Weekly Blog 18

Ever wonder why there is such thing a mosquitoes? They're such a pain in the butt. Even if I wear bug spray somehow they're still attracted to me, it makes no sense. Also, whenever mosquitoes bite, it doesn't really hurt but it's extremely irritating, and then I itch it and then it gets worse. UGH I HATE MOSQUITOES!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, why... WHY is there so many mosquitoes this year?! They're all over the place, even around my house and I don't even live by a forest. Man, mosquitoes just make me so mad. Mosquito bites also stay on my legs forever and they look super gross and unattractive and make me want to cry and wear jeans for the rest of the summer. Thank god there's such thing as After Bite, because man that stuff is my best friend.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - 5

What does the Chief mean when he says "It's the truth even if it didn't happen"?

Chief has a mental illness, and he's essentially doesn't have a clear mind. Chief is saying that he is a trustworthy narrator, and this is for the reader to decide if he is or not. Chief doesn’t really have a mental illness, in fact he pretends he’s deaf.

How does McMurphy differ from the other patients on the ward?

McMurphy differs from the other patients because he doesn't have anyone to care about or to bring him to his knees (what Chief believes). McMurphy is very outgoing and gets “the boys” of the ward together, he’s “the life of the party”. Also, McMurphy is different because he’s in the asylum to get out of a jail sentence, unlike the other men whom actually have some sort of mental illness.

Chapter 6 - 10

Is the Doctor a friend or enemy of McMurphy? What theme is advanced by the Doctor's response to McMurphy?

I don’t believe that McMurphy and the Doctor are not really friends, but I believe that the Doctor is manipulated by McMurphy. Although McMurphy breaks the rules several times like the fishing trip, carnival, and party, the Doctor respects McMurphy and keeps him in the asylum.

Why have Chapter 10? What's its purpose?

Chapter is spent describing “the boys” playing monopoly, joking, the games goes on and on, with the boys teasing and screwing around with each other and giving each other a hard time. I believe the purpose of this chapter is to show the relationship between these men, and how they could have fun in the asylum, although it’s a horrifying place.

Chapter 11 - 15

How does McMurphy's laughter keep him safe?

I think McMurphy’s laughter keeps him sane, which mostly keeps him safe from being exactly like the people in the asylum. Also, his laughter keeps nurse Ratched out of his head, and he can laugh away the thought of her.

The irony of the Public Relation man's statement "A man that would run away from a place as nice as this, why; there'd by something wrong with him." is fairly obvious. Explain it anyway.

Why does the fog make Bromden feel safe?

What is significant about Old Rawler's method of suicide?

The significance of Old Rawler’s method of suicide is the fact that he casterated himself shows that it’s sort of like the feelings the people have towards the ward, and the feelings that Old Rawler has toward it. The ward is like li

Chapter 16 – 20

How does Cheswick's death demonstrate the influence McMurphy has over the patients?

Now that Cheswick is dead, McMurphy feels like he can now help the other patients.

In chapter 20, again with the mechanical imagery. Why?

There is mechanical imagery in chapter 20 because McMurphy has stopped being the instigator and he’s trying to get out of the ward and Ratched is in control of the patients again.

Chapter 21 - 25

What theme does the interaction between Harding and his wife reinforce?

The fact that Harding and his wife argue about who is in charge of the marriage, it shows that there is a battle of the sexes. Meaning there is actually a fight about who is the better sex. This relationship is just like the one nurse Ratched has with the men of the asylum, she kind of wants to show them that she’s the better one.

Describe the overall effect of the fishing trip on the patients.

The fishing trip benefitted the patients by allowing them to actually have fun and get the thought of being locked in an asylum out of their head. Most of the patients, including Chief value the outside civilization and how it has changed since they have been locked up in the asylum. Most of the patients have fun, but McMurphy whom is having a hard time facing his past.

Chapter 26 - 29

Why does McMurphy reject Harding's escape plan?

He rejects it because the escape seem like it’s something off of a bad robber movie.

Would you smother McMurphy?

Yes I would, to put him out of his misery. 

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

http://www.shmoop.com/

http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/genre.html

http://www.shmoop.com/one-flew-over-cuckoos-nest/

Shmoop University. Shmoop. 18 May 2014. 15 April 2014

This website was created for teachers and students. It is designed to help anyone understand anything about any subject you desire help with. It also has many great chapter summaries on “Macbeth” and “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. This website has really helped me understand the play Macbeth, since the play is not in modern English, shmoop helped me understand the modern English side of the play and understand exactly what was going on in each act and scene. Shmoop also has chapter summaries from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, since the novel was somewhat confusing, shmoop helped me clearly understand what was going on it the book. Also, shmoop went beyond the book and let me understand what certain expressions in the book meant.

http://www.slideshare.net/ciaffaroni/jane-eyre-2467715

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni. Slide Share. 18 May 2014. Nov 10 2009.

