Christianity vs. Mythology Essay Example for Free

Christianity vs. Mythology Essay For many centuries, ancient Greek mythology has played an instrumental role in the development and foundation of all societies. The ancient myths formed through Greek Mythology has given meaning to the world people saw around them and helped answer perplexing questions such as, Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?. In fact, Greek mythology has provided meaning to people and the world around them in the same way Christianity and Judaism does. Greek mythology can relate to Christianity and Judaism such that they all were based off oral tradition, they have helped mankind develop a community that shares a common world view through moral way of life, and they all respond to our quest for wonder, the mystical and the unknown. Nonetheless, it is necessary to try and understand that both Ancient Greeks and Ancient Christians may have held similar beliefs about the world they were living in. In ancient Mythology, although there were no written texts that presented the several myths and stories such as the Christian Bible or the Hebrew Torah, the earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition. Ancient Greek myths, in their unknown beginnings, are believed to have been formed and passed on by oral tradition, meaning the myths originated from story-telling. The spread of Greek myths can relate to the early spread of Christianity and Judaism in the respect that the stories in the Bible and the Torah were stories about the sayings and acts of Jesus as told by story tellers long before they were ever recorded into a written text. Greek mythology, Christianity and Judaism are also similar such that they all teach a moral way of life and help mankind share a common world view. Almost all ancient Greek myths were constructed to teach some sort of lesson or moral, for example, in the story of Arachne. In the story, Arachne expressed extreme pride in her weaving skills; in Ancient Greece, having too much pride was considered a very unfavorable quality to acquire. Arachne believed her weaving abilities were far more superior than that of Athenas, the goddess of weaving, so she challenged her to a weaving contest. In the end, Arachnes skills did not even compare to Athenas and Athena turned her into a spider. The story teaches that excessive pride and having a big ego is not considered acceptable if one wants to like a purely moral life. Like Greek mythology, Judaism and Christianity also strive to teach mankind how to live a fulfilling, moral life through the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments in Judaism and Christianity are a set of laws that God gave to the people of Israel that represent the main moral code of behavior every person should try to follow in order to live a spiritually pure and moral life. Finally, Greek mythology, Christianity and Judaism are similar because they all attempt to answer our perplexing questions and wonders about the world we live in. For instance, one similarity lies with the stories of creation; The story of Pandoras Box in Greek mythology and the Book of Genesis in Judaism and Christianity. In the story of Pandoras Box, Pandora was the first woman created and she was given a box by the Gods that she was told to never open. In the end, her curiosity overcame her, she opened the box and out came all the evils of the world. The story in the Book of Genesis is very similar- God created Adam and Eve and commanded them not to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Eventually, a serpent appeared to Eve and convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit. She persuaded her partner, Adam, to eat the fruit also and as a result, sin engulfed the world. The ancient Greeks and early Christians tried to find an explanation for the evil in the world, and both blame a woman for mankind’s downfall.

