously mournful, appreciative, and pessimistic. It also ties back to our first glimpse of Gatsby, reaching out over the water towards the Buchanan's green light. Nick notes that Gatsby's dream was "already behind him" then (or in other words, it was impossible to attain). But still, he finds something to admire in how Gatsby still hoped for a better life, and constantly reached out toward that brighter future. For a full consideration of these last lines and what they could mean, see our analysis of the novel's ending. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Analyzing Characters Through the American Dream An analysis of the characters in terms of the American Dream usually leads to a pretty cynical take on the American Dream. Most character analysis centered on the American Dream will necessarily focus on Gatsby, George, or Myrtle (the true strivers in the novel), though as we'll discuss below, the Buchanans can also provide some interesting layers of discussion. For character analysis that incorporates the American Dream, carefully consider your chosen character's motivations and desires, and how the novel does (or doesn't!) provide glimpses of the dream's fulfillment for them. Gatsby Gatsby himself is obviously the best candidate for writing about the American Dream- he comes from humble roots (he's the son of poor farmers from North Dakota) and rises to be notoriously wealthy, only for everything to slip away from him in the end. Many people also incorporate Daisy into their analyses as the physical representation of Gatsby's dream. However, definitely consider the fact that in the traditional American Dream, people achieve their goals through honest hard work, but in Gatsby's case, he very quickly acquires a large amount of money through crime. Gatsby does attempt the hard work approach, through his years of service to Dan Cody, but that doesn't work out since Cody's ex-wife ends up with the entire inheritance. So instead he turns to crime, and only then does he manage to achieve his desired wealth. So while Gatsby's story arc resembles a traditional rags-to-riches tale, the fact that he gained his money immorally complicates the idea that he is a perfect avatar for the American Dream. Furthermore, his success obviously doesn't last- he still pines for Daisy and loses everything in his attempt to get her back. In other words, Gatsby's huge dreams, all precariously wedded to Daisy ("He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God" (6.134)) are as flimsy and flight as Daisy herself. George and Myrtle Wilson This couple also represents people aiming at the dream- George owns his own shop and is doing his best to get business, though is increasingly worn down by the harsh demands of his life, while Myrtle chases after wealth and status through an affair with Tom. Both are disempowered due to the lack of money at their own disposal- Myrtle certainly has access to some of the "finer things" through Tom but has to deal with his abuse, while George is unable to leave his current life and move West since he doesn't have the funds available. He even has to make himself servile to Tom in an attempt to get Tom to sell his car, a fact that could even cause him to overlook the evidence of his wife's affair. So neither character is on the upward trajectory that the American Dream promises, at least during the novel. In the end, everything goes horribly wrong for both George and Myrtle, suggesting that in this world, it's dangerous to strive for more than you're given. George and Myrtle's deadly fates, along with Gatsby's, help illustrate the novel's pessimistic attitude toward the American Dream. After all, how unfair is it that the couple working to improve their position in society (George and Myrtle) both end up dead, while Tom, who dragged Myrtle into an increasingly dangerous situation, and Daisy, who killed her, don't face any consequences? And on top of that they are fabulously wealthy? The American Dream certainly is not alive and well for the poor Wilsons. Tom and Daisy as Antagonists to the American Dream We've talked quite a bit already about Gatsby, George, and Myrtle- the three characters who come from humble roots and try to climb the ranks in 1920s New York. But what about the other major characters, especially the ones born with money? What is their relationship to the American Dream? Specifically, Tom and Daisy have old money, and thus they don't need the American Dream, since they were born with America already at their feet. Perhaps because of this, they seem to directly antagonize the dream- Daisy by refusing Gatsby, and Tom by helping to drag the Wilsons into tragedy. This is especially interesting because unlike Gatsby, Myrtle, and George, who actively hope and dream of a better life, Daisy and Tom are described as bored and "careless," and end up instigating a large amount of tragedy through their own recklessness. In other words, income inequality and the vastly different starts in life the characters have strongly affected their outcomes. The way they choose to live their lives, their morality (or lack thereof), and how much they dream doesn't seem to matter. This, of course, is tragic and antithetical to the idea of the American Dream, which claims that class should be irrelevant and anyone can rise to the top. Daisy as a Personification of the American Dream As we discuss in our post on money and materialism in The Great Gatsby, Daisy's voice is explicitly tied to money by Gatsby: "Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly. That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of moneythat was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . . (7.105-6) If Daisy's voice promises money, and the American Dream is explicitly linked to wealth, it's not hard to argue that Daisy herself- along with the green light at the end of her dock- stands in for the American Dream. In fact, as Nick goes on to describe Daisy as "High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl," he also seems to literally describe Daisy as a prize, much like the princess at the end of a fairy tale (or even Princess Peach at the end of a Mario game!). But Daisy, of course, is only human- flawed, flighty, and ultimately unable to embody the huge fantasy Gatsby projects onto her. So this, in turn, means that the American Dream itself is just a fantasy, a concept too flimsy to actually hold weight, especially in the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world of 1920s America. Furthermore, you should definitely consider the tension between the fact that Daisy represents Gatsby's ultimate goal, but at the same time (as we discussed above), her actual life is the opposite of the American Dream: she is born with money and privilege, likely dies with it all intact, and there are no consequences to how she chooses to live her life in between. Can Female Characters Achieve the American Dream? Finally, it's interesting to compare and contrast some of the female characters using the lens of the American Dream. Let's start with Daisy, who is unhappy in her marriage and, despite a brief attempt to leave it, remains with Tom, unwilling to give up the status and security their marriage provides. At first, it may seem like Daisy doesn't dream at all, so of course she ends up unhappy. But consider the fact that Daisy was already born into the highest level of American society. The expectation placed on her, as a wealthy woman, was never to pursue something greater, but simply to maintain her status. She did that by marrying Tom, and it's understandable why she wouldn't risk the uncertainty and loss of status that would come through divorce and marriage to a bootlegger. Again, Daisy seems to typify the "anti-American" dream, in that she was born into a kind of aristocracy and simply has to maintain her position, not fight for something better. In contrast, Myrtle, aside from Gatsby, seems to be the most ambitiously in pursuit of getting more than she was given in life. She parlays her affair with Tom into an apartment, nice clothes, and parties, and seems to revel in her newfound status. But of course, she is knocked down the hardest, killed for her involvement with the Buchanans, and specifically for wrongfully assuming she had value to them. Considering that Gatsby did have a chance to leave New York and distance himself from the unfolding tragedy, but