The Rise of Serial Killers in the 1980’s

The 1980's was a time of surprising and fearful events. A lot of these events really scared humanity. One of these events was the rise in serial killers in the U.S.

The 1980s, a time of shoulder pads, leg warmers and jazzercise. In American politics, it was a decade of Ronald Reagan and his vision to change the nation. Reagan and his administration had the profound influence for the way on how the Americans thought about what was going on in the country. Him and his administration realized to be able to destroy all communism in the U.S. they had to build up the military. At this time communism was a very big subject. Even though communism has been around for many years it has made its way from Europe to the U.S. For years communism in Russia and in other countries has ruled and struck fear in its people living there. Even though communism is a type of government, religion and different types of culture also take on a huge part as to what or who people believe in. The main religions people believe in are mainly Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and many more. Some of those religions that people do know of are the types that they find weird or creepy, such as people who have joined cults or groups that all live together and worship their leader. Many people are fixated on one person who they believe in the most or aspire to be like. One religion that is probably the weirdest of them all are probably Satanism. Yes, people to this day even think that is weird. But people back then thought of it as some sort of fad or false that some teens and adults went through. Although some of them never stopped believing that the devil was their all mighty and powerful ruler. Just like people believed that god and jesus was their savior.

What is a Serial Killer? Many people do not know they are or what they do. Well if you can infer by the term killer, means that one, of female or male genders kill one more people. These type of people are power driven. The high and the power surge that the killings give off to these people gives them these power driven highs. Many serial killers also kill because they have gone through trauma with parents, siblings or other relatives. Many people who have gone through these traumas notice certain things their community or in other places. They start to notice things such as children cowering in fear because their parents beat them. They believe that they are doing the right thing and or adults suffering from PTSD because their father or mother were drunks and beat them. These people are susceptible to becoming mass murders or serial killers thinking that they are saving the people who are getting hurt but really what's happening is that they are the ones causing all of the damage on these people's lives. Religion and culture also plays a big part in how people becoming or develop into serial killers. Some people who follow certain religions believe that they are Purifying the Earth such as the puritans did when they first came to the New World. The puritans wanted to purify the Catholic church with new ideas and new ways of spreading its religion. Many serial killers in the 1980's had many of these characteristics of becoming serial killers in their adult lives, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and Aileen Wuornos a few of the most famous serial killers during the 1980's.

The Milwaukee Cannibal, The Milwaukee Monster, those are just a few of the names that the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer was called. Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, was born on May 21, 1960 to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a young child Jeffrey began to feel these urges of something called Necrophilia. Necrophilia is a sexual attraction toward corpses and other dead things. Throughout the rest of his life he tortured many animals and soon escalated to young males. As his certain way of killing progressed he soon moved to cannibalism. Cannibalism is when someone or something eats its own kind. Such as humans eating humans, like Jeffrey Dahmer.

John Wayne Gacy on the other hand was a cold killer. John Wayne Gacy was born on March 17, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He was an American serial killer and rapist who took the lives of at least 33 young males in Cook County, Illinois, burying most under his home. Gacy had a abusive childhood which took a toll on his emotional factors in the future. He also struggled with his sexual identity as a young male, in 1968 he was arrested for sexual assault and his murders were uncovered and he was immediately arrested for the murder of 33 men. He was then found guilty in 1980 then executed by lethal injection. Gacy was known as the Serial Killer Clown, he attended children's birthday parties dressed up as clown. He had an alternative ego as Pogo the Clown. He would lure his victims in hope of construction work and later sexually assault them and later kill them by strangulation by a rope. As a child his drunk father would beat him and his siblings with a razor strap if they were perceived to have misbehaved; his father physically assaulted Gacy's mother as well. He grew up with a heart condition as well as troubles with his sexuality.

Aileen Wuornos one of the most notorious female serial killers. Born on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, Aileen Wuornos was sexually abused and thrown out of her home as a teen. She made a little as a sex worker along highways and at truck stops. In 1989 she killed her first victim at a truck stop who had picked her up. She later went on the kill another five men. She was then caught and convicted. Even though her sanity was questioned she was still put on death row and executed by lethal injection in 2002. Wuornos had a very traumatizing childhood. Her father killed himself while serving prison time for child molestation, while her mother abandoned Aileen and older brother Keith, leaving them to be raised by their grandparents. Her grandmother was allegedly a very heavy alcohol drinker and her grandfather was a terrifying man who beat her. In her later year she would go on to state that she was sexually assaulted by her grandfather and had sexual relations with her brother. In her early she became pregnant and carried to baby to full term, she later gave the infant up for adoption and soon began her work as a prostitute. After she was kicked out of her house she began to live in the woods, she would hitchhike and engage in sex work to make a living.

There are many statistics for serial killers. Many male, female, and many in groups or pairs. For male serial killers a majority of these people kill because they are power-driven or they believe that they are getting rid of the evil. how many male serial killers kill because they have men in trauma as a young child or suffer from PTSD. Male serial killers are more likely to get caught rather than female serial killers. female serial killers on the other hand aren't power driven or have suffered from a trauma,. They kill for revenge or a a vendetta for a child or a family member. female serial killers are less likely to get caught rather than male serial killers. Male serial killers tend to get attached to what or who they're killing female serial killers become detached because they are only fixated on that revenge or that vendetta. Now if we're talking about pair or group serial killers such as Fred and Rosemary West. Rosemary and Fred West we're one of the most notorious couple serial killers in the 1980s. They killed over ten women in almost 30 years. They came from homes that had very traumatizing events. Fred claims that he came from a home with incest and that his father had taught him beastiality. In 1971, Fred was arrested and sent jail for theft. He later found out that Rosemary had killed his stepdaughter because she wouldn't cry while she was beating her. Once Fred was released, he convinced Rosemary to become prostitute and began to rape their daughters. They were both caught and convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Fred later committed suicide while he was custody pending trial.

These people and events in the 1980s impacted the United States and its federal government agencies. The FBI, CIA, NSA and many other federal agencies were impacted after these people killed. They knew how they need to track them down. They knew how to create profiles for them and see what they saw and understand them. These agencies were able to use the information that was given to them in medical records, social media pages, and many other websites and records to understand where that person came from. What trauma they experience and what they went through as a child. They impacted the government so that can act fast in catching them before it causes mad hysteria.

Yes during the 1980s it was a fearful time of communism and war but us as Americans pushed through. The Rise in Serial Killers was one of those events but it helped us in the long run. Serial Killers helped impact America because they helped the government agencies solves the murders and catch the killers. During the 1980s fearful and surprising events occurred. Many of these event was the rise in Serial Killers. And these events really scared humanity. All of the victims of these killers will forever be remembered and honored. The family can now rest easy knowing that their child, sibling, mother, father or, friends is no longer suffering.

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Jesus and Early Christianity

Jesus and Early Christianity

Jesus was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ. Throughout his life until his death, Jesus helped many people from healing the sick, preaching against the exploitation of the people to forgiving sinners. In this paper, it will detail the life of Jesus especially healing and forgiving sinners until his death. The paper will also look at early Christians including how the first Christians reacted to the death of Jesus to how they were willing to endure persecution.

Jesus

Jesus lived as a good Jew by following some of the traditions of the Jewish people. One such custom was being circumcised at a tender age, which is a rite among the Jewish community. He also respected the authorities apart from when he felt they disrespected the people and their way of life. However, Jesus challenged the customs of the Jewish people and their beliefs later. In Jewish traditions, women were deemed as second-class citizens. Jesus challenged this by speaking in public how to treat women equally. Additionally, he associated himself with the unclean in the society such as lepers. These are the customs that had in place for years. Apart from challenging customs, Jesus preached about the kingdom of God and His reign.

When Jesus started his mission, He said, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent. (Luke 4:43). This helped him get more followers as well as healing the sick and forgiving sinners throughout his ministry. He also taught the followers to be loving and passionate as seen in the beatitudes. Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in Him, ?If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' (John 8:31-32). Salvation and liberty in Jesus grants forgiveness of sin and with forgiveness, believers will be free from sin and death and possibly reach a state of eternal life through His resurrection. Jesus did not have any work during his ministry and he always depended on women and benefactors. Mary Magdalene was one of the benefactors of Jesus and he helped him throughout his missionary. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were also the benefactors of Jesus. Although Jesus helped many people throughout his missionary, he was put to death by the Romans on the charge of regarding himself as Messiah (Mark 8:29).

To claim himself to be the Messiah, in Jewish law, was deemed as blasphemy against God using God's sacred name. In Jewish history, it has shown that Jesus was not the long-waited Messiah as they were not freed from the yoke of Roman bondage and the Golden Age did not come. Some Jews accepted Jesus as the Messiah, believing He is the savior who could defeat evil and bring the messianic age, while others rejected the claim. Jesus' suffering, both physical and spiritual, was brutal. Before the crucifixion, He has experienced cruel beatings administered by Roman soldiers whom are known to be very bloody. The whips are designed to leave deep lacerations on the victims' bodies that are painful to the extreme. In addition, a crown of thorns was forced into His scalp in mockery by the Romans (Mathew27:29).

Stripped away from clothes and hung completely naked in front of the crowd, the pain caused by crucifixion is intense enough to make one constantly long for death. Dr. Frederick Zugibe, an expert in forensic medicine and the study of crucifixion, described crucifixion as severe, excruciating, burn pain, light lightning bolts traversing the arm into spinal cord (Zugibe 2005), causing a tortuous effect that even anesthetics won't help. After three hours of crucifixion, He died on the cross and resurrected three days later.

Early Christianity


When Jesus died, many of the followers went into hiding out of fear (Hill 2013). The followers feared they would also be arrested and face severe punishment or execution.
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. (Matt 26:56).
Then everyone deserted Him and fled. (Mark 14:50).

Even on the day of Jesus' resurrection, His disciples were still in fear of the Jews. In my own opinion, it is understandable that they chose to preserve their lives over everything since they are simply ordinary working men. However, as the backbone of the church with the extraordinary task of calling the world to repentance in the risen Christ, they have the responsibility to endure all risks at no matter what cost. The followers were confused as who will lead them. Many were sad such as Cleopas who was walking towards Emmaus. He met Jesus but did not recognize him. He went ahead and discussed his sadness regarding the death of Jesus. During the Pentecost, one of the changes that was seen or felt among the apostles was their spiritual strength. The death of Jesus had affected their spiritual strength. After being rejuvenated, the disciples went to teach about Jesus and how he overcame death. They preached how Jesus resurrected from death.

After Jesus' death, the disciplines led the same way of life as him. They led a simple life and continued to heal the sick, care for the needy as well a spray for the sinners (Fischer and Thomas, 1995). They were no long afraid of being mocked, persecuted, or put to death because they had seen Jesus rise. Paul on the other hand went to the gentiles and preached about Jesus and the word of God. He preached to the Gentiles and told them about his conviction about the risen Christ. Paul believed the Gentiles lived outside the Covenant that God made with Israelites. He managed to convert many gentiles into Christianity. However, Christians at the time were being persecuted. They carried on with their ministries even under the persecution that they were facing. The resurrection of Christ gave them the strength to continue with their ministries and evangelism. Currently, Christians are facing persecution in some countries such as in parts of Africa, middle east, China and North Korea. One example is Nigeria where the Northern part are Muslims and have killed numerous Christians in the region (Allen 2016). However, Christianity is still strong in most parts of the world.

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Adam James

On July 2018, Adam James committed suicide in prison. He was a sexually motivated serial killer. His looks had made him an object of mockery during his childhood, and even success in his career did not help in making any woman want to be in a relationship with him. He grew up with bitterness and blamed all the women in his life for his suffering. He, therefore, decided to find pleasure in punishing the women by torturing, raping and killing his victims.

Adam James was born in 1976 in a small village in Texas. Adam had a normal relationship with his birth parents. They loved and cared for him like they did his siblings. His brother and two sisters were very good looking, but Adam's looks were the exact opposite. However, his parents did not treat him any different. All this changed when his parents got a divorce when he was just ten years old. His father took full custody of him and his younger sister May. A year later, his father remarried. His new stepmother had three children of her own. His stepmother mistreated him and called him names just because he was ugly. To avoid annoying his new wife, Adam's father watched in silence as his son got scarred for life.

High school life is usually difficult for those who are unpopular. Adam was ridiculed and made fun of by boys his age. His seniors bullied him making it his worst nightmare. Life became a little bearable when Sheila, one of the popular girls started paying attention to him. They went out for movies, and she even asked him to accompany her to prom. However, on prom night, she showed up holding Adam's half-brother's hand. When he demanded an explanation, she laughed saying she had been making fun of him all this while. The trauma and the embarrassment he suffered that day reminded him that his looks were always going to be part of his life. His stepmother later confessed that she had known that Sheila and her son were mocking him. The bitterness made Adam try to commit suicide. His younger sister walked in just as he had finished taking an entire bottle of sleeping pills. He never forgave her for saving his life.

Counseling helped take away his suicidal thoughts. Instead of hurting himself because of the social rejection, he decided to punish his oppressors. In his eyes, all good looking women were trouble. His stepmother had made him hate himself and regret being born. The girl who mocked him and hurt his feelings by insulting his sincerity. His younger sister had prolonged his sufferings by saving his life. His mother had taken custody of his siblings instead of fighting for him. Looking at how all the women in his life and contributed to his suffering, regardless of whether this was done willingly or unwillingly, Adam was determined to take revenge.

He worked had to succeed in his career as an auditor in a governmental agency. He lived comfortably in the city and never lacked anything. He seemed friendly to all those who knew him. His warmth towards people was merely an act to hide what he felt about women and society in general.

Adam fits in the category of organized serial killers. This is illustrated by the fact that he is socially stable and intelligent (Silkes, 2018). Adam's psychological development can be explained using Erik Erikson's theory. Looking at the first stage of trust versus mistrust, Adam was able to trust people since he experienced love and care during his early childhood. This is why he did not suspect anything when Sheila approached him. The second psychosocial stage is autonomy versus shame and doubt. This is where the child gains independence by having choices. Adam was insulted and mistreated by his stepmother because of his looks; he became ashamed of himself. During the third stage of initiative versus guilt, Adam was able to become initiative. Forced by his circumstances and the societal rejection, he had to find a way to become successful so that people will not have other reasons to look down upon him. This creativity is demonstrated in his crime scenes which he was always able to recreate. The fourth psychosocial stage of industry versus inferiority explains Adam's inferiority complex. The rejection he suffered made him want to take control of his victims to feel better about himself.Stage five which deals with identity versus confusion explains the life Adam lived and why he chose it. He was unable to find his true identity since what everybody said about him was different from what he wanted to think about himself. For this reason, he felt insecure, lost and did not know his place in this world. This is why he did not have a concrete plan for his future, which is indicated by the fact that he did not get married. The sixth stage involves intimacy versus isolation. Adam was unable to form relationships with people his age in high school and college. At home, he did not have a good relationship with his stepmother and her children. Women always rejected him. This made him feel alone and isolated. He was unable to form any relationships. When his neighbors displayed kindness, he smiled and pretended to enjoy their warmth but deep inside he felt that they were all hypocrites. The seventh stage of generativity versus stagnation explains Adam's involvement in community activities. Even though a part of him wanted to prevent suspicion, he also wanted to take part in the activities as he had developed a sense of purpose. Although he felt disconnected from the people, he enjoyed the activities they took part in.The eighth stage is the integrity versus despair. Looking at the life he had lived, and what he was going through in prison, Adam felt that he had no hope for a better future. He knew that he would always be mistreated and looked down upon. It is this despair that pushed him to end his life (Sokol, 2009).

Adam managed to hide his crimes for about three years. During this period he pretended to be a law-abiding citizen who nobody could suspect. Everybody in his community respected him. When asked why he was not married, he always said that he had a wife and two children who lived in his hometown taking care of his sickly mother. As a respected civil servant, people bought his story without asking any more questions.

To hide his criminal activities, he committed more crimes. Anybody who suspected him or saw him kidnapping a woman was shot on the spot. As a rich man, he was able to bribe police officers who knew of his presence at some of the places where the girls went missing. Adam always ensured that he did not leave anything that can lead back to him on the crime scene.

On 20th September 2016, Adam was arrested for the murder of Jane Paul 23, and Suzie Daniel 19. Body parts of these two victims were found and some old cars at Adam's junkyard which he ran as a part-time job. The victims were found by a 20-year-old homeless man who wanted to steal some spare parts to sell. On seeing the bodies, the boy ran away screaming, and the passers-by came to see what was going on. The passers-by called the police. Forensic analysis was used to identify the victims and their cause of death.Thorough investigations were conducted to determine who killed the two women. Police records showed that the victims' body shapes and sizes marched those of several missing women in the estate and neighboring towns. Adam's junkyard became a total mess as the police dug looking for more bodies. Human bones and some other decaying bodies were discovered. The police then got a warrant to search his house where they found seven women locked in cages. When Adam realized that the women had been found, he still could not watch them leave. He torched his house with the officers and victims inside. Luckily for them, they all escaped with minor burns. Upon his arrest, Adam knew that he had no escape. He confessed to the kidnapping of several women, one of whom was his sister. He also gave up the names of the officers who asked him for bribe whenever he was a suspect in a case. Adam was sentenced to 150 years in prison, three in solitary confinement.

Almost all serial killers have certain reasons why they choose their victims as well as where. Some victims are randomly chosen while others are chosen based on a certain pattern or characteristics (Crane 2017). Adam's victims are pretty women between the ages of 15-30years. They are slim and tall. Color is not a consideration though high cheekbones make the women appear more attractive in his eyes. The color of the hair does not matter so long as the hair is long. He picks his victims from dark alleys in his neighborhoods. He also picks prostitutes and strippers who match his taste. For the prostitutes and strippers, he picks them in a taxi on their way home pretending to be a taxi driver. Sometimes he attends the alcoholics anonymous meetings where he picks lonely depressed women seeking help and new hope in the meetings.

When he picks his victims, normally on Fridays and Tuesdays, he drugs them and takes them to his home. When they regain consciousness, he makes sexual advances at them, but his looks make them turn him down. The rejection awakens an emotional part of him and his desire to be wanted increases. He gives them another chance to kiss him and have sex with him. If the woman still says no, she is taken to a room in the basement and locked in a cage. In the cages, the women are forced to stay naked as their clothes are burned to ashes. With no clothes, the hopes of escaping diminish and the woman cries herself to sleep. Food is supplied once a day, and the victim stays in the cage until the day he decides to punish her. It was later discovered that Adam's victims looked like Sheila.

The ritual and signature in a serial killer's crime scene are fantasy-driven. In serial sexual homicides, there is a repetitive behavior observed in several cases. Unnecessary activities are done by the serial killer like taking something of little value from the victim and torturing them have been associated with the perpetrator's sexual fantasies. The murders, on the other hand, are related to the arousal pattern of the sexual offenders (Schlesinger et al.).

Adam's case is no different. Before sexually violating his victims, he takes nude photos with them which he later hangs on his bedroom wall. He makes his victims walk on all fours calling his name. They are supposed to beg for his attention as they sing songs praising him. His emotional needs cannot be satisfied by the admiration of one woman. Each time, he takes two women from their cages, and in a secluded room, he forces them to fight for their lives. They are supposed to strangle each other until one dies. He promises that if one kills the other as a sign of her love for him, her life will be spared. If any two chosen women refused to strangle each other or follow in of his owners, he shoots them right away.

The one who strangles her colleague and remains alive does not know that more pain and suffering await her. She is brutally raped before Adam burns her private parts with an iron bar. The victim is then stabbed to death. Adam writes the victim's name on the wall using her blood. He then licks some of the blood which he finds to be a source of his strength. He likes keeping the bras of his victims as souvenirs to remind himself of his conquest. This indicates that he is in the category of power/control serial killer (Bonn, 2018).

The arrest of Adam came as a surprise to his neighbors. At first, they thought it was a mistake. However, those who witnessed what happened on the day he was arrested knew that it was all true. Those whose daughters had suffered in the hands of this serial killer demanded justice. They believed that only his punishment would allow their daughters to rest in peace. His parents, except for his stepmother tried to defend him thinking that he was framed. It is only after his confession that they realized that he was guilty. They pleaded with the victims' families to forgive their son, but when they realized that he had done the same to his sister as punishment for saving his life, they were convinced that their son was not mentally stable.

The police said that Adam was a sexually motivated serial killer who had a high record of killings. They had been looking for him for very long, and they were happy that the mystery man was finally behind bars. In prison, Adam was sexually molested by his inmates. He used to get regular beatings as well as have his food eaten by other. Life in prison reminded him of his childhood and adolescence when others mistreated him. He could not imagine living like that for the rest of his life. He snatched a guard's gun and shot himself to end his life. Suicide is common for more than 5 percent of serial killers especially those from dysfunctional homes (Lester &White, 2012). Looking at Adam's life with his family and how he died, it is correct to conclude that these statistics are true.

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Corellation between Psychopathy and Serial Killers

For those who share a love for psychology we often might wonder what goes on within the mind of a psychopath. The question I am pursuing after is what makes a serial killer and what could done to prevent a developing psychopath?. By pursuing this question I hope to gain more information on why certain individuals think and act the way they do and what are the causes. This question is important to me because it's something that interests me and I would like to pursue a career in forensic psychology. This question matters because learning information of such topic allows me to connect with other future psychologist. Connecting with others not only allows me to share information but also learn something new. When some individuals think of the question why do serial killers kill, the answer is usually because their crazy.