Impacts of Chronic Illness: Biological Disruption

Impacts of Chronic Illness: Biological Disruption Chronic illness may cause ‘biographical disruption’. Explain what you understand by this term and drawing on the experiences of your patient. Discuss the different ways in which chronic illness impacts on an individual. Medical encyclopaedia defined disruption as the ‘morphologic defect resulting from the extrinsic breakdown of, or interference with, a developmental process.’[1] In other words, it is the interruption or impediment of a progress.[2] Therefore, biographical disruption is described as how the chronic illness can lead to the loss of self-identity or social interaction in an individual.[3] In this report, I will discuss how chronic illness impacts patients in terms of their behaviour, daily lifestyle, relationships with partners or family members and acceptance of their illness as well as how they cope with it.[4] This report will be illustrated based on my patient’s experience, Ali, a 58-year-old retired office worker from Gelang Patah. Onset and Getting a Diagnosis Chronic illnesses are non-communicable diseases which develop gradually over time. They generally cannot be solved instinctively and are barely to be cured ultimately.[5] In most cases, chronic illnesses are more likely to be insidious where the patients have mild or no symptoms. However, the transition between being asymptomatic to having a chronic illness diagnosis can be challenging for the patient. My patient, Ali, was diagnosed with hypertension in year 2010. Hypertension refers to an elevated systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or greater and diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or greater.[6] It is also a risk factor of myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, and stroke. It has been determined as the third leading cause of death worldwide by the World Health Organization and given a reputation as a ‘silent killer’.[7] Before Ali was diagnosed with hypertension, he experienced tiredness and nausea every day. He was shocked because has always led a healthy lifestyle and did sports regularly. Thus, he denied the diagnosis that the GP gave him. At first, he did not follow the routine of taking the medicine, but insisted in taking some herbs to relieve the symptoms. However, it showed no improvement in his condition. Then, he started to take his medication as indicated. Few days later, his symptoms were relieved and he accepted the truth that he is suffering from high blood pressure (BP). Before finally accepting his illness, Ali went through a stage of denial which was described by Freud as a way to protect the ego from anxiety, a defence mechanism, by not admitting that he would never return to his previous way of life and require medication for the rest of his life.[8] Coping with chronic illness Managing a chronic illness is far beyond medicating as it also involves how well a patient adapts to the effects of the symptoms in their day-to-day living. It is important how a patient manages his or her health, emotion and daily life as they can determine the efficacy of the treatment given to the patient. Besides, rather than formal healthcare and coping-with-life-changes being core [9][9][8][9][9][9][9][9]domains, they should eliminate health-compromising behaviours by self-regulatory efforts, and adopt health-enhancing behaviours. Ali said, â€Å"I had to adapt by changing my lifestyle including my diet, controlling my temper and reducing heavy workloads. Sometimes I feel that I am weaker than ever, no longer as fit as what I used to think I was. † The large submerged portion of hidden mass of the iceberg corresponds to the undiagnosed cases which are presymptomatic and unapparent.[10] About one-third of population with high BP are not aware that they have it. In other words, the extrinsic problems of what the patients present are the small constitution of the tip of the ice while the undiagnosed hypertensive patients represent the intrinsic complications deep below the surface.[11] Figure 1 Illustration of Iceberg theory[12] In addition, recent studies indicated that 58% of diagnosed hypertensive patients are receiving appropriate treatment and can communicate effectively with health care providers as well as actively self-manage their illness. This shows the difference between the two groups of individual and the success rates to reduce mortality and premature death of hypertension.[13] Chronic illness sufferers have to learn to manage their symptoms to get better. Parson’s sick role model states the obligations, ‘a sick person (patient) must get well as soon as possible’ and ‘must seek professional help’.[14, 15] Hypertension is a preventable disease, thus it is the patients’ duty to accept the medication regime. Therefore, for Ali to get well, he must actively learn to manage his illness at the same time be guided by doctors (professional role).[16] Psychosocial Impacts Relationships with family members and Daily Living Chronic illness brings a vast impact to the patient and the family. Since the onset of Ali’s illness, there have been some marked changes in his relationship with his wife of 33 years, Mira, who has taken up the responsibility to monitor his health. He finds it hard to accept that he is a patient who requires more care and attention from his wife of whom he used to take care. Despite this, Ali mentioned that the strength of his marriage had improved as he described them being closer than ever although he frequently feels frustrated due to his dependency on Mira. He now appreciates her more than before. Furthermore, Ali’s children who are highly educated always show concern for their father by checking up on him and advising him on his daily diet and exercise regime. Stigma and Isolation Stigmatisation commonly occurs with chronic illness. Stigma is described as depreciating a character which then causes the individual to be discounted.