Myrtle was the first to be killed, you could argue the novel presents an even bleaker view of the American Dream where women are concerned. Even Jordan Baker, who seems to be living out a kind of dream by playing golf and being relatively independent, is tied to her family's money and insulated from consequences by it, making her a pretty poor representation of the dream. And of course, since her end game also seems to be marriage, she doesn't push the boundaries of women's roles as far as she might wish. So while the women all push the boundaries of society's expectations of them in certain ways, they either fall in line or are killed, which definitely undermines the rosy of idea that anyone, regardless of gender, can make it in America. The American Dream as shown in Gatsby becomes even more pessimistic through the lens of the female characters. Focusing the lens on the women is predictably depressing. Common Essay Questions/Discussion Topics Now let's work through some of the more frequently brought up subjects for discussion. #1: Was Gatsby's dream worth it? Was all the work, time, and patience worth it for him? Like me, you might immediately think "of course it wasn't worth it! Gatsby lost everything, not to mention the Wilsons got caught up in the tragedy and ended up dead!" So if you want to make the more obvious "the dream wasn't worth it" argument, you could point to the unraveling that happens at the end of the novel (including the deaths of Myrtle, Gatsby and George) and how all Gatsby's achievements are for nothing, as evidenced by the sparse attendance of his funeral. However, you could definitely take the less obvious route and argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, despite the tragic end. First of all, consider Jay's unique characterization in the story: "He was a son of Goda phrase which, if it means anything, means just thatand he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty" (6.7). In other words, Gatsby has a larger-than-life persona and he never would have been content to remain in North Dakota to be poor farmers like his parents. Even if he ends up living a shorter life, he certainly lived a full one full of adventure. His dreams of wealth and status took him all over the world on Dan Cody's yacht, to Louisville where he met and fell in love with Daisy, to the battlefields of WWI, to the halls of Oxford University, and then to the fast-paced world of Manhattan in the early 1920s, when he earned a fortune as a bootlegger. In fact, it seems Jay lived several lives in the space of just half a normal lifespan. In short, to argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, you should point to his larger-than-life conception of himself and the fact that he could have only sought happiness through striving for something greater than himself, even if that ended up being deadly in the end. #2: In the Langston Hughes poem "A Dream Deferred," Hughes asks questions about what happens to postponed dreams. How does Fitzgerald examine this issue of deferred dreams? What do you think are the effects of postponing our dreams? How can you apply this lesson to your own life? If you're thinking about "deferred dreams" in The Great Gatsby, the big one is obviously Gatsby's deferred dream for Daisy- nearly five years pass between his initial infatuation and his attempt in the novel to win her back, an attempt that obviously backfires. You can examine various aspects of Gatsby's dream- the flashbacks to his first memories of Daisy in Chapter 8, the moment when they reunite in Chapter 5, or the disastrous consequences of the confrontation of Chapter 7- to illustrate Gatsby's deferred dream. You could also look at George Wilson's postponed dream of going West, or Myrtle's dream of marrying a wealthy man of "breeding"- George never gets the funds to go West, and is instead mired in the Valley of Ashes, while Myrtle's attempt to achieve her dream after 12 years of marriage through an affair ends in tragedy. Apparently, dreams deferred are dreams doomed to fail. As Nick Carraway says, "you can't repeat the past"- the novel seems to imply there is a small window for certain dreams, and when the window closes, they can no longer be attained. This is pretty pessimistic, and for the prompt's personal reflection aspect, I wouldn't say you should necessarily "apply this lesson to your own life" straightforwardly. But it is worth noting that certain opportunities are fleeting, and perhaps it's wiser to seek out newer and/or more attainable ones, rather than pining over a lost chance. Any prompt like this one which has a section of more personal reflection gives you freedom to tie in your own experiences and point of view, so be thoughtful and think of good examples from your own life! Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. #3: Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the American Dream. Is the main theme of Gatsby indeed "the withering American Dream"? What does the novel offer about American identity? In this prompt, another one that zeroes in on the dead or dying American Dream, you could discuss how the destruction of three lives (Gatsby, George, Myrtle) and the cynical portrayal of the old money crowd illustrates a dead, or dying American Dream. After all, if the characters who dream end up dead, and the ones who were born into life with money and privilege get to keep it without consequence, is there any room at all for the idea that less-privileged people can work their way up? In terms of what the novel says about American identity, there are a few threads you could pick up- one is Nick's comment in Chapter 9 about the novel really being a story about (mid)westerners trying (and failing) to go East: "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after allTom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (9.125). This observation suggests an American identity that is determined by birthplace, and that within the American identity there are smaller, inescapable points of identification. Furthermore, for those in the novel not born into money, the American identity seems to be about striving to end up with more wealth and status. But in terms of the portrayal of the old money set, particularly Daisy, Tom, and Jordan, the novel presents a segment of American society that is essentially aristocratic- you have to be born into it. In that regard, too, the novel presents a fractured American identity, with different lives possible based on how much money you are born with. In short, I think the novel disrupts the idea of a unified American identity or American dream, by instead presenting a tragic, fractured, and rigid American society, one that is divided based on both geographic location and social class. #4: Most would consider dreams to be positive motivators to achieve success, but the characters in the novel often take their dreams of ideal lives too far. Explain how characters' American Dreams cause them to have pain when they could have been content with more modest ambitions. Gatsby is an obvious choice here- his pursuit of money and status, particularly through Daisy, leads him to ruin. There were many points when perhaps Gatsby ;could have been happy with what he achieved (especially after his apparently successful endeavors in the war, if he had remained at Oxford, or even after amassing a great amount of wealth as a bootlegger) but instead he kept striving upward, which ultimately lead to his downfall. You can flesh this argument out with the quotations in Chapters 6 and 8 about Gatsby's past, along with his tragic death. Myrtle would be another good choice for this type of prompt. In a sense, she seems to be living her ideal life in her affair with Tom- she has a fancy NYC apartment, hosts parties, and gets to act sophisticated- but these pleasures end up gravely hurting George, and of course her association with Tom Buchanan gets her killed. Nick, too, if he had been happy with his family's respectable fortune and his girlfriend out west, might have avoided the pain of knowing Gatsby and the general sense of despair he was left with. You might be wondering about George- after all, isn't he someone also dreaming of a better life? However, there aren't many instances of George taking his dreams of an ideal life "too far." In fact, he struggles just to make one car sale so that he can finally move out West with