I think of it as yes their crazy but what makes them that way, was it caused from child abuse, did they grow up to be that way, or is there something wrong in their head. Their might be someone who isn't as interested in topics of such sort but still might want to learn about such individuals; which makes the question even more important. For future Forensic Psychologist, i believe that learning such information enhances our ability to understand people on a higher level. It doesn't necessarily have be a psychopath it could just be a regular person, maybe a friend; the more you can relate and the better you can understand that person or friend the stronger the relationship will be. I will be doing one personal interview of a former Forensic Psychologist, and a ted bundy interview from youtube. I will be providing secondary sources which are journals that focuses on the Psychological mind. I will also be providing academic articles which explains what makes a serial killer, then i will have two research documentaries to provide extra information needed. By using these sources I will able to give a thorough answer and explanation to why do serial killers kill.

One of the most common Psychological questions is whether killers are born or made. Many serial killers suffer from childhood trauma whether its physical or emotional abuse, it seems to be the number one reason they turn out the way they are. In some cases not all former killers come from abusive households for example, Ted Bundy a former commander of air force grew up in a two parent loving household. There is no evidence of trauma within his childhood but there is suspicion as to why he started killing at such a late age, his early 40s. The maine trait for a psychopath is usually the lack of conscience caused by trauma within childhood. Developing as early as a infant, that trauma suppresses their ability to have an emotional response. Growing up not knowing how to emotionally connect with others makes it difficult to have empathy. Some grow up learning the art of masking feelings that's why most serial killers can raise a family then that night can go out and kill, they have second lives. In one to six killers are females different from male serial killers, women are harder to catch. Instead of torturing the victim women tend to manipulate, it's all about control to them rather than sexual arousement. Being diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome by proxy Aileen Wuornos was a prostitute that would kill her victims. Female killers are the complete reversal of their former gender, killing the image that women are supposed to uphold nurturing roles.

The most recognizable disorder is Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) which correlates with psychopathy, even though not all psychopaths turn out to be killers. Psychopaths comes with multiple traits such as manipulation, intimidation and charm causing them to be labeled as serial murders. When it comes to examining the brain psychopaths tend to show a significant amount of difference compared to the normal human being. Typically having a lower heart rate, reduced prefrontal gray matter within the brain, and amygdala abnormalities even though these findings does not mean we should always expect them when dealing with psychopaths. Other mental conditions we can consider is Borderline Personality Disorders (BPD) consisting of anxiety, paranoia, suspicion of others, and emotional instability. A psychopath who is diagnosed with BPD can become very paranoid and shows no empathy towards others, if one displays all traits at one that can result in loss of life. Suffering from a sudden traumatic experience can cause the killings to multiply making them psychopathic serial killers meaning the killing was premeditated. Schizophrenia mixes with serial killers who will have confused thoughts and would usually have premeditated murders. Reading these two articles I learned that most serial killers are born from traumatic childhood experiences resulting in lack of empathy and showing impulsive aggression. Diagnosing them with mental disorders can sorta provide us with an explanation as to why they feel the need to kill.

Serial killers, mass murderers, and spree killers all engage in extreme violence but yet they differ based on who perpetrates them. A mass murder is someone who can get fired from their job gets mad then decide to walk outside and kill innocent bystanders. There's no thought or plan put into action when it comes to defining a mass murderer. A spree killer is sorta like a mass murdered no plan of action, acting off rage, and killing innocent bystanders. To be considered a serial killer there are certain categories you have to fall under. With a minimum of three murders there must be a time period between the murders to determine that its not just a fit of rage. Having a sense of dominance killers tend to select a victim by their vulnerability, they will not choose a victim if they do not feel the mission will be accomplished. The victim will either be someone on the street or a prostitute, which plays a part in developing patterns. Normally the victim would choose based off race and gender, they pick individuals with similar traits closest to their preference. They stalk their victims for a period of time until they feel the time is right to attack. Serial Killing is usually not expressed through rage, with having slight schizophrenia they have a drive to kill sorta like an uncontrollable pleasure. The majority of serial killers are organized,mostly having patterns. There are some that are nonsocial or asocial meaning they are either excluded by society or themselves.

Most serial killers are intelligent caucasian males aging from their 20s to 30s. You will not be able to tell a serial killer from their appearance they appear to look the same as everyone else for example, ted bundy was described as attractive and articulate. John Wayne Gacy was a public figure within his community who would dress up as a clown at local parties. Serial killers display three behaviors within their childhood known as the Macdonald Triad: arson, bed-wetting, and animal cruelty. One of the many question i had was why do serial killers have patterns, i learned that their patterns are based off of how and what they previously experienced within their childhoods. I understand that there are female serial killers but most of the time the killer is going to be male. To know that serial killers are just like other human beings with a wife and kids is strange because before reading this would've thought they would be all crazy and unstable.

During my first personal interview I asked question such us can psychopathic traits be inherited through genetics, does one traumatic experience alters their brain negatively, etc. I interviewed Dr Kelsey Maloney who is currently a forensic psychiatric she provided useful information in regards to my question. One of the ten questions I asked was is there any treatment provided to help those who are developing psychotic traits. Typical therapy is provided but there is caution, killers tend to manipulate other people by acting like them or masking their feelings. Instead of discussing about how did they feel or did they regret the crime they commited, therapy is usually the act on thoughts. Discussing their thoughts allows you to place yourself in their shoes developing a compassionate role showing them that you care. Since psychopaths are usually antisocial the main goal of therapy is to break down their emotional detachment making them more vulnerable. The next step is to put them in a position to where they would be comfortable expressing their emotions this is done by using schema. Schema is the aggression and intimidation that tends to take over when their placed in an uncomfortable position. During this interview I had many questions but this one was the most important one. I learned there is treatment provide for those who are developing psychopathic traits, does it always work? No but at least there is something to help.

I have watched many documentaries or just regular videos on the mind and the psychological traits of a serial killer. One of the two videos i've come across is called inside the mind of a serial killer. Serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne meet the criteria for psychopathy displaying sadist behavior meaning there's enjoyment in knowing their victims are suffering. Most serial killers are loners, men with multiple failed relationships they kill, hide the body, and then move to next. The reason for this is they lack knowledge of how to maintain a romantic relationship. Ted Bundy would be described as the most violent serial killer in America confessing to 36 murders. Growing up Ted's mother told him his grandparents were his parents so he grew believing his mother was his sister. He grew to be handsome and very well educated studying psychology around the time a female disappeared. Ted's victims were usually attractive young women with dark hair.

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Jeffery Lionel Dahmer

For my research paper we had a task to pick from a list of serial killers that were provide and write about them. I have chosen the serial killer Jeffery Lionel Dahmer because he had seemed that most interesting out of all the other serial killers because of what he had done. Jeffery Dahmer is well known for being the Milwaukee Monster and he was also known as Milwaukee Cannibal because It was later discovered that he had tried to eat some of his victims. Jeffery Dahmer also has many article, books, biography, and some movies and tv shows about him. He is well known for killing seventeen victims. All of them males ranging from all ages. I also I had picked Jeffery Dahmer because I wanted to know more about him and why he had done such an awful act and I also wanted to know more about the victims and his why he starting doing these awful things to these people he really didn't even know. He just seemed like a very interesting person to write a research paper about. I wanted to know how he had gotten away with all these murders all these years and how he had never been caught until one of his victims had escaped and was found running down the street with handcuffs around his wrists by some police officers and later this is how they finally found Jeffery Dahmer guilty of all these awful killing crimes. When they went to his apartment this is where they had found out all this information. I wanted to also know why he was so disturbed/ sick to be wanting to go and kill all these innocent people and what was he reasoning behind it. I wanted to do more research on Jeffery Dahmer and see he back ground and his up bring to see if this had anything to do with they way he turned out to be a cold blooded serial killer. Also to see what got him into doing such a sick thing.

Jeffrey Dahmer was the son of Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. Jeffrey was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 21,1960. Both Joyce and Lionel had described their son to be a happy, outgoing, and was known to have lots of energy until about the age of four years old when he had gotten a surgery to correct a double hernia. This seemed to effect a change in young Jeffery Dahmer. After the surgery he had became distant and uninterested when the birth of his young brother David Dahmer was born. I had found out the Jeffrey and his family had often moved around from house to house and Jeffrey was often friendless and detached from the world. This is when everything supposedly started going down hill because this is when Jeffrey claims that his interest towards murder and his interest with necrophilia, the wanting to have sex with dead bodies began. When Jeffrey was fourteen years old he had begun to destroy and started tearing apart his family and his parents marriage which lead to his parents getting a divorce in the end. ( Jeffrey Dahmer. (2017, August 02).) But as he got older his normal childhood up bringing had come to an end when he had started showing no emotion or interest in social interaction or even any hobbies. He started drinking heavily and started examining animal carcasses when he found them.

He kept drinking throughout high school but that didn't stop Jeffrey from graduating. Jeffrey ended up graduating in 1978 and shortly a week after graduating Jeffrey Dahmer the eighteen years old had committed his first murder. He had picked up a hitch hiker named Steven Hicks and Jeffrey had offered to take him back to his father's home so they can drink beer and when Steven went to leave Jeffrey hit him in the back of the head and killed him. In the fall of 1978 Jeffrey had attended college but he had later dropped out due to his drinking problem. After that Lionel his father made him enlist in the army. He later served as a combat medic in Germany and this lasted from 1979 to 1981. That had also later come to an end when he was discharged for his drinking habit and that spring Jeffrey had moved back home to Ohio. As he continued drinking nonstop his father had sent him to go live with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. He was often visiting gay bathhouses where he would drug and rape the men while they laid there unconscious. Jeffrey was arrested twice for indecent exposure in 1982 and in 1986 he was charged with probation and was not charged for the rapes. (Jeffrey Dahmer | Crime Library | Serial Killers) Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was a convicted sex offender and a murder. He had murdered many males from 1978 to 1991.

Over the course of thirteen years Jeffrey Dahmer sought out to kill seventeen victims mostly African American males. He had found most of his victims at gay bars, bus stops, malls and every time he somehow convinced the males to go home with him where he would later kill them. He would bribe his victims with money, alcohol which he had laced with drugs and he even promised them sex if they came home with him. He later would strangle them to death. (Jeffrey Dahmer. (2017, August 02). Steven Tuomi was Jeffrey's second victim. Steven was killed in September of 1987. He had picked his victim up at a local bar and then later took him back to a hotel room where he later murdered Steven Tuomi. Dahmer had stated that he doesn't remember doing anything to Steven. He claims he committed the murder in a sort of blacked out impulse and had absolutely memory of doing such crime. After this had happened the killings done by Jeffrey Dahmer happened occasionally after the Steven Tuomi murder. Two victims were killed in 1988, One of the victim had been killed in 1989 and four victims had been killed in 1990. Jeffrey had carried out unpleasant acts with the victims he had killed he would continue to had sex with their dead bodies and he had also taken pictures of them, he would then preserve his victims skulls and genitals for display and he even consumed some of the victims body parts to eat. While all of this was going on he had been arrested for an incident that had happened at his place of work which was Ambrosia Chocolate Factory where he had fondled and drugged a thirteen year boy.

He was given five years probation and one years at a work release camp. He was also was made to register as a sex offender. Dahmer was released two months early from the work release program and he had moved into an apartment in May of 1990 right after he was released. He would have your usual probation appointments with his probation officer but he would remain free to commit four more murders that year and had murder eight more in 1991. The summer of 1991 Jeffrey Dahmer had began murdering a male each week. On July 22, 1991 Jeffrey had talked a man named Tracy Edwards into his home with the promise that he would give him money if he slept with him. As he gets there Dahmer tried to force Tracy Edward's into his bedroom with a butcher knife. Edward's was able to get away and escape where he then had flagged down two police officers and they saved him. As the two police officer arrived at Dahmer's apartment Edwards had warned them about the knife and as this walked into his apartment they see photos of his dead victims and dismembered limbs that had made it so that they can arrest Jeffrey Dahmer. Further looking throughout the apartment that discover a head in the refrigerator and later found three more heads throughout the apartment. With a search of the apartment they had found seven human skulls as well as a human heart that was in the freezer.

He was charged with fifteen murders and his trail began on January 30, 1992. Even though he had a lot of evidence against him Jeffrey tried to plea insanity and two weeks later they had said he was sane and he was charged on fifteen counts of murder. Dahmers was sentenced to fifteen life terms for a total of 957 years in prison. That same year he had plead guilty to his first victim he had murder adding another life sentence on to his fifteen making a total of sixteen so far. He was sentenced at Columbia Correctional Institution. (Jeffrey Dahmer | Crime Library | Serial Killers) During Dahmer's time in prison he was generally kept away from the general population. But soon he had convinced the authorities to let him join in with the other inmates. During this time Jeffrey had found religion in the form of books and also pictures. These were sent to him by his father and later he was granted permission to be baptized by a local pastor by the Columbia Correctional Institution. Jeffrey Dahmer had also been attacked twice by inmates while he was in prison. The first time was when an inmate had attempted to slice his neck open but ended up leaving only slight wound. But for the second time an inmate had attacked him while they were cleaning the showers in the prison. He was found still alive but later died on the way to the hospital from severe head trauma and so he had died on November 28, 1994.

Some controversial issues that took place was that some of the people had claimed that sense Jeffrey Dahmer had escaped the detection for so long that it had shown that the police didn't show that much attention to investigating the missing victims who had been homosexual or where members of racial minority groups. If Dahmer wasn't caught when he was it could have been a lot worse. Due to when Tracy Edwards had escaped and told the police that he had been held against his will and that he was trying to be killed the police really didn't believe him and took him back to Dahmer's apartment where Dahmer had calmly explained that it was a misunderstanding and the officer almost fell for it until they spotted a photo of dismembered bodies and he was arrested right then. (Cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is caught) The FBI's involvement in these serial killer cases has expanded over time. They had started applying the understanding of psychology and also behavioral science to violent criminal behavior.

The significant aspects of my research paper and the impacts it has on the criminal justice system and society is that now I believe that the police officers would take a better look into a missing person no matter their race, sexuality and etc. Dahmer was denied parole when the judge had sentenced him to sixteen life term prison sentences. If he were to ever gain parole in one sentence his next one would automatically take effect making it so he is ineligible for parole for 936 years according to some prosecutors. He had told the judge that he wished that he could be put to death for his actions that he had committed and that he wanted no special consideration. He was a sick man and he had stated that I know society will never be able to forgive me.

I know that the families of the victims will never be able to forgive me for what I have done. I promise I will pray each day to ask for their forgiveness when the hurt goes away, if ever. I have seen their tears and if I could give my life right now to bring their loved ones back right now, I would do it. (Press, T. A. (1992, February 18).) If they looked into Jeffrey Dahmer earlier and didn't let him get away with the crimes he had committed before maybe not as many victims would have been killed and he could have been stopped. Now all the families of the victims have to remember that they will never see their loved one again due to a sick man who wanted pleasure from their dead bodies. Also how did he get away with so much for so long without getting caught or even looking into the situation because there was many times that it should have been looked into. An example would be like his apartment always smelling really bad or the time he got in trouble for fondling a young male boy and etc. I feel that this have set standards for police officers and what they have to follow as of now and how to go about a situation like this one because I feel no one thought this could have happened like this and how he had got away with this for so long.

I feel there could always be further research conducted on my topic because I feel like the whole story isn't fully out there to be able to understand what had happened during the trial and how the police didn't catch on to him for so long and what did they do about the situation when they finally arrested him. I feel like that there could a lot more information done on this topic and more detail could be helpful in writing this paper. Because although there is already a lot of information about Jeffrey Dahmer online like movies, books, interview with Jeffrey Dahmer himself, and etc. You still don't know they whole story and I feel like you never would unless you experienced it for your self like Tracy Edwards being one of them. I would want to know how long the trial went on for and what had happened in that court room when the judge was deciding his sentences and etc. I feel this was a very interesting topic/ person to pick to write about because he was well known for what he did and I wanted to learn more because I have heard of him before but I never went into looking him up to see all the details but now I have a better understanding of what Jeffrey Dahmer had done and how sick he was for taking innocent people lives.

Just a few months after Jeffrey Dahmer had been arrested there had been many books that had been published as well as some films about the serial killer himself. Here are some of the films and some booka about Jeffrey Dahmer himself. One of them being called The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: An American Nightmare, by Donald A. Davis, was published, in November 1991.Another Book called The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer, by Brian Masters, was published in 1993. A film on Notable films featuring Dahmer's life and killing spree includeDahmer, Another movie in 2002 a biographical film starring Jeremy Renner, andMy Friend Dahmer, again another movie in 2017 film about Dahmer's alcoholic pre-killing teenage years based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same name by Derf Backderf. And lastly a 2012 documentary,The Jeffrey Dahmer Files, covers the summer of Dahmer's 1991 arrest. So as you can see there is a lot of information on himself but I think all people want to know is why he did it.

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Role of Pearl Harbor Navy Base

The Spanish American war of 1898 ended Spain's empire in the Western Hemisphere and gave the United States the position as Pacific power. When the United States won the victory in this war it produced a peace treaty that made the Spanish give up their claims to Cuba and to cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Phillipines to the United States. The United States also gained Hawaii during this conflict. The United States was interested in Hawaii because of the industry of whaling and its natural resources of pineapples, sugarcane, coffee, macadamia nuts, and flowers. During this time those were the biggest industries in Hawaii however currently the leading industry is tourism. Hawaii has many big cities that people love to tour such as Honolulu, Kailua, Kaneohe, and Pearl City. There are also islands that are popular to tourists such as Kailua, Hilo, and Oahu which is home to Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor is a naval base and headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet in Honolulu county, just south of Oahu Island, Hawaii. Pearl Harbor was a beautiful island originally called Wai Momi meaning the Water of Pearl, and it was also called Pu'uloa. In the ancient stories told by the native people Pearl Harbor was home to the shark goddess Ka'ahupahau and her brother (or son), no one's really sure which one, Kahi'uka. The gods were rumored to have lived in a cave at the entrance to Pearl Harbor and guard the waters against man-eating sharks. The ancient people depended on the gods to protect the harbors abundance of fish. Also until the late 1800s the harbor was abundant in pearl producing oysters.

Due to an agreement between the United States and Hawaii, they agreed that the United States obtained rights to Pearl Harbor and Hawaii could enter sugar into the United States duty free, the United States owned the rights to the harbor. Since the Spanish American war in 1898 the United States needed a permanent place in the Pacific Ocean, which is a big reason Hawaii became annexed, to put a naval base to have the Pacific more protected. The United States wanted to use the harbor as a navy port, but the native people hated the idea. Many were outraged and with their beliefs they thought that the gods were, or would be, outraged as well. Although the natives were outraged, the United States proceeded with the work on the harbor and in August of 1919 the harbor was opened.

Tensions between Japan and the United States began to expand so the United States made the decisions to place the Navy's ships at the dock at Pearl Harbor for the Pacific fleet, they also had an Atlantic fleet. At the time this seemed like the smart thing to do, but it would prove fatal to the United States. The United States prepared the Navy for a war by training around the island of Hawaii. Thousands of people in the armed forces of the United States began moving to Hawaii, which added more culture to the island. With the constant training and drills being run no one expected that anything could happen to the harbor.

On December 7, 1941 the tension with Japan came to a peak. On the morning of December 7th seemed just like any other day on the harbor, but unfortunately that was not the case. The harbor was expecting planes from the mainland, the United States, and when planes were detected on the radar that were identified the lieutenant said to disregard, thinking it was the US planes and a faulty radar. Around 7:55 A.M. on December 7th the first Japanese bomber planes were over the base. The first plane was followed by around two-hundred other planes that were equipped with not only bombs but also with machine guns and torpedoes.In less than an hour the harbor was in ruins. As if the Japanese did not cause enough damage the first time, they sent a second wave of fighters to hit the base. The second wave basically destroyed the whole harbor. Many naval ships were destroyed and nearly all aircrafts. The United States used what they had and tried to fight back as much as they could, but it barely caused any damage. In total only twenty-nine Japanese planes were shot down during the attack.Unfortunately the attacks took the lives of around two-thousand Americans and injured over a thousand. In the confusion the real American planes arrived at the harbor and ended up in friendly fire because the soldiers on the naval base couldn't tell that they were American planes and not the Japanese.

Pearl Harbor was an attack that took the United States by surprise and proved fatal to many. The lives of the American citizens were forever changed and the day went down in history as Pearl Harbor Day. Every year on December 7th people and families of lost loved ones mourn over the past. On this day we remember the lives lost of the confused and brave soldiers and civilians caught in the fire of the Japanese. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States using an atomic bomb on Japan and killing around two-hundred and fifty thousand people in Japan. The effects of the atomic bomb were far worse than the effects of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but the United States had to fight back. The attacks on Pearl Harbor will forever be in the minds of Americans and will forever impact how the US sets up their navy ships. The attack on the harbor led to the United States entry into World War II and taught nations around the world that the United States stands with protecting our nation.