[17] It happens mainly when the patient is diagnosed with certain diseases and they are treated as abnormal or handicaps. This scenario can lead to unhappy consequences. It is then called as â€Å"deviant conditions† when they are not accepted by the society. However, Ali did not feel stigmatised at all as hypertension is one of the commonest diseases among the population. In Malaysia, the prevalence of hypertension was 42.6% in the year 2006 for the residents aged 30 years and above.[18] Furthermore, some of his friends are having the same illness; they generously shared their experiences, ways to handle the disease and methods to control BP. Changes in lifestyle and Uncertainty Life is full of uncertainties. Chronic illness contributes to unpredictable events due to the nature of the illness that can restrict some patients from leading their normal lifestyle. In addition, asymptomatic illnesses could result in distress in patients and their carers when they do not know when the disease will worsen. For Ali, he is uncertain when the BP might be raised as he knows that elevated systolic pressure above 200mmHg increases the risk of mortality from stroke[19] whereas Mira needs to get ready whenever she realises that Ali is unwell. Ali admits to feeling stressed most of the time as he is afraid that a sudden rise in BP may trouble his family, particularly his wife. Mira spends most of her time with Ali, worrying that something bad will happen to him if she leaves him alone. Uncertainty can persist throughout the course of chronic illnesses, not only at diagnosis or onset. In Ali’s case, this led to the feeling of fear and uncertainty to both Ali and his wife about what could happen to him. Stroke is the main concern for Ali as this thunderclap attack will have a huge impact on his independence and quality of life, forcing him to become a burden for his family members. Conclusion In conclusion, chronic illness is not merely a medical condition but it can cause several forms of biographical disruptions that can significantly affect a patient’s life. ‘Biographical disruption’ is one of the major aspects of living with a chronic illness because it can affect the patient’s role in the family and his or her relationship with the family members. In a wider context, it also impacts their daily life and relationship with their friends, colleagues and the community. It could potentially alter the focus of their life against their wishes and retrain them from succeeding theirs previous plans of life such as employment and hobby. For instance, Ali had thought of delaying his retirement, however, he was restricted from accomplishing jobs that he was being assigned to after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. The ability in performing tasks is diminished. Sometimes they are stigmatised as a ‘disabled’ by society. Each and every chronic illness sufferer will undergo different disruptions and changes in their life. Nonetheless, care, attention and support from the family members and society are essential to reduce the impact of the illness. Additionally, improvement on palliative care is necessary to improve the patients’ quality of life. It is important to note that the healthcare system also plays a big role in understanding the social behaviour that surrounds their patients for an efficient and effective health provision to be given. List of Figures Figure 1 Illustration of Iceberg theory References 1.Farlex, Distruption, in thefreedictionary. 2.Disruption, 2014: Research Narrative. 3.Bury, M. the Social Experience of Living with Chronic Illness and Disability. Concepts of Health and Illness: 2007 [cited 2007; Available from: http://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section6. 4.William, S.J., Chronic illness as biographical disruption or biological distruption as chronic illness? Reflections on a core concept. Sociology of health and illness, 2000. 22(1): p. 18. 5.Promotion, N.C.f.C.D.P.a.H. Chronic Diseases. The Power to Prevent, The Call to Control: At A Glance 2009 2009 December 17, 2009 December 17, 2009]; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/chronic.htm. 6.Malaysia, M., Clinical Practice Guideliness Management of Hypertension, M.o.H. Malaysia, A.o.M.o. Malaysia, and M.S.o. Hypertension, Editors. 2008: Malaysia. p. 70. 7.Maryon-Davis, D.A. Hypertension – the ‘Silent Killer’. May 2005; Available from: http://www.fph.org.uk/uploads/bs_hypertension.pdf. 8.centre, W.M., Asthma, F.s. N °307, Editor 2013, World Health Organisation: World Health Organisation. 9.Barry, A.M. and C. Yuill, Understanding the Sociology of Health: An Introduction. 2008: SAGE Publications. 10.Sharma, M. Theories of disease causation. 2012 1 Jan 2014 [cited 2012 26 Nov]; Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/monikasharma7739/theories-of-disease-causationppt. 11.Tarafdar, D.M.A. iceberg phenonmenance. Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Define_the_iceberg_phenomena_of_disease. 12.Ciulla, M.M., G.L. Perrucci, and F. Magrini. Adaptation and Evolution in a Gravitational Environment — A Theoretical Framework for the Limited Re-Generative Post- Natal Time Window of the Heart in Higher Vertebrates. May 22, 2013 13.Beth Collins Sharp, P.D., R.N., Hypertension Care Strategies, in Closing the Quality Gap2004, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: US Department of Health Human Services. 14.61% of Malaysians UNHEALTHY. 2012 Tuesday, 12 June 2012]; Available from: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=34769:61-of-malaysians-unhealthyItemid=2#axzz2qjcz5j7l. 15.Scambler, G., Sociology as Applied to Medicine. 6TH ed. 2008, UK: ELSEVIER. 348. 16.Burke-Smith, A. and D.F. McGowan. Introduction to Medical Sociology Available from: http://www.icsmsu.com/exec/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ABS-Sociology.pdf. 17.Organisation, W.H. 10 FACTS ON OBESITY. 2014; Available from: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/obesity/facts/en/. 18.Hypertension: Clinical management of primary hypertension in adults. 2011 Aug 2011 [cited 2011; Available from: http://publications.nice.org.uk/hypertension-cg127. 19.Judyta Cielecka-Piontek, Arkadiusz Styszynski, and K. Wieczorowska-Tobis, Knowledge of Risk Factors for Hypertension in the Elderly. Borgis New Medicine, 2004(1): p. 2-4. Social Science SectionPage 1

