Saturday, February 5, 2011
Research Paper on Obesity
Influence of Fast and Processed Foods on the Obesity Epidemic
Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States, and other countries as well. Since obesity is when a person has a large amount of excess body fat, they need to achieve a healthy weight by losing the excess body fat. To maintain the control weight, “the number of calories people consume must not exceed the number they expend,” (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Oct.18.2010). This is saying, do not consume more calories than one is going to burn off; it makes weight control sound simple and easy. In our society, it is not easy because we are surrounded by processed and fast foods that are unhealthy in many aspects, including their content and size. Obesity is caused by the influenced and manipulated choices one makes by the extreme availability of processed and fast foods. The high sugar content in processed foods can lead to a food addiction, which will lead to weight gain. The additive of MSG in processed foods can destine someone for the risk of obesity if MSG is over consumed. In fast foods, there is lack of nutrition causing there to be a high content of fat and salt, which is difficult to expend as many calories that are taken in, which is results in a gain of weight. Large portion sizes are often encouraged at home and in restaurants that exceed the healthy amount of calories that need to be taken in for someone to maintain a healthy body weight.
Processed foods are high in sugars, which can create a hormonal imbalance and alteration that can give the body addictions to food. The term food addiction “implies there is a biochemical condition in the body that creates a physiological craving for specific foods,” according to the Food Summit. Someone may have a food addiction when they meet certain criteria or signs of a food addiction. Tolerance, which is applied in this case to mean that one needs an increased amount of food, and receives the same, desired effect. Withdrawal, another criterion for a sign of a food addiction, is when the substance is stopped being taken in, and the person in response has physiological symptoms that lead them to develop a food addiction. Other signs of food addictions include unintentional overuse, and attempts of decreasing the consumption and receiving an unsuccessful result. How is the food addiction triggered? Well, it is thought that the cause is from a diet rich in sugar, which is found too frequently in processed foods. Dr. Serge Ahmed, a French researcher, concluded that the body can become addicted to foods due to the “super stimulation of our brain receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, generate a supernormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus lead to addiction” (The Food Addiction Summit Oct18.2010). This shows that sugar-rich diets can cause the human brain to disregard self-control mechanisms, which, in turn, leads to the food addiction because the brain does not know how to control the addiction. To prove that sugar is the cause of the food addiction, an experiment was conducted on the correlation between rats and sugar consumption. When the rats were fed more sugar, they had “demonstrated a behavioral pattern on increased intake” (Food Addiction Summit Oct. 20. 2010), which is a sign of a food addiction. With conjunction of the rats’ “subsequent signs of withdrawal” (Food Addiction Summit Oct 20. 2010), this proves the rats became addicted to the sugar. As Dr. Ahmed said, there is vast availability of sugar in the modern society. This sugar is found in the processed foods that the modern society has made readily available. This justifies that the body can become addicted to food; because of the high content of sugar in processed foods, and extreme availability of it, obesity is partly caused by the food addictions that are caused by the processed foods.
MSG in processed foods, essentially, destines someone for the risk of obesity if they are over consumed. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an excitotoxin, which overexcites and kills neurons. This can lead to cell damage or death. MSG is harmful to people because there is a natural version and also a processed version. Since part of MSG is composed of an amino acid, this means it is a protein because proteins are made up of amino acids. Being a protein, shape is key; this means that when the shape is changed, the protein’s function is changed. Naturally, MSG is shaped one way, but in its processed form, it is the mirror image of the natural version of MSG, making the processed form an isomer of MSG. This may sound like the same chemical, but it is not. To explain how they are mirror images, these isomers can be analogized to your right and left hands; they are the same body part yet they are opposites of each other. Since the MSG isomers are slightly different shapes in their natural and processed compositions, their function is slightly different as well. In the processed form of MSG, its effect on the body is different than the natural version, specifically, on the pancreas. When too much MSG is consumed, the pancreas overproduces insulin. The insulin will then rush to store any available sugar into fat. Typically, MSG is in foods with fat and sugar, so this creates an even worse affect on the body, causing weight gain. The access fat that the MSG causes the pancreas to produce causes “blood sugar levels to drop and the person become hungry, tired, and ready to eat again,” (Msgtruth.org Oct. 18.2010). Since the consumer feels ready to eat again, they usually eat more, causing an increase in weight. Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer that is commonly found in KFC’s, McDonald’s, and Burger King’s food, which is also high in fat. Also it is in processed food such as Doritos and Cheetos. For example, Chick-Fil-A’s “The Chicken has MSG in it. MSG is the second ingredient in the seasonings after salt” (msgthruth.org Oct 26.2010). This shows that there is a very high content of MSG in Chick-Fil-A’s processed, fast food chicken sandwich, leading to a high intake of MSG and a chain reaction of other steps that leads to weight gain, and eventually obesity. The processed version of MSG causes the pancreas to affect other parts of the body, which greatly enhances the chances of weight gain leading to obesity.