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Serial Killer Behavior

Serial killers have been around for many generations, and there isn't a specific reason as to why they develop such violent behaviors. These things can be accompanied by the development of sexual paraphilias and childhood trauma, which can encourage the development of a personality disorder or psychopathy. One of those disorders being Antisocial Personality Disorder. An article written by Bradley R. Johnson, MD, and Judith V. Becker, Ph.D. talks about the case files of adolescents who have expressed fantasies about becoming serial killers. These fantasies would take place between the ages of 14-18 years old and are similar to that of a sadistic serial killer. Johnson and Becker point out that this is also the time in youth where sexual paraphilias develop. A sexual paraphilia is when he/she are sexually aroused by an object that is not normally considered sexually arousing. (Woods, 2018) The question of whether or not we can predict who will be serial killers based on their adolescent years is posed. There are a number of essential components to most paraphilic behaviors, including fantasy, compulsive masturbation, and facilitators (e.g., alcohol, drugs,etc..) which serves to motivate violent and/or deviant sexual conduct. (Arrigo & Purcell, 2001)

The Sadistic Murder by Richard von Krafft- Ebing highlighted the similarities in the history of serial killers and the teens. From the contradictory feelings for their mother to their personality disorders. They all enjoyed the power and had a history of animal cruelty. It was brought out that having deviant sexual fantasies is normal and that people who experience sexual paraphilia don't act on their fantasies. If adolescence is having these sadistic sexual fantasies, they should be watched closely but there is no guarantee that they will act upon their fantasies. There are similarities between serial killers and these children but there is no direct connection. (Woods, 2018) In one particular case, H, 18-year-old, white male, suffered from ADHD and chronic depression. He was of below average intelligence with possible learning disabilities. At an early age, he recalled being physically abused by his mother and being sexually provocative, exposing herself to him or watching him undress and making erotic comments. His parents once engaged in sexual intercourse in front of him. At the age of 14, he began to fantasize about having sexual intercourse with his mother, killing her, and continuing to have intercourse with her corpse. He even admitted to masturbating 8 times a day to this thought with the aid of his mother's underwear. (Johnson & Becker, 1997) Although this instance does not directly connect to future violent actions, it does bring light on childhood trauma and how it can lead to personality disorders.

Other historical factors common in serial killers are abuse, trauma, insecure attachment, loss or abandonment of a parent or caretaker, antisocial behavior, head injury, and low arousal levels. (Labrode, 2007) The diagnosis of a conduct disorder is also given when a child starts to develop antisocial traits starting with animal cruelty and torture. A conduct disorder involves a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior where societal norms are violated. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) According to DSM-5 criteria for conduct disorder, there are four categories that could be present in the child's behavior: aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violation of rules. Paraphilias can occur within the context of Axis II disorders such as borderline or antisocial personality disorders. (Malin & Saleh, 2007) Referring back to the previous case, H was diagnosed with ADHD which is a conduct disorder which could have been influenced by the treatment from his mother. ADHD is diagnosed with a child under the age of eighteen and cannot be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. The criteria are quite different because of the age group but this disorder definitely mirrors that of a personality if the severity increased. One of the points of criteria in Antisocial Personality Disorder, there has had to be evidence of a conduct disorder.

Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior mirrors the criteria of ADHD which brings out that the children will be reluctant to engage in an activity such as homework. The impulsivity of a child with ADHD is that of a person with ASPD and has the potential of meeting all of the requirements for the personality disorder. The DSM brings out, antisocial personality disorder is a persuasive pattern of disregard for...the rights of others that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) In order for the patient to get diagnosed with this disorder, they have to be 18 years of age and has had a history of a conduct disorder around the age of 15. People with antisocial personality disorder lack empathy and can display superficial charm and is more common in males who take over the demographics of serial killers. Since the psychopathy also includes some of these traits, these two terms are seen as synonymous. Scientifically speaking, the amygdala responses to fearful facial expressions (Blair, 2003), which have been found to be impaired in people with psychopathy. Although psychopathic people with ASPD are not psychopathic killers, there is still a chance that they could be compelled to kill. When looking at the criterion, the psychopathy checklist is more relevant when diagnosing a serial killer even though the criteria overlap. (LaBrode, 2007) This type of disorder originates from environmental factors such as family and if there were neglect and abuse.

As a child dealing with abuse or neglect, they develop coping mechanisms to numb or displace their emotions or there becomes an absence of the emotions. As the child grows into adolescence they may act out displacing those emotions into the form of vandalism, theft, and or violence. If the juvenile with an antisocial personality disorder were still exposed to the environmental factors contributing to the abuse they felt when they were younger, it could cause a severe violent reaction, acting as a displacement for the pent-up emotions such as homicidal tendencies with animals and then with people eventually leading to psychopathic behaviors. (Murray, 2018) According to the FBI, the development of social coping mechanisms starts during early childhood and the failure of developing coping mechanisms can lead to violent behavior. Most serial killers eroticized violence during their development, which intertwined sexual gratification and violent behavior. (Johns, Keel, Malkiewics, McNamara, Mellecker, O'Toole, Resch, Safarik, Showalter, and Trahern, 2010) We are going to focus on certain serial killers that meet the criteria of ASPD based on their childhood.

Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy was a serial killer, rapist, necrophiliac, and kidnapper who taunted 7 states between 1974-1978 by committing 30+ murders on young women. Bundy was regarded as handsome and charismatic, which were traits that he exploited to win their trust. He would then seclude and assault them, and would even revisit the scene to sexually violate the body during decomposition and it was impossible to interact with it anymore. He decapitated 12 of his victims and even kept their heads as trophies. (Wikipedia, 2018) During his childhood, he was essentially raised by his grandparents who posed as his parents while his mother posed as his sister. Bundy respected his grandfather greatly who had a showed his abusive habits towards anyone who questioned his authority which contradicted his grandmother's obedient attitude. At his young age, he showed interest in women and even went around to peep into their homes and it escalated to watching pornography. He also showed interest in crime magazines which encouraged his sexual violent fantasies. Christina Nixon, a Bundy expert claimed, considering porn magazines view women as sex objects, it most certainly amplified his feelings of hate/disrespect towards certain women. (Hammon, 2017)

His violent urges were sparked by the sudden breakup with his girlfriend, Stephanie Brooks. Similar to how he grew comfortable around his girlfriend then suddenly got dumped, he made his victims feel comfortable and killed them. All his victims had brown hair with a part down the middle which could be assumed to be how his girlfriend looked. Bundy displayed many personality traits typically found in ASPD patients such as the charm he used on the women he abducted and killed. Although there is no direct connection between Antisocial personality disorder and serial killings, there is evidence that the traits of ASPD can influence the actions of one's sexually violent fantasies due to the lack of remorse and regard of others. Since there isn't one theory pointing towards the cause of a serial killer's violent behavior, sexual paraphilias and childhood trauma contribute to the development of a personality disorder. In one particular case, an adolescent, diagnosed with a conduct disorder, developed a sexual sadist fantasy about his mother which ended in her death. This highlighted the connection of conduct disorders during childhood which could lead to the diagnosis of ASPD. This proves the point that these factors could lead to acting upon one's violent urges which is the impulsivity catergorized in ASPD and CD during childhood.

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Attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan

December 7th, 1941 marked the day Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japanese bombers. Pearl Harbor would forever be remembered as the day that brought huge hardships to many people in the United States, this attack would also lead the United States into WWII. So why don't we go back in time before the attack, and look at the reasons why the Japanese decided to attack the United States. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States had been constantly telling the Japanese that they should stop trying to conquer China and Manchuria. The reason for Japan wanting to conquer China in the year 1937 being, Japan had imperial ambitions to expand to China to solve some demographic and economic problems and to take over the Chinese import market. (Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?). So when Japan decided to declare war on China, America was against this aggression and responded with, trade embargoes and economic sanctions. (Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?). The United States had kept pressuring the Japanese government into stopping their troop's advances, but alas the Japanese never complied.

At not receiving any acknowledgment from the Japanese government the United States slowly started to decrease the number of machinery that was exported to Japan. This not only angered the people in Japan but this also leads them to want vengeance on the people of the United States. Hence wise Japan started planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. Then when that approach didn't stop Japan from trying to conquer China the United States decided to also cut the exportation of the American oil to Japan, which was 88% of the imported oil that Japan had. The oil lost meant that the Japanese were having a lack of resources which wasn't going to end well for them. This led to Koichi Kido the Lord Keeper of Japan to say, This means war. (Nilsson, Jeff. Before Pearl Harbor), to the leader of Japan who was Hideki Tojo. A week later Japan started to secretly plan an attack on the United States. But even then the Japanese military had already started a plan to attack the United States, even before the war was even fully declared. After some time the Japanese started to realize how they were lacking a lot of materials to make their aircraft. The United States wasn't going to give them any of the alloy Steel that they needed in order to make the planes. Plus the fact the United States cut the oil supply didn't make the situation any better. This just made the events even more serious, now the Japanese had more of a motive to try to get back at the United States. Roosevelt, who was the United States president at the time, knew that the Japanese wanted war along with all of the United States government, but since there had not been a declaration of war from the Japanese government, they never formed a plan to protect themselves against them. The United States was waiting until Japan made a move or intention to attack the U.S, or until Japan officially declared war. Like previously mentioned the United States knew that the Japanese wanted War but they never thought that they would take the surprise brew and plan a surprise attack.

Meanwhile, all this planning that the Japanese had made, the United States Navy wasn't really prepared for an attack. Of course, there were people observing the deck to see if there were any incoming enemy ships, but most of the commanders and Chiefs and even recruits of the U.S. Navy we're mostly enjoying the Hawaiian culture. Roosevelt didn't have any reason to believe that the Japanese were going to attack them without announcing anything. This lead the commanders and chiefs to not really worrying much about the Japanese making a surprise attack, and even less the possibility of war. They were left completely vulnerable to the surprise attack the Japanese were planning. During the attack: On Sunday, December 7th, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. This attack took place in Hawaii, a military base which was home to the Navy's Pacific Fleet. The military base was located, 6 miles (10 km) west of Honolulu. The harbor is virtually surrounded (west to east) by the cities of Ewa, Waipahu, Pearl City, Aiea, and Honolulu ( Encyclopaedia Britannica, Honolulu ). The military base also had, 10 square miles (26 square km) of navigable water and hundreds of anchorages and covers a land area of more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares). Its four lochs are formed by the Waipio and Pearl City peninsulas and Ford Island. Pearl Harbor Entrance (channel) connects its virtually landlocked bay with the Pacific Ocean. ( Encyclopaedia Britannica, Pearl Harbor ). But, why Sunday? The Japanese were well organized on this attack. Some might wonder why did they attack on December 7th? Why Sunday? Well, the Japanese chose Sunday, During the 1940s, Sundays still held religious significance for many. ( Encyclopaedia Britannica, Attack on Sunday ). Therefore the Japanese aircrafts would have the element of surprise for the attack Pearl Harbor since the navy personnel would either be sleeping in or, attending religious ceremonies. With this element of surprise, the Japanese would not have to worry about an immediate defense attack from the Marines at Pearl Harbor.

Another reason why the Japanese arranged the attack on Pearl Harbor to happen on December 7th was because, they needed a day with a clear view from the sky so it would be easy to see their target from afar, the weather that day satisfied Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese officer who was planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. So December 7th came to be the perfect day to have a flawless surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. By selecting Sunday the Japanese heads of the military were certain their plan would be successful, along with giving hem the edge of surprise which was extremely vital for their plan to succeed. On November 26, the Japanese military sent their, Six aircraft carriers left Japan for Hawaii on Nov. 26, carrying a total of 408 fighter craft, joining five midget submarines that had departed a day earlier. At 7:55 am the first Japanese dive-bomber appeared over Pearl Harbor, It was part of the first wave of nearly 200 aircraft, including torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters. (Rosenberg, Jennifer. Facts About the Japanese) Before the attack, the Japanese radioed Tora Tora Tora which signaled the start of preparation for the aircrafts. The word Tora had no significant meaning, the Japanese heads of the attack chose the easiest recognition of the morse code to and ra. The command of Tora was delivered three times to make sure the signal was received and elaborated. Although Tora had a similarity of the word tiger in Japanese it was a complete coincidence. At 7:53 a soldier, Fuchida ordered Mizuki to channel To Ra! To Ra! To Ra! which coded attack surprise. As well as Tora Tora Tora the Japanese had many other code/ operation names such as Tenkai which meant take attack position.

Another one was a dark blue flare that represented black dragon which alerted the Japanese to attack. ( Erick, Painter. "Tora! Tora! Tora!"). During the attack, 20 ships were stricken and damaged but 9 ships USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee, and USS Nevada”had sustained significant damage. (All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.) (Pearl Harbor. History.com). Later on at approximately 8:10 am, a bomb 1,800- pounds dropped into the USS Arizona which exploded extensively leading 1,000 men trapped endangering their lives. That same time range torpedoes were plunged into the shell of the USS Oklahoma which incepted the battleship to submerged with 400 sailors aboard. This took less than 2hrs for the Japanese to achieve their agenda of destroying the American's ship. (Pearl Harbor. History.com). The attack also left airplanes demolished as well as injuring soldiers and victims nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Drydocks and airfields were likewise destroyed.

Most important, 2,403 sailors, soldiers and civilians were killed and about 1,000 people were wounded. (Pearl Harbor History) Japan also targeted nearby Army airfields at Hickam Field, Wheeler Field, Bellows Field, Ewa Field, Schoefield Barracks, and Kaneohe Naval Air Station. Many of the U.S. airplanes were lined up outside, along with the airstrips, wingtip to wingtip, in order to avoid sabotage. (Rosenberg, Jennifer. Facts About the Japanese). Unfortunately, this only made them easy targets for the Japanese attackers. After the attack: Hours after the overwhelming Japanese aerial assault, Pearl Harbor was left as the representation of disaster with, Plumes of smoke from fires blazing across the oil-slicked waters were visible from many parts of Honolulu. (After the Attack). Japan and the United States had lost a lot during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese lost, some 30 planes, five midget submarines, and fewer than 100 men. ("Pearl Harbor Bombed"). The United States lost, Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. ("Pearl Harbor Bombed"), only 13 ships were able to be restored and be put back on service after the attack.

Although the United States had undergone severe losses, not everything was lost for the United States, for at the time both the United States Navy and the Japanese Imperial Navy still saw the Battleships as the heart of the fleet and the essence of naval power. Days before the attack, three carriers of the U.S marine had been, "assigned to the Pacific Fleet, had been dispatched on missions that took them away from Pearl Harbor that fateful Sunday. ("The Missing Carriers"). Therefore when the attack was about to begin and reports came in stating that, the main fleet carriers, the USS Saratoga, USS Lexington, and USS Enterprise were not present in Pearl Harbor the Japanese were not overly concerned. It would only be a few hours after the aerial assault on Pearl Harbor that the Japanese Empire would properly proclaim war on the United States. On December 8th, 1941 after the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt officially proclaimed war on Japan. This declaration would lead to the misery of many Japanese people in the United States, and it would also drive the United States directly into World War II, going out of neutrality.

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Aileen Wuornos

Aileen Carol Wuornos was a seriously disturbed woman that would become the first female serial killer in the United States. When you look at her life and study it, you can see just why this happened. Aileen really never had a chance at a normal life. It is almost like the world was always against her. Mental illness combined with an awful childhood was what raised a serial killer. Aileen, herself, knew that she would never make it in this world. I robbed them, and I killed them as cold as ice, and I would do it again, and I know I would kill another person because I've hated humans for a long time. (MLA)

Aileen Carol Wuornos Pralle was born in Rochester, Michigan on February 29, 1956. Her birth parents were Diane Wuornos and Leo Pittman. Aileen's mother abandoned her and her brother Keith when she was only 4 years old. Aileen's father, Leo was in jail for child molestating and later hanged himself in prison. He also suffered with schizophrenia throughout his life. Aileen never met her father because her parents divorced before she was born. Her maternal grandparents, Lauri and Britta Pittman adopted Aileen and Keith. Lauri, Aileen's grandfather sexually assaulted her many times. As a young child with little supervision and parental love, Aileen played with fire and burned herself causing scars on her face. At the age of 10, Aileen began experimenting sexually with her brother. When Aileen was 11, she learned that she could trade sexual acts for food and cigarettes. At the age of 14, Aileen was raped by her grandfather's friend. A pregnancy resulted from this rape. She quit school when she gave birth to her son and he was immediately put up for adoption. At this point and only 15 years old, her grandfather kicked her out of his home and Aileen took to living in the woods. She became a prostitute to make what money that she could and to be able to survive. In 1976 at the age of 20, Aileen hitchhiked to Florida. It was here that she met and married a much older man named Lewis Fell. This relationship was tumultuous from the start. Lewis had to obtain a restraining order on Aileen. They were divorced 9 weeks later. On July 17, 1976, it is important to note that the one person that she cared for died. Her brother Keith passed away from cancer. Over the next several years, Aileen spent a lot of time in and out of jail for robbery, car theft, and passing forged checks. In 1986, Aileen met the love of her life Tyria Moore in a bar. Both Aileen and Tyria moved frequently, staying at hotels for as long as they could with the money Aileen made prostituting and eventually murdering men. Eventually, after Aileen was wanted and Tyria had put the pieces together she moved to Pittsburgh to live with her sister. Tyria also became the informant for the police to avoid prosecution. During Aileen's time in jail a woman named Arlene Pralle became connected to Aileen. Mrs. Pralle and her husband legally adopted Aileen on November 21, 1991 with the hope of helping her. After years of appeals and on death row, Aileen Wuornos succumbed to her fate and was put to death by lethal injection in the Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida on October 9, 2002.

At Aileen Wuornos's trial, the state psychologist testified that she had Borderline Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness/disorder that causes unstable moods, behaviors, and relationships. Aileen fit this assessment as she displayed anger towards others often and even tried to commit suicide 6 times in her life. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), also called sociopathy is a mental health disorder that is characterized by disregard for other people. (Mayo Clinic, )(MLA format) Aileen never thought about other people in the moment. Some additional experts stated that she had impaired capacity and mental disturbance during the crimes she committed. Aileen additionally has a low IQ noted since childhood. She did not receive any psychological treatment and received six death sentences.

In 1989-1990 there were 7 dead bodies discovered in Florida. The common link being that they all had been shot. The first victim was found in 1989. The body was that of 51 year old Richard Mallory. He was found a couple of miles away from his car. The cause of death was determined to be multiple shots to his chest. The second victim was 43 year old David Spears who was found on June 1, 1990. He had been shot six times in the torso. The third victim was 40 year old Charles Carskaddon. He was found a few days after the body of David Spears was found in Pasco County. The fourth victim, 50 year old Troy Burress was found on August 4, 1990 in Marion County. His body was fairly decomposed and was found to have two shots to the torso. The fifth victim was 56 year old Charles Dick Humphreys who was found in Marion County on September 12, 1990. He had multiple shots to his head and torso. His car was found later in Suwannee County. The sixth victim was 65 year old Peter Siems. It was noted that Siems was on his way to New Jersey from Florida in June of 1990. His body was never recovered, but the car was found in Orange County on July 4, 1990 after Aileen and Tyria crashed it. The seventh and final victim was 62 year old Walter Antonio. He was found on November 19, 1990 in Dixie County. He was shot four times in the back and head. His car was found 5 days later in Brevard County.

Aileen had already been in jail a few times for robbery, car theft and passing forged checks before she starting committing murders. She already had many run ins with the police and had a record. When Aileen killed Peter Sims she and Tyria stole his car and ended up crashing it. The women tried to get rid of all the evidence. Despite their best efforts they were tracked down by the fingerprints and palm prints that were left in the car. When Aileen was captured her behavior was as defiant as usual and some describe it as bizarre.

Aileen claims that she killed all 7 victims in self-defense and had a substantial story made up for each one. Aileen Wuornos was charged by a jury for six of the seven murders on January 13, 1992. The deliberation took just 2 hours. The jury found her guilty on all counts of first degree murder and armed robbery. Aileen's anger could be felt when she yelled, Sons of Bitches! I was raped! I hope you get raped. Scumbags of America! (MLA Format) Each murder charge carried with it a death sentence. Aileen spent the next 10 years on a stay of execution while trying to get a retrial. During this time it was found that Richard Mallory was a known rapist. He had served 10 years in prison previously for rape. It is important to note that the story Aileen told about Richard raping her could have been true. Arlene Pralle who adopted her defended Aileen's self-defense plea in this murder.

Nurture had a larger impact on Aileen's life then nature did, although Aileen's environment had a factor in making her into who she was destined to be. There is no doubt that she had a bad childhood. She never really had unconditional love from her parents. No one in her life ever taught her right from wrong without physical punishment. She never understood what love meant or was because no one ever loved her in the sense of the word. People always took from her and she rarely ever received much. All the people that should have cared about her from the start never protected her. All Aileen Wuornos ever really wanted in life was someone to love and to love her in return. She spent her whole life searching for this. Even though Aileen Wuornos committed horrible crimes, she almost deserves some compassion because she really did not stand a chance in this world. And I'm really sorry about everything I've done. I miss Ty...I lost Tyria over this, and the people that lost their loved ones and everything, I really think first about the people that lose their loved ones and then Tyria second. I have to put them first on this whole thing. I'm really sorry for, you know, them losing their loved ones man. I know the feeling. (MLA)

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What Makes a Serial Killer do what they Do?

What pushes a serial killer to do what they do? In order to answer this question, I looked at two sources. The first article I looked into was written by scholar, Dr. J.S. Dalal, Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College Patiala, et al. The second source I found was written by Nicola Malizia, University of Enna, Enna, Italy. The first source is telling the reader about the different types of serial killers, and the second source is going to help the reader get into the mind of the criminal to help us figure out what goes on in a serial killers mind to make them want to take one's life.