This website helped me understand Jane Eyre in a different perspective. On this website people share their own slide shows which they have made, I find this very helpful especially since I always want to see what others say about the book. Also, in this link, Lorenzo Tosti, whom made the slideshow added some great information about the book and added detailed information about the characters. This slide show on the book Jane Eyre was uploaded by a teacher by the name of Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni, whom is a Teacher of English at LGS Augusto posted this slideshow on Nov 10, 2009. The slideshow was created by Lorenzo Tosti.

http://www.wiredforbooks.org/shakespeare/

Ohio University. Wired for books. April 2014.

This website was extremely useful to try to understand Macbeth since it’s an audio version. On this website, there is an audio recording of every act and scene, which was, in my opinion, very helpful. This was due to the fact that I can’t pronounce half the words in Macbeth, therefore having and audio version of the book was great because I had someone to read along with. The purpose of this website is obviously allowing students to have an audio version of Macbeth without having to read it by yourself. Sometimes some people, like me, have to hear it aloud to understand something. One thing that could be changed about this website is the ability to listen to the audio on the web page instead of having to download it. 

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/section10.rhtml

Sparknotes. Sparknotes:Jane Eyre. May15 2012.

This source from the website "Sparknotes" was used to help create my outline for my ISU essay. Sparknotes is quite helpful to provide information on popular novels and their information and study guides provide great research for students and understand deeper thought into novels. The intended audience for Sparknotes is for students to learn and study the novels they are currently working on in school, also some teachers may use sparknotes to fully understand a novel before teaching it. What helped me the most was to be able to pick out certain things about the book to add to my outline, basically the major themes of the book.

Anonymous. Poem Hunter. 21 May 2014. 21 May 2014

http://www.poemhunter.com/lawrence-ferlinghetti/

This website was used whilst the creating of our poetry presentation on Lawrence Ferlinghetti. We mainly used this website when we were told to find some of Ferlinghetti's most popular poems and annotate/ analyze them. The point  of this website is to share some of poets most famous writings and people are able to leave comments below and share what they thing the poems means, what the main themes are, or even comment on the poem itself and share what the poem made them feel like. Also, poem hunter gives you not only the poem, but some basic background information of the poem itself. One thing this website could change is add some basic information on all of the poems they have posted. 

Weekly Blog 17

The school year is going by too fast and it's going to give me a heart attack. Probably not, but it's stressing me out. I should really look into doing some kind of yoga. I hate the end of the year, it means assignments upon assignments, and tests upon tests. In fact, I have a biology test coming up next week and a chem test coming up the week after that, and probably an English test sometime in the next two weeks. Oh, and on top of all that Kumahor has been giving us a bunch of assignments, totally not a good time.

I just can't wait until it's all over, but I don't want to write my exams... I'm too nervous. Then grade 12, which makes me want to cry inside... I don't  want to grow up. Life is going by too fast, and I never really take the time to enjoy it.

Weekly Blog 16

The weather this week was absolutely beautiful. Finally the warm weather is coming along. The warm weather is telling us that summer is just around the corner! Honestly, this school year has gone by so fast, sometimes I still think I'm in grade 10. Don't judge me, I can tell I'm getting older. Anyways, back to the nice weather. I can't wait until it's summer and i can just be lazy and float around my pool on my inflatable chair, or go boating.

This warm weather is honestly so nice after the long bitter winter we've had, it was absolutely brutal. But, on the bright side we have nice warm weather now and it's lovely. Warm weather puts nothing but a smile on my face, actually maybe a sunburn, and maybe a some bug bites as well. Looking forward to summer 2014!

Weekly Blog 15

This week was pretty hectic. The school year has almost come to an end and I'm not mentally prepared for it. There's just so much to do, so many assignments, so many tests, and everything is coming too fast. On top of all that I have track and I'm missing a bunch of school and it's all so stressful.

Although this week was stressful I also had my g2 test on Wednesday and I passed. So, I'm pretty proud of myself about that. Also, I had prom Friday and that went well. I thought prom would be crappy, but I was wrong. It was actually quite fun and I'm sad it's over.

Hopefully I'll be able to survive the next couple of stressful weeks.

ISU outline

ISU outline

T- Jane sacrifices her independence, morals, and self-respect for love.