The lack of nutrition in fast foods leads to an inclination in the risk of obesity because, typically, when eating this type of food, calorie intake is greater than what the body burns, resulting in weight gain. Many fast food companies provide the nutritional facts on their food, but that does not make their food healthier or stop most of their costumers from consuming it. The food they provide is composed of “highly refined products…that have had most of their nutritional content stripped away” (organicconsumers.org 10.26) causing the consumers at fast foods chains to eat extremely unhealthy food that they believe is healthy for them. Jamie Oliver, a well-known accredited nutrition expert, is spreading the message about unhealthy fast foods. He supports the deceiving food labels and is spreading the message that “is about trying to get the public angry, as they should be, about the terrible labeling of products”. Oliver’s professional opinion and accredited knowledge show that the public is deceived by what the fast food companies promote. The majority of fast food consumers are unable to expend the number of calories they take in because of the high salt and high fat content present in the fast food that are eaten. For example, a double whooper with cheese, a medium fry, and an apple pie at Burger King has more saturated fat than the American Heart Association recommends we consume in two days. This, obviously, exceeds the amount of fat the typical person can expend in a day. Many Americans, specifically “most adults, consume 3500mg of sodium per say, with more than 75% of dietary sodium coming from packages and restaurant foods,” (theheart.org 12.26). This staggering fact proves that there is a substantially high amount of sodium present in fast foods, which is extremely unhealthy for everyone, whether small or large. Research shows that “the more often a person eats out, the more body fat he or she has,” (win.niddk.nih.gov) which is the first step towards obesity. The poor labeling along with the effects of extremely high salt and fat content in fast foods are factors that help to prove that fast food is one of the causes of the obesity epidemic in America.
The consumption of larger portion sizes than what is needed to reach a healthy equilibrium of calorie intake and expending is a prominent factor in attaining obesity. Restaurants are a prime example that displays portion sizes larger than what is healthy. Some people resort to fast food restaurants when they do not want to cook, do not have enough time to cook, or for a multitude of other reasons. These reasons cause people to eat at “fast food joints because… all that mattered was that it was fast and cheap,” (organicconsumers.org 10.26) which proves that individuals do not consider the portion size they consume; they just consume it because it is cheap and quick. This proves that “the phenomenon of unknowingly eating larger amounts when presented with a large portion” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010) is supported to show that weight is gained when larger portions are eaten. BL Rolls, EL Morris, and LS Roe, scientists researching obesity conducted a study that “tested how adults responded to meals on different days with four different portion sizes of macaroni and cheese,” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010). This test gave results that reflect what happens when people are confronted with different portion sizes. The study’s result found that “the bigger the portion, the more participants ate,” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010). These results show that when people have a larger portion in front of them, they will, typically, eat the entire portion. The effect portion size has on obesity is also reflected in a study conducted by Pudel and Oetting. This study consisted of the participants eating soup, but “on the fourth day, researchers secretly substituted trick bowls that slowly refilled from a hidden reservoir under the table,” (cdc.gov Oct. 26.2010). By this study, researchers were able to give the participants larger portions without them realizing they were consuming more food. The results of this study concluded that people consumed more food when they were prevented with a larger portion size; therefore, they ate more food than what was needed, resulting in an intake of more food than what it is healthy to be eating on a regular basis. These studies conducted by various scientists show that portion sizes affect all Americans, whether in restaurants or at home. When a consistent intake of larger portions is consumed, and the calories that are taken in are not expended, then a weight gain is the result, which is a prime factor of obesity.
The high sugar content of processed foods can lead to and then create food addictions in the body. A vast amount of MSG, along with fat-filled foods, will create a huge risk for obesity when they are over consumed. Fast foods have too many calories than what the body typically expends in a day; therefore, leading to weight gain and then obesity. A prominent factor in contributions towards attaining obesity also includes larger portion size consumption than what the healthy amount is needed for an equal amount of calorie intake to output. Processed foods, MSG content fast foods, and large portions are all contributing factors towards obesity. These factors influence and manipulate the choices one makes because these types of processed and fast foods are available in the multitude. Obesity is a major problem in America and other countries across the world. As Jamie Oliver has said, “If everyone in the world that wants to cook the food from fresh, but they can’t buy the food from fresh, that’s a problem”. By this he means, the large amount of processed and fast foods in our society are deceiving us to believe that some foods are healthy when, in actuality, they are not fresh, salubrious food products. As this epidemic is growing, with obesity on the rise, the unhealthy choices people are influenced by need to be cut out of their diets to promote a healthy, nutritious life-style.
Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States, and other countries as well. Since obesity is when a person has a large amount of excess body fat, they need to achieve a healthy weight by losing the excess body fat. To maintain the control weight, “the number of calories people consume must not exceed the number they expend,” (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Oct.18.2010). This is saying, do not consume more calories than one is going to burn off; it makes weight control sound simple and easy. In our society, it is not easy because we are surrounded by processed and fast foods that are unhealthy in many aspects, including their content and size. Obesity is caused by the influenced and manipulated choices one makes by the extreme availability of processed and fast foods. The high sugar content in processed foods can lead to a food addiction, which will lead to weight gain. The additive of MSG in processed foods can destine someone for the risk of obesity if MSG is over consumed. In fast foods, there is lack of nutrition causing there to be a high content of fat and salt, which is difficult to expend as many calories that are taken in, which is results in a gain of weight. Large portion sizes are often encouraged at home and in restaurants that exceed the healthy amount of calories that need to be taken in for someone to maintain a healthy body weight.
Processed foods are high in sugars, which can create a hormonal imbalance and alteration that can give the body addictions to food. The term food addiction “implies there is a biochemical condition in the body that creates a physiological craving for specific foods,” according to the Food Summit. Someone may have a food addiction when they meet certain criteria or signs of a food addiction. Tolerance, which is applied in this case to mean that one needs an increased amount of food, and receives the same, desired effect. Withdrawal, another criterion for a sign of a food addiction, is when the substance is stopped being taken in, and the person in response has physiological symptoms that lead them to develop a food addiction. Other signs of food addictions include unintentional overuse, and attempts of decreasing the consumption and receiving an unsuccessful result. How is the food addiction triggered? Well, it is thought that the cause is from a diet rich in sugar, which is found too frequently in processed foods. Dr. Serge Ahmed, a French researcher, concluded that the body can become addicted to foods due to the “super stimulation of our brain receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, generate a supernormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus lead to addiction” (The Food Addiction Summit Oct18.2010). This shows that sugar-rich diets can cause the human brain to disregard self-control mechanisms, which, in turn, leads to the food addiction because the brain does not know how to control the addiction. To prove that sugar is the cause of the food addiction, an experiment was conducted on the correlation between rats and sugar consumption. When the rats were fed more sugar, they had “demonstrated a behavioral pattern on increased intake” (Food Addiction Summit Oct. 20. 2010), which is a sign of a food addiction. With conjunction of the rats’ “subsequent signs of withdrawal” (Food Addiction Summit Oct 20. 2010), this proves the rats became addicted to the sugar. As Dr. Ahmed said, there is vast availability of sugar in the modern society. This sugar is found in the processed foods that the modern society has made readily available. This justifies that the body can become addicted to food; because of the high content of sugar in processed foods, and extreme availability of it, obesity is partly caused by the food addictions that are caused by the processed foods.
MSG in processed foods, essentially, destines someone for the risk of obesity if they are over consumed. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an excitotoxin, which overexcites and kills neurons. This can lead to cell damage or death. MSG is harmful to people because there is a natural version and also a processed version. Since part of MSG is composed of an amino acid, this means it is a protein because proteins are made up of amino acids. Being a protein, shape is key; this means that when the shape is changed, the protein’s function is changed. Naturally, MSG is shaped one way, but in its processed form, it is the mirror image of the natural version of MSG, making the processed form an isomer of MSG. This may sound like the same chemical, but it is not. To explain how they are mirror images, these isomers can be analogized to your right and left hands; they are the same body part yet they are opposites of each other. Since the MSG isomers are slightly different shapes in their natural and processed compositions, their function is slightly different as well. In the processed form of MSG, its effect on the body is different than the natural version, specifically, on the pancreas. When too much MSG is consumed, the pancreas overproduces insulin. The insulin will then rush to store any available sugar into fat. Typically, MSG is in foods with fat and sugar, so this creates an even worse affect on the body, causing weight gain. The access fat that the MSG causes the pancreas to produce causes “blood sugar levels to drop and the person become hungry, tired, and ready to eat again,” (Msgtruth.org Oct. 18.2010). Since the consumer feels ready to eat again, they usually eat more, causing an increase in weight. Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer that is commonly found in KFC’s, McDonald’s, and Burger King’s food, which is also high in fat. Also it is in processed food such as Doritos and Cheetos. For example, Chick-Fil-A’s “The Chicken has MSG in it. MSG is the second ingredient in the seasonings after salt” (msgthruth.org Oct 26.2010). This shows that there is a very high content of MSG in Chick-Fil-A’s processed, fast food chicken sandwich, leading to a high intake of MSG and a chain reaction of other steps that leads to weight gain, and eventually obesity. The processed version of MSG causes the pancreas to affect other parts of the body, which greatly enhances the chances of weight gain leading to obesity.