The first source, written by Dr. J.S. Dalal, et al., explains the different types of serial killers that are out there and what makes them want to take the lives of others. The four basic types of serial killers is, visionary, mission-oriented, hedonistic, and control-oriented. A visionary serial killer sees visions in their minds or voices in their heads telling them to kill. Mission-oriented is where the killer sees it to be their mission to get rid of all the sinners or people with wrong morals to make the world a better place to live in. A hedonistic killer find pleasure in torturing and killing their victims, and lastly a control-oriented serial killer is one who likes to have power over the victim and enjoys that they're the one in control. Several methods that determine whether one is a serial killer or not. One being a lie detector and this measures changes to one's answers when being interrogated due to sympathy. Another way to tell a serial killer is the narco test which is where the one being interrogated is given thiopental sodium, and they're quizzed with the dose in them. The final method used is brain mapping where they scan the brain. So, what exactly makes a serial killer just that? As Dalal, et al. explains, they all have goals to achieve in this heinous act. They could have a goal to rid this world of sinners. A goal to do what the voices in their heads are telling them to do. Maybe a goal to see multiple people suffer. Or possibly a goal to even have total control over their victim. By informing me of the four types of serial killers I was able to answer the research question of What makes them do what they do?, because it told me of their motives behind the killing and what they're trying to accomplish. Overall, what I have learned from this source is that not everybody is in it for the same reasons.

My second source was one written by Nicola Malizia and it explains the serial killers fantasy and what they want to see when they're in the process of killing. Malizia stated The more time spent fantasizing, the faster he will become dependent on the fantasies that feed the sense of self. Malizia also talked a bit about the killer's thought patterns and what was going through their brain to think what they were doing was okay. So when you ask, What makes a serial killer do what they do?, you have to remind yourself of the fantasy that they have and the thought patterns and actions. As Malizia states, The serial killer's imagination plays a major role as he begins to fantasize about acts to be performed in order to express dominance over another human being. In conclusion, Fantasy plays an important role in a serial killer's actions because, it puts them into an imaginary world. One that they're more attracted to than in the real world. This source was able to help me answer my question of why do they do what they do?, by telling me about the many fantasies that they may desire to see carried out, which then makes them kill.

Both sources help me greatly to answer the one question I have which is why? Why do serial killers do what they do? Why do they do it to innocent people, and why do they think they'll get away with it? Most are full of pride and don't think they will be caught. Some confess because they're proud of what they did. Regardless, I want to find out whether it's the nature of a serial killer or the nurture. Whether they have something actually mentally wrong, or if they were just raised in a bad living situation.

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The Pearl Harbor Experience

A foretime of the experience of Pearl Harbor, Japan and the United States had escalating tenseness for exceptionally most of the decagon. That lead up to the start of World War 2, which Japan permit a consternation invasion on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941. America had not enrolled the Second World War; yet, because they were still reeling from dejection expected to the First World War. America did still possess the strongest naval fleets. From that perspective, Japan was almost as vigorous as the American Navy. As America preferred extra to approach the joining war time that had passed, thus leading up to Japan anticipating a full-blown naval war with American and decided to act first by bombing Pearl Harbor. This drastically altered the course of World War 2, but there are many principal rationalisms for the air raid that made it seem approximately inescapable. In May of 1940, the U.S. made Pearl Harbor the preeminent terminal for its Pacific squadron. Americans did not foresee the attack by Japan, which their first impact in Hawaii, a little 4,000 miles abroad from Japan's mainland. Thus, the post at Pearl Harbor was conveniently targeted due to it being marooned unguarded. Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku debilitated era devising an ailment anticipated to devastate the Pacific fleet and morale in the U.S. Navy, so it would not be adequate to altercation posterior as the Japanese battalion commence to advancement on destination perpendicular to the South Pacific.

One apprehension why Japan bombed Pearl Harbor was not met to an enlarged commitment for logical resources. Japan had heightened demand for essential resources like oil, minerals and steel as their goals for amplification in Asia and the Pacific blister. To escalate their capability in Asia, and reduce their dependence on the west to obsess resources, the Japanese military looked towards Manchuria's iron and coal, Indochina's rubber, and China's vast range of instinctive resources. Japan has added up urgency for innate resources like oil, minerals and steel as their goals for extension in Asia and the Pacific amplified. The United States also had an obvious interest in these accustomed resources, and in response to the Japanese aggression, the U.S. Congress placed restrictions on doing business with Japan. If that was not enough, Japanese assets in the United States were frozen. Japan felt that if it could take over areas with universal resources it would be more powerful; however, this led to the intervention Pearl Harbor in hopes that it would destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet and weaken the resolve of the American people. They hoped that the defeat at Pearl Harbor would be so devastating, that Americans would immediately give up. The goal was a quick capitulation allowing Japan to continue imperial inflation.

Another sense for why Japan bombed Pearl Harbor is because of restrictions. The great Depression worsened japan's economic state as the price of silk dropped drastically. The United States had interest in these areas and their native resources. The U.S. Congress passed the Export Control Act, which prohibited the export of strategic minerals and chemicals, aircraft engines, parts and equipment to Japan. This ban gave a great set back to Japanese economy and their trade and service was adversely affected. In response to Japan's aggression, the U.S. Congress placed restraint on business with Japan assets and desire for spread in the Pacific. Roosevelt banned all exports of scrap iron, steel and oil to Japan. The embargo was the argumentation Japan invaded China, they had lost more than 90% of its oil supply. Japan did not want to rely on foreign imports; they wanted to create a colonial empire by conquering countries rich in probable resources. They looked towards China, Indochina, and the Pacific to meet these obligations. The Japanese army acted independently from the government and in September 1931, led by General Tojo, invaded the resource-rich province of Manchuria in Northern China. The Unites States and Britain supported China against the actions of Japan. If that were not enough, Japan assets in the United States were frozen.

The last logic that Japan besieged Pearl Harbor is due to expansion in the pacific. President Roosevelt relocated the U.S. Pacific fleet from California to Pearl Harbor in 1939, which revolved out to be a intimidation to Japan, whom wanted to broaden in the Pacific. Force leaders and politicians saw a war between the U.S. and Japan as inevitable, with the explanation being to outbreak first. Japanese military officials accursed the country's economic implications on untrustworthy politicians and accept that the only way to get the commonplace material goods were by seizing other territories. Japan had imperial ambitions to develop to China to solve some demographic and economic obstacle and to take over the Chinese import market. Without oil Japan's servicepeople could not operation and all war effects would be to an end. Japan wanted to move into the Dutch East Indies and Malaya to conquer territories that could provide important constant supplies such as oil and rubber. By destroying a large quantity of the American fleet, they hoped to conquer the Philippines and Malaya while America was still convalescent from it's own disturbance- contemporaneous intrusion were put in motion on these places while Pearl Harbor was taking place. They wanted the U.S. to acquiesce to their magnification into Asia. The Japanese were keen on eliberate their empire and had to make a compromise between concede or moving to war with the United States.

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Samuel Little

Why would someone want to kill as many as ninety people and want credit for doing it? According to SunHerald.com this serial killer remembers almost every detail about his crimes because of the sexual gratification he gets from by remembering the state, the date, and the year it happened. Since this serial killer could remember his crimes decades after he committed them it sounds like he wants all the credit he can get, while he is still alive. He wants to see his name up in the lights as Americas worst serial killer. If someone wants to see themselves in the record books with the most amount of murders, then we would have to start from the beginning, so you know how he got to where he is now. He was someone who grew up in and around crime, not to mention was born in a jailhouse as well. Criminals tend to think what they do, and committing crime is something they feel like they were born to do. This life for this serial killer started shortly doing crime before he even reached high school. Before I get to his high school years, I would like to tell you how this person got to where he is now. In an article on the New York Times, written by Timothy Williams, gave a quote on his mother describing her A lady of the night because his mother would find anyway possible to support him, when she wasn't in jail. For his mother to be supportive by any means possible she had to take some risks, which meant that she would possibly being away from her kids because she might be spending time in jail. And this is where this serial killer was born in a jailhouse where his mother was staying after committing some crimes, that are never listed, but shortly after his birth his grandmother took him and gave him a house that he could be in and food to put on the table.

To this serial killer his grandmother was someone who showed him support and told him the difference between the right and the wrong, but she never really showed much support for him in school or in anything he really did because he was always in trouble and it kept getting worse every time he got into trouble. This serial killer was described as an early troublemaker, where he had hard time doing anything that involved school work, and never really was focused on keeping himself out of trouble. Shortly, after starting his high school career he dropped out and became very susceptible to crime, which is known as individual vulnerability model not only because he was born in cell but also because crime was all around him when he was growing up. In an article done by Abby Rodgers on Business Insiders, said that there is an abnormality that develops during puberty and this typically happens to men because they display some homicidal things. This abnormality is called chromosomal abnormality, that starts when a person, like this serial killer, feels that they aren't part of world and they feel like they are on their own and against everyone else. As this serial killer developed the abnormality of the thinking that everyone is against them, the killer I have been describing is a seventy-eight-year-old and a former boxer who just confessed to ninety murders in what he thought was an exchange for a nicer cell where he could finish living out his life in prison, out in California. Some of the murders he has confessed to fit the description of what investigators found at the crime scene. Most of the murders he has described have been fitting everything that the police have found. This serial killer goes by the name of Samuel Little, who has been sitting in a Texas jail since 2012 where the police linked him to a couple of unsolved murders that happened Odessa Texas, just east of the New Mexico border.

While Sam has been sitting in the Odessa jail in Texas, he started making statements to a person that gained his trust by not only seeing him a couple times out of the month but also getting to know him on a personal level. This organization that this friend of Sam's was from the Texas Rangers, not the major league baseball team, but a part of the public safety coalition, and according to dps.texas.gov, which describes them as one of the largest divisions in the Texas Safety Department, and there responsibility is to deal with serial crime investigations that aren't going anywhere and it becomes a cold case. A cold case is when all the leads that the police where given fall through roof and it leads to know where. This is the case that the Texas Rangers took over when Sam started talking about everything that happened in the last forty years. When Sam started talking and going through everything about the murders that happened other organizations like the FBI and other state agencies started lining up to interview him, so they could solve the different murders in their state. Not only did state and federal agencies start lining but also did newspapers because they wanted to know how Sam kept quiet about all the murders that Sam was talking about.

With the different agencies and newspapers lining up to ask about other cold murder cases that Sam has been describing, it begs the question how a former boxer how a serial killer would, like Sam, get away with murdering so many people. Not to mention why is Sam talking and how was he able to keep quiet about killing so many people for nearly forty years later? Sam thought that if he started talking now then he could move jail cells, from Texas to a California prison where he would finish up his life in prison. His other thought of talking now is because he wants to see his name in the history books as being the worst serial killer in history, but also because his health is causing him to die faster than what some people have thought. Now that Sam has finally started talking after four decades, he has gone into detail about how he got his next victims by describing the places that he rested to but also the states where he murdered someone. But the thing he keeps bringing up is where he would sit and wait for his next victim. But in order for Sam to talk about how he got his next victims to do what he wanted and to become America's worst serial killer they needed him to talk everything that has happened from his first murder to the last murder he did before getting caught.

So when Sam got the deal he wanted which was for him go to get out of the Texas jail and to a California jail where he will spend the rest of his life and for the deal to actually work for both sides he'd start with how everything went down from getting the victim to do what he wanted to what he did with the body. And to the delight of both sides Sam took the bait to switch jails and to the surprise he started saying everything. But for the agents to listen to every single word they sent in a recorder with the Texas Ranger so they could make sure they got everything that was said. But the most important piece that the agents from the local, state, and national agents got was how he got to the victim and what he did with the bodies when he finished killing them. What the agents from every state were wanting to know from the tapes was where the victims lay and he in the tapes would describe himself as always on the move. But he also described what the place looked like on where he would sit which was always next to a poverty-stricken area because people were desperate for whatever they were after. When Sam would wait for his next victim he would lay out a dumping place so when he would kill he knew where he could take the body without anybody knowing what happened to them. When Sam would find the next dumping place he would also find ways to get rid of any evidence that would come up when he would kill that person, and with each person he killed the authorities could not get anything from the scene because of how well the crime was thought out.

As Sam would think out on how to kill his next victim he would get into a state of mind of how he would strangle his next victim, and to him describing how everything went down would give gratification because to him he taking out that person made him feel like he was getting out of trouble. With every victim that Sam killed, he was thinking that he could get away with because he made sure that either the victim had no evidence or that he left nothing behind so that there was nothing for the police to get in order to charge him with killing that person. As Sam went through his story about each victim he strangled he went through the eight different states that ranged from Florida all to California, and all the different names that Sam can name have been proven true. Some of the names that Sam is giving out have not been found since 1970 because there was nothing there for the police to gather from the scene, which gave way for Sam to start talking which makes him feel like he is the biggest thing. As Sam keeps talking and the bigger he feels the better is for federal agents to find more bodies that Sam could have killed and it gives family of the victims a source of relief knowing that their bodies might be found sooner than what the families thought. When Sam would tell them about where the bodies are and how he went through it, the agents felt like that Sam had no remorse for what he did and how he did it because he went through every single step about so smoothly that when the some of the bodies were found he didn't really care because to Sam those bodies were known as enemies to him because he felt like they got in his way of doing what he wanted to do.

As Sam would get rid of his last enemy he would be already moving out of that state and be looking for his next state where he would be able to find his next victim and do everything all over again. The sense of killing someone to Sam and getting rid of the body was Sam's way of out smarting the agents because for every murder that Sam did, it would be different than the last one. Every time Sam would out smart the agents by displacing their bodies in a different, he would be thinking that what done is done and there is nothing that can be done to fix what has happened. But eventually Sam would mess would up by leaving something behind that never related to the case or to the body that they found, but it always meant something. When federal agents found the bodies that Sam described everything he said from the way he killed the person, to where the body was located all checked and was spot on with what Sam was telling the federal agents. The thing that surprised the agents was how well he could recall everything from the crime because it had happened so long ago and his health was failing him as well. The only thing that Sam could not remember was the time of death of the victim that he had killed although he could remember the exact spot where the victim was staying at.

Every time Sam would recall the places, and how he killed that person, he wanted to let people know that he what he was going to live out his final life as one of Americas worst serial killer. Since Sam wants people to know about all murders that he has committed and that he's on his last leg because of heart disease, but I also think that he wants to be known as the worst killer in American history so to him it feels like he has left his mark on the world. His mark on American soil would be for him, to be known as the worst serial killer that wasn't caught until there was nothing left of the crime. But for many the feeling of having Sam being caught and in jail for other murders that he has done isn't enough because some families haven't found the loved ones yet because of how well Sam hide their bodies after he killed them, but also because the agents involved want to find each and every person that Sam has killed in the last forty years. For each agent that is working on this case and the more Sam keeps bragging about the murders he has done the better chance that the families that lost someone can be found and possibly bring the family to closure knowing that their loved one has been brought to them.

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Pearl Harbor: Awakening America

On December 7, 1941 Japanese planes streaked across the horizon around eight a.m., over the islands of Hawaii. Shortly after the Japanese arrival, bombs began dropping and explosions and shots rocked Pearl Harbor. Military personnel and troops rushed to action, but it was too late to stop the major destruction and carnage of Pearl Harbor. What seemed to be a Japanese victory over the U.S. turned out to be quite the opposite (Pearl Harbor 2009). Although the outcome and some general facts about the attack on Pearl Harbor are widely known, many things are less familiar. Some of these are Pearl Harbor's background, the incidents that led up to the attack, what happened during the attack, what happened after, and a common disputed theory.

Although Pearl Harbor was the location of a devastating attack by the Japanese forces during WWII, its background is very interesting. Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbor located on Oahu Island, Hawaii. It has many purposes, many of which are still used today. Pearl Harbor is used as a U.S. naval base, and is the headquarters for the U.S. Pacific Fleet. It is also used as a port and refueling station (Wels 2001). The construction and development of Pearl Harbor took quite a while. It was surveyed by Lieutenant Wilkes in 1840, and after harbor rights were secured, construction began in 1898. A naval base was established on the island after 1908, and the drydock was completed in 1919. Pearl harbor was very important because of its natural defensive layout, and launchpad characteristics. The U.S. could house and launch their naval forces from Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese could use it as a base to launch attacks on the west coast (Pearl Harbor 2018).

Before the Pearl Harbor attack, tension had arose between the Americans and the Japanese. As a part of Japan's military campaign, Japan waged war against China, who seemed like an easy neighboring country to conquer. The U.S., already against the Japanese and their antics, sided with China. To try to stop the Japanese, the U.S. restricted Japanese trade and cut off the oil supply to Japan (Wels 2001). This was an easy fix for the Allies to stop the Japanese war machine, but it posed more of a problem than a solution. Shortly after trade with Japan was cut, negotiations for oil began. The U.S. and Japan tried to work out an agreement, but their objectives seemed too far apart and conflict seemed inevitable. While the U.S. housed meetings, the Japanese began planning for an attack; one that would shake the world (Pearl Harbor 2009).

During the battle of Pearl Harbor many things went in the favor of the Japanese. On December 7, 1941 Japanese planes roared into Pearl Harbor just as many were waking up or getting ready to start their day. Bombs and gunfire rained on the harbor, but not much could have been done to stop this surprise attack by the Japanese. Japan chose to attack Pearl Harbor on this day at this time because of some very appealing occurrences (Wels 2001). Almost the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet was being housed at Pearl Harbor, and an attack in the early morning would catch the U.S. off guard. The U.S. took many losses at Pearl Harbor, but they still had a chance at a comeback. It just so happened their aircraft carriers were away at the time, and later in the war, they would be the main offensive power on the seas and air (Britannica 2018).

Despite the fact Japan had gained a major victory over the U.S., all they did was awaken a major world power that would eventually be their demise. The U.S. took many heavy losses, but that didn't stop them from rebuilding. The oil storage, repair shops, and submarine docks were also left intact or functional, which helped the U.S. repair quickly and spring into action. The attack also sparked a sense of revenge, patriotism, and nationalism which helped the U.S. bounce back and amass a military made of volunteers geared towards a Japanese destruction. Very quickly, the U.S. had nearly rebuilt their naval force and assembled a prodigious army. By then, the attack on Pearl Harbor had proved to be a major mistake by the Japanese. They had brought upon themselves a powerful and enraged country. Some would say Pearl Harbor was the reason the Axis powers lost WWII.

On the surface, Pearl Harbor only seems to be a surprise attack gone wrong, but there may have been more. It is suspected, but not proven, that FDR may have had ulterior motives such. There are claims that Pearl Harbor was a provoked attack to manipulate the U.S. into war. Originally, President Franklin Roosevelt ran his campaign advertising to keep America out of war and rebuild the economy, but during WWII, he seemed to take sides and strongly supported the Allies. He wanted to involve the U.S., but did not want to blatantly go back on his words (Franklin D. Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs 2018). There were also other suspicious actions that were not thoroughly explained. For example, FDR wanted to create an even larger military with a peacetime draft for security reasons. However, this would not have been necessary if he wanted neutrality and isolationism. Whilst some argue for the largely disputed back door to war theory, many historians don't agree with it. It is only a speculation or theory that has been unproven, and many facts go against it (Dallek 2018).

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a terrible event that will be remembered forever, but American involvement in WWII was almost inevitable. In spite of what happened, everyone should work towards a future where the same atrocious things will not happen again. One of the things we can do is learn about the event. From learning about where, when, why, and how it occurred, to learning about possible theories, and how to learn from humanity's mistakes.

Works Cited

  1. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs. Miller Center, 24 July 2018,
  2. https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/foreign-affairs.
  3. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Pearl Harbor. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 8 Nov. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/Pearl-Harbor.
  4. Dallek, Robert. Pearl Harbor and the Back Door to War' Theory. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 7 May 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Pearl-Harbor-and-the-back-door-to-war-theory-1688287#ref713829.
  5. Pearl Harbor. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor.
  6. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Pearl Harbor Attack. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 1 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack.
  7. Wels, Susan. Pearl Harbor. Time-Life/Tehabi Books, 2001.
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Why some People Turn to be Serial Killers?

The research is designed to investigate on the question that is in the minds of the majority. For a long time, there has been a question on why some people turn to be serial killers. Serial killing has been said to be a habit that is divided between the genetic composition of an individual(nature) and how the person has been brought up(nurture). The aim of the research is to establish the reasons as to why a person would turn to be a serial killer. Participants will be 200 adults who have been convicted for their involvement in the serial killing. This research will basically provide an insight on to why people tur to be serial killers. It will establish if the serial killing habit is determined by the genetic composition of an individual or by observing that which surrounds them and the behaviors that they develop.

Introduction

The debate on the nature versus nurture is one that has been taking the center stage whenever the psychologists try to unearth the underlying reasons for the serial criminal to involve in the crime activities. Nature focuses on the genetic composition that is determined by the DNA strands. It is mainly inherited from the parents. Nature mostly determines one's personality, traits and their predisposition. On the other hand, nurture refers to the behaviors that one develops as a result of their interaction with the surrounding environment. Nurture change from time to time depending with the environment that a person is in. Nurture may be viewed from the perspective of one's bringing by their parents, the influence from the parents, the cultural aspects they learn as they grow and the traits that they inherit from their friends.

The debate of nurture versus nature has perhaps found its place whenever discussion about the serial killers. Ideally, serial killer refers to a person who has at diverse events murdered more than three individuals on cold blood. Historically, serial killers have been associated with either been born like that or develop the behaviors in the course of their growth (Miller, 2014). The study conducted with the 200 participants, however assists in understanding some of the reasons why an individual can turn to be a serial killer despite the harsh punitive measures being taken against the accused people.