Myrtle. Also, given that his current situation in the Valley of Ashes is quite bleak, it's hard to say that striving upward gave him pain. #5: The Great Gatsby is, among other things, a sobering and even ominous commentary on the dark side of the American dream. Discuss this theme, incorporating the conflicts of East Egg vs. West Egg and old money vs. new money. What does the American dream mean to Gatsby? What did the American Dream mean to Fitzgerald? How does morality fit into achieving the American dream? This prompt allows you to consider pretty broadly the novel's attitude toward the American Dream, with emphasis on "sobering and even ominous" commentary. Note that Fitzgerald seems to be specifically mocking the stereotypical rags to riches story here- ;especially since he draws the Dan Cody narrative almost note for note from the work of someone like Horatio Alger, whose books were almost universally about rich men schooling young, entrepreneurial boys in the ways of the world. In other words, you should discuss how the Great Gatsby seems to turn the idea of the American Dream as described in the quote on its head: Gatsby does achieve a rags-to-riches rise, but it doesn't last. All of Gatsby's hard work for Dan Cody, after all, didn't pay off since he lost the inheritance. So instead, Gatsby turned to crime after the war to quickly gain a ton of money. Especially since Gatsby finally achieves his great wealth through dubious means, the novel further undermines the classic image of someone working hard and honestly to go from rags to riches. If you're addressing this prompt or a similar one, make sure to focus on the darker aspects of the American Dream, including the dark conclusion to the novel and Daisy and Tom's protection from any real consequences. (This would also allow you to considering morality, and how morally bankrupt the characters are.) #6: What is the current state of the American Dream? This is a more outward-looking prompt, that allows you to consider current events today to either be generally optimistic (the American dream is alive and well) or pessimistic (it's as dead as it is in The Great Gatsby). You have dozens of potential current events to use as evidence for either argument, but consider especially immigration and immigration reform, mass incarceration, income inequality, education, and health care in America as good potential examples to use as you argue about the current state of the American Dream. Your writing will be especially powerful if you can point to some specific current events to support your argument. What's Next? In this post, we discussed how important money is to the novel's version of the American Dream. You can read even more about money and materialism in The Great Gatsby right here. Want to indulge in a little materialism of your own? Take a look through these 15 must-have items for any Great Gatsby fan. Get complete guides to Jay Gatsby, George Wilson and Myrtle Wilson to get even more background on the "dreamers" in the novel. Like we discussed above, the green light is often seen as a stand-in for the idea of the American Dream. Read more about this crucial symbol here. Need help getting to grips with other literary works? Take a spin through our analyses of The Crucible, The Cask of Amontillado, and "Do not go gentle into this good night" to see analysis in action. You might also find our explanations of point of view, rhetorical devices, imagery, and literary elements and devices helpful. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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Citizens National Bank Searches For System Solution In the information system world, before a problem can be solved, it first must be properly defined. Members of the organization must agree that a problem actually exists and that it is serious. The problem must be investigated so that it can be better understood. Next comes a period of devising alternative solutions, then one of evaluating each alternative and selecting the best solution. The final stage is one of implementing the solution, in which a detailed design for the solution is specified, translated into a physical system, tested, introduced to the organization, and further refined as it is used over time. Unfortunately, the same mistakes happen again and again when organizations decide to embrace a new information system either as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing, or a management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively. These mistakes occur repeatedly due to the lack of a thorough system analysis which includes a feasibility study to determine whether each proposed solution is feasible, or achievable, from a financial, technical, and organizational standpoint. The importance of system analysis, information requirements, and feasibility study come of their advantages in determining whether each alternative solution is a good investment, whether the technology needed for the system is available and can be handled by the firms information systems staff, and whether the organization is capable of accommodating the changes introduced by the system. Customer relationship management systems are very popular information systems nowadays and have been hailed as a way for companies to find, influence, and retain customers, even though industry experts cite failure rates for CRM rollouts of up to 70 percent. Thats a disastrously high figure for initiatives that typically cost hundreds of thousandsor even millionsof dollars. Most often the complexity of CRM systems can turn deployments into expensive, time-consuming mistakes when companies embrace a complete CRM package from well known vendors like SAP, or Seibel while they need only low-cost, easy-to-implement CRM software with some common CRM features like lead generation and management, deal tracking, and customer support management. Citizens National Bank searches for a system solution will be my main discussion in this case study which I think depicts a simple example of organizations that underestimate the importance of a thorough assessment to business processes and a deep analysis to the projected information system to define the requirements of the new system, available alternatives, and comparing multiple selection criteria in order to choose the best available solution which capable of performing the required tasks, satisfy users needs, and compatible with the organizations legacy systems. Singleton Needs a CRM Package The initial problem that Mark Singleton was trying to resolve is the implementation of a CRM system to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Also Singleton wanted a CRM system that places a great value on the person-to-person interactions between his relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminishes the relationship bankers rapport with customers. (Lauden, 2010) In the problem-solving process which is especially valuable when we need to build new systems as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing. The problem in this case came from the management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively, but they didnt apply the four steps of problem solving. In the problem-solving process to system building, we would need to take the following four steps: (Lauden, 2010) (1) Define and understand the problem. (2) Develop alternative solutions. (3) Choose the best solution. (4) Implement the solution. Citizens National Bank CEO Mark Singleton achieved the first step with an outstanding performance in defining and understanding the problem for which they need to build a new system but he failed dramatically in applying the rest of the steps required by the problem-solving process to build a new system. Mr. Singleton did not devise, develop or try several alternative solutions before opting for a new CRM system to solve the problem of paper and manual work and replace it with a new information system to automate some of the bankers tasks. Because he did not develop alternative solutions, he couldnt choose the best solution which led to a failed implementation at the first time. Figure : Problem Solving Process Source: Lauden, Management Information Systems New System Implementation! Its Tangible and Intangible Benefits Organizationally, Citizens National Bank of Texas is a private, full-service bank with headquarters in Waxahachie, Texas, and 