Essay --

In 1861, conflicts and tension between the northern and southern United States erupted into the Civil War, the bloodiest war in American history. Economic differences existed between the north and south, which made the Civil War inevitable. The south’s economy was largely agriculturally based and dependent on slave labor, while the north was more industrial and based on free labor. The issue of slavery is often cited as the main cause of the Civil War, but it is actually the economic dependency of the South on slavery that caused the Civil War. Slavery being the backbone of the South led to conflict on whether or not states should be admitted as free or slave states, which could potentially tip the balance of free states vs slave states’ representation in the Senate. The North and South being so radically different in economy and culture created conflict between them. Their differences actually made the Civil War an inevitable event, because as the saying goes, â€Å" United we stand, divided we fall†. Their differences divided the country, ultimately leading to the Civil War. Starting from the end of the American Revolution, the north had developed differently than the south. This was largely due to differences in geography. There were more seaports in the north, and factories became more prevalent. A commercial economy resulted. Roads and canals were built, and cities grew. Many people were merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and salesmen. The north became more and more metropolitan. There were still farmers living in the north, but they differed from southern farmers in that they used more modern technology to farm and became more efficient. Farming was easier in the north than the south as well, because of the south’s difficult ... ...t states, â€Å"Upon the whole, therefore, it is the judgment of this court, that it appears by the record before us that the plaintiff in error is not a citizen of Missouri, in the sense in which that word is used in the Constitution; and that the Circuit Court of the United States, for that reason, had no jurisdiction in the case, and could give no judgment in it. Its judgment for the defendant must, consequently, be reversed, and a mandate issued, directing the suit to be dismissed for want of jurisdiction.† This meant that Scott was not considered a citizen, so he had no rights, could not sue, and had to remain a slave. The court further ruled that banning slavery was unconstitutional, since slaves were property and property is protected under the Constitution.The controversy over slavery was intensified,and further deepened the rift between the north and the south.