Literature Review

Much of the literature points out that the tendency of becoming a serial killer is either in nature or in nurturing. According to Theravive, serial killing is a behavior that makes people to ask several questions. The behaviors leave many wondering the genesis of the behavior and therefore, it becomes necessary to explore whether it is an issue that is based on nature or nurture (TheraviVe). Apparently, there seems to be no definitive explanation as to why people turn to be serial killers. Some feel that nurture determines the behavior of an individual while others feel that behavior is determined by nurture and others feel that the behavior is determined by both. According to Tayler Slavatore both the nature and the nurture determines the behaviors of the serial killer. The only difference is seen when it comes to measuring the magnitude of this heinous act. (Tayler, 2015).

Britanny Richarz intimates that serial killers can be categorized among the individuals who have the Antisocial Personality Disorder. Nature factors that make one to be a serial killer include; physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect among many others. Similarly, the genetic composition of an individual plays central role in shaping a person's behavior. (Richarz, 2018). In most instance, the serial killer will murder an individual with the aim of fulfilling their own gratification. Serial killers are driven by psychological gratification at the time they are murdering someone. According to Hayriye, becoming a serial killer is an unfortunate incidence that is attributable to both the nature and nurturing. (Haryiye, 2015). However, these researches are full of flaws since they do not comprehensively focus on to why a person may turn to be a serial killer. This gap will be filled by conducting the current research. By its nature, the current research seeks an affirmative answer on to whether serial killing is in nature or is in one's nurturing.

Method

Sample

During the research, the sample will be 200 participants (100 females and 100 males). The participants will be men and women who have been convicted for being involved in serial killing either individually or collectively. The participants will have consented voluntarily to be asked the questions that will lead to the research conducted. It will be optional for the participants to reveal or hide their identities. However, nothing will be done to prejudice the participants repute in the society. All the participants will be 18 years of age therefore they can make a viable decision while participating in the research.

Research design

In the course of the study, both the primary and secondary methods will be applied. As part of primary method, the participants will be asked to give four major reasons as to why they turned to be serial killers. Moreover, they will be asked to explain the feelings that made them execute the heinous and gruesome murdering. For the participants who may be hostile to the interviewer, they will be given some questionnaires. The questioners will be structured in such a way that the participant will record the major reasons as to why they turned to be the serial killers and what they think ought to have been done to help them change or avoid carrying out the series of killing they have been involved in. In terms of secondary sources, the research will concentrate on the publications which touch on the issues of serial killers extensively.

Measures

In the course of the study numerous measures will be employed. Most of these measures have been applied in the previous researches and their results have been impeccable.

Rehabilitation reports: The rehabilitation institutions will be a source of credible information regarding the serial killers. It will furnish the research with the information as to why the killers were involved in the series of murders that led to the conviction.

Social groups: Members of the general society will be asked information relating to the serial killers. They will be required to give a narration of how they know the individuals and how they used to behave before they turned into serial killers. Furthermore, they will be asked to give an account on how long they have known the participants and the behaviors they portrayed in the society.

The local administration will be of vital importance during the research. It will offer information relating to the criminal history of the participants. They will be required to give an account on whether the participants have ever been involved in committing other crimes whether felony or misdemeanor.

Data Analysis

Scale reliability among the serial killers will be the basis for the preliminary analysis of the research. Several factors will be put into consideration when weighing the feedback given by the participants. For instance, it will be important to consider the family history in the commission of the crime and the prevalence of the crimes in a given locality. Comparison will be made between the feedback given between the female and male participants. This will be paramount in basing the research in terms of gender as a factor.

The hypothesis of the research is that involvement in serial killing is a culmination of both nature and nurturing aspect (Keatley, 2018). As such, the blame should not be wholly direct5ed towards the serial killer rather one should analyze the underlying factors. The factors are either intrinsic or extrinsic in nature. These factors will help one to clearly understand the rationale behind the involvement in the serial killing.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, serial killing is perhaps one of the scariest involvement. The research will seek to unravel the underlying factor that makes one turn into a serial killed. Guided by the research methodologies applied when interviewing the 100 participants, the research will assist the audience to appreciate how nature and nurturing shaper the serial killers. Furthermore, it will give a clearer understanding on the root cause of the serial killing. This will make the general society take precautionary measures in case they notice some pecuniary behaviors with particular individual.

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Share Jesus Without Fear

Introduction

The author of this document will offer an analysis of this book that consist of; an abstract, a concrete response, or an interpretation of a significant event in her life, a reflection on the book, and finally actions that the writer will make in her life and ministry as a result of studying this book.

Abstract

The authors of this book, William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, offer a simple and short and sweet way to Share Jesus Without Fear. This book gives the reader a precise way that they may share Jesus with others without fear. They give easy to follow step by step instructions or guidelines one can use to share Jesus with someone.

In chapter one is the key chapter of the book. William Fay discusses his encounters with Christians who attempted to share Jesus with him in the past. Fay explained that even though, the speech did not cause his conversion, the presenter did not fail the reason he did not fail was because the responsibility for the conversion is the responsibility of the Holy Ghost.[1] When a person feels they have failed in converting a person, and then discovers that it is the responsibility of the Holy Ghost causes the Christian to exhale in relief.

The authors[2] discuss that if we do not share Jesus with others is the sin of silence; silence is an act of disobedience to a direct command from the Lord. When a person chooses obedience of telling someone about Jesus, they will feel an irreplaceable kind of joy in an ever-expanding bond with Jesus.[3]

The authors convey to the reader five Share Jesus questions.[4] The Christian/believer should never ever argue with the responses the non-believer. They should only say hmm, because it is hard to argue with someone if all they do is hmm.[5] In addition, when one answers with a hum, it will lead the non-believer in reading the scripture to discover the truth for themselves.

The scripted speech of revealing the scripture is easy and clear-cut. Readers are urged to create a list of non-believers who they have a relationship with.[6] This list gives them a jumping off point to share Jesus to others.

Concrete Response

As I read this book, I remembered one time back in high school when I had a discussion with two of friends in the morning before classes begun that day. Ruth was a Mormon, Rick was Jehovah Witness, and I was a Baptist. We got into a major argument. All of us had different views of Jesus and the scriptures. We all agreed that the Bible was the Holy words of God. However, we each interrupted them differently. If I had read this book and learned the Share Jesus questions[7] and the seven scriptures[8] that the authors suggest using to share Jesus with someone, I do not think there would have been any arguments because I would have just said hmm, and read it again out loud, if there was a wrong answer. I am feeling a little more confident about sharing Jesus since I cannot fail because it is the responsibility of the Holy Ghost to convert someone.

Reflection

Even though Share Jesus Without Fear is an evangelistic book that contributes to the spreading of the gospel, it comes across aggressive to some degree. For example, the statement on page six it states, The wound that killed him was silence.[9] God sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus is God's only Son, he had to power die whenever he felt it necessary. Like it says in the Bible, When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:30, KJV). He could have stretched out his death forever, He could have died the moment he was put on the cross, but He died when it was time to die. He did not need anyone to speak up for Him. Yes, if we had followed his commandments at the very beginning or at any time before God sent His Son to die, there would have been no need for Him to send His Son.

Action

Action Step One: By the end of this class, EVAN 525, I will meet at least two unbelievers who live in my community utilizing Share Jesus Without Fear process. I will also invite them to my church that I currently attend.

I will allow God to work through me to direct me to these individuals. One of the main areas of this step that will require some work on my part, is going out of my home to meet these individuals. I am a stay at home wife and know very few people in this town that I have lived in for the past eleven years. I will start attending our church's nursing home visitation that we do every fourth Saturday of the month. I am in hopes of meeting an unbeliever, whether it be a resident of the nursing home or one of the workers and share Jesus with them using this process.

I will also start volunteering at our local hospital two days a week. I am also in hopes of meeting a fellow volunteer or an employee at the hospital and becoming friends with them to the place that I can share Jesus with them during one of our breaks. It is my hopes that if I utilize this process that the authors lay out in their book, that I will be able to share Jesus with someone and not be worried whether I succeed or not.

Action step two: I will give away two New Testament Bibles to two unbelievers. This one may cost me financially, but I know that God will bless me. The reason I want to give away these bibles is that I know personally that there are still several people in the United States of America. Our daughter that we adopted a few years ago, never owned a Bible of any type.

If these unbelievers do not have God's word in their hands, how do expect them to be a true follower of Jesus. Even though I accepted Christ at a young age, it was not until I cracked open my Bible and started reading it, that I finally started truly learning about God. Someone cannot learn about Him, if they do not pray, worship, and read His word. People learn three different ways. They learn by hearing, doing and reading His word. The more a person does this the more they will learn and the more they will want to know about Jesus. At least that is how it is for me.

Action step three: I will find three people online to share Jesus with using the share Jesus process. I will utilize the social networks that I belong to, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. I will first try to chat with someone I do not know and then having the Lord guide me, share my testimony with them. I know this may be a little bit scary since I have only shared my story at my church and here in class. However, I know that God will let me know when a good time is to share it and He will also give me the strength to overcome any criticisms that I may come across.

On Facebook, I plan on using messenger to do this. That way it is more of a one on one sharing time. I have around two hundred and seven friends. All these people I know, maybe not personally, but they are friends of friends, live in the same town I do or use to, or went to the same school I did.

On twitter will be a little different. First, even though I am a member of it, I do not know how to communicate with anyone. So, my first goal with Twitter is to learn how to communicate and how to respond. The people I follow on twitter are either stars of my favorite show or someone who has similar interests as mine. Once I learn how to communicate, I plan on sharing a small version of my testimony and through God, I have faith that someone will reply wanting to know more. Then I will share more with them. I am still not sure how to do this on a one to one basis, but I will learn.

Finally, on Google plus, I again am not sure how to communicate within this network. However, with some time and guidance from God, I plan on sharing my testimony and again if anyone responds and would like to know more about Jesus, then I will go into more detail about who Jesus is and how they can be saved through the love of Jesus.

Bibliography

  1. Fay, William, and Linda Evans Shepherd.Sharing Jesus Without Fear.Nashville: B & H Publishing, 1999.
  2. William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, Sharing Jesus Without Fear, Nashville: B & H Publishing, 1999, 3.
  3. Note: Unless stated otherwise William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd will be referred to as the authors.
  4. Ibid, 30.
  5. William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, Sharing Jesus, 30.
  6. Ibid, 33.
  7. Ibid, 138.
  8. Ibid, 33.
  9. Ibid, 44.
  10. William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, Sharing Jesus, 6.
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Serial Killers: Modus Operandi, Signature, Staging

Modus operandi, signatures, and staging have been used by serial killers since the beginning. Crime profilers will use these to help determine who the unsub of the crime is and to get to know their style of killings. These also play a part in figuring out if the unsub is an organized or disorganized killer.

The first thing that needs to be understood is the modus operandi, or method of operation, is defined as the offender's actions while committing the crime (Douglas and Munn 1992). The modus operandi is a learned behavior and can always evolve in order to accommodate the circumstances in which the crime is being committed (Bonn 2015). This includes everything from luring, capturing, and killing their victim. A method that worked with one victim, may not work with the next, so the offender must take what they learned from that crime and make any changes that are necessary.

A few examples of some serial killer's method of operation are Charles Cullen, John Gacy, and H.H. Holmes. Charles Cullen was a nurse who murdered/attempted to murder around 29-45 people by poisoning them with prescription drugs when the victims did not need them (Murder Pedia). John Gacy, who was a clown performer, would seek out his victims and promise them construction work. Once he had them lured, he would take them hostage, sexually assault them, and strangle most of them with a rope. He was able to kill about 33 young men using this method of operation (Biography 2014). H.H Holmes had what he called his murder castle which he would lead his victims mostly women to and suffocate with lethal gases. Once they were poisoned, he would take them to his basement in order to use them for experiments and then dispose of the bodies (Maranzani 2017). Every killer has their own specific method of operation and knowing what it is can help lead investigators to discover who the killer is.

Next to be discussed is signatures. Most serial killers will leave behind some sort of signature. A signature is an offender's personal mark left on a victim or crime scene that is individual to them (Bonn 2015). Signatures can also be actions that the offender does consistently after each crime committed, for example, sending letters to the police to taunt them. They will leave these after committing their crime to show a part of their personality. These signatures are usually based on their fantasies and unlike their MO, their signature always remains constant. A signature is left behind to give the offender satisfaction with their crime, however, if the offender is interrupted, distracted, gets an unexpected response from the victim, they may not leave a signature. If the offender always leaves a signature but for one the reasons stated is unable to, this can cause them unsatisfied with their crime because since their violent crimes stem from their fantasies, their signature can be the most important part to them. Although this is very disturbing, the more victims found with a particular signature, the easier it is to find the killer. While investigators of course want to find the killer as soon as possible to put an end to their crimes, but they will usually need to gather evidence from multiple victims to accomplish this (Douglas 1992).

Serial Killers: Signature

To show some examples of signatures, Charles Albright, Keith Hunter Jesperson, and Dennis Rader will be discussed. Charles Bright, called The Eyeball Killer, was a serial killer in the 1990's. He murdered 3 women by shooting them and his signature was surgically removing their eyeballs (Murder Pedia). Although he never said why he would remove their eyes, it is thought to have stemmed from learning taxidermy at a young age. He was taught how to use tools, including the use of the scalpel that is needed to used to cut away the animal's eyes from its sockets (Hollandsworth 1993). Keith Hunter Jesperson referred to as the, Happy Face Killer was a serial killer in the 1990's and had around eight confirmed victims. His signature was drawing smiley faces on his letters to the media. It all started with his first victim, Taunja Bennett. Even though he was the one who killed her, someone else came forward and falsely confessed to murdering her.

This upset Jesperson greatly because he was not receiving the attention he had hoped he would get. In order to obtain his sought-after attention, he wrote an anonymous confession on a bathroom wall along with the signing of a smiley face. However, his confession and drawing elicited no response, so he started sending handwritten letters to police departments and the media which detailed his murders. Every letter that he sent was signed with a smiley face (Murder Pedia). Dennis Rader was a serial killer from 1974-1991 and had a total of ten victims (Murder Pedia). After Dennis would commit his crimes, he would consistently send letters to the police that entailed in great detail how he killed them and would give hints as to where he hid the bodies. These letters were meant to taunt the police and would always be signed with the initials BTK, meaning bind, torture, kill, which describes his MO and the reason why he named himself the BTK killer (Douglas 1992). The initials on the letters were also arranged in sexually explicit way, the B being the woman's breasts, the T the torso, and the K being legs spread apart (Ramsland 2013).

Another important element when looking at a crime is examining if the serial killer staged the scene and/or posed the victim in a particular way. Staging is the deliberate alteration of the crime scene before the arrival of the scene (Douglas and Munn 1992). Staging is considered to be a part of the killer's MO if the purpose of the changes to the crime scene are meant to mislead or confuse the investigators of the crime. Posing is considered to be part of the killer's signature if the alterations are meant to satisfy their fantasy needs (Bonn 2015). Staging and posing is not something that occurs commonly, but it does occasionally happen.

Elizabeth Short, known as Black Dalhia is a good example of staging and posing. Black Dahlia was an aspiring actress in the 1940's. She was 22 years of age when she was murdered in an extremely brutal fashion. Her murder became very attractive to the media due to the graphic nature of the crime scene. Black Dahlia's body was found in an empty lot in Los Angeles. Her body had been stripped of any clothing, nude, cut in half, and posed with her arms above her head, elbows bent at a right angle, and legs spread apart. Along with these gruesome details, her body had been drained of blood and scrubbed clean (Biography 2014).

The MO, signature, and staging/posing are all important aspects that define a serial killer. Knowing these details can also help figure out if a killer is organized or disorganized. Organized killer's crimes are usually planned and premeditated in order to leave no evidence of the crime. They are a lot harder to find due to the fact that they cover up tracks very well and are well educated on how police investigate crimes (Bonn 2015).

These types of killers are more likely be more sociable, have average intelligence, and tend to take trophies with them from the crime scene along with any weapon used to commit the crime (Douglas 1992). Disorganized killers will kill when an opportunity is presented, even at random, which can lead to them leaving behind blood, fingerprints, etc. at the scene. These killers tend to have below average intelligence, not super sociable, and will often leave their victims in open view rather than attempting to cover up their mess (Douglas 1992). Disorganized killers are more likely to be young in age, mentally ill, live by themselves, and isolate themselves from other people (Bonn 2015). Of course, disorganized and organized killers are not one size fits all, as it is possible for an offender to display a mixture of both types.

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An Exploration of the Biography of Edgar Allan Poe and its Influence on his Writing Style

When writing short stories and poetry, authors have the tendency to add components of their life experiences into their literature. Allowing their emotions to shine through often makes their work easier to understand and relate to. Life experiences coupled with literary devices, such as symbolism, permit the author to add another layer of complexity to their work. Edgar Allan Poe is an example of an author who has allowed his life to influence some of his most famous works. It is evident that when an author experiences tragedy or depression they tend to write in a dark and gloomy tone. The emotions of authors create a slight biased in the emotional undertones of the literary devices used in both their short stories and poems. The tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe is behind many of the symbols in The Case of the Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, and The Raven. The works themselves paired with the devastating history of Poe will reveal a concrete relationship with the symbols used and the events that occurred during the author's lifetime.

Initially, the numerous tragedies in Edgar Allan Poe's life had an evident effect on his behavior and psychological state. Poe was exposed to death at the early age of two, when his mother passed away (Quinn 51). Left without a mother and forced into foster care, Poe had an especially harsh childhood. Poe was again faced with the devastating reality of inevitable death when both his foster mother and wife suddenly died. After the passing of his wife, Poe was completely shattered and unsure of how to live on. Due to the tragedies he faced, Edgar Allan Poe suffered from recurring depression, which suggested he had bipolar disorder. At the time of Poe's life, mental illness was not a well-researched subject and was not discussed freely. The science of psychology was undeveloped, so diagnosis of mental illness was rare. Those with psychological issues often suffered in silence and turned to self-medication or religion as a remedy. Unlike modern times, Poe was unable to confide in a therapist or anyone for that matter. His writing was his only way to express himself and explore his many unordinary feelings.

In the story of The Pit and the Pendulum written by Edgar Alan Poe, a man is trapped inside a prison room with a deep pit in the middle. The man is imprisoned by the Catholic Church at the time of the Inquisition. The Inquisition was a group of Catholic institutions dedicated to combat religious dissent in France. Those accused of heresy against the Catholic Church were imprisoned and eventually killed. During the story, the prison walls surrounding the man are slowly closing in, forcing him to become closer to falling into the pit. The man throws a fragment into the void, For many seconds I hearkened to its reverberations as it dashed against the sides of the chasm in its descent; at length, there was a sullen plunge into water, succeeded by loud echoes. The fragment symbolizes the last ounce of sanity the man encompasses. When he throws the fragment, the man realizes how deep the pit is and loses all hope of survival. The moving walls pushing the man towards the pit symbolize how he is being driven to insanity. The room the man is held inside is pitch black, so he is completely blind to his surroundings. The man is experiencing a high degree of uncertainty and confusion.

The symbols used in The Pit and The Pendulum coincide with Edgar Allan Poe's battle with mental illness and religion. Poe had an internal conflict with the idea of Christianity and believed in freedom of religion. He famously said My own faith is indeed my own. Poe was born into a religious background, but he did not agree with all of the constraints of Christianity. Poe is also quoted as saying, All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry. Poe's story, The Pit and The Pendulum, explores his criticism of religion, especially Catholicism, by telling a tale of a man tortured as a result of The Inquisition. The idea of uncertainty symbolized by the dark room the man is placed in equates to Poe's uncertainty about his religious values, as well as his mental illness. The ambiguities in Poe's life drove him to insanity, similar to the symbol of the moving walls in the story. The symbols used in The Pit and The Pendulum prove that Poe uses his literary works as an outlet for the unknown. In the story, the man is only released from the torture chamber after he discovers the depth of the pit he is faced with. Jeanne Malloy, author of Apocalyptic Imagery and the Fragmentation of the Psyche: "The Pit and the Pendulum", confirms the above plot analysis when she states, General Lasalle only after the narrator is forced to he has devoted himself to avoiding ever since his discovery of it (Malloy 94). The way Poe structures the plot of his story against his use of symbolism suggests that he feels trapped by his mental illnesses and the only way to escape his entrapment is to understand the thoughts he experiences. The liberation of the prisoner in The Pit and The Pendulum enhances the correlation between the life of Edgar Allan Poe and his most famous literary works.

Continuing, Poe also explores the vague subject of human psychology with his use of symbolism in his poem The Raven. The poem tells a story of a man who is mourning the death of his beloved Lenore. The man hears a knock at his door and opens it to reveal a raven. The raven flies into his home and responds to all of the man's questions with, Nevermore. In the poem, the narrator cries out, Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore! The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Nepenthe as a potion used by the ancients to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow. It is believed that in ancient times opium-based drugs were referred to as Nepenthes. In this case, Nepenthe symbolizes the narrator's ability to diminish his grief. As previously stated, Edgar Allan Poe experienced an immaculate amount of grief throughout his life. It is evident that the great poet turned to drugs and alcoholism to save himself from his inner pain.

