George Orwell 1984 Essay Example for Free

George Orwell 1984 Essay In George Orwells 1984, Winston Smith and Julia live in Oceania, where their actions become a subversive force that the Party must control. Oceania, located in Europe, represents a totalitarian society in its purest form during the 1940s. Many aspects of Wilsons and Julias daily life in Oceania are monitored and controlled by the Party. From the telescreen to the thought police, every action is under constant surveillance. In order to rebel against Big Brother, Winston and Julia commit a series of crimes without knowing that OBrian, a member of the Inner Party, is watching them intently. OBrian then deceives Winston and Julia into believing that he is part of the revolutionary group called the Brotherhood. Winston and Julias betrayal becomes inevitable after their capture because of the psychological supremacy of OBrian and the Party. Winstons physical and mental torture and brainwashing by OBrian and the Ministry of Truth in the name of the Party is what ultimately leads to his psychological break down. Winstons rebellious character portrays him as a radical, who has the strength to defy the party and its principles. Winston and Julia secretly meet and it becomes apparent that she shares his rebellious ways. Learning that she has engaged in sexual acts with numerous Inner Party members, Winston finds hope. Winston and Julia, however, rebel against the Party for different reasons. Winston wants to end the harsh oppression of the party while Julias rebellious acts are more self-centered. Winston first demonstrates his hatred of the Party and Big Brother when he writes in his diary DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER. He knows at that very moment a camera might see the written words on the page. Winston continues to flirts with possible arrest by the Thought Police for a thought crime, which is any written or though of rebellion against the Party. Julias rebellious behavior is more to gratify herself, rather then the destruction of the party. Julia defies the party in search of personal pleasure. She is content with her life in Oceana because she does not consider a better life not under the oppression of the Party. Julia is interested in the present time with Winston, rather than in exposing the Inner Party secrets. Julia is more rational then Winston because she sets up secret gatherings in places where she knows they will be safe. At Winstons  and Julias first private meeting, Julias true colors begin to shine. Cautiously, Winston asks, Have you done this before? and Julia replies, Of course. Hundreds of times-well, scores of times, anyway replied Julia. Here Julia enlightens Winston about the corruption within the Party, which is music to his ears. Winston is pleased to hear that corruption exists within the Inner Party because the Party is supposed to have very strict rules and regulation that do not allow corruption wi thin. Winston knows that any anarchy that exists within the Party is a sign that corruption can take over and lead to the Partys defeat. Winston believes the Proles are the only group who can organize and revolt against the party. Winston considers the Proles, who are outside of the Outer Party and who live in the worst conditions as the main laborers in Oceania, as human beings, while he mentions, we are not human. At this point Winston has complete disregard for the Party even though any thought against the Partys ways means death. Winston reckons that hope for freedom lay only in the hands of the Proles and in turn, the Proles are the only source of revolt for Winston. Even though Winston and Julia start helping each other, they eventually commit crimes that lead to each others betrayal. Their subversive behavior comes to the attention of the Party and eventually leads to their capture. Winston and Julia arrange secret times to meet in the forest and in the upstairs bedroom of Mr. Charringtons shop. They do this even though they are well aware of the fact that the Party would vaporize citizens of Oceania who are considered threats and have their entire existence erased. After the capture of Winston and Julia, OBrian tortures Winston physically and psychologically to the point where there is no emotion left inside him, besides the love for Big Brother. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother. There is no will to fight left within Winston. The only things that he held with importance were Julia and the idea that one day, the Brotherhood would thrive. OBrian breaks him down and takes away the one person he cherished. When he loses his feelings towards Julia, all of his will is lost and the only love he has is for Big Brother. OBrian does not want to simply torture Winston, but to psychologically force him to forget his past ways and accept Big Brother. Even though OBrian is able to successfully brainwash Winston and Julia into contradicting their prior beliefs, at first Julia still thinks that the Party can make you say anything-anything- but they cant make you believe it. They cant get inside you. Soon, however, she figures out that this is utterly wrong. Julia is ignorant as to how much power the Party holds. She believes that they could force you to say anything, but could never force you to feel or think a certain way. In reality, OBrian does indeed have the psycholog ical power to not only make one believe something, but to wish it as well. They cant get inside you, she had said. But they could get inside you. What happens to you here is forever, OBrian had said. Here Julia and Winston realize how wrong they are. OBrian uses the only thing in the world that can make Winston betray Julia. OBrian breaks Winston down with the torture and at this point he realizes he no longer feels the same way for Julia because he has betrayed her. At the time when it happens, she had said, you do mean it. He had meant it. He had not merely said it, he had wished it. Winston was no longer mentally capable to withstand OBrians force to change him. By means of torture OBrian physically and mentally forces the love of Big Brother upon Winston. OBrian accomplishes this goal by the torture in room 101. The room plays a significant role when Winston is locked up in the Ministry of Truth because a fellow prisoner tells him that he would do anything not to return to room 101. The room instills a sense of fear into Winston. OBrian cleverly sets Winston up so that the only way out of room 101 is to place someone else in his shoes. OBrian wants Wilson to betray Julia, and when faced with his greatest fears he breaks down and says, Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I dont care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me! Winston is put against the one thing in the world that he loves. OBrian believes that in time of fear one will do anything to get himself out of the situation. He wants Winston to give up Julia because he knows that she is  the one person that could raise Winstons s pirits. Once Winston betrays Julia, he can no longer confine in her and therefore ultimately forced to be alone. Winston has no choice but to confine in and seek the love of Big Brother. The subversive force the Party had to control was Julias sexuality and Winstons pursuit for the truth. They had to contain it before Winstons beliefs spread to the people of Oceana. The Thought police would observe the people and cameras on the streets, so that no one would consider opposing the Party. Thought crimes and face crimes were thoughts and facial jesters that showed the Inner Party that rebellion was within. The thought police would arrest residents of Oceana for even the thought of deviance towards the Party. Winston and Julia believed they were stronger then the Party and that they could outsmart it. Their love for each other turned to a love for Big Brother after the psychological breakdown by OBrian and the Party. OBrian took them to the point where nothing was tolerable, and the only option was to give up the person you love and put them in your shoes, so that you would not have to endure it. At this point, there was no longer a will to stay together and deceive the Party. Once Wilson had been brainwashed and betrayed Julia, he was no longer the same person. Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me emphasizes just how betrayal became the downfall of Winstons and Julias subversive force.

Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay -- Post-traumatic st

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that occurs after a traumatic event. In the DSM-IV, it is characterized under anxiety disorders. Some common symptoms include, but are not limited to, intense fear, reliving the experience, persistent avoidance, numbing, diminished interest, and increased arousal. In order to be diagnosed, these symptoms need to be present for more than one month. Subsequently there are many types of treatment for this disorder. In particular the ones that will be discussed in depth are cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and lastly treatment for children and adolescents. To begin, the most widely practiced form of therapy for the treatment of PTSD is cognitive-behavioral therapy. There are a variety of techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy. An example would be, exposure therapy, which is the most well known technique. There are numerous ways to carry out this approach. Ordinarily, it begins with creating a scale of the anxieties. During a treatment session in which flooding is used, exposure to the highest item on the scale is set in motion. Others begin with anxieties that are rated moderately anxiety provoking (Foa, Keane, & Friedman, 2000, p.64). Exposure therapy methods share the common feature if confrontation with frightening stimuli that continues until the anxiety is reduced (Foa, Keane, & Friedman, 2000, p.64). When using exposure therapy it is important to also teach relaxation training, which helps them reduce the anxiety that is induced by the exposure. Systematic desensitization is a perfect illustration of this. Ranking the an xieties on order as to have a gradual increase in difficulty; exposure therapy begins, followed by relaxation training.... ...., (2008). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for ptsd: A case formulation approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Asmundsin, G.J.G., Barnhofer, T., Blackmore, M.A., Collimore, K.C., Daniel, J., Fennell, M.J.V., Foa, E.B., Glibert, P., Goga, P., Heimberg, R.G., Jacofsky, M., Kazantais, N., Khemlani-Patel, S., Kingdon, D., Konstadinidis, L., Kyrios, M., Leahy, R.L., Ledgerwood, D.M., Morasco, B.J., Neziroglu, F., Papageorgiou, C., Petry, N.M., Pinto, A., Rauch, S.A.M., Simos, G., Taylor S., Turkington, D., Weinstock, J. (2009). Cognitive behaviour therapy: A guide for the practicing clinician (Vol 2). New York, NY: Routlege. Scheeringa, M. S., Zeanah, C. H., Drell, M. J. and Larrieu, J. A. 1995: Two approaches to diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder in infancy and early childhood. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34, 191-200.