200 employees that has operated independently since 1868. Citizens National Bank relies on personal, retail, and commercial customers and serves businesses and consumers in Ellis County and other nearby counties, primarily in communities with populations of 25,000 or less. (Lauden, 2010) Citizen National bank operates heavily manual and count on paper system in which sometimes a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. The paper system also created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. So that the old paper system cannot support the large number of new customers and the annual grow at a rate of 12 percent. (Lauden, 2010) A major part of Citizen Nationals strategy for continuing growth was to implement customer relationship management (CRM) software. The CRM strategy targeted the banks two main contact points with customers: the banks call center and its sales force. The objectives of a solution for Citizens National Bank would be to reduce the amount of time, effort, and errors in the tracking of activities made by relationship bankers and to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. (Lauden, 2010) Tangible Benefits Increased productivity: Using a CRM system will enable relationship bankers to improve their tracking activities with customers, which in turn increase their productivity and give them ability to serve more customers. Lower operational costs: using electronic records will substantially reduce papers used and results in cost saving. Reduced workforce: this is will be the result of increasing bankers productivity to serve more customers, which in turn will considerably reduce the workforce required to handle the projected increase in sales. Reduced rate of growth in expenses Reduced facility costs: due to paper reduction, and workforce reduction. Intangible Benefits Improved organizational planning and flexibility: because the paper system created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. The CRM system will give them efficient information to make effective decisions. Improved decision making: having accurate information under executives and managers control will dramatically enhance the decision making. Improved operations: The CRM system will enable the bank to approve credit and loan applications more quickly. Improved asset utilization and improved resource control. More information available in a timely manner. Enhanced employee goodwill: because under the old paper system, a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. Increased job satisfaction among employees. Higher client satisfaction: nothing will satisfy the customers more than getting a quick approvals and smooth transactions. Better corporate image: this is will result automatically from an increase in job satisfaction among employees and a higher client satisfaction. Why didnt the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution work out I believe that the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution didnt work out for Citizens National because it was not the best solution that applies or fits into the defined problem; it didnt work out because it was not a result of a thorough selection process that went through precise evaluation for multiple alternatives or solutions. The implementation failed for many factors, I will classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues Organization: the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic. The Siebel software was simply too rich in features. (Lauden, 2010) From the start, Citizens National had trouble getting the software to fit its rather straightforward, basic customer-lead tracking and reporting needs.With Siebel, we were spending way too much time turning off capabilities that we didnt need, Singleton explains. An example of functionality that didnt fit Citizens Nationals business model was Siebels capability for setting up customer support cases. While some large corporations may want to set up a support case with detailed complaint-tracking and resolution functions, the small bank had no use for it. Service complaints that come in to Citizens National are handled on the spot by its call center. For service inquiries that require a follow-up, such as a customer asking about the reordering of checks, the call-center representative schedules an activity by sending an e-mail to the employee who handles check orders. (Bartholomew, 2007) People: Employees found the software to be too complicated. They were surprised to learn, for example, that the system did not automatically generate potential business opportunities for customers on their records. Furthermore, bankers were not able to view multiple relationships between a customer and the bank on the same screen. The extra navigation was confusing and inefficient. (Lauden, 2010) The relationship bankers were the key employees; the system was intended to be of value to them, and, in turn, provide value to the bank. However, they found no incentive in the Siebel environment because their compensation was based on sales, and sales had become harder to make. Citizens Nationals bankers found the system difficult to navigate. For instance, the banking representatives couldnt understand why an opportunity to make a loan to a particular customer wasnt listed under the customers record. You have to assign that opportunity to that person, explains Doug Furney, president and CEO of The Small Business Solution. If you dont make those relationships when entering the data, the opportunity wont appear under that customers record. Not everyone easily grasped this concept. (Bartholomew, 2007) Furney says the way the screens were laid out in Siebel, Citizens bankers had to flip back and forth between the various screens to identify different relationships that customers had with the bank. Understanding these relationships in the system was very confusing to their bankers, he says. As a result, the banks top sales representatives, who werent eager to change the way they did their work to fit the needs of the software, found Siebels learning curve too steep to negotiate. Citizens Nationals 16 relationship bankers never got over the ease-of-use problems that Siebel presented, Furney says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Technology: Citizens National experienced compatibility issues between the database formats in Siebel and those used by the banks core banking application, developed by Kirchman. As a result, the two systems had difficulty exchanging information properly. The bank was forced to spend a significant amount of time fixing such compatibility issues, which negatively impacted its ability to serve customers. (Lauden, 2010) Citizens National also had to deal with a raft of customization issues, often stemming from the differences between databases. Furney worked to integrate Siebel with Citizens Nationals core banking application. The bank uses banking software from Kirchman, whose vertical systems are used by numerous small and medium-size banks to process and track customers deposits, loans and trust accounts. Trying to get these two systems to talk was a challenge, he says. (Bartholomew, 2007) One basic difference was the way the core banking application set up its customer data fields. The Kirchman system did not have individual fields for both the customers first and last names, choosing instead to include the full name in a single field. By contrast, in Siebel, the customers first and last name each had a data field. Thats the kind of thing we ran into when we tried to marry data from these two different systems, Furney says. This kind of integration takes time, and customers dont realize how much time is required. (Bartholomew, 2007) Was QuickBase a better solution for Citizens National In my perspective, QuickBase was the best alternative solution that meets the requirements of Citizens National Bank for a new IT system that is an easy to use, capable of doing some tracking activities, and store the interactions between relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminish the relationship bankers rapport with customers. QuickBase was designed for organizing, tracking, and sharing information among team members in the workplace while encouraging progress by notifying workers via automated e-mails of updated files, new task assignments, and approaching deadlines. Because QuickBase