The lack of nutrition in fast foods leads to an inclination in the risk of obesity because, typically, when eating this type of food, calorie intake is greater than what the body burns, resulting in weight gain. Many fast food companies provide the nutritional facts on their food, but that does not make their food healthier or stop most of their costumers from consuming it. The food they provide is composed of “highly refined products…that have had most of their nutritional content stripped away” (organicconsumers.org 10.26) causing the consumers at fast foods chains to eat extremely unhealthy food that they believe is healthy for them. Jamie Oliver, a well-known accredited nutrition expert, is spreading the message about unhealthy fast foods. He supports the deceiving food labels and is spreading the message that “is about trying to get the public angry, as they should be, about the terrible labeling of products”. Oliver’s professional opinion and accredited knowledge show that the public is deceived by what the fast food companies promote. The majority of fast food consumers are unable to expend the number of calories they take in because of the high salt and high fat content present in the fast food that are eaten. For example, a double whooper with cheese, a medium fry, and an apple pie at Burger King has more saturated fat than the American Heart Association recommends we consume in two days. This, obviously, exceeds the amount of fat the typical person can expend in a day. Many Americans, specifically “most adults, consume 3500mg of sodium per say, with more than 75% of dietary sodium coming from packages and restaurant foods,” (theheart.org 12.26). This staggering fact proves that there is a substantially high amount of sodium present in fast foods, which is extremely unhealthy for everyone, whether small or large. Research shows that “the more often a person eats out, the more body fat he or she has,” (win.niddk.nih.gov) which is the first step towards obesity. The poor labeling along with the effects of extremely high salt and fat content in fast foods are factors that help to prove that fast food is one of the causes of the obesity epidemic in America.
The consumption of larger portion sizes than what is needed to reach a healthy equilibrium of calorie intake and expending is a prominent factor in attaining obesity. Restaurants are a prime example that displays portion sizes larger than what is healthy. Some people resort to fast food restaurants when they do not want to cook, do not have enough time to cook, or for a multitude of other reasons. These reasons cause people to eat at “fast food joints because… all that mattered was that it was fast and cheap,” (organicconsumers.org 10.26) which proves that individuals do not consider the portion size they consume; they just consume it because it is cheap and quick. This proves that “the phenomenon of unknowingly eating larger amounts when presented with a large portion” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010) is supported to show that weight is gained when larger portions are eaten. BL Rolls, EL Morris, and LS Roe, scientists researching obesity conducted a study that “tested how adults responded to meals on different days with four different portion sizes of macaroni and cheese,” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010). This test gave results that reflect what happens when people are confronted with different portion sizes. The study’s result found that “the bigger the portion, the more participants ate,” (cdc.gov Oct.18.2010). These results show that when people have a larger portion in front of them, they will, typically, eat the entire portion. The effect portion size has on obesity is also reflected in a study conducted by Pudel and Oetting. This study consisted of the participants eating soup, but “on the fourth day, researchers secretly substituted trick bowls that slowly refilled from a hidden reservoir under the table,” (cdc.gov Oct. 26.2010). By this study, researchers were able to give the participants larger portions without them realizing they were consuming more food. The results of this study concluded that people consumed more food when they were prevented with a larger portion size; therefore, they ate more food than what was needed, resulting in an intake of more food than what it is healthy to be eating on a regular basis. These studies conducted by various scientists show that portion sizes affect all Americans, whether in restaurants or at home. When a consistent intake of larger portions is consumed, and the calories that are taken in are not expended, then a weight gain is the result, which is a prime factor of obesity.
