Life for ofelia of pans labyrinth

Life for ofelia of pans labyrinth Introduction (2,500) In the year of 2006 we saw two girls fall down a rabbit hole of mystery, wonder and danger. Two female protagonists engaged with the fantasy worlds of Terry Gilliams Tideland (2006) and Guillermo Del Toros Pans Labyrinth (2006). For Jeliza Rose in Tideland, life was hard and lonely and so she began to slip into a shape-shifting and somewhat surreal version of her difficult reality. Life for Ofelia of Pans Labyrinth, is the violent and unforgiving environment of fascist Spain ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­, where she befriends a faun and learns of a fantastical realm where she is princess. These girls are faced with tough and unsympathetic realities and a fall down the rabbit hole somewhat rescues them. Next in 2007, The Bridge to Terabithia (2007) presents another child protagonist whose engagement with an alternate reality has shocking and shattering effects. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the .. This is part of a recent and unmistakeable revival of interest in fantasy; ‘in the last few years, fantasy in general has roared back into a prominent place in popular culture'[1] with the emergence of screen adaptations of fantasy novels. The pivotal year for the resurgence in fantasy was 2001 where the first instalment of J.K. Rowlings Harry potter with Chris Colombuss Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) and the first part of J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings with Peter Jacksons The Fellowship of the Ring(2001) gained box office success a subsequent ‘global hunger for fantasy'[2]has been revealed. David butler contemplates an apparant golden age of fantasy[3] due to the recent commodifcation of the fantastic. Howvere there have been despite a general lack of study and theorising of the fantastic there has been some abundance in analysis since this revival yet there seems to be a gap in the field in terms of the focus of the child portagonist in relation t o the contentoius and debeateable problem of escapism. This paper contenplates the how each of theses films engage with fantasy and wthat the implications of escapism are. A considertaion within films diegesis concerning the child protagonists relation to escapism and alternate realities is made What is interesting about each of the studied films is all concern pubescent child protagonists who journey to alternate worlds. The child hero figure is profound, timeless and powerful and this immense popularity has many implications for the audience. by constructing a cinematic viewpoint from a childs perspective, filmmakers make assumptions about the nature of childhood. The ‘childhood as a point of view is rendered by filmmakers where the child, or children, feature, often at the centre of the narrative, while at the same time, signifcanlty acting as the narrator. These are films that use a child to take us on a journey of discovery. ESCAPISM ARGUMENT?-that these dark fantasy films present inncoence against adult vice and that subsequently ADULTS FEEL UNCOMFOTABLE AND REACT NEGATIVELY. The childs superior wisdom, an assumed vantage point of innocence and ‘greater access to fantasy, leaves the adults in the audience to see their own absurdity and harshness through the eyes of the child,[4] this is a prevalent feeling in Tideland and Pans Labyrinth as the sexual promiscuity of Dell and the violence and corruptedness of Captain Vidal is set against the fragile youthfulness of the Ofelia and Jeliza-Rose. ESCAPISM ARGUMENT!!!!Through the eyes of the child, we engage with the wonderous and the strange, which becomes a ‘reservoir of strength for the child. The notion that the child as an innocent, pure and untouched figure is one that is enchanting to audiences and filmmakers alike. The young feisty female protagonists in these films have developed and are a far cry from the passive and submissive, one dimensional characters of Disney. This is significant in the development of the child protagonist and alternate world fairytale as Disney dominated that fairytale on film niche. The innovative animation of Disney was indeed extraordinary, yet in Jack Zipes view Disney actually promoted the ‘domestication of the imagination.[5] Walt Disneys fairytale films offered an ‘eternal return of the same, with stereotypical characters and a significant emphasis on thematic structure aswell as an encouragement of ‘non-reflective reviewing.[6] Zipes makes the argument that Disney produces emotionally comforting, unchallenging material. In contrast to Disneys reproduction of fairytale film, Guillermo Del Toros Pans Labyrinth, Terry Gilliams tideland and Gabor Csupos The Bridge to Terabithias combines; a rendering of the fairytale narrative (in the case of Pans Labyrinth), various styles and themes to create complex and challenging films that cross generic boundaries. Tough, resilient girls whose harsh realities are thrust upon the audience in an un comforting manner are the feature of these latest fantasy films. This paper considers young female protagonists who have to encounter and deal with dramatic and fundamental changes in their lives. These are related to the transformation of girls into women; emergence of puberty and adult sexuality. Central to this project is a focus on psycho sexual and social transformations. The child hero