throwing a football Essays -- essays research papers

Throwing a football   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the football travels through the air for a long pass it always follows a curved path because the force of gravity influences the movement of the ball in the vertical direction. As the ball travels up, gravity slows it down until it stops briefly at its peak height; the ball then comes down, and gravity accelerates it until it hits the ground. Projectile motion is the path of any object that is launched or thrown and has an arched course (howstuffworks)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the football to travel the most accurate and furthest distance, the ball must have the tightest spiral it can develop. â€Å"This will influence how the ball slows down in flight, because the ball is affected by air drag (howstuffworks).† A spiraling throw will have less air drag, will not slow down as much and will be able to stay in the air longer and go farther than a wobble throw. The velocity of the ball and the angle of the throw are the major factors that determine the path of the ball. Vectors are also involved in throwing a football because a vector is the direction in which you are throwing. Also when throwing on the running. For example the quarterback rolls out at a speed of 5m/s and after he twist his body to throw down field the vector is now at an angle of 75 degrees, so the quarterback must understand the speed he is running at in order to make an accurate throw (physics.unl.edu). Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The football has ...

Tupac Shakur - His Impact on American Culture Essay -- Tupac Amaur Sha

Tupac Shakur - His Impact on American Culture Tupac Shakur was a very influential person in the 20th century. He was born on June 16, 1971 in Brooklyn New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas Nevada (unknown author, no title, no page, letter code C). But his family moved around a lot while he was a kid (Bastin, J.D.). He eventually ended up in the Bay Area California alone and spent his first two years there homeless (unknown author, no title, n.p., letter code D). He grew up with only his mom and loved her very much. He even wrote a song called Dear Mama to his mom and thanked her for how she tried her best at raising him. His public career started when he joined the seminal Bay Area rap ensemble (u.a., "original area," n.p.). He started as a tour dancer but then started rapping live (u.a., "original area," n.p.). From there he released a couple albums and then was offered to be in some movies. He became friends with a couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre (Placid n.p.). He made some songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard charts. This really helped his popularity. He released a double CD with the songs on it and a lot of his own songs and sold millions of copies (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) More people were influenced to buy his CD. People listened to the music and did what he said he did. So Tupac was influencing all of these people. Tupac was rich and famous now. He was showing off his own style now and didn't need his popular friends. This is the time that many people saw the real Tupac and loved him. He was now very influential to fans. They wanted to be just like him. He starred in more movies and could be who he really was. He did a lot of interviews that showed his beliefs. He said self esteem and self respect was very important and said "I feel as though I am a shining prince just like Malcolm and feel that all of us are shining princes, and if we live like shining princes, then whatever we want can be ours. Anything." (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) And when he says all of us, he means all men. He also said he doesn't care if someone is white or black. And no one can be judged by their skin. "So just because it's Black don't mean it's cool, and just because it's White don't mean it's evil."(Patrick, Tony n.p.) If he judged a man, he judged them by what they do ... ...nds for a new beat really separated his music from others. He didn't use traditional beats that people get tired of. He added a twist to rap and hip-hop music all together. And brought a lot of people to like that. "Tupac was one of raps most controversial and influential performers" ("tupac" n.p.). "Tupac Amaur Shakur left a distinct impact on American culture that is still being shown today" (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) He was one of the most influential persons in the 20th century America. And I believe he will be remembered and loved by a lot for years to come. He has served and will serve as a role model for younger kids growing up today. Bibliography Bastin, J.D. "Tupac Interviews & Articles" http://www.u.arizona.edu/~bastin/interview.html 22/10/97 Patrick, Tony Shakur, Tupac. "Interview" http://.stallion.jsums.edu/~awil0997/tupac/interview.html 22/10/97 Placid, Sylvester. Personal Interview 10/11/97 Unknown Author. "Original Area of Tupac" http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7438/tupac.html 22/10/97 Unknown Author. "Tupac" http://stallion.jsums.edu/~awil0997/tupac/theday.html 2/11/97 Unknown Author. http://www.duke.edu/~de1/2pac2.html 2/11/97

