Oppression in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou :: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Oppression in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou In the process of compiling the literary works I intended to include in this project, I began to notice a common thread that connected the works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that I generally choose to read. That common tie that binds these books together is that they all seem to center, in one form or another, around the theme of oppression. Perhaps this is because I have some deep psychological need to diffuse the power struggles I experience within myself by gleaning insight from the pages of someone else’s experience. Or, perhaps it is merely because I have a predisposition to â€Å"root for the underdog†. Regardless of the reason, be it simple or complex, almost everything I read seems to engage a â€Å"David and Goliath† scenario. Take for example, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. There is no doubt in my mind that the mental institution that comprises the primary setting of the narrative is intended as a metaphor of societal oppression. This symbolic novel relays the story of an inmate standing up against the powerful forces that operate a psychiatric hospital, but it represents much more than just a classic case of â€Å"man versus the establishment†. The questions raised by Kesey are almost as chilling as his descriptive tales of inmate abuse. Kesey compelled me to ponder just how thin the line is that separates insanity from sanity, and treatment from control. Representing a heroic struggle of personality against an institution of mindless conformity, I found â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest† to be one powerful piece of literature. Similarly, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, which I first read the summer after I graduated high school, is a tale of oppression that translates into a deeply moving novel chronicling the ups and downs of a black family in the 1930’s and 1940’s. A myriad of historical and social issues are addressed, including race relations in the pre-civil rights south, segregated schools, sexual abuse, patriotism and religion. Autobiographical in nature, this tumultuous story centers around Marguerite Johnson, affectionately called "Maya", and her coast-to-coast life experiences. From the simple, backwards town of Stamps, Arkansas to the high-energy city life of San Francisco and St. Louis, Maya is assaulted by prejudice in almost every nook and cranny of society, until she finally learns to overcome her insecurities and be proud of who she is.

Psychoanalysis, Popular Culture and Media Essay

Psychoanalysis is the science of the unconscious functions of the mind and personality. The theories originate from Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. He discovered these as a treatment for health problems and also as a way to understanding more about your mind. In this essay I am going to discuss how these theories discovered many years ago have contributed to popular culture and media. Sigmund Freud divided the soul into the conscious and the unconscious. The conscious is the part of which we are mentally aware and in contrast the unconscious is where all are restrained wishes are stored. Freud stated that: â€Å"Each individual who makes a fresh entry into human society repeats this sacrifice of instinctual satisfaction for the benefit of the whole community†(Storey 2001:91). He also added: â€Å"Society believes that no greater threat to its civilization could arise than if the sexual instincts were to be liberated and returned to their original aims†(Storey 2001:91). What Freud is saying here is that we are born imperfect with many instinctual drives. From social to sexual drives, basically anything that are ID desires. He believes that these instinctual desires, especially sexual have to be restrained in the unconscious as they would have a detrimental act on society if they were to be followed through and would cause us to act in inappropriate manner to the views of our cultural society. This is where psychoanalysis demonstrates to us how it contributes to media and popular culture. It does this by teaching us certain ways to behave in order to fit in. There are right and wrong ways and psychoanalysis gives us an explanation to how our soul teaches us the appropriate mannerisms. Freud continued on with his discoveries and further divided the psyche into the ego, the ID and the superego. The ID is something we are born with and is totally unconscious. It is driven by the pleasure principle which means that it wants instant satisfaction for all its desires. Freud described the ID as the: â€Å"dark, inaccessible part of our personality†(Storey 2001:92) It is impossible to change our ID and are instinctual desires. The ego is the reality part of personality. It tries to satisfy the ID and its desires after weighing up the pros and cons and waiting until an appropriate time to do so. It develops as in becomes more in touch with culture, furthermore creating the superego. The superego is where we adopt qualities from people who have learnt how to cope in society, mainly are parents and other important figures in our lives at the time. By learning from other people and from what we hear and see on television etc we determine a sense of right and wrong. As a result, our superego helps to restrain the unacceptable urges