figure is a powerful and profound one that has a timeless essence. And this familiar hope of the child hero is visible at the centre of each of these films. The popularisation and common use of the child figure has its roots in Victorian society, an era in which fairytales were institutionalised in the West. At the end of the nineteenth century fairytales were being written and published in abundance after a period of being directed at the adult elite classes they began to be created for children and the family. Industrialization had radically transformed society and effects of alienation and repression were felt. Alices Adventures in Wonderland (1865)[7] written in Britain by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pen name of Lewis Carroll. Alices Adventures in Wonderland was deliberately created with a total absence of didacticism[8] and is considered one of the wildest and imaginative of Fairy Tales in vcitorian society. The highly successful novel tells the story of Alice who takes down a trip down a rabbit hole to a Wonderland of pun, symbolism and nonsense. Carrolls Alice books (nine in total) were part of a movement which began to expeiement with Tzvetan Todorovs notion of ‘non-signification, which is now an established mode of the fantastic. Epistempological doubt was the feature of much nineteenth centuray literature, themes of madness, hallucinations, double personalities and general splitting and divisions of subjects made up the gothic, marvellous and fantastic literature. Carrolls Wonderland presents a the challenging of self. Identity is unstable, Alice shrinks and grows in size, and the Cheshire cat disappears to a grin creating ‘the plasticity of a dream'[9]. Books which have been adaptetd inot successful films and television series ushc as Alices Advanetures In Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz and The Chronicles Of Narnia series written over between mid nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century all feature adventourous young protagonists with either have absent parents or are orphans, who all embark on their own journeys of discovery . the poratgonist are at a prebuscent age and are sexual and asexual at the same time, the journeys they take involve gaining maturity a consciousness that is closer to that of an adult toward the end. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written in 1900 by American novelist Frank. L Baum features another one of the most recognised young female protagonists young orphaned Dorothy Gale. The novel was immensely popular on release and several film adaptations have been created since. MGMs 1939 technicolor screen adaptation, The Wizard ofOz directed by Victor Flemming is the most widely acknowledged version and remains a staple part of American (and Western) popular culture. After the success of the films the idea of Dorothy Glae and the land of Oz grew to become a ####commodity and gained a cultural following, (such as the charcters and icongraohy from the film appeared in the Christmas 2009 Harrods window display) . The sepia colours of the opening and ending of Flemmings film emohasuzes the bleakness and dreariness thta Dorothy percievs the farm where she lives to be, aswell as reflecting the feelings of disenchantment that people felt due to the hardship of the Deppression in America at the time, people cold relate to Dorothys dissatisfaction in her surroundings, they also longed for ‘somewhere over the rainbow. After realising that ‘there is no place like home Dorothy returns to Kansas, and a common feature of fairytakles and childrens literature, the return-to-reality closure is provided. Dorothy, disenchanted and with only her dog ToTo as company suddenly hurricane suddenly seizes the farm and Dorothy lands in Oz, filmed in vivid technicoulur emphasizing the spectacularness and wonder of her fantasy world. Dorothy lives with her inattentive aunt and uncle, unloving mothers or substitute mothers are a frequent character in fairytales, which leaves the protagonist feeling unloved. If we accept the common psychoanalytic reading that Oz represents Dorothys mind then it can be read that the characters are exaggerated parts of herself; the downhearted and self-critical scarecrow may reflect Dorothys low self esteem, the rigid tin man who cannot feel love be a sign of Dorothys emotional repression and the cowardly lion could indicate her lack of moral assurance.[10] however, in the film, it is made clear that her three companions were actually the farmhands all along. The characters journey to the wizard to try and obtain lacking virtues; a brain signifying intelligence, a heart meaning love and courage indicating self belief and confidence. The fact that we realise they each had the qualities they were searching for means, in the case of the book, Dorothy does also. Baum provides a clear message ‘that we have within us the qualities we seek.'