Shild’s outcome Essay

The connection between the parent’s status and the child’s well being is frequently argued. Some of the studies in the past have shown that children brought up by two married parents tend to grown better than the others (Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and McLanahan). In most of these studies, the results have been derived by comparing the family structure of single parent and both biological parents. Another aspect of the association of family structure with child’s welfare it the type of relation between the parents. The children having parents with mutual dispute are more likely to have behavioral and psychological problems (Amato and Sobolewski). Therefore while considering the question, ‘are two parents better than one? ’ a fact becomes very clear that the family definitely has an influence on the child’s outcome, well-being and future development. A couple or two parents raising a child have varying advantages. With two parents a lot of responsibilities can be distributed, which prevents the development of massive pressure on one single parent. This is especially useful in case of working parents, who can distribute their office hours in such a way that at any time one of the parents is present with the child. Along with this there is also an economic factor associated with it. With two working parents the child is expected to have a better childhood, with larger number of necessities and luxuries being made available to the child. Along with having larger parental time, attention and emotional support, the two parent children also have advantage of economic security. Apart from the above factors, two parents provide a stable environment to the children. The children parented by two parents have the love and emotional support from both the parents. These children are free from parenting tensions due to distribution of the stress among the parents. This way the children are not subjected to the parent’s tension at an early stage of their life. Therefore they can enjoy their childhood to a better extent than other children. The parents under marital dispute are the only disadvantage of the two parents raising a child. It has been studied that the children growing up with parents under marital dispute grow up with behavioral problems, less education and lower occupational status (Mitchell). But an important point to consider here is that most of the marriages that end in divorces are low-conflicts. Most of the divorces are mutual and seen as a positive step from both the parents and are taken healthily by the children. In case of single parenting or disrupted families the disadvantages are much higher. According to Paul Amato, Professor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University, â€Å"Specifically, compared with children who grew up in stable, two-parent families children born outside marriage reach adulthood with less education, earn less income, have lower occupational status, are more likely to be idle (that is , not employed and not in school), are more likely to have a non-marital birth (among daughters) have more troubled marriages, experience higher rates of divorce and report more symptoms of depression† (Mitchell). Single parenting creates a lot of pressure both in emotional as well as financial sense, which might lead to a depression or insecurity in the child. The parent is sometimes not able to fulfill the requirements of the child due to such financial crisis. These may include some necessities like good quality education, a home with a social neighborhood and other essential items. Of which the quality of education has a huge impact on the personality of a child. Children going to better schools have more social company and this exhibit lesser behavioral problems. The quality of parenting also has a vast impact on the social well-being of the children. Due to their own problems, which they are not freely able to express out, the parent are not always emotionally strong enough to support their children. These single parents can sometimes let-out their stress on the children, thus creating a negative impact on them. Such parents can also be a little harsh in terms of disciple. Another disadvantage is lack of availability of time. Single parents have to work harder for financial reason, which in turn increases the number of office hours. Such parents tend to have a hectic schedule and lesser time to spend with the children. They leave early in the morning and come back late at night, therefore practically spending no time with their children. The children in turn don’t feel enough attachment and start to develop a barrier with their parents. They start showing behavioral changes and start to get away from relationships. Single parenting is a tough and sensitive job. Delicate care has to be taken to ensure the well being of the child. Single parenting can only be successful if proper attention, love and affection are provided to the child. On the other hand it has been studied and statistically concluded by Paul Amato that â€Å"Compared with other children, those who grow up in stable, two-parent families have a higher standard of living, receive more effective co-parenting, are emotionally closer to both parents (especially fathers) and are subjected to fewer stressful events and circumstances (P. R. Amato). â€Å" Under normal circumstances, two parents are always better than one. Two parents parenting a child provide an emotional as well as financial support to both their spouse as well as their children. Such children are tension free in their childhood and have role models to live up to for the future. Therefore as far as possible the children must be brought up under the guidance of two parents for their happy and prosperous future. Works Cited Amato, P. R. and Sobolewski. â€Å"The effects of divorce and marital discord on adult children’s psychological well-being. † American Sociological Review (2001): 900-921. Amato, Paul R. â€Å"The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the next generation. † The Future of Children Volume 15 No 2. CYC-Online, July 2007. Mitchell, Lindsay. Research Confirms Two Parents Better Than One. Media release. New Zealand: www. cyc-net. org/cyc-online/cycol-0707-amato. html , 2007. Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Sara McLanahan. â€Å"Father absence and child wellbeing: a critical review. † The future of the family (2004): 116-155.