In the short story The Case of The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe's inability to process his mental illness is exemplified through his use of dark symbolism. The Tell-Tale Heart tells of a mad young caretaker that murders the elderly man he is responsible for tending to. The caretaker is terrified by the old man's eye and uses his fear as reasoning for his crime. The murder and the disposal of the remnants is carefully plotted to result in the perfect crime. Everything went according to plan, until the caretaker allowed his guilt to consume him and force him to admit to the crime he committed. The criminal in the story is described as a psychopath, True!“nervous“very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses“not destroyed“ not dulled them. The caretaker does his best to deny his insanity, but his admittance of having a disease and his obsessive rambling prove he his mad. Throughout the story, the killer's illness is emphasized through his actions, I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. The murderer's ability to care for the man and plot his murder simultaneously show his incapability to express human emotions. Above all, the man refuses to express any guilt towards his actions. He even projects his pounding heart to be that of the old man's. His thoughts are revealed when he becomes paranoid that the police can hear the heartbeat as well, Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!“no, no! They heard!“they suspected!“they knew! Although his belief of the heartbeat is false and furthers the accusation of his insanity, the heartbeat also symbolizes his humanity. Even with his mental disease, the man knows that he has done something wrong and this is shown by the heartbeat. When a human experiences guilt and anxiety, their first reaction is normally the subconscious quickening of the heart. The man hears the heartbeat when he is being questioned because he is experiencing anxiety about the crime he committed. The heartbeat begins to represent guilt when the man confesses his sins because of the nonstop noise, Villains! I shrieked, dissemble no more! I admit the deed!“tear up the planks! here, here!“It is the beating of his hideous heart! The killer's guilt reaches such an extent that he can no longer live in peace, he had to admit to his actions. The heartbeat symbolizes that even though the man was completely insane, he was still a human with emotions. Throughout history, Edgar Allan Poe has been known to be a bit mad. The hardships he faced in life transformed him into a person who experienced a multitude of mental illnesses. Through this symbolism, it is possible that Poe is trying to express that even though he does suffer from insanity, he still experiences human emotions. He is overwhelmed by the loss of his wife, mother, and foster mother and expresses his feelings through the mad nature of his characters.

Further along in the story The Case of The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe further investigates the subject of psychology through the symbolism of the old man's eye. The eye of the old man is described as a pale blue eye, with a film over it. The pale blue film over the eye indicates that the man's vision is most likely impaired. The eye symbolizes the narrator's inability to see inside of himself and recognize the sickness he has. The narrator describes the eye as evil and vulture like, similar to his persistent watching and plotting of the old man's death. The narrator blames his madness and troubles on the eye instead of owning up to his downfalls. After Poe's mother died, he was sent to a foster family by the name of Allan. Eventually, Mrs. Allan, whom Poe had grown very close with, passed away to leave him with only Mr. Allan. Poe and his foster father never had any type of real relationship. Allan sent Poe out into the world without any money and refused to pay off his gambling debt, leaving him alone and helpless at University. Allan also remarried before he died, meaning that Poe received no inheritance after his death. Poe came to resent his father and blame all of his misfortunes on Allan, similar to the narrator's ability to blame his wrong doings on the old man's eye. The inability for the narrator to realize his own faults, represented by the blind eye, relates to Poe's refusal to accept any blame for his own misfortunes.

Along with mental illness, Edgar Allan Poe uses symbols to portray his obsession with the idea of inevitable death. Throughout his life, Poe experienced a multitude of deaths, especially throughout his close family. According to Janice Krupnick, author of Bereavement: Reactions, Consequences, and Care, The death of a parent during childhood has been linked with a wide range of serious and enduring health consequences ranging from schizophrenia to major depression and suicide. The passing of both his mother and foster mother impacted Poe's psychological state more than anything else in his life. The main women in Poe's life, including his wife, all died unexpectedly at a young age. Due to the sorrow he experienced, Poe became infatuated with the topic of death.

In the poem The Raven, the narrator is mourning the death of his beloved Lenore. The grief the narrator feels toward Lenore can be compared with the tragedies of the many losses in Poe's life. Each time the Raven enters the narrator's home, he is reminded of the death of loved one. Therefore, the raven itself symbolizes the omnipresent characteristic of death. The description Poe utilizes to describe the bird solidifies its dark characteristics, What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore, Meant in croaking Nevermore. (Poe). After every question the narrator poses, the Raven exclaims, Nevermore. The response of the Raven is a reminder that death is inevitable. Poe was forced to quickly come to terms with the idea that everyone will eventually die and he uses the symbolism of the Raven to express his interest in his discovery.

The symbolic properties of death are also showcased in the short story The Pit and The Pendulum. One of the torture devices used against the prisoner is a descending pendulum that slowly swings across his body. The pendulum represents the inevitable passage of time and mimics the heartbeat of the narrator. The motion of the pendulum is described, The vibration of the pendulum was at right angles to my length. I saw that the crescent was designed to cross the region of the heart. The pendulum is constantly moving, becoming closer and closer to the terrified narrator with every calculated swing. The swinging crescent represents the unstoppable approach of death that every person experiences. Similar to the use of symbols in The Fall of The House of Usher, the pendulum coincides with Poe's curiosity and obsession regarding death. As previously discussed, Poe was subject to an amplitude of loss throughout his entire lifetime. His early on exposal caused the reoccurring idea of dying and death in many of his short stories and poems. The pendulum not only represents death, but also reestablishes the idea that dying cannot be controlled. Every human is eventually going to die, and the time or reasoning of their death is unable to be restrained. Poe resents his inability to save his family members and his frequent use of morbid symbols could be considered as a way he handles his intense grief.

In conclusion, the depressing and terrible events of Poe's life has shaped his writing tone and use of literary devices. Poe uses symbolism to add parts of his own life into his work without blatantly giving himself away. The main factor of Poe's life that affected his use of symbolism was the great loss he experienced. Edgar Allan Poe grieved everyone he was close with and the trauma he received from these events sparked a curiosity in him. Through his symbols, Poe explores the unavoidable destiny of death and the inability to control it. Death symbols exist in all three works: the pendulum in The Pit and The Pendulum, the watch in The Tell-Tale Heart, and the deteriorating house in The Raven. Along with dying, Poe's battle with mental illness affect the meaning behind his symbols. The tragedies Poe underwent turned him into a very tormented man, Poe knew that he had issues but, in some ways, he also denied his sicknesses. The inner battle Poe experienced with his mental health is shown through the fragment in The Pit and The Pendulum, the creative use of Nepenthe in The Raven, and the blind eye in The Tell-Tale Heart. Overall, if Poe did not undergo the traumas he was subject to he would not have become the known writer he is today. An author's life influences their creativity to extreme extents. Poe's life was sad and tragic, and his reoccurring gloomy and depressing themes resembled that. Poe was able to write so thoughtfully and in depth because of his ability to relate to the stories he was telling. His use of symbolism added a personal level to his otherwise unfamiliar plot lines. Edgar Allan Poe's allowance of his life experiences to influence his use of symbolism humanized and personalized his short stories.

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The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1804

Introduction

The start of the French Revolution was regarded by many as a new beginning and full of hope.

  • People felt that it represented an age of equality and freedom.

However, this event was actually marked by violent events and injustice.

  • Rise of a new dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Those who took part this event only expected a moderate change
  • Their attempts actually lead to a severe and dramatic conclusion with the king's execution and France's formation of a republic.

Changes were to occur within the revolution and within the life of France altogether.

  • The overthrowing of the government leads to a decline of upper classes
  • Middle classacquired wealth and influence
  • PeasantsFreed from troubles
  • During this time, the Roman Catholic Church lost most of its power

This event was commonly divided into three stages

  • First stage (1789-1795)Rapid development from mediu2m to severe conflict to the ruling classes
  • Second stage (1795-1799)return to caution and conservatism
  • Final stage (1799)Napoleon takes the title of 'first consul'

II.The Aims and Domestic problems of French politicians (1789-91)

Long Term Causes of the French Revolution

  • Before the Revolution, Louis XIV also known as the Sun King'' (1638-1715) and Louis XV (1710-74) had ruled the country for over 130 years.
  • France had been a monarchy for most of its time

The Power of the King, the Nobles and the Church

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Regional Divisions and Financial Troubles

  • Power of the throne was passed to King Louis XVI who happened to be more enlightened than previous generations
  • King kept his authority with few limitations
  • Certain classes had more privilege than others
  • Nobles had considerable privileges which included low taxes
  • Middle classes only existed in small percentages and had some privileges
  • Peasants suffered the most as the burden of taxes mainly fell upon them
  • Church supported the monarchy using its power and defy anyone that would go against and challenge them

The most serious problem, however, was the country's financial debt.

  • Diverse regions made France a challenging country to rule and govern
  • This created distinction between the north and south of France as these regions differed in language, culture, and law.
  • Some places strongly guarded their traditional rights
  • Local institutions had to record issued laws by the king

To make situations worse, France depended hugely on agriculture.

    The ongoing wars were proven to be expensive to pay off

    High taxes were imposed upon the rich

    Was defeated by the upper class and the Church who used their privileges to defend against the reform

    In the end, tradition prevented the king's taxation

The Enlightenment

  • Poor harvests over time impacted the country greatly resulting in food shortages and inflation.
  • This resulted in many falling into poverty and starvation
  • The particular situation influenced and contributed significantly to the outbreak of the French Revolution
  • The queen who disfavored at that time, was accused and viewed as uncaring for the people suffering.

Short-term Causes of the French Revolution

  • The Age of Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in the 17th and 18th centuries
  • This influential movement supported many new ideas about the government and the people
  • Lead by intellectuals and philosophers
  • Challenged and questioned the idea of monarchy and motivated the revolution

Finally the King decides to take action by calling upon a meeting in attempt to fix the country's economic problems

The assembly was composed of three estates;

The First Estate: 10,000

the clergy, high leveled in Church hierarchy, chosen informally by other clergy (1%)

The Second Estate: 400,000

the nobility, informally elected, some chose to support the third estate, however most refused (2%)

The Third Estate: 500,000,000

everyone else, (also known as Bourgeoisie), Ideas represented concerns of the middle classes, hoped that their demands would change the ways of how the tax system worked

Each estate had an even amount of votes

They could join together to outvote the other estate

The Start of the Revolution

  • During the meeting, King Louis XVI suggested each Estate to compose a list of their grievances
  • All agreed upon a need for a constitution, liberty of the press, and an end to internal trade barriers
  • However, the upper classes refused to give up their tax privileges due to tradition
  • The King himself was hesitant to act leading to indecisiveness
  • The meeting ended in a failure due to the issues that occurred

The National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath

As a result of the king's lack of leadership and the refusal of the upper classes to give in their privileges, the Third Estate decides to leave the Estate Generals.

  • They decide to go independent and leave from the Estates General to form their own assembly.
  • Some upper classes that agreed with reform had joined the assembly as well
  • This independent group was called the 'National Constituent Assembly.'

This angered the King where he took it as a challenge to his powers

  • He had commanded that the assembly was to be shut down and locked away
  • He ended up using his powers to repeal all the acts and decisions made in the Assembly
  • First major rebellion against the king

Honore Gabriel Riquetti, Count of Mirabeau was an example to this.

Was a nobleman who decided to join the Third Estate and agreed with them

  • Locked out of their own assembly, members instead, turn over to a new place at a tennis court to further uphold their meetings.
  • There, 576 participants had sworn an oath stating that they will never separate until a new France constitution had been established.
  • This was known as the 'Tennis Court Oath'
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Edgar Allan Poe: his Life and Legacy

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author of short stories, a poet, a literary critic, and an editor. Poe was alive during the romantic era which was evident in his writing, and he was one of the first gothic writers of his time. He told dark tales that often included a dead or sickly woman and a tormented male figure. It is believed that Poe's childhood and relationships to women throughout his life had a big impact on his writing. The women in Poe's family were often sickly and many of them passed away without living a full lifespan.

Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His birth parents, Elizabeth Eliza Poe and David Poe Jr., were two professional actors. His family moved to New York City in the summer of 1809. Poe was the second child, William Poe was the older son and was two years older than Poe. Poe's mother was far more successful than his father, and David spent most of his acting career in the shadows while Eliza was in the spotlight. This angered David, who was an alcoholic, and caused him to leave her and his acting career behind shortly after the birth of Edgar. Eliza had one more child, a girl by the name of Rosalie Poe who's father is uncertain, but Poe believed she was his full sister and the daughter of David (Edgar Allan Poe).

Edgar's aunt and David's sister Maria Poe Clemm, didn't believe that Rosalie was the daughter of David or Eliza. When Rosalie was a child, a wealthy man from Richmond, Virginia left $2,000 towards Rosalie's upbringing, she was the only person who he left that much money for. Rosalie Poe was described as backwards and was believed to be mentally retarded. She was separated from Poe around the age of 1 and was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie and didn't develop mentally past the age of 12. Rosalie wasn't in contact with Edgar during the beginning of her life and was unaware of her siblings. Later in her life she contacted her blood relatives although Poe was said to have neglected her. He would visit her from time to time and she would cling on to him, he was almost disgusted by her and would constantly tease her. After the civil war, she started selling pictures of Edgar Allan Poe and ordinary household items saying they belonged to Poe. She died in a charity home in 1874 and her tombstone states she was born in 1812, a year after Eliza's death (Meyers).

In 1811, the Poe family was at a boarding house in Richmond, Virginia for one of Eliza's performances. Eliza started spitting up blood and showing the first signs of tuberculosis. Her performances became less and less frequent in 1811 until they stopped completely, her last performance being October 11, 1811. Mr. And Mrs. Usher , Eliza's close friends who also acted with her, took care of her children as her illness grew worse and many people in Richmond helped as well. The Richmond Theatre even hosted a benefit performance for her on November 29, 1811 (Meyers). Shortly after, Elizabeth Poe died on December 8, 1811 of what was commonly believed to be tuberculosis. Her three kids were split up and Edgar Allan Poe was the only one of the three to not be formally adopted (Edgar Allan Poe).

Poe was put into foster care in December of 1811 and was raised as a foster child by John and Frances Allan the rest of his childhood. John Allan was a successful tobacco exporter and he sent Poe to the best boarding schools. Poe excelled as a student and continued his education Poe at University of Virginia . There he struggled with money due to his gambling addiction, using the money that his foster-father was giving him for his tuition. As a result, his relationship with John Allan suffered (Edgar Allan Poe).

Poe was never adopted by the Allans, but he thought of Frances as a mother and even referred to her as Ma. Frances couldn't have children and took Poe in as her own even though he legally wasn't her son. Frances was very ill and grew more and more sickly while Poe was away at Fort Monroe in Virginia where Poe had been promoted to Sergeant-Major. While he was at Fort Monroe, Poe would constantly write to John Allan asking for updates about his foster mothers medical health but John was very insensitive to Poe and often didn't write back and when he did he gave very little detail. We are still unsure if Poe knew how severe her illness had gotten. The day Frances Allan passed away, Poe was present at Fort Monroe and seemed as if he didn't know about her passing. Once he finally went home, he was a day too late for her funeral and was devastated. After her death, Poe grew closer to John Allan and started to call him Pa rather than Sir, but soon enough John realized that Poe was an adult and didn't need a foster father anymore (Meyers).

After Poe left the military, he moved in with Maria Poe Clemm, his father's sister, and her daughter, Virginia Eliza Clemm in May of 1831. Maria's husband had recently died and she was struggling to support her family. Maria loved Poe and acted like a mother to him. Poe grew closer to Maria than he had to anyone in his entire life. Poe even wrote the sonnet To My Mother about Maria Clemm (Montague). While living with the Clemms, Poe grew closer to Virginia and fell in love with her. Poe's cousin a Neilson Poe found out that Poe had the intention to marry Virginia and asked her to live with him to try to sway her away from marrying her first-cousin, offering material comfort and financial support to both Virginia and Maria. Poe found out about this and sent Maria a very personal letter confessing his deep love for Virginia and begging Maria to let Virginia decide for herself to marry him or not. In the letter he even asked if Virginia and Maria still loved him and said that he would have nothing left to live for if they didn't. The Clemms decided against the support from Neilson and remained loyal to Poe, leaving their fate in his hands (Meyers).

Poe spent his time and money molding Virginia into the type of woman he wanted to marry and he spent most of his salary on her education. Poe even became her tutor once while he wasn't making enough money to send her to school. Virginia became a successful singer and musician. Poe and Virginia got married when Poe was 26 and Virginia was 13, although on the legal documents of their marriage they listed her as 21. They honeymooned in Petersburg, Virginia. Virginia was very sick which made it hard for any sexual relations to occur between her and Poe, although Poe stated in one of his letters that their sexlife was normal. Others said their relationship was more like that of siblings than of a married couple. Poe and Virginia moved around often because of on Poe's work (Meyers).

Virginia grew more ill from tuberculosis in 1846 and Poe was reminded of his mother's death. Virginia's illness was hopeless at this point and Poe knew it. He contributed even more of his time to her and stopped publishing leaving him without friends or money. On her deathbed, Virginia begged Maria to never leave Poe's side and to look after him after she died (Meyers). Virginia passed away on January 30, 1847 at age 24, which was the same age that Poe's mother and brother died, both of tuberculosis. Virginia's death influenced Poe's writing and many of the stories he wrote after her death involved young women dying, including The Raven, Annabel Lee, and Ligeia (Montague).

After Virginia's death, Maria kept her promise to her daughter and took care of Poe. They grew even closer than they were before the death of Virginia, Maria now replacing the role of his wife as well as his mother. Maria wrote that Poe never liked to be alone and that she would walk with him in their garden and would stay with him in his study while he wrote (Montague). Poe would kiss her before bed every night and would call her Mother. Poe had several other lovers as he tried to fill the gap in his heart that Virginia's death had left, but he never married again. Poe died on October 7, 1849, the details of his death are still unclear. Maria and Rosalie were the only women in Poe's family to outlive him, and Maria was the only woman who didn't struggle with an illness or disability during Poe's lifetime, other than getting weaker from aging, but she did suffer from inflammation of the lungs after his death (Meyers).

Poe was very disturbed and used his writing as an outlet for his troubles in life. Many of these troubles were rooted from his need for a maternal figure and the death of the love of his life. His stories grew darker as he aged and as he continued to lose his loved ones. The sicknesses and eventual deaths of the women that were related to him and the women he loved tormented him, but also inspired his literary works that remain famous today.

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Edgar Allan Poe and his Tales of Horror

Many questions are asked when it comes to the way Edgar Allen Poe wrote and why he wrote the way he did. Edgar Allen Poe's Writing was fascinating because he wrote with emotion that is different from most writers. Many would say his writing is pessimistic and depressing but when you look at it differently it is written with intent, poise, advanced use of his grammatical language. It was written in many ways that are taken as pessimistic but in a different light, it is written in an emotional but respected way. In a way, Edgar Allan Poe uses his life as a guide to write his stories with emotion.

Aside from a common theoretic basis, there is a psychological intensity that is the characteristic of Poe's writings. Specially the tales of horror that comprise his best-known works. Adding to his achievement as creator of the modern horror tale, Poe was also credited with inventing two other popular genres: science fiction and the detective story. These story such as The Black Cat, are often told by a first-person narrator, and through this voice Poe shows the workings of a characters mental state. Similarly, Poe is recognized writing the models, which established the major characters and literary writings of detective fiction.

In his Gothic tales, Poe also employed an essentially symbolic, almost allegorical method, which gives such works an baffling quality that accounts for their enduring interest and alongside with the symbolical works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. This technique foreshadows the psychological explorations that Poe had himself in a way. In his use of the satanic relations and the twisted ways of his writings.

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Symbolism in Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe

Edgar Allen Poe often utilizes symbolism in Annabel Lee using something concrete to represent his views on the greater mysteries of human existence. By accomplishing this, he allows for a broader interpretation of his literary genius. Poe utilizes imagery and symbolism to develop his theme of eternal and forbidden love. Edgar Allan Poe spent his final months in poverty, tormented by grief, drowning his depression in alcohol and poetry.

In May 1849, in his small New York cottage, he wrote what was to be his last completed poem, Annabel Lee,' in which he returned to the themes that had haunted him for much of his life. After Virginia's death from tuberculosis in 1847, Poe's lifelong struggle with depression and alcoholism worsened. For unknown reasons, he stopped in Baltimore. On October 3, 1849, he was found in a state of semi-consciousness. Poe died four days later of acute congestion of the brain (Lepore 09).

Poe uses imagery to assist his audience in the way they see, feel, and recognize the immense love that the narrator and his beloved Annabel Lee share. Poe establishes the setting in line 2, giving the audience an image of a magical fairytale kingdom by stating In a kingdom by the sea (Poe 1987). Poe creates this fantasy image to mirror the speaker and Annabel Lee's fairytale romance conveying the extent of the love he had for his wife. Line 38, which reads And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side/ Of my darling-my darling- my life and my bride, / In her sepulchre there by the sea, (Poe 1987) uses imagery to explore another theme.

It provides the audience with the heartbreaking image of Poe sleeping next to Annabel Lee's tomb, making it known to readers that their souls would be forever intertwined. Despite their youth, they share a love that was more than love, (Poe 1987) a love so powerful that envious angels send an unnamed illness to shatter their happiness. Though she dies, his love for her endures, and even years after her death the moon never beams without bringing me dreams / Of the beautiful Annabel Lee (Poe 1987). He is drawn each night to her "sepulchre...by the sea," (Poe 1987) where he lies down to sleep beside her lifeless body.