R- Independence 

E- At the beginning Jane is extremely hard headed, however by the end, Jane is a complete softy for Rochester.

E- Jane doesn't want anyone to rely on in the beginning of the book, by the end, Jane completely relies on Rochester.

E- Jane gives up her fortune and property for Rochester once she gets married to him.


R- Morals 

E- Chose Rochester over St. John.

E- Falls in love with Rochester, although he already has a wife.

E- Jane goes with Rochester's lies.


R- Self-respect

E- Rochester is rude to Jane

E- Jane feels worthless after leaving Rochester.

E- Jane goes back to Rochester. 

Unit 5 Newspaper Article

The Rockland Daily 

History Of Depression  

By: Megan Koch

Depression is very common nowadays, in fact about 11% of men and 15% of women in Canada will experience some sort of depression through their lifetime. However, no one really thinks about the history of depression, and how patients were treated. Depression was previously known as melancholia. Some of the treatments used to treat melancholia were things such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), and Lobotomy. Electroconvulsive therapy is when seizures are electrically induced into patients. ECT is one of the fastest ways to have relief of depression. ECT is in fact still used today, it remains misunderstood by the general public. The procedure's risks and side effects are due to the misuse of equipment, incorrect administration, or improperly trained staff. Of course, in the 1950’s patients died due to improper training, but it’s quite safe nowadays and is only used if pills and other treatments don’t work. Lobotomy is one of the most gruesome treatments to cure depression, unlike ECT. Lobotomy consists of cutting or scraping away most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain. It was in America where an Irish mine worker had an iron bar javelined into the front part of his head during an explosion that actually led way to lobotomies. In a lobotomy a sharp ice pick was inserted on top the patient’s eyeballs through the orbit of the eye. Then, gruesomely enough would be moved back and forth, cutting off most connections to the brain.

Most of the gruesome treatments practiced on patients are not done today, they stopped once anti-depressants came out. Nowadays ECT is used only in severe cases, other than that therapy and anti-depressants are used. One thing that in my mind should be changed nowadays is to stop giving patients antidepressants and let them overcome their depression on their own, and only give the pills in very serious cases. Antidepressants are given to many people around the world and cause many side effects.

Bibliography

Unknown. Health Canada . 9 February 2009. 12 May 2014.

—. WEB MD. n.d. 12 May 2014.

—. Wikipedia . n.d. 12 May 2014 .

Journal Entries

Journal Entry #1:
October 13th, 1955

Dear Journal,

I have been put in an asylum because my parents thought I was "crazy". Just because I've been acting differently, differently as in I liked to spend time to myself and I'm always sad lately. My parents always favour my brother, Hans. Hans always does everything right, according to them. Everything I do something for my father, Hans always takes credit for it. For example, last week my father told me to fix up the old tractor that's been sitting in  the yard for years, I did so, Hans took credit for it. I told my father Hans had been lying, but then I was slapped across the face and my father yelled "Why can't you be as truthful as Hans?" So, I've been feeling kind of down, and I always feel sad.

Love, Josef

Journal Entry #2:
July 12th, 1964

Dear Journal,

It's almost been 10 years, 10 years in this dreadful place. They treat me like a pile of crap, the nurse Helga beats me everyday. She always tells me to cheer up. I just can't and when I try to be happy for once, I just think about the old times and get upset all over again. Helga is nasty, I'm her patient, she could at least try to be nice to me. It seems like all these nurses think us, the patients, are contagious or something. My parents haven't come to visit, ever. It's like they don't even care about me anymore, they treat  me as if I were dead. I don't know why though, I asked Helga why my parents won't come visit it me and she told me it's because "I'm insane". I'm 27 now, I should be married and have my own child and taken over the family farm. I bet Hans has a great life because he's like an only child now.

I really don't like it here in the asylum, I find being locked up here makes me feel crazier. Some of the men here are very scary, they just sit there and laugh at you. Some of them get really mad, and start beating you up for no reason. I just want to go home, as bad as it was, it was better than where I am now.

Love, Josef

Journal Entry #3:
December 10th, 1975

Dear Journal,

It's been 20 years, still no sight of my parents. Helga and the other nurses are no long here, I'm quite happy about it. The nurses we have now aren't that bad, they don't treat me as if I were contagious anymore. They found out that I actually have a mental illness named depression. Depression is an illness that affects ones mood. It makes you feel hopeless, anxious, empty, worried, etc.
I guess the reason why I have depression is the fact that I never felt loved, and I never got any attention. I wrote a letter to my parents explaining what's actually wrong with me, and I still haven't gotten a reply. It's been 2 months. I just want my parents to love me and not think that I was contagious, in fact depression happens to many people.