The high sugar content of processed foods can lead to and then create food addictions in the body. A vast amount of MSG, along with fat-filled foods, will create a huge risk for obesity when they are over consumed. Fast foods have too many calories than what the body typically expends in a day; therefore, leading to weight gain and then obesity. A prominent factor in contributions towards attaining obesity also includes larger portion size consumption than what the healthy amount is needed for an equal amount of calorie intake to output. Processed foods, MSG content fast foods, and large portions are all contributing factors towards obesity. These factors influence and manipulate the choices one makes because these types of processed and fast foods are available in the multitude. Obesity is a major problem in America and other countries across the world. As Jamie Oliver has said, “If everyone in the world that wants to cook the food from fresh, but they can’t buy the food from fresh, that’s a problem”. By this he means, the large amount of processed and fast foods in our society are deceiving us to believe that some foods are healthy when, in actuality, they are not fresh, salubrious food products. As this epidemic is growing, with obesity on the rise, the unhealthy choices people are influenced by need to be cut out of their diets to promote a healthy, nutritious life-style.
A Note On: My Summer Reading Essays
These four short essays I had written for my junior year AP english class. Although the are lacking in , well, everything (especially the one on Ceremony), I posted them so that I could show my progess as a writer during my junior year of AP english.
Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, was a difficlut novel to comprehend due to the time shifts. Also, the fact that we were unable to discuss the book in class added to the diffuclty.
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, is one of my new favorite books. The idea was taken by the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte bronte. Rhys took the character of Bertha Mason and created a story that followed Berth'a life from her point of view. She established the roots of the mysterious character, Bertha Mason, and created an explanation for what might have driven her insane.
Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, was a difficlut novel to comprehend due to the time shifts. Also, the fact that we were unable to discuss the book in class added to the diffuclty.
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, is one of my new favorite books. The idea was taken by the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte bronte. Rhys took the character of Bertha Mason and created a story that followed Berth'a life from her point of view. She established the roots of the mysterious character, Bertha Mason, and created an explanation for what might have driven her insane.
On Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Summer Reading Essay -- Prompt 2)
2. Explain the significance of Antoinette’s recurring dream, especially as it is recalled at the very end of the novel, and analyze how effectively the dream connects this novel with Jane Eyre.
Antoinette, since she was a young girl, has had a recurring dream. As she gets older, the dream gets more detailed, and as she descends into madness, it gets more erratic. Antoinette’s recurring dream predicts future events in her life as she and her dreams mature, the dreams become clearer.
Her first dream takes place in a forest, where all her dreams first take place. Antoinette felt as though she was “not alone…someone who hated [her] was with [her] out of sight”. (24) Along with this feeling, Antoinette “struggles and screamed”; she “could not move”. (24)This dream predicts her marriage with Mr. Rochester; their marriage was full of hatred, not love. Antoinette felt like she “could not move” (24) because the marriage was set-up, she had no choice. Since Antoinette was young, the dream was not very detailed; it was vague. This dream proves that Antoinette’s dreams give her a taste of the future.
At an older age, Antoinette has another dream that is a more detailed, extended version of the younger, mysterious dream. This time Antoinette is in a wedding dress and she feels like she must follow the man who hates her. Antoinette says “if anyone were here to save me, I would refuse. This must happen.” (54) This refers to her marriage with Mr. Rochester; it must happen because the Masons set it up. As the dream continues, she and the man with hatred, or Mr. Rochester, are in “an enclosed garden surrounded by a stone wall and the trees are different.” (55) The place Antoinette describes in her dream is Thornfield, Mr. Rochester’s residence in England, where he later takes her. This is known because the “the trees are different.”(55) in Antoinette’s dream; therefore, she is not in Coulibri anymore. This dream ends with Antoinette going up a staircase and predicts where she will be in the future.
Antoinette’s last and most erratic dream takes place in England when she is a complete lunatic. She dreams the end of the recurring dream. The stairs led to the room she now occupies; therefore, this confirms that Antoinette’s dream predicts her future. Antoinette proceeded to “take the keys” (168) and go down the stairs into the house. In the novel Jane Eyre, Antoinette lights the house on fire, burning Thornfield to ruins. In her dream, Antoinette lights some of the house on fire and then flees upstairs, away form the burning house and onto the roof. There, in the sky, “all [her] life was in it” (170) before her eyes. Her entire past flashed before her eyes. Then she woke herself screaming. This dream predicts what will happen to Antoinette next by blending the end of Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre. The recurring dream continues on and matures as Antoinette gets older, and predicts the occurrences of her tragic life.
Antoinette, since she was a young girl, has had a recurring dream. As she gets older, the dream gets more detailed, and as she descends into madness, it gets more erratic. Antoinette’s recurring dream predicts future events in her life as she and her dreams mature, the dreams become clearer.
Her first dream takes place in a forest, where all her dreams first take place. Antoinette felt as though she was “not alone…someone who hated [her] was with [her] out of sight”. (24) Along with this feeling, Antoinette “struggles and screamed”; she “could not move”. (24)This dream predicts her marriage with Mr. Rochester; their marriage was full of hatred, not love. Antoinette felt like she “could not move” (24) because the marriage was set-up, she had no choice. Since Antoinette was young, the dream was not very detailed; it was vague. This dream proves that Antoinette’s dreams give her a taste of the future.