was not programmed as a specific business application, businesses could modify its database structure to meet specific business functions. (Lauden, 2010) One reason some small and medium-size companies, as well as groups within larger ones, are adopting QuickBase is its flexibility. Intended not just for customer management, QuickBase-which is actually more of an easily modified database than a full-fledged business application-can be harnessed for other business tasks. For example, Procter Gamble uses the system to track technology projects. Because its easy to use, runs online via any browser and doesnt require an I.T. professional to set up, the hosted application is finding its way into all kinds of businesses. (Bartholomew, 2007) There are many factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product, some of these factors are: The Citizens National staffs were able to make changes to QuickBase themselves, so the costs of ownership and maintenance fees were much lower. QuickBase offered Citizens National flexibility that it did not have previously. Because the system was Web-based, the relationship bankers were able to use it anywhere that they had access to a browser. Relationship bankers and management received daily updated access to all interactions and transactions, enabling them to track business in a way that was never possible previously. For the first time, Citizens National was able to completely track sales opportunities and, as Singleton said, where we lost business, so we know where we need to make those extra 10 or 15 sales calls. Also central to the success of QuickBase at Citizens National was Furneys ability to integrate the system with the Kirchman core banking application. Furney configured QuickBase to upload new account information to the core system every night via an XML interface. For example, a banking representative can click on a commercial customers file and immediate see all the contacts that have been made with that customer by bank staff, any actions that were taken on the customers behalf, and the end result. Citizens National bank representatives use it to check on customers to see if there has been a follow-up call to a contact, whether a voice-mail message was left with the customer, who the salesperson was and the status of the contact. Its been an invaluable tool for us to keep track of our customers, Singleton adds. (Bartholomew, 2007) A Complete CRM package is Not for Everyone Industry experts cite failure rates for CRM rollouts of up to 70 percent. Thats a disastrously high figure for initiatives that typically cost hundreds of thousandsor even millionsof dollars. For smaller businesses or for departments within large companies, even successful implementation at that cost is out of the question. Anecdotally theres a fairly high failure rate attributed to CRM implementations, says Jocelyn Young, program manager for CRM services for IDC. (Desmond, 2010) Customer relationship management systems have been hailed as a way for companies to find, influence, and retain customers. Packages from companies like Onyx, Pivotal, and Siebel go far beyond simple contact and sales managementthey link sales, marketing, and customer support operations into a single, cohesive chain. But the complexity of CRM systems can turn deployments into expensive, time-consuming mistakes. Many companies need low-cost, easy-to-implement CRM software. Fortunately, affordable packages have finally matured. (Desmond, 2010) Figure CRM Systems All for one, one for all: CRM deployments can be expensive because they touch nearly every part of a business. By driving everything from marketing campaigns to call center operations to inventory management through a single knowledge base, companies are able to fine-tune customer interactions at every point of contact. Source: http://pcworld.about.com Jerry Norman, president of Market Answers, a CRM consultancy in Austin, Texas, says the broad definition of CRM is part of the problem. If you ask 100 people on the street what CRM is, you are going to get 100 answers. The executives know that they need CRM, but they dont know what they are getting. (Desmond, 2010) One way to sidestep the issue, says Norman, is to narrow the focus of the CRM effort. Lower-cost CRM products such as Microsoft BCentral Customer Manager, SalesForce.com, and SalesLogix provide common CRM features like lead generation and management, deal tracking, and customer support management. These packages can be installed on a companys servers or hosted by an application service provider. But while a Siebel deployment can cost several hundred thousand dollars, a package like SalesLogix can be had for less than $50,000 for 20 usersa relative pittance by CRM standards. (Desmond, 2010) So I believe that, organizations that would benefit from using Siebel CRM package are the large corporations which use it to connect multiple departments inside the firm like sales, marketing, and customer support operations which will link them into a single, cohesive chain. Example for such organizations is Verizon Wireless, we will examine in the next section of this case study how Siebel CRM helped Verizon to achieve its business objectives and gets a competitive advantage. This case study is taken from www.Oracle.com Verizon Business Delivers New Sales and Support Tools and Improves System Performance by 35% Verizon Business Basking Ridge, NJ www.verizonbusiness.com Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications, is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. With one of the worlds most connected internet protocol networks, Verizon Business delivers communications, IT, security, and network solutions to many of the largest businesses and governments. Industry: Annual Revenue: Communications US$93.5 billion Employees: 32,000 Our work with Accenture to upgrade our Oracle systems has improved system performance significantly. In a recent survey, 84% of users said performance was faster or much faster. Plus, our sales and support staff have new tools to improve productivity and customer service, which ultimately drives customer retention and revenue. Rob Moore, Director Verizon Business Challenges Empower sales and support staff with new tools to provide end users with a better experience, supporting customer retention, which is vital in todays competitive communications industry React to market demands and growing competition from new and traditional players in the market with more flexible pricing Improve system performance and lower maintenance costs Strengthen reporting and enable what if scenario testing Solution Worked with Accenture to upgrade to Oracles Siebel CRM 8.0 and Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, taking advantage of evolving technology to support a range of customer-facing communications industry business processes Gained new sales and support tools-for tasks ranging from quoting to contact management-to help 15,000 users better serve 250,000 large and midsize business customers Improved pricing flexibility with new, dynamic pricing features that allow the company to introduce new pricing or customer retention offers on demand, instead of requiring code changes and a separate release, which previously took several months Provided sales and support staff with a new, easy-to-use interface that supports best practices and improves productivity Expanded reporting functionality to drive greater visibility Upgraded hardware and middleware and enabled a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to extend integration across the enterprise and further consolidate systems Lowered support costs and positioned the company for long-term cost savings by reducing customizations Improved system performance by 35% and accelerated processes by up to 12 hours-vital for a system that processes about 120 quotes, 104 contracts, and 340 opportunities daily Improved user satisfaction, with 84% noting faster performance Completed the upgrade within a short, eight-month timeline Could Citizens National have made a better choice? I think everyone would agree with me that Citizens National Bank could have made a better choice from the beginning if its management followed the required rules and procedures of building a new information system. Citizens National Bank could have made a better choice if its CEO Singleton analyzed the size and scope