The most significant motif of this poem is Annabel Lee. The woman that Poe talks about isn't ”actually named Annabel Lee. Her name is Virginia Poe (Poe 1987). Annabel Lee could be perceived as the love of his life who has passed away. Poe's emotions spill through his symbolism. You can infer that Poe has a covalent bond with the woman that represents Annabel Lee. The poem represents the transformation of love after the loss of a loved one. It is a personal experience that Poe is expressing through the narrator's monologue. Poe uses the speaker to describe who she was, and then emphasizes the reasons for why he loved her. Then, he explains how he has lost her. The speaker expresses his melancholy and heartache for her death. Annabel Lee can be perceived as an allusion. The allusion would be showing who Annabel Lee really is.

Poe is also super obsessed with the idea of death. In particular, he favorites death typified Victorian culture, which responded to the disease-defined realities of the nineteenth century by blending Christian and classical understandings of death(Schantz 1908). This principle takes a beautiful perspective on death and redemption, using it to express an artistic representation of one's life. A 'good death' was one in which the individual embraced their own mortality with hope and acceptance. Death was spiritualized as focus shifted from the dying, decaying body toward the soul (Schantz 1908). Victorian artists believe that heaven was a concrete place where nature would reunite you with the most intimate people of your life. So to believe that a kingdom by a sea represented a darker heaven that would mend the souls in an eternal afterlife would be a very probable connection to make. The speaker in the poem is experiencing the deep emotional interaction of his lover that has passed on to the other side by crossing over into the spirit realm with her. It is a deep inference that can explain a lot of beautiful eeriness that surrounds the poem.

Another motif in the story is the sea or as it is referred to as the kingdom by the sea. The saying establishes a setting and is used as a literary refrain to represent different emotions at different times throughout the poem. In the first stanza, the kingdom by the sea is used to represent the romantic setting shared with his soulmate. By saying, It was many and many a year ago... that a maiden lived there whom you may know (Shear 06), Poe brings up the beauty of his love in a fantasy-styled way to bring incredible romance to the mood of the poem. In the second stanza, he adds to the romance by stating I was a child and she was a child,... but we loved with a love that was more than love (Shear 06). With this text, he is emphasizing that there love was innocent and playful while still containing the maturity and bond that was greater than love itself. In the third stanza, the mood begins to shift around the kingdom of the sea. By stating, ...A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee (Shear 06).

Poe adds a deathly shift to the mood of the poem. This represents the way Poe begins to transform his feelings about the sea. You can foreshadow that the perspective may begin to take a lonelier tone. In the fifth stanza, the sea is seen as the line of spiritual transcendence to hell. It states, Nor the demons down under the sea can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee (Sova 23-26); which portrays the negative spiritual transformation of the sea as a motif in the poem. It's seen to hold the demons of the sea, which can also represent all the hardships that Poe had to overcome.

The sea with its vastness represents life. Sometimes, sudden humongous deadly waves shows how life may throw obstacles our way. The sixth stanza has already been mentioned earlier. It states that her tomb lies peacefully there by the sea. He lies down by her because even death cannot separate their bond. The mood here is completely serene, but the life doesn't seem worth living without Annabel Lee. This also points to the loneliness that Edgar Allen Poe felt during the last year of his life when he was struck with poverty, depression, alcohol addiction, and loneliness (Lepore 09).

Poe uses symbolism to place emphasis on the transformation from light to darkness, reflecting the light stolen from Poe's life when Annabel Lee was ripped from his arms in the darkness that took her place. The sea symbolism shifts from a peaceful, crystal clear paradise to the dark power of nature's crushing forces when the speaker talks of The demons down under the sea (Poe 1987). Poe uses these lines to emphasize that nothing could sever their bond. Another allusion that could be made involve the "Seraphs". Seraphs are angels, but he says that they are what killed Annabel Lee, and who took her away from him. If Poe had not utilized imagery and symbolism to develop his dark themes, he would not have created the same effect as the audience felt the narrators feelings of nostalgia, deep romance, and grief. Plus, he would not have been able to build the emotional connection with the speaker, to express the way he was feeling about the struggles going on in his life.

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The French Revolution Brought about Many Changes in the Society and Government of France

The revolution, enduring from 1789 to 1799, also had far-reaching effects on the rest of Europe. Inspired by liberal and radical thoughts, the Revolution significantly changed the course of current history, setting off the worldwide decrease of total governments while replacing them with republics and liberal majority rule systems. Through the Revolutionary Wars, it released a flood of worldwide clashes that stretched out from the Caribbean to the Center East.

Under Louis XIV, who ruled from 1638 to 1715, many issues and massive obligations were left for his heirs. Under Louis XV and Louis XVI, France had battled against Prussia and the British Empire in the Seven Years' War. They additionally battled against Britain again in the American Revolution. Louis XVI was a frail ruler who persevered through an extravagant way of life. He slighted the general population's needs, leaving a significant part of French individuals in disorder. The thoughts of the Enlightenment were starting to make the conventional individuals feel the need of more power. They could see that the American Revolution had inspired France into forming a nation in which the general population had control, rather than a absolute monarch. The legislature before the upheaval was known as the ""old) Regime"".

France was encountering such a serious financial extremity to the point that there wasn't sufficient nourishment to go around. Poor harvests enduring quite a while and a lacking transportation framework both created more expensive living. The high cost of bread and low wages given to laborers made the standard individuals experience the ill effects of yearning and ailing health. This made them despise the rich nobles, who had the cash to eat well and fabricate gigantic houses. As with most governments, the high society was guaranteed a steady living, so while the rich stayed exceptionally well off, most of the French population was starving.

Around the 18th century, people of France began re-thinking the composure of society. The causes of the French Revolution can be attributed to several intertwining factors. France was a feudal country with class divisions, meaning people were divided into three estates. The First Estate consisted of the clergy. The Second consisted of the nobility, and the Third Estate included the bourgeoisie, the city workers and the peasants. The Third estate consisited of little to no voice when it came to the government and had been treated unrightful as some may say. King summoned the estates general in May, of 1789. After debating among a leading spokesperson Abbe Sieyes, who asked “What is the Third Estate? Everything. What has it been up to now in the political order? Nothing. What does it demand? To become something herein.” During one of his speeches, he suggested that the Third Esate delegates name themselves the National Assembly and pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people. On June 17, 1789, they voted to establish the National Assembly, in effect proclaiming the end of the absolute monarchy and the beggining of the representative government. France was encountering such a serious financial extremity to the point that there wasn't sufficient nourishment to go around.

After three days, the Third Estate delegates wound up bolted out of their gathering room. They separated a way to an indoor tennis court, pleding to remain until the point that they had drawn up another constition. Their vow was known as the Tennis Court Oath. Louis attempted to make harmony with the Third Esate by yeilding to the National Assembly's requests. He requested the nobles and the ministry to join the Third Estate in the National Assembly. In the meantime, the king positioned his armed force of Swiss monitors in Paris, since he never again confided in the loyality of the French troopers. In Paris, bits of gossip flew that remote troops were coming to slaughter French citizens. Individuals accumulated weapons to protect Paris against the king’s outside troops. The resentful crowds engulfed the king’s troopers. The Bastille, which was an imperial stronghold and a image of mistreatmen fell into the control of the French individuals.

Following the funding of the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution, the French government was profoundly under water. Amid the primary year of the Revolution, individuals from the Third Estate took control, the Bastille was assaulted in July, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was passed in August, and the Women's March on Versailles constrained the regal court back to Paris in October. A focal occasion of the primary stage, in August 1789, was the abloishment of feudalism and the old guidelines and benefits left over from the Ancien R©gime. The dictatorship imposed by the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror, from 1793 until 1794, established price controls on food and other items, abolished slavery in French colonies abroad, de-established the Catholic church and created a secular Republican calendar, religious leaders were expelled, and the borders of the new republic were secured from its enemies.

The darkest time of the French Revolution is known as the Reign of Terror which lasted from 1793 to 1794. Amid this time, a man named Robespierre drove the National Convention and the Committee of Public Safety. Laws were passed that proclaimed anybody associated with treason could be captured and executed by guillotine.The guillotine system worked by a machine with a heavy blade sliding vertically in grooves, used for beheading people. A large number of individuals were executed including Queen Marie Antoinette and a significant number of Robespierre's political adversaries.

The Revolution brought about the concealment of the medieval framework, liberation of the individual, a more noteworthy division of landed property, and the foundation of uniformity among men. The French Revolution varied from different transformations in being not just national, for it planned to profit all humanity. The French Revolution has caused sensational changes all throughout France, clearing route for another request.

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Edgar Allen Poe – a Tell-Tale Heart

Literacy Analysis: Edgar Allen Poe- A Tell-Tale

Heart Thesis Statement:

Edgar Allen Poe exposed how his inner soul and daunting fear controlled his dark context, his perplexing creatures and his mastermind tangled plot were scarce throughout the whole story. To Begin, the dark context of the narrator comes from the narrator's feelings. Daunting fear of being pronounced insane drives the narrator's mind into dark places. The drive of context is lead by his fear that he will be caught. The insanity of the narrator is enhanced by soul of the context as well for example, At the beginning of the story the narrator intended to show his sanity by how calmly I can tell you the whole story (Poe, 1). Another example dark context is the sound of heartbeats is metaphorically the sound of the inner guilt of the narrator the narrator guilt piled up and he admitted his crimes (pp. 321). The illustration of Edgar's characters in this story present a vital role in development of the plot, without powerful characters, the authors concepts would come up pale. Edgar Allen Poe creates lively characters in which strongly accumulates the buildings of his ideas. With much effort the narrator covers his craziness and shows that he is sane with the intention to not become a suspected by the old man. the narrator's mentions Madmen know nothing (Paragraph 3, Edgar Allen Poe).

In analyzing Edgar's work, I noticed a Guilt and Innocence role become formed. After murdering the old-man for no apparent reason, the narrator explains he hears his interminable heartbeat, stating his sense of guilt. This Tales confession is released through the police, by the shouting of the heart. However, the narrator never feels that he is innocent in the story, because he sees a sense of pride by murdering the old man. Also, the most key point that can recognize is the narrator admitted that there are uncontrollable forces that drives him to commit violence act. Furthermore, the mastermind plot identifies with both his perplexing characters and his fearful soul context. However, what intrigues me about Edgar Allen Poe is his voice within the story never once in this plot the killer did not feel any type of remorse for his wrong doing making the climax the ending plot truly remarkable. In concision, Edgar Allen Poe, A Tell-Tale Heart is a mastermind of plots. It holds soul and daunting fear, dark context and perplexing creatures.

Works cited:

The Tell-Tale Heart. Poe's Biography | Edgar Allan Poe Museum, www.poemuseum.org/the-tell-tale-heart. The Tell-Tale Heart (Creative Short Stories) By Edgar ... www.hotelaustraliamiles.com/the-tell-tale-heart-creative-short-stories-english.pdf. Watkins, William John. Edgar Allan Poe. Mark Twain Journal, vol. 14, no. 1, 1967, pp. 21“21. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41999976. Shen, Dan. Edgar Allan Poe's Aesthetic Theory, the Insanity Debate, and the Ethically Oriented Dynamics of The Tell-Tale Heart.' Nineteenth-Century Literature, vol. 63, no. 3, 2008, pp. 321“345. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/ncl.2008.63.3.321

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The French Revolution: a Turning Point in French History

The French Revolution was an inevitable uprising in France. Between 1789 and 1799 the common people revolted against the government and their ruling power, eventually resulting in France becoming a republic. Such a drastic change was at the expense of years of oppressive ruling styles enforced by the monarchy. The French Revolution was driven by a need for change within the french society, after years of the ruling power ignoring the prominent need for reformation.

Prior to 1789 French society was structured according to feudalism in a system referred to as the Estates system. This structure forced people into specific classes which determined their rights and status. It was virtually impossible for someone to move classes, and if they did it could take generations to do so. At the pinnacle of this absolute monarch system was Louis XVI. His rule was believed to be an extension of God, resulting in his word overruling all others. His commands were never to be questioned or refused or the retributions could be fatal.

The Estate system was made up of three distinct orders. The First Estate was made up of the Roman Catholic clergy, who were seen as the only path to understanding God and the afterlife, with about 100,000 members. This group was made up of monks, nuns, parish priests, and bishops and came with numerous benefits such as the collection of tithes. Tithes were the collection of one-tenths of each person's income that was then sent to support the church. The First Estate also was exempt from paying land taxes, resulting in them being even wealthier than the rest of the population. The connection of the state and church created a religious monopoly within society because there was no other permitted religion. This stronghold on social order was maintained by the lack of funds that made it to the bottom tiers within this Estate. Its members were also unfairly protected by only being able to be tried by an ecclesiastical court, by other members of the church, rather than standard civil court members.

The Second Estate within French society was made up of nobles, similar to the feudal pyramid, these members were in the top percentiles of the social order. They filled many of the powerful positions within the army, church and government. Out of the 24,700,000 people that made up France's population, only 400,000 made up the Second Estate while owning more than 20% of the available land. Similar to the First Estate, the Second Estate also had many unfair advantages in comparison to the lower classes such as tax exemptions and permission to collect dues from the peasant class.These circumstances were drastically different from those applied to the Third Estate, which was made up of merchants, lawyers, poor laborers, and ordinary peasants, made up 98% of the population. It was solely a matter of time before the numerically larger Estate rose up against the monarchy.

In 1789, King Louis XVI found himself in a state of financial distress. At the time France had been heavily involved in the American Revolution while King Louis XVI and his predecessor had continued to spend their money extravagantly. Along with two previous decades of poor harvests, droughts, cattle diseases, and steadily accumulating bread prices France was on the brink of bankruptcy. To attempt at saving the country from an economic downfall, King Louis XVI's controller general, Charles Alexandre de Colonne, proposed a financial reform package that would eliminate the Elite class' taxation exemptions with a universal land tax. To obtain support for such changes and attempt to stall a growing aristocratic revolt King Louis XVI summoned a meeting with the Estates-General, a meeting representing the clergy, nobility, and middle class for the first time since 1614. It was intended to take place on May 5, 1614 while, in the meantime, delegates were to compile a list of grievances and complaints pertaining to each Estate. The Third Estate began to bring up the demand for equal representation and the abolishment of the noble veto, the higher Estate's ability to outvote the other 98% of the population made up of Third estate. This demand was faced with great resistance from the nobles.

By the time the Estates General gathered, the matter had already become a highly public debate, leading to hostile eruptions between the three Estates. Due to the lack of progress being made, the Third Estate and some members of the lower clergy congregated on their own in Versailles, France and formally adopted the name the National Assembly. Hear, what is known as the Tennis Court Oath occurred. Due to them being locked out of their typical meeting hall by the government, as well as receiving threats to stop their deliberations, they met on an abandoned tennis court where they vowed, not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated upon firm foundations. Out of the entire congregation, Only one broke this vow. They also brought the cahiers, their list of grievances, which attributed all their problems to the arbitrary power of the king and demanded a constitution that would end the king's ability to abuse such absolutism. They also requested the end of censorship, the reorganization of finances that would prevent abuse from the government, and equality in taxation. These reforms were supposed to be made through the goodwill of the king. At first, King Louis XVI ordered the three Estates to follow the original plan and meet in their separate chambers. The privileged classes obeyes, while the Third Estate refused to comply. This demonstration of immense commitment proved to be a force King Louis XVI could not overthrow. In response to the King Henri ?‰vrard, one of the nobles that had been elected deputy of the Third Estate, stated, Go tell your master that we are here by the will of the people, and that we can be removed only with the force of bayonets. Only four days after the meeting, King Louis XVI ordered the nobility and higher clergymen to join the truly representative National Assembly. On July 9, they joined to take on the name of Constituent Assembly.

Despite the previous events, the king was secretly forming a strong resistance to the Third Estate. He ordered troops to concentrate around Versailles, and on July 11, 1789 a complete crisis broke out. The only popular minister, Necker, was dismissed and along with the nearby accumulation of troops there was great unrest among the people. In protest, spontaneous speakers rose up in front of the crowds at the Palais-Royal, one of the royal palaces. One of these speakers was a young writer, Camille Desmoulins, who urged the people to take up arms in their defense of freedom. This only urged the already tense crowd, the mob of people broke out, looting any place where they might find weapons. All while Bernard- Rene de Launay, the governor of the Bastille, had been meeting with some of the revolutionary delegates. He promised not to raise arms against them, but many misunderstood what was happening and believed that their delegates had been taken as prisoners. Rioters stormed the Bastille Fortress, a large military fortress and prison where they had been meeting, climbing over its walls to lower a drawbridge to let others inside its courtyard. Once they began to lower a second drawbridge, Launay broke his promise and opened fire on the rioters. He was lacking the needed provisions and eventually surrendered, being taken prisoner by the crowd. As he was being marched to city hall he was torn from his guard and murdered by the bloodthirsty crowd. Furthermore they continued to cut off his head and parade through the city with it. This day, July 14, 1789 marked the violent roots of the French Revolution.

This wave of revolutionary demand spread, along with great hysteria to the countryside, this is what was known as the Great Fear ( la Grande Peur). Due to years of exploitations, peasants looted and burned the homes of landlords, tax collectors, and the seigniorial (feudal lords) elite. This led the National Constituent Assembly to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789. They signed the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen, which was later called the death certificate of the old order. It echoed the political and philosophical ideals of the Enlightenment, stating the Assembly's dedication to replace the ancien regime with a system grounded in equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, and a representative government. Drafting the formal version of this constitution proved difficult for the National Constituent Assembly, considering the harsh economic times and obligation to address the people, the Roman Catholic Church, and the French Government. The final draft, adopted on september 3, 1791, echoed their modern voices but still established a constitutional monarchy, lent King Louis XVI the royal veto power, and ability to appoint ministers. This did not appeal to rising radical figures such as Maximilien de Robespierre, an activist and government official at the time, leading to their demand for King Louis XVI's trial in regards to his previous attempt to flee the country. This lead to yet another political crisis, causing a group of rebels led by the extremist group Jacobins, considerably the most ruthless political group created in response to the French Revolution, who attacked the royal residence in Paris and arrested King Louis XVI on August 10, 1792.

Within the following month, a wave of violence lead to the massacre of hundreds of accused counterrevolutionaries, anyone against the revolution. The Legislative Assembly was also abolished, with the National Convention taking its place. They Advocated the abolishment of the monarchy and the emplacement of the French republic. On January 21, 1793, the French republic sent King Louis XVI to the guillotine, and his wife Marie- Antoinette shortly after, for high treason. The Jacobins continued to seize control of the National Convention from another, more moderate group, the Girondins. The implemented a series of their radical ideals such as the eradication of Christianity. They also provoked the bloody Reign of Terror, a ten year period during which thousands of suspected enemies of the revolution were condemned to death by guillotine. Many of these deaths were carried out by the orders of Robespierre, the leader of the Jacobins. Eventually he faced his own execution on July 28, 1794, after implicating the Law of Prairial, which would allow a person to be tried and executed without a defense or witnesses. His death marked the beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction, a period during which the French people revolted against the excessiveness of the Reign of Terror.

On August 22, 1795 the National Convention, now mostly made up of the remaining Girondins, who ratified a new constitution that created France's first bicameral, being made up of two branches, legislature. It was decided that executive power would be placed in the hands of a five-member Directory appointed by parliament. Although many protested against this form of government, they were silenced by the rising general, Napoleon Bonaparte. Eventually, after the Directory coming to rely almost entirely on the military to retain authority, a frustrated Bonaparte eradicated the Directory and appointed himself France's first consul on November 9, 1799. This marked the end of the French revolution, and the beginning of the Napoleonic era in which France would rise to dominate much of continental Europe.

The French Revolution is an example of what might happen if the elite classes are given sole power. This revolution marks the birth of equality and freedom from monarchical power, something that is still valued in French society today. The French Revolution created a base for its people, built upon human rights.

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Edgar Allan Poe’s Death

No one knows how Edgar Allan Poe Died. People have many theories, such as brain tumors, rabies, suicide etc. Although, there was never any actually proof how he died. He was given an autopsy, but the documents were never discovered. Cooping was one of the many theories of how he died. Cooping was used in the early 1800's for elections. Multiple men would be beaten, stripped of their clothing and forced to drink until they were drunk out of their minds. Then they were given new clothes and would be sent in to vote for a certain person. It was a way people cheated to get a certain candidate elected. This was very common. This is how Poe is believed by many to have died because of, where and when he was found, what would happen around where he was found and Poe's overall health at the time.

Edgar Allan Poe was found near a tavern in Baltimore, drunk and in bad condition. He was immediately rushed to a hospital where he soon died mysteriously a few days later. According to many sources he was found, Edgar Allan Poe Found Delirious Outside Baltimore Tavern. On Oct. 3, 1849...(findingDulcinea Staff). Edgar was found on election day, the day cooping would have taken place all over Baltimore. When cooping happened the men were dressed in different clothes. Edgar was dressed in clothes he wouldn't normally wear. He was immediately taken to the nearest hospital where he remained in a febrile state, delirious and confused, drifting between vague awareness”babbling incoherently”and complete unconsciousness(Israel Centeno) Variety of sources prove that Ppoe was found in bad shape, like he had been drugged, or not sober. A stage in cooping was, beating the victim and forcing him to intoxicate himself with alcohol or other drugs. All these facts leave a variety of proof pointing his death to cooping. Was the fact he was found outside a poll in cooping condition just a coincidence?