At an older age, Antoinette has another dream that is a more detailed, extended version of the younger, mysterious dream. This time Antoinette is in a wedding dress and she feels like she must follow the man who hates her. Antoinette says “if anyone were here to save me, I would refuse. This must happen.” (54) This refers to her marriage with Mr. Rochester; it must happen because the Masons set it up. As the dream continues, she and the man with hatred, or Mr. Rochester, are in “an enclosed garden surrounded by a stone wall and the trees are different.” (55) The place Antoinette describes in her dream is Thornfield, Mr. Rochester’s residence in England, where he later takes her. This is known because the “the trees are different.”(55) in Antoinette’s dream; therefore, she is not in Coulibri anymore. This dream ends with Antoinette going up a staircase and predicts where she will be in the future.
Antoinette’s last and most erratic dream takes place in England when she is a complete lunatic. She dreams the end of the recurring dream. The stairs led to the room she now occupies; therefore, this confirms that Antoinette’s dream predicts her future. Antoinette proceeded to “take the keys” (168) and go down the stairs into the house. In the novel Jane Eyre, Antoinette lights the house on fire, burning Thornfield to ruins. In her dream, Antoinette lights some of the house on fire and then flees upstairs, away form the burning house and onto the roof. There, in the sky, “all [her] life was in it” (170) before her eyes. Her entire past flashed before her eyes. Then she woke herself screaming. This dream predicts what will happen to Antoinette next by blending the end of Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre. The recurring dream continues on and matures as Antoinette gets older, and predicts the occurrences of her tragic life.
On Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Summer Reading Essay -- Prompt 1)
1. What role, if any, do you think Mr. Rochester played in Antoinette’s descent into madness? Do you think she would have gone mad regardless, or did he have something to do with it?
In the novel, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, the plot is driven by the protagonist, Antoinette Cosway’s, descent into madness and her marriage with Mr. Rochester. As Antoinette descends into madness, Mr. Rochester is not the sole reason for her lunacy, yet he serves as the catalyst. A major reason for Antoinette to go mad was her influence form Christophine, an evil woman who practiced obeah. Antoinette’s life mirrors her mother’s, who also went mad, which causes her to follow that path.
Christophine was present throughout Antoinette’s life since she was a young girl. She believed in obeah, or black magic. To describe what Christophine believes in, Daniel says, “She is obeah woman…she believe in all that devil business.” (113). Christophine uses obeah like many other people of her kind, “they confuse matters by telling lies if pressed” (97) which greatly influences Antoinette. When Antoinette started believing that Mr. Rochester no longer loved her, she turned to Christophine’s use of obeah to make Mr. Rochester love her again. Therefore, Christophine gave Antoinette something to put in his wine and to place around the bed, a white powder. The spiked wine made him sick and he did not love her again. This caused Antoinette to leave the honeymoon house for some time because the spiked wine did not work. When Christophine convinced Antoinette to leave the island for some time, she greatly damages Antoinette though the use of obeah. Christophine makes Antoinette sleep because she believes it will make her better; she says “she must sleep while I work for her – to make her well again.” (140). It is clear that Christophine and her use of obeah is harming Antoinette because when she wakes up, she begs for Mr. Rochester after Christophine gives her too much rum. As Mr. Rochester told Christophine, “You seem to have made her dead drunk on bad rum and she’s a wreck!” (141). Antoinette’s descent into madness was sparked by Mr. Rochester’s withdrawal of attention for her; this, in turn, caused her to turn to Christophine, an evil woman whose influences were the twigs and logs, and Mr. Rochester is the spark who started the fire of Antoinette’s madness.
Antoinette’s mother, a lady who turned mad as she aged, had a life that mirrored her daughter’s. Their similarities in life were another factor towards the initiation of Antoinette’s madness. After the death of Antoinette’s father, they both become lonely, poor, and unhappy. The mother’s new marriage to Mr. Mason is not a healthy relationship; they do not love each other. Due to Mr. Mason, Antoinette marries Mr. Rochester, their marriage also becomes very unsuccessful and there is no true love for each other. In this mist of this, both of the women, mother and daughter, go completely mad. Ultimately, they both mimic each other by living a lonely, secluded life secluded from the majority of humanity. To add to the closeness of Antoinette and her mother, they are of the same ancestry so the madness is past through the blood line, especially because “the madness that is in her, and in all these white Creoles, come out” is highlighted (88). The similarity between mother and daughter as wells as their blood bond, causes Antoinette to go mad. Mr. Rochester was the spark that ignited her madness, but, ultimately, the parallels between their lives caused Antoinette’s lunacy. The dark an evil influences and the mirroring life between Antoinette and her mother, cause a substantial amount of build-up towards Antoinette’s initiation of madness which Mr. Rochester’s deprivation of love catalyzes.