Unfortunately, there's no cure to depression... yet. I hope before I die, there will be a cure. I just want to be happy again.

Love, Josef

Journal Entry #4:
October 14th, 1985

Dear Journal,

30 years and one day. Finally, I'm starting to get cured. There's this lady i go talk to everyday, her name is Nadia. She's actually very nice and she helps me overcome what I have gone through in these past couple of years. I was told my parents had passed away, too bad I couldn't talk to them one last time. I'm 46 now, and I was put in an asylum when I was 16. Hans came to visit me one day and said sorry, and he had given a note that my mother had wrote on her death bed. She claimed she was sorry and a bunch of other crap. But, I actually wanted to hear a real sorry, one that she really meant. She could have just written something. I've been isolated for several years because I was "crazy". I'm going to bed in rehab for the next month then I'll be living with Hans and I'll try to find a job.

Love, Josef

Journal Entry #5:
June 16th, 1990

Dear Journal,

I've been living with Hans for the past couple of months, and they've found a cure for depression. I've become happier due to my pills called "anti-depressants" and with the help of my therapist, Nadia. Nadia helped me overcome my fears and she made me feel happier. Nadia was much better than the nurses I had at the asylum, every day at the asylum was pure hell, and I didn't have enough food. I was skinny and weak, but I am finally better and living a happy life. I met this wonderful woman by the name of Maria, she has her own farm and she too was in an asylum for years for depression. That brought us closer and we are to get married next summer. I'm happy I'm living such a great life, and I have to thank everyone whom had found a cure for depression.

Love, Josef

ISU- thesis

In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, the protagonist Jane Eyre, sacrifices her independence, morals, and her self respect for love.

The Process

Explore the Mental Health History Timeline, especially noting changes that occurred in the 50 years since McMurphy's death. 

Mental Health History:

• People with mental health issues were locked up in Asylums, whilst trying to fix the issue by proceeding gruesome and terrifying experiments on the patients. 
• Mental health was seen as a bad thing, and people feared it. 
• In the 20th century there were many insane Asylums. 
• Funding was often cut for Asylums, and many patients starved to death. 
• In Nazi Germany over 200, 000 people with a mental health disorder were put to death, their deaths received little historical attention. 
• Not many treatments for mental health. 

Changes in Mental health 50 years after McMurphy’s death:

• People have become more aware of mental health issues. 
• More funding for mental heath research provided by the government. 
• Techniques to treat patients are far from being as horrifying as back then.
• Students learn about mental health in school.
• Treated as a normal disease, can happen to anyone. 
• Lots of treatments for mental health. 

Explore the history of one particular hospital thorough David H. Clark's article, "The Story of a Mental Hospital: Fulbourn, 1858-1983," again, taking particular note of the period between the late 1950's and the present.
FULBOURN, 1858-1983
Then:

• Lack of funding, patients starved. 
• Abusing patients. 
• No therapy, no real treatment. 
• Treated as if they were contagious or lower than others. 

Now: 

• Many treatments available for mental health issues, such as pills, and therapy. 
• Human rights, no abusing patients. 
• Treated as normal human beings. 
• Lots of funding for mental health.

Learn about the practice of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).

• Electroconvulsive Therapy is electrically induced causing a seizure. 
• Used to "treat" depression and mania. 

Learn more about the practice of Lobotomies.

• Lobotomies are when there is cutting or scraping into the skull, then breaking connections to the brain.

Read about the practice of Institutionalization, taking special note of changes and/or progress over time.

• Patient numbers dropped to sudden deaths. 
• Nowadays such thing wouldn't happen due to our treatments available. 

Go beyond. Google search terms related to your article (i.e. "mental health," "shock therapy," "electroconvulsive therapy," "lobotomy").

 

Mental health: a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.

Shock therapy: treatment of chronic mental conditions by electroconvulsive therapy or by inducing physiological shock.

Electroconvulsive therapy: the administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma

Lobotomy: a surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness.

Asylum: institution offering shelter and support to people who are mentally ill.

Patient: a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.

Weekly Blog 14

Finally the warm weather has come. Although I have a massive sunburn on my face, I'm still loving this weather. It's starting to feel like summer, and hopefully this nice weather is here to stay. I was dreading the cold weather and long winter, it was horrible. I like to be in the warmth.

Apparently next week it's supposed to rain all week, which is kind of a buzz kill because this whole week has been beautiful. Especially Friday, which ended with a massive thunderstorm. Although I hate thunderstorms, they come along with warm weather. So, I guess they're not that bad.