of the needed system and tried to find answers for the following questions: What system will provide us with a genuine business benefits? How can the firm adjust to the changes introduced by the new system solution? What alternative approaches are available for the needed system solution? In the information system world, building a new information system in order to alleviate an existing problem in the business operations requires a deep system analysis. Before a problem can be solved, it first must be properly defined. Members of the organization must agree that a problem actually exists and that it is serious. The problem must be investigated so that it can be better understood. Next comes a period of devising alternative solutions, then one of evaluating each alternative and selecting the best solution. The final stage is one of implementing the solution, in which a detailed design for the solution is specified, translated into a physical system, tested, introduced to the organization, and further refined as it is used over time. (Lauden, 2010) Conclusion Transforming business processes into an automated information system and taking advantage of new opportunities available through the rapid development of information systems and technologies is never an easy task and should not be taken for granted. In order to achieve high results and gain the expected returns from the investment in new information system, organizations should follow the recommended procedures in building a new system from defining the system requirements, determining its scope, to choosing the best available solution that is capable of performing the required tasks without going through a series of complicated screens that lead to the frustration of end-users. The systems analysis lays out the most likely paths to follow given the nature of the problem. Some possible solutions do not require an information system solution but instead call for an adjustment in management, additional training, or refinement of existing organizational procedures. Some, however, do require modifications to the firms existing information systems or an entirely new information system. Sometimes the lack of a thorough system analysis and feasibility study make you get lost in the forest of a complete business application that fits only large corporations and that is exactly what happened to Citizen National Bank in its search for CRM system. While the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic, they chose Siebel CRM system that was simply too rich in features which employees found it to be too complicated. Citizen National Bank could have prevented the demise of five hundred thousand dollars in a learning lesson if they conducted a thorough system evaluation and selection process from the outset in which they would find that the required system was an easy to use system that doesnt exceed a thousand dollar in its implementation cost.

Labeling Theory Of Deviance Essay

Various theories have been put forward to explain the causes of crime and delinquency in society. The Labelling theory of crime argues that the tendency to perceive and treat people as offenders precipitates their engagement in crime. It is based on the hypothesis that people will assume the labels that they have been given to them by the society. Labelling in this case works to reinforce deviant behaviour as well as solidifying the deviant identities in the society. In other words labelling people as criminals plays a significant role in increasing or rather causing crime in the society. (Burke R,2005). As Tannenbaum, an early sociologist supporting the labelling theory of crime argued that the process of tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing and emphasizing that certain individuals as deserving special treatment is a way of stimulating, suggesting, suggesting and evoking the traits being complained of makes people become what they are described as being. Symbolic interactionalism is based on the agency analysis of deviance and social control. In this case deviance is viewed as a label which is imposed on the subjects who after rejecting or accepting the labels construct deviant identities as well as careers. To change such a situation the need for radical transformation is more of a necessity than a requirement. Labelling theory of crime can be blamed for the increased instances of crime as the criminal justice system tries to curb it. People who are arrested, prosecuted and punished are labelled as ‘criminals’ and the society deems them as such. A large proportion of the society also joins hands in labelling them as such and this increases their tendency to indulge in criminal behaviours. When people are labelled as criminals it is difficult for them to effectively adjust into the society and for instance they may fail to obtain legitimate employment, a factor that increases their likelihood to indulge in crime. (Burke R,2005). They may also face isolation from the mainstream society and this could trigger psychological problems which are highly correlated to criminality. When the labelled criminals internalize the self concept that they are criminals they tend to increase criminality behaviours as after all they are perceived as criminals and should behave as such. (Coser L, 2006). Offenders ought to be treated as sick characters to make it easier for the criminal justice system to offer best treatment for ease reintegration into the society. This way the stigmatization would be dealt with amicably. Labelling could occur from the society as a whole or the system, family, among peers as well as in schools from teachers. Labelling in crime tends to be more frequent or intense among the minority groups whose voice is almost insignificant in society. How a society reacts after it has labelled criminals is what determines if a crime is to dwindle or intensify. Societies that labels criminals and for a long term reject them in the society increases their likelihood to commit crime while the society that tries to assist the labelled criminals to effectively integrate into the society reduces the rates of crime that could have been attributed by labelling. Erving Goffman is among the sociologists whose ideologies could be useful in explaining the labeling theory of crime. He is popular for the notion of total institutions. He defined ‘total institutions’ as places of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals are cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time. Together these people lead an enclosed formally administered round of life. Goffman further highlighted the discrepancies between those who reside in the total institutions and those in the larger general population. In the larger population man works, plays and sleeps in varying places, with varying people, different authorities and in the absence of an overall rational plan. (Hawkins J and Kirkland F, 2001). This is contrary with the scenario in the total institutions where there are barriers between those three aspects. Life in the total institutions is clear or definite and this creates the notion that they exist for a good reason among the general population. There is no freedom in the total institutions as is experienced in the ‘home world’ or the general population. To Goffman the inmates being sent to prisons or total institutions already know the culture they are to expect though the reality is actually felt or experienced after admission. (Hawkins J and Kirkland F, 2001). Goffman identified three major phases in the life of an inmate. The first one is before they get into the total institutions that is when they are still in the ‘home world’, when they in the institutions and when they re enter the home world after release from the total institutions. He focused on the similarities that exist in the varying institutions. He argues that all aspects of life are conducted in the same place and under the same or a single authority. This means that all prisons will have similar experiences. All these aspects were carried on in the immediate company of a large batch of others all of whom were treated alike and needed to do the same things together. Another observation made was that all phases of a day’s activities were to be tightly scheduled and one activity led at a pre-arranged time to the next. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987)Notably, the whole sequence of activities was imposed from a higher system of explicit formal rulings and a body of officials a clear indication of alienation and dominance within the total institutions. The various enforced activities are brought together into a single rational plan which is designed to fulfill the official aims of the institution. The roles that are performed by the inmates in the total institutions serve interests or are for the aims of the institution rather than the individual. Goffman identified four major dimensions of institutional life ranging from the rigidity of the routine, block treatment of inmates, depersonalization of inmates and social distance between the staff and the inmates which Goffman termed as binary management. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987) Before one gets into prison they are from the ‘home world’ where they already have an established conception of themselves. Entrance into the ‘total institutions’ strips them off the benefits attached to the’ home world’. Here, they are subjected to a series of abasement, degradation and humiliation. The consequence of this is that their self becomes horrified. When in the institution an individual develops a moral career which is determined or influenced by his surrounding. The role of the significant other becomes critical at this point. Goffman observed further that in the total institutions the process by which individuals were mortified was rather standard across all of them. This is a clear indication that life in these institutions is quite different from that which is experienced in the larger world and that it is a difficult task to have inmates maintain the same traits they had before they got there. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). Again, since the conditions were similar across the total institutions they were likely to exhibit similar traits. The first restriction of the self for the inmates takes place when the total institutions act as a barrier between the inmate and the general population. In the civilian life one’s sequential roles are not in conflict with one another and so no roles hinders or rather blocks the performance of the others regardless of how frequent they were. Life in the institutions is in such a manner that role scheduling is disrupted as the inmates do not dictate what to do and when to do it. In other words they are denied the freedom to decide what role to perform and at what time. Instead there are round the clock surveillance where orders given are to be followed to the letter. In addition to the role scheduling being disrupted in the institution, role dispossession also takes place, Visitors are restricted and one is also restricted from frequenting places they initially did. Depending on whether the entrance into the total institution was voluntary or involuntary entry to such institutions somehow prepares the individual to withdraw from ‘home world’ or from the general population. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). This preparation makes the adaptation in the new environment easier. Involuntary entry into the total institutions is however different as one may not be prepared for the new kind of life. Inmates may find themselves perform some roles that they learnt in the institutions on return to the general world. All the same there are certain houses that will have to be incurred or faced for instance the time for education or parenting. There is also the loss of legal privileges for instance one may not be in a position to attend to court proceedings on matters that affect them directly for instance adoption of a child. These privileges may be short term they maybe enjoyed on the completion of the term. However there are others with long term ramifications. The realization that one has not lost certain rights due to the barrier between him and the outside world may not auger well with him. There are other challenges that the inmate faces on return to the society. For instance there are the admission requirements where certain standards have to be followed or adhered to. On entrance to the total institutions various losses are incurred as for instance one may lose their hair, their identity as they are assigned numbers, they undress and change their clothes and are given institutional uniforms, they list their possessions, have to adhere to the rules and they are also assigned to certain quarters where they are to reside. According to Goffmann’s findings the society is to blame for deviance within it as it subjects people it terms as wrong doers into harsh conditions and expects them to reform. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). In the book the ‘Myth of mental illness’ Thomas Szasz argued that mental illness was a myth. To him, the whole idea or notion of psychiatric illness could be termed as ‘scientifically worthless and socially harmful’. (Shorter E, 1997). There are similarities between goffman and szasz ideologies. Goffman backed Szasz when he made the conclusion that the mental health institution he studied could be defined as a ‘total institution’ where ‘the closed system infantilized the patients and restricted their lives’. Goffman noted that the clear difference between the staff and the patients and on entrance to the institutions the patients faced humiliation, degradation, abasement and profanations of the self’. Goffman rejected the idea of prisons and mental health institutions which according to him robbed off the inmates their time. The ‘sentence’ denied them living. The aspect of alienation is clear when the use of power is used by the staff members against the ‘patients’. He condemned the pretence by the staff members that they were out to assist the patients and dismissed it as a mere ’power grab’. (Shorter E, 1997). Szasz argued that although psychological disorders are real, defining them as diseases was a way of imposing coercion in the society. He argued that defining such disorders as illness when they had no correlation with physical sickness was untrue. The only relationship existing between mental disorders and physical illness was the fact that they both made the individual unable to handle their daily activities or duties. (www. mdx. ac. uk). The psychological disorders according to Szasz were brought about by man. He further noted that compulsory psychiatry is a crime against humanity and it undermines freedom in the society. He quoted Mill to justify his observation that ‘the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good either physical or moral is not sufficiently warranty’. However unlike Mill, Szasz offered or rather provided no exception where power could be used forcefully. He advocated for freedom where all individuals are given the chance to choose what they find best for them. Although the compulsory psychiatry may not be harmful to the patients Szasz argues that it is not compatible with a free society. (www. mdx. ac. uk). He further advocates for the application of universal law which is not discriminative to anyone in the society. The same law applied to those termed as insane ought to be the same applied on those viewed as insane. Treating people otherwise is unfair as it implies that there is no equality and they are treated as special beings. Any form of special treatment on the allegations that one is mentally sick is unfortunate as it treats them as less human beings. (www. mdx. ac. uk). References: Anthony Clare and Peter Sedgwick. Mental Health and Civil Liberties. A theoretical contrast of Thomas Szasz. Retrieved on 5th march 2009 from http://www. mdx. ac. uk/WWW/STUDY/mhhlib. htm#SzaszMyth Dianne M. Willcocks, Sheila M. Peace, Leonie A. Kellaher. 1987. Private Lives in Public Places: A Research-based Critique of Residential Life in Local Authority Old People’s Homes. Taylor & Francis Publishers. Edward Shorter 1997. A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac. John Wiley and Sons Publishers John Palmer Hawkins and Faris Kirkland. 2001. Army of hope, army of alienation: culture and contradiction in the American Army communities of Cold War Germany. Greenwood Publishing Group Tim Jordan, Steve Pile, 2002. Open University Social Change. Blackwell Publishing, Lewis Coser. 2006. Crime Theories and the Field of Criminology. Retrieved on 4th march 2009 from http://www. apsu. edu/oconnort/1010/1010lect02. htm.