In the novel, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, the plot is driven by the protagonist, Antoinette Cosway’s, descent into madness and her marriage with Mr. Rochester. As Antoinette descends into madness, Mr. Rochester is not the sole reason for her lunacy, yet he serves as the catalyst. A major reason for Antoinette to go mad was her influence form Christophine, an evil woman who practiced obeah. Antoinette’s life mirrors her mother’s, who also went mad, which causes her to follow that path.
Christophine was present throughout Antoinette’s life since she was a young girl. She believed in obeah, or black magic. To describe what Christophine believes in, Daniel says, “She is obeah woman…she believe in all that devil business.” (113). Christophine uses obeah like many other people of her kind, “they confuse matters by telling lies if pressed” (97) which greatly influences Antoinette. When Antoinette started believing that Mr. Rochester no longer loved her, she turned to Christophine’s use of obeah to make Mr. Rochester love her again. Therefore, Christophine gave Antoinette something to put in his wine and to place around the bed, a white powder. The spiked wine made him sick and he did not love her again. This caused Antoinette to leave the honeymoon house for some time because the spiked wine did not work. When Christophine convinced Antoinette to leave the island for some time, she greatly damages Antoinette though the use of obeah. Christophine makes Antoinette sleep because she believes it will make her better; she says “she must sleep while I work for her – to make her well again.” (140). It is clear that Christophine and her use of obeah is harming Antoinette because when she wakes up, she begs for Mr. Rochester after Christophine gives her too much rum. As Mr. Rochester told Christophine, “You seem to have made her dead drunk on bad rum and she’s a wreck!” (141). Antoinette’s descent into madness was sparked by Mr. Rochester’s withdrawal of attention for her; this, in turn, caused her to turn to Christophine, an evil woman whose influences were the twigs and logs, and Mr. Rochester is the spark who started the fire of Antoinette’s madness.
Antoinette’s mother, a lady who turned mad as she aged, had a life that mirrored her daughter’s. Their similarities in life were another factor towards the initiation of Antoinette’s madness. After the death of Antoinette’s father, they both become lonely, poor, and unhappy. The mother’s new marriage to Mr. Mason is not a healthy relationship; they do not love each other. Due to Mr. Mason, Antoinette marries Mr. Rochester, their marriage also becomes very unsuccessful and there is no true love for each other. In this mist of this, both of the women, mother and daughter, go completely mad. Ultimately, they both mimic each other by living a lonely, secluded life secluded from the majority of humanity. To add to the closeness of Antoinette and her mother, they are of the same ancestry so the madness is past through the blood line, especially because “the madness that is in her, and in all these white Creoles, come out” is highlighted (88). The similarity between mother and daughter as wells as their blood bond, causes Antoinette to go mad. Mr. Rochester was the spark that ignited her madness, but, ultimately, the parallels between their lives caused Antoinette’s lunacy. The dark an evil influences and the mirroring life between Antoinette and her mother, cause a substantial amount of build-up towards Antoinette’s initiation of madness which Mr. Rochester’s deprivation of love catalyzes.
On Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Summer Reading Essay -- Prompt 8)
8. Analyze the significance of the spider web as a symbol in this novel.
The novel Ceremony demonstrates the Indian life and culture on reservations. As a whole, Indians typically seem to like to stick together. In Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, the spider web represents the delicate balance of the Indian community. Some people put stress on the threads of the web, like Tayo and the other war veterans. Others like the medicine men try to fix and heal the delicate threads of the Indian community.
When a fly gets trapped in a thread, it usually is stuck there. The Indian community likes to keep its people in the reservation, free of white people and their influences. For example, Auntie wants to have Rocky stay home, not go to the white man’s war. Other flies have means to escape the web, they create tension on the delicate web of the community when they break free. Tayo and other veterans are some flies who were tempered with by the white people, and then thrown back into the web; this created even more damage to the web. When Tayo, Harley, Leroy, and others go out drinking, the people wonder why they do this. Tayo says it is because beer is like the veteran’s medicine. When flies break away and wear down the threads of the web, the entire community is affected.