Hebrew Wisdom Essay

The book of Proverbs can be very useful to its readers when in need of wisdom or helpful insight. Everyday people are forced to make life choices—good or bad. The book of Proverbs covers various issues and topics that can be found useful when making any decision. Whether it is an issue of marriage, sexuality, wealth, poverty, guarding the tongue, dealing with emotions, or many more, Proverbs paints a vivid picture of what both the right path and the wrong path have in store. The book of Proverbs â€Å"presents a vivid contrast between the life of wisdom and the life of folly† (Hindson and Yates 263). Proverbs is God’s manual to His people on how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Throughout the book of Proverbs, readers will see the words diligence and laziness multiple times. These words correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly because diligence is the result of wisdom and laziness is the result of folly. Towards the beginning of the book of Proverbs one verse in particular tells its readers clearly where the root of gaining wisdom and diligence is at: â€Å"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline† (New International Version, Prov. 1.7). All wisdom comes from fearing the Lord. This type of fear is not a fear of terror but rather a fear of awe and reverence. By having a respect for God, His children should want to please Him, which would result in considering the outcome in every decision being made. When people make wise choices it results in diligence, peace of mind, wealth (literally or spiritually), and gaining more knowledge. In contrast, foolish decisions bring about destruction, fear, laziness, and much more. Throughout Proverbs readers will repeatedly see warnings against laziness and rewards for diligence: â€Å"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor† (Prov. 12.24). There is a theme throughout Proverbs repeatedly stating the benefits of diligence and the consequences of laziness. These  principles tie into wisdom and folly because when being wise, people will be wise with their time and are on the path to be continually growing in themselves and in the Lord. The reward in being diligent is an overflow of blessings â€Å"The blessings of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it† (Prov. 10.22). When being foolish people do not recognize the preciousness of time. In being selfish, they do not understand that their lack of action affects others†¦or they do not seem to care. When not walking with God and depending on our own abilities and understanding, people will miss out on the rewards of diligence. â€Å"He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe† (Prov. 28.26). When reading the book of Proverbs, readers will find the book to be overflowing with wise instructions on how to live a life that glorifies God. Big or small, Proverbs offers many wise words and teachings for every situation people walk through in life. Whatever circumstance someone is going through the book of Proverbs gives helpful insight on how to wisely navigate life. Throughout the book of Proverbs readers will see a pattern of the rewards that diligence reaps and the natural consequences one must face when being lazy. This compares to the contrast between wisdom and folly in that when being wise in all one does, there will be a multitude of blessings and rewards. â€Å"†¦Get wisdom, discipline and understanding† (Prov. 23.23b). Just like when being lazy, when one is foolish there will be some unpleasant consequences in hopes that a lesson will be learned the next time around. â€Å"A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless† (Prov. 14.16). Works Cited Hindson, Ed, and Gary, Yates. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, n.d. Print. New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d. Print.