[11] Jones asserts that this message is of ‘considerable reassurance to children in the process of maturation'[12] the alternate worlds provide opportunities to learn about the human condition and for self discovery, for the reader-audience aswell as for the protagonist. The return to Kansas which acts as closure, therefore rejects fantasy by sentamentalizing it[13] and ignoring its subve rsive implications. Dorothys wish to return to Kansas is fulfilled and Aunt Ems joy at having Dorothy return emphasizes Dprothys conscious contentment as shebecomes a maternal and affectionate mother figure. Has Kansas changed and has Dorothy transformed? Dorothy is transported to the splendorous and green world of Oz out of the dreariness of Kansaa, yet she wishes for return and so home is never far away. Dorothy cannot leave Oz until she completes tasks, which include killing witches, thus she a fantasy world provides immense powers, she must then find the wizard. The fact taht she can only return to Knasa after learning of the enchantments and dangers of Oz alludes to the fact that fantasy is about confronting as oppose ot evading reality. C. S. Lewis presented Gary Westfahl observes the long-established concern with the romantic child; ‘western tradition has long honoured children as being purer and naturally better than adults because they have not yet been corrupted by worldly ways; they lie in William Blakes blessed world of innocence, not his wicked world of experience'[14] The image of the child as being closer to God than the adult, is set against the adult who is morally unclean due to the corruption of wicked experience appeared in much religious ritual and ancient myth. Children traditionally said to represent innocence[15]. It is interesting to note that the word ‘innocence is cognate with noxious and derives from Latin nocere ‘to harm (Stein) innocence then is the condition of being unharmed,[16] which is where the fascination with the idea of the child arose. The opposite of innocence then is experience, which gives us the title of William Blakes Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Blake sets up powerful binaries of childhood innocence and adults as experienced thus spiritually harmed, this literature has had a powerful influence on and reflected Victorian societys attitudes. The passage assumes a world in which any experience is dangerous to the soul. Marina Warner, a writer and mythographer has contributed significantly to the theory of film which has a relatively short lived history. She brings an understanding of modes of narration and codes of representation which distinguish the medium as ones that are prefigured by an extensive history of cultural production, greatly influencing the medium. With a strong affinity to writer Angela Carter, Warner takes a feminist approach to the study of fairytale and fairytale on film. Her central concern is reclaiming the cinematic use of the fairytale narrative and making a consideration of its representation to female experience, particularly to rites of passage. By doing this, Warner also considers the child figure in films which are not necessarily made for children but have a child as a narrator. She observes the appeal of the child as a central figure comes from ‘the prelasparian notion of innocence and the implication that children, by virtue of not being bound by adult rationality, have greater access to the world of imagination and fantasy.'[17] Thus the child protagonist can engage wilfully with fantastical realms which adults regard as impossible. The fantasy genre has a close affinity with the ‘Wonder Tale defined by some critics, or the ‘Folk Fairy Tale by others. For all allegorists of a Neo-Platonist perspective, fairytales were scriptures of the spirit, displaying messages of universal love and death.[18] Paganism and psychoanalytic studies, such as Sigmund Freuds notion of the uncanny, have defended the fantasy as something that is fundamental to the human being. In contrast to the above universalising interpretations, the contemporary situation reveals the emergence of a socio-historical school which considers fairytales and fantasy as a direct impression of reality. They are embedded in popular culture, yet are subject to change and transformation reflecting new developments. The fairytale and fantasy are subsequently a ‘tool for thought, a multicoloured skein of images with which to think about the real, both reiterating and shaping the real in restructured narratives, reassemble images.[19] Therefor e a consideration needs to be madeevaut the contemporary situation of fantasy and fairytale in film. This paper explores whats different between these films. Although Gilliam introduced Tideland with the prediction that some people will love it and some people will hate it, he may not have been prepared for the profusion of heated, disgusted and outraged reactions which followed the films relase, including people walking out of the cinema. With 157 reviews posted on the internet movie database, tideland ‘was (rightly) savaged by critics and ignored by most audiences,'[20]â€Å" some kind of Alice in Wonderland with psychic tinge†[21] â€Å"the worst movie i have ever seen† â€Å"UNPLEASANT†, â€Å"perverse, ..†, â€Å"Unwatchable.† â€Å"Nauseating.† ‘Mr. Gilliam descends into curdled silliness. It might be said that his imagination knows no boundaries; it might be good if he found some. A. O. Scott from The New York Times â€Å"Tideland† is rated R. It has drug use, gruesome deaths and extremely icky sexual implications. [22]Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly writes that Tideland an F, calling it gruesomely awful. [23] Despite overall positive critical reception, there was much negative reactions tp pans Labyrinth, also revealed people recated badly to fairytales that werwe scary, ‘the senseless murder of an innocent child—make Pans Labyrinth irredeemable in my eyes.'