English essay on Of Mice and Men Essay

Steinbeck uses an example of symbolism in the form of Candy’s dog. Re-read pages 70-76, what qualities/ values does this dog represent? Which human characteristics could be represented by these qualities/ values? Candy is the oldest man on the ranch. As he is the oldest, he has more things to worry about than the others. He has only one hand and a women’s name, and through Steinbeck’s writing, we know why this is, because he has lost his masculinity and pride. He also has a pet extremely old pet dog, which he loves and everyone loathes, as they think it is useless and suffering, Candy thinks otherwise and doesn’t want it shot. Candy’s dog, which doesn’t have a name and is incredibly old in the story, represents the fact that things that are unimportant are unknown to other people. This represents Candy as an old undervalued character that is slowly loosing value like his dog. It establishes that if you’re an old animal, then you’re in trouble. This is why Candy is so reluctant to have his dog shot because he knows what its like to be old and unwanted, but because he and his dog share the same qualities, he feels like they are close friends that rely on each other. In the book, he says ‘I’m so used to him,’ he said softly. ‘I had him as a pup.’ This shows the closeness between the two. Candy can’t bear to imagine loosing something he has been so close to for most of his life on the ranch. And has he and the dog don’t have anyone but themselves, Candy feels that he will be completely alone after the dog dies. Because Candy doesn’t want the dog to die before him, he wants to savour what he has got left. Candy and the dog are both living on borrowed time, which means as soon as the boss finds out Candy is too old to work, he’ll throw him, and Candy won’t have anywhere to go. When Candy’s dog does get shot he feels instant regret. This is because he felt he should have shot the dog, and not Carlson. Candy feels that by not doing this, he has betrayed his dog and let him down. If anyone is supposed to take responsibility over anyone, it should be their best or closest friend. He wasn’t there to comfort the dog too, he feels guilt and is let down by his actions. Some one else that is in the same position as Candy and his dog are Lennie and George. George being the strongest to the two is very protective over Lennie. He makes a point of always telling what to do, but for his own good. People at the ranch criticize George on his choice of friendship, but this is because no one else seems to have a close companionship except them and Candy and his dog. They are jealous they don’t have the privilege to have someone to rely on. George and Lennie really do count on each other, as they are planning to get some money together and buy and farm so they can grow their own food and have animals. At the end of the book, when George kills Curley’s wife, he runs away just like George told him to and hides. When George finally finds him, he knows Lennie is going to be killed by an angry mob, so he takes the matter into his own hands. He speaks to Lennie about how they’re going to live, and about rabbits, as Lennie loves them so. This way he can kill Lennie without a sore consciousness and with Lennie truly happy. The only other couple in the story are Curley and his wife, who has no name in the book. This shows that women weren’t the same status like men, and also like Candy’s dog, she doesn’t really have any value to anyone’s life in the book, so she dies along with Lennie and the dog. Though she and Curley didn’t have a good relationship, he obviously cared for her, and went crazy when she was killed. Because it was Lennie who killed her, Curley felt like it was his responsibility to kill Lennie. Curley new what his wife’s nature was like, flirtatious and open. This would make the reader think that Curley was maybe jealous that it wasn’t him that killed her, but Lennie, who is seen as the ‘village idiot’. In this novel, I think Steinbeck was trying to tell us that if you have companionship throughout the toughest times of your life, don’t count on it, because one day the other person will let you down. He also wanted to show that whoever you take companionship with; you will have to take responsibility of their death. He wanted to show the readers that in a tough time, you can’t have someone to reply on all the time you have to be independent and strong.