Annual Salaries of Top US Government Officials

Traditionally, government service has embodied a spirit of serving the American people with a degree of volunteerism. Indeed, the salaries these top government officials tend to be lower than those for private-sector executives in similar positions. For example, the $400,000 annual salary of the president of the United States reflects a great degree of â€Å"volunteerism† compared to the nearly $14 million average salary of corporate CEOs. Executive Branch President of the United States 2019: $400,0002000: $200,000 The presidents salary was increased from $200,000 to $400,000 in 2001. The presidents current salary of $400,000 has an additional $50,000 expense allowance. As commander in chief of the world’s most modern and expensive military, the president is considered the most powerful political figure in the world. Having control of a number of nuclear weapons second only to that of Russia, the president is also responsible for the health of the world’s largest economy and the development and application of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.   The salary of the president of the United States is set by Congress, and as required by Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, may not be changed during the president’s term in office. There is no mechanism to automatically adjust the presidents salary; Congress must pass legislation authorizing it. Since legislation enacted in 1949, the president also gets a non-taxable $50,000 annual expense account for official purposes. Since enactment of the Former Presidents Act of 1958, former presidents have received a lifetime annual pension and other benefits including staff and office allowances, travel expenses, Secret Service protection and more. Can Presidents Refuse the Salary? America’s Founding Fathers never intended for presidents to become wealthy as a result of their service. Indeed, the first presidential salary of $25,000 was a compromise solution reached with delegates to the Constitutional Convention who argued that the president should not be paid or compensated in any way. Over the years, however, some presidents who were independently wealthy when elected have chosen to reject their salaries. When he took office in 2017, 45th President Donald Trump joined first President George Washington in vowing not to accept the presidential salary. However, neither of them could actually do that. Article II of the Constitution—through its use of the word â€Å"shall†Ã¢â‚¬â€requires that the president must be paid: The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them. In 1789, Congress decided that the president did not get to choose whether to accept the salary. As an alternative, President Trump agreed to keep $1 of his salary. Since then, he has carried through on his promise by donating his $100,000 quarterly salary payments to various federal agencies, including the National Parks Service and Department of Education. Prior to Trump’s gesture, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover donated their salaries to various charities and social causes. Vice President of the United States 2019: $235,1002000: $181,400 The vice presidents salary is decided separately from that of the president. Unlike the president, the vice president gets the automatic cost of living adjustment given to other federal employees as set annually by Congress. The vice president gets the same retirement benefits as those paid to other federal employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Cabinet Secretaries 2019: $210,7002010: $199,700 The salaries of the secretaries of the 15 federal departments that comprise the  President’s Cabinet  are set annually by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Congress. The cabinet secretaries—as well as the White House chief of staff, Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.N. ambassador and the U.S. trade representative—are all paid the same base salary. As of fiscal year 2019, all of these officials were paid $210,700 per year.   Legislative Branch - US Congress Rank-and-File Senators and Representatives 2019: $174,0002000: $141,300 Speaker of the House 2019: $223,5002000: $181,400 House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders 2019: $193,4002000: $156,900 For purposes of compensation, the 435 members of Congress–Senators and Representatives–are treated like other federal employees and are paid according to the Executive and Senior Executive pay schedules administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The OPM pay schedules for all federal employees are set annually by Congress. Since 2009, Congress has voted not to accept the annual automatic cost of living raise paid to federal employees. Even if Congress as a whole were to decide to accept the annual raise, individual members are free to turn it down. Many myths surround the retirement benefits of Congress. However, just like other federal employees, members of Congress elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System. Those elected prior to 1984 are covered by terms of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Judicial Branch Chief Justice of the United States 2019: $267,0002000: $181,400 Associate Justices of the Supreme Court 2019: $255,3002000: $173,600   District Judges 2019 $210,900 Circuit Judges 2019 $223,700 Like the members of Congress, federal judges–including Supreme Court justices–are paid according to the OPM’s Executive and Senior Executive pay schedules. In addition, federal judges get the same annual cost of living adjustment given to other federal employees. Under Article III of the Constitution, the compensation of the Supreme Court justices â€Å"shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.† However, the salaries of lower federal judges may be adjusted without direct constitutional constraints. The retirement benefits of Supreme Court justices are indeed â€Å"supreme.† Retired justices are entitled to a lifetime pension equal to their highest full salary. In order to qualify for a full pension, retiring justices must have served for a minimum of 10 years provided the sum of the justices age and years of Supreme Court service totals 80.