[24] And another review argued ‘I dont believe for a second that this is any kind of fairy tale.'[25]more angry reviewers did nto agree with the fairytale genre labelling, ‘Only if we as adults have decomposed our standards so that torture and suffering constitute fairy tales.'[26] People This paper also makes a consideration of escapisms dishonoured status. It attempts to make a contribution to the overdue reconsideration of fantasy literature and film. The overall structure of the study takes the form of five chapters, including this introductory [1] Susan Napier makes this observation in 2005at the beginning of a discussion regarding Japanese anime, David Butler (2009) Fantasy Cinema: Impossible Worlds, Wallflower Press, p6 [2] Susan Napier in David Butler fantasy cinema: impossible Worlds (2009) [3] David Butler discusses and summarises ‘the problem of fantasy and escapism in his recently published and insightful overview of key themes and debates in fantasy cinema, Fantasy Cinema: Impossible Worlds(2009) London: Wallflower Press ,p5. [4] Marina Warner, Through A Childs Eyes, Internal Bfi Seminar, 12 February 1992, P44 [5]Jack Zipes (1997) Happily Ever After: fairy tales, children and the culture industry, New York; London: Routledge, p92. [6] Jack Zipes (1994) fairytale as myth, myth as fairytale, Lexington : University Press of Kentucky,pp94-95 [7] Patrick Brantlinger, William B Thesing (2002) A companion to the Victorian Novel. Wiley-Blackwell. p360. [8] Barbara Smith Chalou (2007) Struwwelpeter: humor or horror? : 160 years later. Lexington books. p75. [9] Manlove, C, N. (2003) From Alice to Harry Potter Childrens Fantasy in England. Christchurch, N.Z: Cybereditions. p20. [10] ibid. [11] Wolstenholme (2000) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. pxxxiv. [12] Jones (2002) The Fairy Tale. p95. [13] Sarah Gilead, Magic abjured: closure in chidlresn fantasy fiction, PMLA, Vol. 106, No. 2 (Mar., 1991), Modern Language Association pp. 277-293, p279 [14] px [15] Eric S. Rabkin ‘Infant Joys: The Pleasures of Disempowerment in Fantasy and Science Fiction (J.C.Cooper An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols, London: Thames and Hudson, 1978)p16 [16] ibid [17] Marina warner. Cinema and realms of enchantment, P6 [18] Marina warner, The Uses Of Enchantment, lecture at the NFT (7 February 1992) P16 [19] Marina Warner, The Uses Of Enchantment, lecture at the NFT (7 February 1992)p17 [20] Alex Billington, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410764/news?year=2008 [21] HurtGenerator(Wed Dec 20 2006 11:39:07 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410764/board/nest/56980592?d=61756820p=6#61756820 [22] ^ Tideland: A Girl Endures a No-Mans Land by Dwelling in the Make-Believe, A. O. Scott, The New York Times, October 13, 2006 [23] Owen Gleiberman [24] fmcchris, ‘Devoid of grace, wit, and soul, 6 June 2007, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/usercomments?filter=hate [25] Paulk-20, ‘Harmful at best, 1 June 2007, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/usercomments?filter=hate [26] Robert, ‘i waited so long to be rewarded with dissapointment, 15 may 2007, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/usercomments?filter=hate

Drug Abuse and Treatment Centers in Afghanistan Essay

The issue of narcotic drugs production and consumption is worsening in Afghanistan which threatens the security and hinders the development. Afghanistan as the largest opium-producing country in the world produces 94% of the world’s opiates and thus has 920,000 illicit drug users. Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and many other major organizations such as International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), UNODC and Colombo Plan aim to eliminate opium and illicit drugs’ cultivation, production, trafficking and addiction in Afghanistan through different programs. As an example, INL has taken actions to decrease drug demand by establishing treatment centers in many provinces of Afghanistan. Specifically, this paper aims to analyze interventions in drug addicts’ lives by Nejat as a male and Sanga Amaj as a female drug treatment center from an ethical point of view. Throughout the intervention, these two centers have overlooked issues related to women, social stigmatization and problems of forced treatment. Despite its deficiencies, intervention by Nejat and Sanga Amaj significantly contributes to drug abusers’ human rights and also the security and development of Afghanistan and thus benefits both individuals and the society. First of all, Sanga Amaj and Nejat promote the Human Right to Health by providing access to drug treatment and also aiming to decrease and prevent negative health consequences of drug abuse. Right to health is the economic, social and cultural right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. Sanga Amaj and Nejat help drug users to lead healthy lives by decreasing the â€Å"mental and physical health problems,† that drug usage poses to their lives. HIV Aids, Hepatitis B, social exclusion and suicides among drug users are some of the main examples of physical and psychological harms of drug usage mainly among injecting addicts. According to an HIV report in Afghanistan, â€Å"almost all the known cases of HIV infection in Afghanistan today are due to injecting drug use†, thus drug