of the ID, and tries to make the ego act in an appropriate manner that society expects and requires. Furthermore this psychoanalysis theory and breakdown of the psyche demonstrates to us how culture and media play a fundamental role on how we act in society. Its like a big circle, we learn how to act from elders and society and then people learn from us and so on. John Storey describes the superego as â€Å"the voice of culture† as it is what we learn from and Freud says that â€Å"our nature is governed by culture†(Storey 2001:92). He believes that human nature is in fact something that is not natural and controlled by the ever changing culture and media at that particular time. In my opinion, the ego of a person depends on the era they live, who they are surrounded by, the media and many other social and cultural factors. We learn from our contact with society and culture and that includes who we are with or what we here on TV, or see in the newspapers. Whether it be intentional or not, we consume all of that information and that forms are opinions on what is right and wrong etc and makes us who we are. We are in fact controlled by culture and what is going on around us, as this is the make up of our personality and determines the way we act in society. Furthermore, the superego keeps everything in balance. Without it we would be driven by our pleasure principle (ID) and not know how to express are opinions correctly or behave, essentially causing havoc. This results in their being a constant, ongoing conflict between the pleasure and reality principle. In conclusion, Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan have been greatly influential when it comes to culture and media. In my opinion the theory of psychoanalysis can be seen in everyday life when it comes to watching films etc as everything can be interpreted and has an effect on us. It had a large impact on how sound work in early childhood development and also in cinema. Psychoanalysis can be used to interpret different meanings, and what you get from it can vary from observer to observer. The cinema is full of hidden meanings and tempting us with desires. Slavoj Zizek states that: â€Å"The cinema doesn’t give you what you desire, it tells you how to desire† (Zizek:2007). When we are watching a film our instinctual drives are not fulfilled but it tells us how we should desire, and can be seen as a form of release. Many would argue that not every human desire has to be taught such as sleeping or drinking but many would argue they are not desires just basic needs. For an actual fact the desire is in the quantity of how much we want. The media affects are desires greatly by large and effective ad campaigns. Take for example McDonalds, the ad campaigns, the way they make the food look and its popularity entices us to desire it. If there wasn’t thousands of them an it wasn’t that popular I doubt we would desire it as much, however, it’s a big part of our fast-food culture. Psychoanalysis is very effective and demonstrates to us how our psyche works.

Gym Layout Structure - 1001 Words

OPERATION MANAGEMENT Case Problem 7.1 WORKOUT PLUS Workout plus is a health club that offers a full range of services to its clients. Recently, two others fitness club have opened up in a town, threatening workout’s solvency. While Workout is tops among serious fitness buffs, it has not attracted a wide spectrum of members, Shannon Hiller, owner and manager, has decided it’s time to face lift. She started the process by sponsoring a week long â€Å"ideathon† among all club members. Nonmembers who frequented an adjacent grocery store were also canvassed for suggestions. Their comments are provided below, along with the current facility layout. Free Weights | Circuit Training | Aerobics Room | Cardio Machines |†¦show more content†¦Aerobic Room | Shower Rooms amp; Toilet | Circuit trainings | Power Yoga Room | Breathing Yoga Room | Free Weights | Cardio Machine(a) | Trampoline | Cardio Machine (b) | Light Machine Area | ENTRY AT GYM | Heavy Machine Area | SOLUTION I have prepared a new process lay out diagram for a face lift of Workout plus. This is an especially designed process layout for services. In which, I have tried to simplify the process for the different types of visitors visiting the gym, with some extra services and facilities added. Below you can see the diagram of new process layout: As you can see, in this new lay out plan for ‘workout plus’, I have introduced many new services and also changed into the new face of gym. In previous lay out plan it was bit mismanaged and I have never felt the need of change due to no competition in gym services around that area. This new lay out plan will not just improve the quality of its previous services but will also add many new extra customers in peak hours and off peak hours. How? At the entrance of Gym I have characterized that there are two types of customer which currently visiting our gym during peak hours, On one hand those who prefer Light machines (mostly females) and on the other hand those who prefer Heavy machines ( mostly males). During ourShow MoreRelatedEssay On Web Development Life Cycle1038 Words   |  5 Pagesas follows: Phase One: Information Gathering Phase Two: Planning Phase Three: Design Phase Four: Development Phase Five: Testing and Delivery Phase Six: Maintenance (Design Studios, 2017) Both web design companies follow the structure of logical programming. The structure describes the logical sequence of