Shakespeare s A Doll s House Essay - 1352 Words

The Performance of Gender in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House It can be said that the sound of Nora Helmer slamming the door behind her as she leaves her husband and children in pursuit of self-actualization is one of the most famous in theatre history. The journey the characters in A Doll’s House take in order to build to this powerful moment is a fascinating one. Countless scholars have analyzed aspects of Ibsen’s famous play; some have examined the complicated marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer, while others have found Ibsen’s social commentary piquing their interest. In this particular case, it is this paper’s endeavor to thoroughly examine the ways in which gender is performed in this classic play. Primarily, Judith Butler’s famous book, Gender Trouble:Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, will serve as the critical lens for this analysis. Two productions of Ibsen’s work will provide the performances for analysis: director P atrick Garland’s 1973 film starring Claire Bloom and Anthony Hopkins, and Mabou Mines’ postmodern adaptation. Butler’s gender performance theory will help to illuminate the social commentary and underlying themes present in Ibsen’s masterpiece and will hopefully reveal aspects of Nora and Torvald’s character that were perhaps hidden until now. Summary and Historical Context of A Doll’s House In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen tells the story of a seemingly happy married couple, Nora and Torvald Helmer. Torvald is about to begin his new job as managerShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s A Doll s House Essay908 Words   |  4 Pagesreact more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary The stereotypical an evil villain always has a damsel in distressed usually tied as a hostage while wearing dark and evil attire only out for money and power. 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While Hamlet ends in despair and unhappiness, A Doll’s House possess a hint of hope for the future. Yet if a tragedy instills a feeling ofRead More Comparative of Henrik Ibsen ´s A Doll ´s House and Shakespeare ´s As You Like It812 Words   |  3 Pagesonly be triggered by experiencing what it is like to be a victim of deception. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and As You Like It by Wil liam Shakespeare, each author entraps their protagonists with the role of being manipulative or the victim of being manipulated to further enhance the author’s purpose of revealing or unlocking the hidden potential that arose within the characters. 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The play a â€Å"A Doll s House† by Henrik Ibsen is not much different than the classics as it exemplifies the loss and anguish endured while pursuing a principal. The play is a modern tragedy following the painful path of Nora s self discovery, which comes at the cost of questioning societal norms and family roles. Her tragicRead MoreIago vs Krogstad819 Words   |  4 PagesWho’s to Blame? In the plays Othello, the Moor of Venice, written by William Shakespeare and A Doll s House, written by Henrik Ibsen; we are witness to two marriages that slowly collapse throughout the play with both ending tragically. Many believe that the characters of Iago and Krogstad played a major role and are mostly to blame for the disintegration of the marriages. I agree that it was a man in both cases that caused the relationships to crumble, but which man is really to blame? InRead MoreAnalysis Of Don t Judge A Book 950 Words   |  4 Pagesaccomplished, inner qualities are appreciated much more and the idea that only the appearance of a person matters has been diminished. However, through the major characters’ personalities and dialogue in both As You Like It by William Shakespeare and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, a central idea of false appearance symbolically and realistically unifies both plays. At the beginning of both plays, there is an obvious contrast in personality between Nora and Orlando. After learning that Orlando hasRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1582 Words   |  7 PagesIf three crazy old ladies walked up to you and told you would be king would you trust them? Macbeth did and ultimately it led to his tragic demise. The tragedy of Macbeth was written by famous poet William Shakespeare in the earl sixteen hundredth. 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Sadism in the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - 1881 Words

The tell-tale Sadist: Sadism and Masochism in â€Å"The tell-tale heart† Many of Poe’s tales portray characters which intently harm other creatures or people and enjoy the process of doing so. This tendency which Poe himself called â€Å"the spirit of perverseness†(Poe 10) in The Black Cat is described as the need to cause pain to other being without any reason, evil per se. However, from a psychological point of view, this spirit of perverseness would be labeled as sadism and its source may be traced by making a deep analysis of the character’s psyche. It will be posed that the character participant narrator in the tell-tale heart does not kill the old man as an act of pure evilness or spirit of perverseness, but rather the source of his/her†¦show more content†¦This does not mean that sadism is a common feature of men’s sexual behaviour, it is a sexual aberration but gender influences this tendency. Besides aggression, according to Lacan, is represented through certain images â€Å"for example castration, mutilatio n, devouring† (Glowinsky, 2001) and it should be born in mind that the narrator mutilates his victim in order to hide it, which provides extra evidence of the narrator’s aggressiveness. In addition, a homosexual love for the old man would create a greater conflict in the mind of the narrator and a greater difficulty to fulfill his sexual desire in a normal way. â€Å"It can often be recognized that the masochism is nothing but a continuation of the sadism turning against ones own person in which the latter at first takes the place of the sexual object.† ( Freud, 1914) Indeed, masochism seems to derive from the sadist drive. It is usually believed that victimizer becomes victim given certain circumstances and this may provoke pleasure as well. In the philosophy of composition, Poe unintentionally provides a good definition of masochism by talking about â€Å"the human thirst for self-torture.† Indicating the eagerness of men to feel displeasure or even pain, this may be done in innocent ways (by suffering through fiction) or by remaining or looking for situation that might be painful. In the tale-tell heart, the murderer after having tormented the old manShow MoreRelatedThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe2007 Words   |  9 PagesThe Tell Tale Heart Research Paper In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe, Poe delights readers to a very thought out and psychological based short story of a very in depth murder from the murderer’s perspective. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: Overview† it is proven that: â€Å"One of the most powerful contributions that Edgar Allan Poe made to the short story genre was his insistence that every element of the work contribute to the story’s overall effect. Poe frequently gave this aesthetic demand realistic