use treatment will save a great number of injecting drug users’ lives. Besides, treating drug users, a socially excluded and marginalized group affected by drug addiction, and bringing them back to live ‘normal’ and healthy lives in their societies like everyone else help them overcome the psychological problems posed by addiction. Usually, drug abusers live in hostile and unclean places like under bridges and garbage piles that are unhealthy habitats and cause varieties of other diseases especially caused by bacteria. By providing treatment facilities to drug abusers and thus eliminating and preventing all these health disadvantages, Sanga Amaj and Nejat support health well-being of the society overall. Secondly, Sanga Amaj and Nejat contribute to promote the security in individuals’ lives which promotes the security of everyone and of the country. The diseases that develop in relation to drug abuse (HIV, Hepatitis and other diseases including mental disorders) are all a threat not only in drugs users’ lives but also to individual, national and human health and financial security. Besides, according to studies, drug consumption causes â€Å"poverty, violence and criminal behavior† in a certain society which poses severe economical and social insecurity not only to drug users’ lives but also their families and the society. Many road and domestic accidents, drug crimes, and death because of overdose are due to drug usage. Such as, it is common that drug abusers commit crimes such as they steal money for buying drugs. Besides, insecurity and disorder due to drug trafficking and crimes becomes the bases for corruption, insecurity and illegal drug smuggling and poverty in society which affects everyone. Thus, these treatment centers’ intervention promotes the protection of drug users’ rights by facilitating treatment and preventing them from these crimes while leading them to health, social and economical security. Nejat and Sanga Amaj also add to human resources and productivity and play a positive role for the development of drug abusers and other citizens’ lives and thus for a sustainable development of Afghanistan. First of all, intervention in drug abusers’ lives causes them to lead much more productive lives than before because drug abusers are unproductive both in school and labor. Drug abuse â€Å"incurs social costs in the form of loss of productivity and family income, violence, security problems, traffic and workplace accidents, and links with corruption† and loss of productivity and corruption affects the development of a country and its all citizens negatively. â€Å"Much HIV-related mortality occurs in adults in their productive age†, which causes loss in an individual’s life, and also the prosperity of their families, and the country. When drug users get treatment, they go in societies and lead much more productive lives which not only benefit them but also the society and its other citizens. Thus, by decreasing drug usage, a harmful factor of drugs users’ lives and also of the society and thus decreasing the level of health issues, violence, crimes and poverty, Sanga Amaj and Nejat are actually promoting the well being of the citizens as human beings and leads them and their societies to development. In addition to all these, treatment centers, specifically, Sanga Amaj highly contributes in promoting children’s rights. 0,000 of this drug-abusing populace are children who are usually born from or breastfed by addicted mothers, get addicted due to second hand smoke in families with addicted members, or are given opium or drugs directly for ailments or more working hours. As a doctor states, â€Å"If a child cries, they give him opium, if he can’t sleep, they use opium, if an infant coughs, opium,† a child is fed opium frequently which makes them addicted. These children while growing up then have to find a way to get opium or drugs. It usually leads them to crimes, such as, stealing at an early age, or leads them to being abused, especially sexual abuse. A great number of drug addicts sell their bodies or work as prostitutes to get money. For example, many male children become â€Å"dancing boys† who usually dance in front of men and are used by them for sexual purposes and thus get little money or drugs in return. It increases sexual slavery of children, social crimes against them and also exploits their lives and thus deepens the issue even more. Sanga Amaj as a children’s treatment center provides treatment facilities which help in promoting children’s rights to healthy and ‘normal’ lives. It plays a good role in preventing the devastating consequences of child drug abuse and thus has a big hand in supporting children’s rights. On the other hand, not only the treatment facilities available for drug users are insufficient compared to the level of drug consumption but also it is unevenly distributed between men and women and also different provinces. According to DW report of 2013, around 1. 