development. Each step/ phase builds on the previous one and leads to the deliverable, the client’s website. Each company identifies the purpose, goal, target audience, contend and specific wishesRead MoreSports Program Proposal1001 Words   |  5 Pagesthat is not rigorous but offers them a chance to socialize and compete on various levels. Research The research conducted was on various other softball teams in surrounding areas and also the strength of softball teams on a national level as to structure a framework that will include competitive analysis of the benefits of the program. Conceptual Framework The framework of the program suggest larger amounts of seniors and persons with disabilities will participate due to various reason such asRead MoreBusiness Structure Of Infosys Ltd1497 Words   |  6 PagesHarsha Vijaykumar hvijayku@callutheran.edu Company: Infosys Ltd. Organization Structure Geography: Infosys Ltd has been in business for around three decades and is spread across 30 countries with 73 offices. The company headquarters is at Bangalore, which is well known as Silicon Valley of India. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state and well known as one among the main technology hubs of India. LinkedIn said in its official blog that it mined data over 300 million profiles to identify 52Read MoreGolf-Course: Teeing Up a New Strategic Direction1533 Words   |  7 Pagesadding which kind of service (spa, swimming pool, tennis court, etc) member consider more necessary in order to serve members better and make MGCC as favorite golf club in Canada. Also, questions regarding to the condition and quality of Golf-course layout, must be defined in the survey, and more narrow questions regarding providing dining for casual adult and casual family dining, etc should be put in the survey. DESCRIBE THE SAMPLING STRATEGY. HOW APPROPRIATE WERE THE VARIOUS SAMPLING DESIGN DECISIONSRead MoreResearch From Data Collected From The Upper Intermediate Group Of Students914 Words   |  4 Pagesvery fluent in English language, and very confident in practising their language skills, whereas others less so. Their interests are varied; however there are some common themes that they share as a group: many enjoy physical activity, going to the gym, participating in sports, and walking. There are also quite a few students with young children, who all enjoy spending time with their families. Another common thread is that they are all learning for work or educational purposes, with a couple studyingRead MoreComputer Cardio Equipment : Building Health Club1773 Words   |  8 Pagesan easy access to the car park. Launched back in 2009, the Keysborough gym expands over two levels and now offers the experience to improve the customers’ health and motivation. The Re-Creation Health Clubs renovations are now complete bringing a new Keysborough gym with a fresh new design, a new attitude to fitness and sets a new standard for health and fitness in the community. Complete with an incipient plenarily equipped gym, pristinely incipient state of the art cardio equipment, with three groupRead MoreReflecton on my Intrapersonal Effectiveness in an Organizational Setting1115 Words   |  5 PagesTravaglione, 2013). In fact, my neuroticism would most likely affect my openness to experience, as I tend to respond over-emotionally to situations or events that I find stressful. For example, significant change or trying new things such as joining a gym or altering plans at the last minute (Neuroticism / Emotional stability, 2014). I am slightly surprised and confused by my level of agreeableness as shown in my results. I can be short-tempered and irritable, which is the opposite of an agreeable personRead MorePersonal Statement On Leadership Values1104 Words   |  5 Pagesschool, jobs, clubs, and volunteering. This made practice hectic because our game plan was all over the place. A structure we used was having a same layout for each practice. Even though we might have a toss up of what drills we might do, practice always started with a warm up, stretching, learning skills, applying those skills with drills, and then a cool down. This was a good structure for athletes because they are used to having a set schedule and were most comfortable when they knew what is toRead MoreInternal And External Environments :1252 Words   |  6 Pagessurvey. What do you see as you drive through this community: parkland, terrain, dense housing, industry, pollution, climate, etc. For communities confined to a single location look at facilities and resources, eg, in a classroom you might look at size, layout, light, noise, temperature, and adequacy and state of repair of desks.) †¢ North Judson is a small town in the Wayne Township of Starke County, Indiana. The boundaries of North Judson include South 400 West, Sheridan Street, Route 10, Mint Road, OakwoodRead MoreEvaluation Of The Corrections Officers At The Allen County Juvenile Detention Center1669 Words   |  7 PagesThe ability to apply acquired knowledge in a situation outside the typical educational structure often results in exceptional learning. The experience of working with the corrections officers at the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center helped me to think critically about the application of justice. There is much that can be said specifically about the correction officers and some of their attitudes and actions. They do contribute to the atmosphere, however, changing other aspects such as the rules