Others try to heal and fix the web. Medicine men try to heal the threads the people break; that is why they are represented by spiders, the thread-menders. Tayo is troubled, and his thread is breaking and wearing thin. Two medicine men try to help him, Betonie being the more successful one. Though the ways of the Indian ceremonies, Tayo’s thread begins to heal. He starts to feel “better” (142). The flies may break the threads, but the medicine men will fix them, and the spider web will continue to live on representing the Indian community.
This one of the other challenging (and not so great) essays i have written; again, it was a difficult book to understand.
The novel Ceremony demonstrates the Indian life and culture on reservations. As a whole, Indians typically seem to like to stick together. In Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, the spider web represents the delicate balance of the Indian community. Some people put stress on the threads of the web, like Tayo and the other war veterans. Others like the medicine men try to fix and heal the delicate threads of the Indian community.
When a fly gets trapped in a thread, it usually is stuck there. The Indian community likes to keep its people in the reservation, free of white people and their influences. For example, Auntie wants to have Rocky stay home, not go to the white man’s war. Other flies have means to escape the web, they create tension on the delicate web of the community when they break free. Tayo and other veterans are some flies who were tempered with by the white people, and then thrown back into the web; this created even more damage to the web. When Tayo, Harley, Leroy, and others go out drinking, the people wonder why they do this. Tayo says it is because beer is like the veteran’s medicine. When flies break away and wear down the threads of the web, the entire community is affected.
Others try to heal and fix the web. Medicine men try to heal the threads the people break; that is why they are represented by spiders, the thread-menders. Tayo is troubled, and his thread is breaking and wearing thin. Two medicine men try to help him, Betonie being the more successful one. Though the ways of the Indian ceremonies, Tayo’s thread begins to heal. He starts to feel “better” (142). The flies may break the threads, but the medicine men will fix them, and the spider web will continue to live on representing the Indian community.
This one of the other challenging (and not so great) essays i have written; again, it was a difficult book to understand.
On Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Summer Reading Essay -- Prompt 3)
3. Analyze Silko’s use of characterization, and explain what it is about her portrayal of Tayo that makes him such a hauntingly memorable character.
Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, tells the story of Tayo, a half blood Laguna Indian who is trying to have peace of mind after serving time in World War II. The intensity of Tayo’s emotions and Silko’s use of time shifting, together, create a hauntingly memorable character. Before the war, Tayo had a very difficult family life. His mother slept with many white men which caused Tayo to get “used to her leaving the bar with men” (101). Tayo’s father is white, causing Tayo to be a half-blood, not fully Indian or white; he left his mother and Tayo at a young age. Eventually his mother left him, causing him to stay with his Auntie and the rest of the family – Rocky, Robert, and Josiah. Auntie did not likehim and Tayo “had known Auntie’s shame for what his mother had done, and Auntie’s shame for him too.” (53). Silko tells Tayo’s childhood in flashbacks, as it pertains to something in is present life. It created a seemingly perfect blend by inserting Tayo’s past into his current struggles. The difficult childhood of Tayo creates him to be very memorable, unforgettable because of his struggles.
The amount of regret Tayo carries for not bringing Rocky home safely is another factor towards Tayo’s struggles. The memory of Rocky’s death haunts him for a long time. In the Philippines, Tayo “felt Rocky’s foot brush past his own leg” during the rainstorm as Rocky was formerly being carried on the blanket; Tayo “started repeating ‘Goddamn’ ” from the pain of losing Rocky. (11) By putting this scene into the novel as a flashback, it creates Tayo’s atmosphere of pain that is always attached to him. This emotion is so intense due to his brotherly bond with Rocky, that it causes him to be hospitalized. This encounter is so emotional that it makes Tayo a memorable character.
Josiah, Tayo’s fatherly figure, played a hallucinatory role in Tayo’s military experience that scarred him deeply. During the war, Tayo was ordered to kill all the Japanese soldiers” (7) but he did not see Japanese soldiers, “he saw Josiah standing there” (7). At the time, and even for years after the war, “Rocky had reasoned it out with him; it was impossible for the dead man to be Josiah” (7) This memory haunts Tayo and still made him sick even after the war. This part of his past adds to him being a memorable character. The use of a flashback for this scene, shows how mentally troubled Tayo is during his present life. This memory is such an intense memory for Tayo that it characterized him as a memorable character. The childhood experiences Tayo endured, the regret he faces and the loss of his dear cousin Rocky, along with the hallucinations and loss of Josiah cerate Tayo to be a hauntingly memorable character though the works of Leslie Marmon Silko’s composition Ceremony.
This was probably one of the worst essays I've ever written, difficult novel to understand.
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