3 million of population in Afghanistan is addicted to drugs. The existent services are adequate for only 10,000 addicts every year so the remainder of the addicts do not have access to treatment facilities. The drug abusers without services are mainly women who have only 2 treatment centers around the country and the drug users in provinces without centers as most of the centers are located in Kabul while some provinces do not have even one. For example, Sanga Amaj as one of the only two women’s residential treatment centers among the 40 treatment centers overall has 20 beds while Nejat as one of the many treatment centers for male drug users provides structured treatment with 50 beds available . Thus, as though Sanga Amaj has successfully treated 400 women with having only 15 relapses, it is much less compared to the number of women drug users. Additionally, these treatment centers are located only in some main provinces such as Kabul while leaving other provinces without centers. This proportion of facilities has created an uneven distribution of facilities among people in different provinces and also among male and female drug abusers. Traditional drug treatment programs have been designed to treat male addicts and fail to address the needs of women leading to inequity. Basically, 120,000 of the drug users in Afghanistan are women which might be less than the real number as most of them are reluctant to reveal their addiction. As UNODC reports, â€Å"Drug use among women and children is extremely difficult to estimate in Afghan society as it is easier to conceal and most often occurs in the home†, women make a big part of this populace but have remained invisible. Besides, most addicted women are from rural areas where they â€Å"consume opium on a regular basis to cure their illnesses† while the only two residential treatment centers available for them are located in big cities, leaving out women in the rest of 34 provinces demanding treatment. Men have more treatment centers than women though it is easier for them to travel from one province to another and despite the fact that many women are not addicted by their choice. They are forced by members of family, especially by husbands, and thus do not have the autonomy to decide about their addiction or undergoing treatment. As Shinkai Zahin claims, â€Å"Woman addicts were ignored by both the Afghan government and international donors,† women’s needs have been overlooked. As every woman, man, youth and child has the equal human right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, at this point women drug users’ right to health is undermined by discrimination. The social stigma of drug abuse creates an environment where society overlooks the external reasons of drug addiction and instead blames and ill-treats the drug abusers and leads to forced treatments. Initially, drug usage is considered disgraceful and drug users as the ones who perform this shameful act are degraded though it is usually unemployment, poverty, sickness, depression, violence, migration, imprisonment, etc. hat leads to addiction. Putting all the blame on the drug abusers leads to their ill treatment, being marginalized and negative psychological effects. Therefore, drug usage turns into â€Å"shameful secret† for drug users and they are socially condemned such as many of drug users especially male are beaten and sometimes they are forcefully impriso ned or brought to treatment centers. As â€Å"The right to health is an inclusive right† and â€Å"contains freedom†, forced treatment which is against a drug users’ will is a form of degradation and violates his/her right of decision-making. Moreover, the treatment process is a difficult, painful and cruel process and sometimes drug abusers are dehumanized during the process. Treatment includes withdrawal effects and drug detoxification which is extremely painful and if the clients resist, they are tied to beds for hours to days. Sometimes, drug users who cannot endure these pains die during the treatment, try to commit suicide or run away. These cases are against the key aspects of Right to Health defined by the UN high commissioner that right to health should be free from non-consensual medical treatment, torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. Some drug users claim that forced treatment violates their liberty and forces them to quit, deal with the withdrawal, and give up what they call â€Å"the intense feeling of pleasure†. A former heroin addict states, â€Å"The War on Drugs isn’t a â€Å"War on Drugs†, it’s a war on personal liberty and a war on one’s ownership of their body†, so forcing treatment is degrading them and their human rights. Therefore, considering drug usage a crime or shameful act and thus enforcing treatment on unwilling drug abusers cannot be justified based on their individual human rights. To conclude, Sanga Amaj and Nejat as two major treatment centers benefits drug users and Afghanistan in many ways through their intervention in drug users’ lives. It ensures their human right to health, security and development and also children’s rights in many ways. Thus, it advantages not only the drug users but also their societies. Besides, though the treatment facilities provided is not sufficient and also is unevenly distributed among places and genders, based on cost-benefit analysis their intervention still is justified as it does more good than harm. Having less or insufficient treatment facilities is better than not having at all and in the same way treating some women is better than none. Instead, ending the social stereotypes about drug users and also men and women, and also preventing forced treatments while providing more counseling can make the intervention more sufficient. Besides, building more centers for females and rural areas is a better way to maintain equality.

The Policy of Imperialism

Imperialism is the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, and military control over weaker territories. It’s important because it helped extend our territories over weaker territories. I think imperialism was a proper and legitimate policy, even though it led to some bad outcomes, there were more good outcomes. The three countries that I chose to write about are Cuba, Philippines, and Panama. In Panama, the Panamanians allowed the United States to rent the land needed to build the Panama Canal.The U. S. wanted to build the Panama Canal because they gained control over Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The canal would allow warships to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans without circling South America, making it easier to defend the United States. So the Panama Canal benefits the U. S. by allowing warships to pass between the two oceans, helping the growing trade of Asia, and making it easier to defend the United States. Many Cubans welcomed the presence of U. S. troops to restore stability, law, and order.After Cuba gained independence, President William McKinley set up a U. S. military government to administer the island. The U. S. was also interested in protecting Cuba’s independence because they wanted to restore order, establishing a provisional government. Imperializing Cuba was a good thing because under the U. S. military governor, programs of public works, education, sanitation, court reform, and self-government were instituted. In 1898, the U. S. wanted to take over the Philippines, a Spanish colony.U. S. businesses saw the Philippines as a good source for raw materials as well as a key to new markets for imports and exports. The islands were in a good strategic position for access to the markets of China. McKinley concluded that the best choice was for the U. S. was to â€Å"take and educate the Filipinos, uplift, civilize, and Christianize them. † Even though the Philippines revolted against th e U. S. rule with a three year battle, imperializing the Philippines was a good thing towards America.The imperializing of many new territories, not only Cuba, Philippines and Panama, but for china, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic led to many good things for the U. S. and other countries. Take Cuba for an example, the U. S. established a provisional government and many things were instituted. In Panama, the Panama Canal helped defend the U. S. and the growing trade of Asia. The Philippines were a good source for raw materials and the United States saw them as a key for new market imports and exports. Therefore imperialism was a good policy because it led to many good things in America and other nations.

To Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Analysis - 863 Words

Human interaction is important in todays society. It allows each of the species to communicate and share what they feel. But, wny for people struggle with the concept of empathy? To Kill A Mockingbird is a great example of the struggles of empathy. People struggle with empathy because they have different experiences. Characters who show this are Scout, Mayella, and Aunt Alexandra. Scout is a child who is playful and curious. Since she is still young, Scout doesnt have a lot of experience. She is still learning how to grow up and become more mature. When Scout is looking back on her first day of school, â€Å"Had her conduct been more friendly towards me, I would have felt sorry for her† (Lee 29). Because Scut is†¦show more content†¦They live on the outskirts of the town dump and their house is falling apart. Since she is the oldest, Mayella can’t attend school (Lee 244). She has to stay at the house to help with the chores and take care of her yo unger siblings. Her mother is dead and her father takes the monthly check to buy alcoholic beverages. Mayella only has herself. She doesn’t even know what the word â€Å"friends† mean. This word puzzles her (Lee 245). She can’t feel empathy, if she doesnt know what it is or how it feels. Empathy does not discriminate against age. Aunt Alexandra is an older women in To Kill A Mockingbird. She is the poster woman for a southern lady, pearls included. Her brother is Atticus. Within the first minutes of her arrival to Maycomb County she immediately gets onto Scout’s case: â€Å"We decided it that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys-† (Lee 170). Scout is doing perfectly fine on her own with the occasional help of Atticus and Jem. Her inability to relate to Scout defines her to have no experience dealing with empathy. Aunt A lexandra has not stop to consider Scout’s opinion in the situation. Calpurnia is the house maid and is also perfectly capable of taking care of the children. Expect Alexandra does not see it as this, she believes she is the one to bring Scout into the southern lady style. Her next idea when arriving in Maycomb isShow MoreRelatedTo Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Analysis1174 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill A Mockingbird Joni Smith Grade 9 One of the most important themes in this powerful text is that of empathy and understanding. Maycomb, as is shown in the text, is a society that is clearly split through class, race and numerous other distinctions. In such an environment of inequality, Atticus teaches his children the importance and value of empathy, and of trying to see the world through the eyes of other people. In the novel â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, learning to â€Å"walk aboutRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Analysis1458 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.† (p.30) The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee includes a plethora of essential themes that make one think deeply. The story takes place in the 1930’s when segregation tensions were high. The narrative is told through the eyes of a young girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus is a lawyer fighting a case for an African American man namedRead MoreKill A Mocking Bird By Harper Lee Essay1581 Words   |  7 PagesTo Kill a Mocking Bird is a written narrative by Harper Lee. The story is a linked sequence of conflict as seen through the eyes of a little girl named Scout. It looks back at a time when social injustice of prejudice was pre valent. The story if full of interesting characters, some good and some bad, but each very important to the plot of the story. It is very important to understand each of character’s views and the plot of the story as it plays an important role in the overall theme of the storyRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Play Review Essay1608 Words   |  7 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird Review Introduction. On the 28th April 2011, I went to see a professional production of To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee at the Blackpool Grand Theatre. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1935 in Alabama, a story about innocence, knowledge, prejudice and courage. In the beginning the main character, Scout, starts out to be a very immature child not knowing the prejudice times around her, as the story goes on she gains knowledge of these times byRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesDiscuss this quote from Atticus in relation to 3 characters from the novel. In the third chapter of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus proclaims that â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it† (P. 39). By including this statement Lee presents to us the idea of empathy and that, in the words of author Madeleine L’Engle in her book A Wrinkle in Time, ‘people are more than just the way theyRead MoreThe Loss of Innocence and Maturity in to Kill a Mockingbird2128 Words   |  9 PagesThe Loss of Innocence and Maturity in To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird details the life and experiences of two children in a small town of Alabama. It describes how a series of events shakes their innocence, shaping their character and teaching them about human nature. In her novel, Lee demonstrates how these children learn about the essentiality of good and evil and the existence of injustice and racism in the Deep South during the 1930sRead MoreLiberalism and Realism Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pagesoutside the mind (Merriam Webster, 2012). A realist or the individuals that study realism affirms that they believe in the Correspondence Theory of Truth (Hilary Putnam, 1976). According to the teachings of Aristotle, this conjecture is the theoretical analysis to realize the truth without evidence to support the facts. This harmless clichà © is distinctive in holding the notion of perception according to ones’ belief system. The correspondence of truth is related to the w orld and how the world describesRead MoreMy Personal Writing Style1549 Words   |  7 PagesPlanning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn essay, for example, I noticed that Huck’s emotion descriptions appear in critical situations regarding to Huck’s growth in empathy. A voice came through my ears asking me that are there any relation between Huck’s feeling and his growth? As a result, I wrote about how Huck learns empathy and grows through his sense of feelings. After deciding the topic I want to address in the essay, I would list the ideas for body paragraphs on computer, listing bulletRead MoreEssay on Racism in Childrens Literature2376 Words   |  10 Pagessaddened him, he wrote, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, no longer belong in the curriculum and should be all removed, (66). Eugenio Suarez-Galban claims that, Nations, like individuals, exorcise their demons through their literature, (66). Barlow agreed and said, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does more than any other American Novel to exorcise that demon by confronting it, (66). When Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, it was not a book writtenRead MoreJasper Jones Study Guide6848 Words   |  28 Pages................................................................................... 10 Race and Ethnicity................................................................................................................................. 11 To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM)................................................................................................................ 12 Australian Culture ...................................................................................................