According to a source, Edgar was found around Ryan's Fourth Ward Polls which was a place where people went to vote. At this time, election ballots were stolen, judges were bribed and voters for the other candidate were intimidated and pressured. So basically, at the voting building where Poe was found near, was where many bad people did bad things. Especially on election day, which was the exact time for cooping to take place. It says, Some gangs were known to kidnap innocent bystanders, holding them in a room, called the coop. (natasha Ggeiling) Then To ensure compliance, their victims were plied with liquor and beaten. Poe could have easily been grabbed, thrown in a room, and beaten for compliance. The odds are just too good for this death to be a coincidence.

If Poe actually died from cooping, then he would have either been too injured to live or the liquor would have killed him leaving a small chance for him to survive. No, if you drink liquor once you're not going to die in a matter of a couple days. Although, Poe could have. Poe had an alcohol problem long before he died so he would have eventually ended up dying anyway. This just my have added the cherry on top. At the time he had barely any money, he was just getting by when he had to provide for his family. Now he couldn't even support himself, especially when he lost all hope when his family passed away. According to sources poor nutrition and a weakened condition(The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe) could have killed him. Think about it, if Poe wasn't eating a lot and was dehydrated then kidnapped and beatin his body would be able to handle it. He was already weak from not getting protein but this would have killed Poe. Besides the rich people in this time period, it was very hard for people to live long. People were not eating enough and the common cold could kill you. Poe wasn't upper class so he had as much of a chance to live as the poor boy that stole bread to survive.

Poe was found outside a poll with different clothes and not in his right mind. Was this all just a big Coincidence? Or was Poe a victim of the act Cooping? People at the time were weak and did not live long. Poe may have made beautiful works of literature, but that didn't differ him from anyone else health (body strength) wise. Many facts point to Poe being a victim of cooping, but no one will ever know for sure.

Centeno, Israel. The Cooping Theory. Sampsonia Way Magazine, www.sampsoniaway.org/fearless-ink/2013/06/04/the-cooping-theory-israelcenteno/.

findingDulcinea. On This Day: Edgar Allan Poe Found Delirious Outside Baltimore Tavern. FindingDulcinea, www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/September-October-08/Oct-3--On-this-Day--Edgar-Allan-Poe-Found-Drunk-and-Delirious-.html.

Geiling, Natasha. The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe. Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Oct. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/.

Jaz. The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Articles - E. A. P.: A Critical Biography (A. H. Quinn, 1941) (Chapter 01), www.eapoe.org/geninfo/poedeath.htm

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Maniacal Mastermind Edgar Allan Poe

When thinking of Edgar Allan Poe, do horrifying stories and twisted tales come to mind? In Poe's stories, he demonstrates how symbolism can be used to show abstract ideas. In his unsettling works, he uses the symbolism of death, revenge, and insanity to strengthen the plot.

Symbolism is found quite often in most of Poe's tales. In The Tell-Tale Heart the idea of death is prominent. The first example is the insect chosen by the author. The butler states that, night after night, I hearkened to the death watches in the wall. The death watches were used because they are an omen of

death. The second example is the shadow of death on the wall. The narrator says, ...because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. This means that Death had known the old man's time had come. Poe also symbolizes revenge. The first example is the beating of the old man's heart. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage. This means that the narrator had imagined the old man's dead heart beating, when in reality that couldn't be. The second example is the the police men mocking the butler. They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror! This final piece of evidence proves that the narrator was imagining that the officers were laughing at him, because he had a guilty conscience. Tell-Tale Heart symbolizes insanity as well. The first example is the narrator having self-doubt. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. How, then, am I mad? The second example is the butler comparing himself to a madmen. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this... A third example is the narrator doubting others. ...but why will you say that I am mad? This shows that the narrator has to persuade himself that he is in fact not a madmen. Poe used symbolism in his story The Tell-Tale Heart, to further strengthen the plot, and to make the story more interesting.

Poe's story, Cask of Amontillado also has symbolism, death being the major one. The first example is the silence of Fortunato. No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. Fortunato knew that he was going to die. A second example is the last line of the story. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat! (rest in peace) This means that Montresor's actions had stayed a secret, and no one had suspected a thing. The third example is Montresor slowly getting closer to his goal: killing Fortunato. It was now midnight, and my task was drawing to a close. This means that Montresor was almost done with burying Fortunato alive. Revenge is another example of symbolism. The first example is Montreser's thought that Fortunato must suffer. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled. This shows that Montresor would take revenge, no matter what. The second example is the fact that Montresor not only believes that Fortunato must be punished, but punished greatly. I must not only punish but punish with impunity. This means that Montresor feels that if he doesn't do anything, he will live with guilt and shame for the rest of his life. A final form of symbolism is insanity. The first example is how Montresor plans on getting revenge. ...but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. This means that Montresor had planned getting revenge the second he got insulted. The second example is Montresor's attitude towards his plan. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. This shows that Montresor is insane enough to kill someone for one insult. Poe used symbolism in Cask of Amontillado, to further exaggerate the conflict.

In another one of Poe's disturbing stories, The Masque of The Red Death, he includes symbolism to add excitement and suspicion to the story. Across all of Poe's dark tales, death sticks out. The first example in, The Masque of The Red Death, is the Red Death. THE Red Death had long devastated the country. This shows that the majority of people in the kingdom were dead. A second example is the black room with the scarlett windows in the castle. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet ” a deep blood color. The room was black with blood-red windows to symbolize death. Another main idea is revenge. The first example is the Prince ignoring his subjects and the Red Death. But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated This means that the Prince Prospero could care less for the poorer people in his kingdom. The second example is the Red Death taking revenge. And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. This shows that the Red Death ended up taking its revenge. Insanity is also symbolized. The first example is the Prince's idea that he can escape death. All these and security were within. Without was the Red Death. This proves that the Prince believes he can avoid The Red Death. A second example is ...it was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence. This shows that the Prince had kept The Red Death out for a good amount of time, but would soon face the consequences. The Masque of The Red Death proved that death is inevitable, no matter what you do.

As stated previously, Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism in his stories to entice readers. In Poe's disturbing stories he uses the symbolism of death, revenge, and insanity to help strengthen the plot. Closely analyzing three of Poe's stories showed that he uses symbolism quite often. Whether it is used to foreshadow future events, or focus the reader's attention, Poe demonstrates symbolism in the darkest manner possible.

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The Biography of Edgar Allan Poe and his Contribution to the Horror Genre

Edgar Allan poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts, and died October 7, 1849 in church home & hospital in Baltimore Maryland(google) The name Edgar Allan Poe brings people flashes of killers and maniacs, premature burials, and crazy people who came back from the dead. His works has been in print since 1827 and includes such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher.( the museum of edgar allan poe). Poe is greatly known as the inventor of detective stories and the creator of science fiction genre. his reputation today is primarily held on his stories and poetry of terror. Poe is often thought of as unwholesome, hard to read figure, looking in the shadows of cemeteries or dark castles.Poe has had a really dark and lonely past which is why I believe he's such a peculiar character.

All that was mentioned is what people know of Edgar Allan Poe. But much of what we know about Poe is incorrect, because one of Poe's enemies attempted to defame Poe by writing a fake biography. The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809, but within three years both of his parents had died. Poe was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia, while Poe's siblings went to live with other families(Poe biography) John Allan guided Poe to become a business person, but Poe dreamt of becoming his own personal legend, the poet Lord Byron. Poe had many poetic verses and that showed how little inteset he had in business.

In 1826 Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, where he excelled in his classes but accumulated considerable debt( biography ) The cheap John Allan had sent Poe to school with less than a third of the money he needed, so then Poe started playing games like gambling to raise money and pay his bills. By the end of his first semester Poe became really poor. Crushed by his poverty and infuriated with Allan,Poe was forced to drop out of school and return to Richmond. However, matters continued to worsen. He visited the home of his fiancee, Elmira Royster, only to discover that she had become engaged to another man.( biography)

Poe was very heartbroken and had increasingly became hostile toward Allan until he finally left Allan's home in a idealistic journey to become a poet and find his calling. Poe published his first poetry collection, Tamerlane, and Other Poems. The volume went unnoticed by readers and reviewers, and a second collection, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, received only slightly more attention when it appeared in 1829. (Edgar Allan Poe) Two years later he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point while writing and publishing poetry. But after eight months at West Point Poe was kicked out. Poor and lonely, Poe turned to his real father's home, but his cousin robbed him so Poe's relative, aunt Maria Clemm, welcomed him into her home.

While Poe was in Baltimore, John Allan died, leaving Poe on his own. By then Poe was living in poverty but had started publishing his short stories, one of which won a contest sponsored by the Saturday Visiter. The connections Poe established through the contest allowed him to publish more stories and to eventually gain an editorial position at the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond(biography) It was at this magazine that Poe finally found his spot as a writer.

Poe was one of the first writers to manipulate both horror and detective fiction together. Dupin, the investigating hero of Poe's trilogy of ratiocination published in the early 1840s, is considered by many to be the first detective, a protagonist who logically follows a trail of clues and solves the mystery at the heart of the narrative(influence on poe). This kind of fiction has become extremely popular in the American culture, which has lead off to give more then one version of tv drama/ horror shows like sherlock, true detectives, law and order. All of these detective/ suspense shows owe their central credibility to early poets like Poe. Since detective fiction has existed, the American culture has become extremely obsessed over these shows. The culture has essentially made rules for these shows like, what is and isn't allowed in detective fiction, citing outrageously classist restrictions (crimes must not be perpetrated by servants and other menials“ the reader demands a worthwhile suspect) to inexplicable, racist constraints (influence on poe). But the people who create these shows of detective fiction/ suspense have not followed the rules at all.

Poe has earned him a place in the English literature that not many people reach, as he is one of America's first horror writers. His tales are filled with rare dungeons, gothic castles, and maniatic people. Even, American International Pictures adapted eight of his stories into films beginning in 1960, and writers as disparate as H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King have cited Poe as a major influence on their work As a child I always enjoyed reading stephen king novels and watching goosebumps T.V show. I remember it were really suspense and frightful to me but addicting to watch and intriguing so for Stephen King to be inspired by Poe proves how impactful he was on other English writers. His poetry exhibits an astounding popularity. "The Raven" is perhaps the most recognizable poem in the English language, its haunting sing-song rhythm and unforgettable imagery appealing not only to literary connoisseurs but also to school children and people who rarely read poetry. Everyone, it seems, knows the raven's cry of "Nevermore."( nox arcana). I believe it's Poe's command of language that has people so addicted to his writing. It elevates people and bring emotion of suspense and terror. Poe became so great, he was even compared to Shakespeare. Critics say he was a deliberate, precise wordsmith who labored over the placement of every dash and comma. Like Shakespeare, he could transcend the sordidness of his subject matter by the sheer force of his language (nox arcana).

Personally, One of my favorite poems by Poe is The Raven, published in 1845, appeared in the New York Evening Mirror and became an immediate popular sensation. My favorite chunk of the poem is ,

Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend! I shrieked, upstarting”

Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken!”quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! (Famous poems by edgar allan poe)

This poem immediately became popular, reprinted and illustrated. It also got Poe out of poverty so he finally had a home. The poem is about the story of a lover who laments the death of his beloved Lenore and is visited by a raven. I find it fascinating how Poe thought of such dark object to talk to a human being while being in extreme emotional distress. I believe the talking raven represents more than simple personification. A raven is an ugly, black, heavily built crow and that adds special scariness to the poem. The raven also makes the lovers emotional distress go up by constantly repeating the word nevermore, slowly driving the lover crazy The poem makes use of a number of folk and mythological references; and is noted for its stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It influenced numerous later works including the famous painting Nevermore by Paul Gauguin. The Raven is not only the most famous poem of Edgar Allan Poe but also one of the most renowned in English literature(Top famous poems). My favorite part about the poem is the sad, dark and imaginative atmosphere it builds. I am not surprised it influenced greatly known artists because the poem is full of emotion and mythological references.

My second favorite poem by poe has to be Annabel Lee, published in 1849. This was the last complete poem of Edgar Allan Poe and was published in New York Tribune on 9th October 1849(.famous poems by edgar allan poe) only two days after his death. I think it's strange how such poem full strong emotions of love and longing released only two days before his death. My favorite part of the poem is But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we” Of many far wiser than we” And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee(famous poems by edgar allan poe) Annabel Lee follows one of Poe's famous theme's, the death of a young, alluring, beautiful woman Poe probably fell in love with. The narrator, who is in love with Anabel, believes his and anabel's love was so intense and strong, demons got jealous, but regardless, he would never stop loving her. Surely after Anabel's death, the narrator holds her love and has hope they will see eachother again, in hell or heaven but eventually will reunite. Annabel Lee is thought to be written by Poe in memory of his wife Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, who had died a couple of years earlier ( famous poems by edgar allan poe) One of Poe's favorite themes to write about in his poems is the death of a young and beautiful woman and I believe it's because he has been heartbroken a lot and expresses his emotions through his poems

My third most favorite poem is lonely, published in 1829. It's one of my favorites because it's deep in the sense that it expresses a lonely childhood full of sorrow and never found much joy as others. Out of the 22 lines, my favorite ones are the following, From the same source I have not taken My sorrow”I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone” And all I lov'd”I lov'd alone” (famous poems by edgar Allan Poe). This poem was written after the death of his foster mother Frances Allan. It was unpublished during his lifetime and was first published in Scribner's Monthly with the title Alone in September 1875 (famous poems by edgar allan poe). I can imagine this made a big impact on people as the narrator is presented as first person looking back at old childhood memories as a sad and lonely child who was never loved back, as he loved others. As the lines say and all I lov'd- I lov'd alone. The tone of the poem sounds really dark and gothic

Poe has many great poems directed towards life realization. A dream within a dream, published in 1850 looks over the delicacy of time, how we look at it and its effects. Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream (poestories). In this poem poe feels as if life has robbed him of love, purpose and desires since everything feels like a dream to him. He imagines important things in his life falling off his hands as if they were grains of sand. Poe feels unable to even hold one grain so he begins to question whether or not his life is a fantasy. The poem's line All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream is one of the most popular quotes from the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe

My next favorite poem by Poe is Lenor published in 1843. It is named after another character from The Raven, which made the poem Lenore even more famous. It should also be noted that A Paean was the original title of this poem and it was first published as part of an early collection in 1831(10 most famous poems). My favorite lines of the poem are,

Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and hated her for her pride, And when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her“that she died! How shall the ritual, then, be read?“the requiem how be sung By you“by yours, the evil eye,“by yours, the slanderous tongue That did to death the innocent that died, and died so young?

This poem is about the death of a beautiful woman. The death of a beautiful woman, poe liked to call the most poetic thing in the word, which sounds quite twisted. But it makes sense for Poe to make poems of beautiful dead woman, because he has a dead wife and has gone through heartbreaks. There are about two lines with different speakers in the poem like Guy De Vere, Lenore's dead wife.

Overall, Edgar Allan Poe brings people flashes of killer, maniacs, premature burials, and crazy people who came back from the dead. Poe is greatly known as the inventor of detective stories and the creator of science fiction genre. his reputation today is primarily held on his stories and poetry of terror. Poe is often thought of as unwholesome, hard to read person, probably looking in the shadows of cemeteries or dark castles. Poe has had a really dark past which is why he's such a peculiar character. He greatly became a big influencer not just to the American society but also as an international writer. He was one of the first writers to manipulate both horror and detective fiction together. It's incredible the way Poe became such a literary legend of detective fiction, suspense, horror and gloom. What is even more impressive is the fact that all of his writings mirror his past history! It's no wonder he is so great at manipulating horror and detective fiction. It is because he writes with the heart and how he truly feels.

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What Makes Edgar Allan Poe so Great?

Edgar Allan Poe is recognizably one of the greatest writers in history. In this paper, an explanation of who Edgar Allan Poe is, his early life, and what his inspirations are, will be explained.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author/editor. He was born January 19, 1809, Boston, MA. He was born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr.. After his parents died, he was taken in by a wealthy man named John Allan. Poe went to many different schools during his childhood. At age 17, he went to The University of Virginia. Even though Poe was good in school, he did struggle with alcoholism. He dropped out of school about a year later, joining the army afterwards.By 1835, he had gotten married to his younger cousin Virginia Clemm, who at the time was only 13 years old.

Throughout his life, Poe struggled with: depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol/drug abuse. People believed this to be his inspiration for writing such dark forms of literature. Poe wrote what he was feeling, which was mostly a gothic sense of emotion. He based some of his work on himself and other people in his life. For example, the poem: 'To My Mother', which was written in 1849, is connected to Poe's real mother. The poem talks about the death of Elizabeth Arnold Poe and how her death had come unfortunately early. Poe wrote his work in a dark way; basing it mostly on: death, supernatural, madness, and tragedy, which was also a reflection of his own life.

Some famous pieces of work Poe has written are: The Fall of The House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Black Cat. His stories revolve around gruesome/supernatural topics, which was one reason it is liked by many. Poe influenced literature today by his style of writing. He has influenced authors such as Ray Bradbury and Clive Barker. Many authors take inspiration to write this type of literature. Examples would be: Stephen King's work, where he describes the horrors of a killer clown. Today, we see many stories and movies based around the same theme that Poe has based his work on.

In conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe is one of history's greatest poets. He used his hurt and madness to inspire him to do something he was gifted at. His legacy lives on today through his work, and will forever be remembered as amazing gothic literature.

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Literary Style and Themes Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was a nineteenth-century writer and literary critic. Poe believed poetry must take beauty as its sole province, leaving logic and truth to pose (Salem 877). The poet must do everything in his/her power to create an intense impression of beauty, rhythm, rhyme, imagery, and the subject matter. It seems that when Poe writes about beauty it makes him feel satisfied and helps him cope with the rough life he grew up in. Poe is also intrigued with writing about romance. Poe often ties in beauty with romance in many of his poems as it seems easy for him to do so.

Poe was influenced by earlier literary figures and movements. In the use of his demonic and grotesque styled writing, Poe was inspired by stories from E.T.A Hoffman and other gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe. The romantic movement of the early 19th century really reflects on Poe's works. Poe's life was very depressing, which inspired his dark stories. He was separated from his parents and siblings at birth, going on to watch the rest of his family die around him. These dark events that occurred really bring out Poe's creepy style of writing. This is what Poe was known for.

Poe has had a major impact in the world of literature since he began publishing in the mid-1800s. His texts expressed how sensory detail could be implemented into writing. Poe's works also established and really brought out mood through his word play. Poe influenced Canan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Since then, there have been a list of detective novels published throughout the world. The style Poe used in his writing forever impacted the authors writing.

In the poem Annabel Lee, mood plays an important part to the poem. The mood is sadness and darkness. The poem talks about two young lovers lives. His love, Annabel Lee, dies on a cold night. Her death will never stop Poe from loving her. Poe severely misses her comfort and little happiness she provided in his life. He misses her so much that he lies down in her tomb with her at night. This portrays the dark mood within this poem.

Rhythm is another one of Poe's specialties. In the first stanza of the poem, Poe rhymes with the two words sea and Lee. He then uses the word Lee and rhymes it with me. Rhyme is used to make poetry flow better. As for Poe, rhythm is important in the foundation of writing. He puts a play on words by setting patterns and then messing with it to make his writing flow. The longer lines sometimes rhyme and sometimes don't, but the shorter lines always end in the same sound.

Symbolism plays a key role in Annabel Lee. One specific example is the sea. The sea comes up repeatedly throughout the poem. The sea symbolizes loneliness and coldness. This specifically reflects upon Poe after Annabel Lee dies in the poem. The most obvious form of symbolism comes from Annabel Lee herself. Poe cannot take his mind off her. She was pretty and young, seemingly meant for Poe. The poem doesn't give any detail about her appearance or her looks. Therefore, she symbolizes the impossible, pure beauty and love. The readers must put together an image of what they think Annabel Lee looks like.

Tone is how the author feels about the subject of the work. In The Raven, Poe feels sympathetic towards the narrator. The speaker goes through a tough loss which is the death of Lenore. It is in a cold December and embers in the fireplace are going out. This contributes to how the narrator feels which is absolute loss. The tone is also despairing as the narrator realizes his life will never be the same without Lenore. The tone is clear as the poem unfolds itself through the narrator's emotions.

The word nevermore is used excessively in this poem. The repetitive use of the word is used to exaggerate the emotions the narrator is going through after losing Lenore. The repetition brings out the importance of a specific statement. Nevermore extracts the ultimate despair and hopelessness the speaker is feeling. Poe was excellent at making words have a great impact in his writing. The Raven is one poem that expresses Poe's writing skill with the use of repetition.

Imagery is visually descriptive of figurative language, especially in a literary work. Imagery emerges through the black bird, the raven. This bird conveys a sense of death which is found through the description of the poem. Imagery is especially found from the word nevermore. This word creates an imagination by the narrator of doom. Nevermore relates to Lenore which visually is seen as a relationship that will never be in favor of the narrator.

In the opening line of Poe's To Helen, the speaker addresses his Helen. This reflects the famous Helen of Greek Mythology. In line 7, the hyacinth hair is mentioned. This adjective is used to show death, but also beauty. A reference to the Naids is made in line 8. The Naids were beautiful maidens associated with water as suggested by Greek Mythology. Another reference to Greek Mythology is made in line 14 when the Psyche is addressed. The Psyche is a symbol of love and inspiration between God and mortal.

Literary techniques are used to produce a special effect in writing. In lines 1-2 a simile is used which states Helen, thy beauty is to me like those Nicean barks of yore. This simile is used to compare the beauty of Helen to the beauty of the Nicean barks. In line 3, personification is used as it reads that gently, o'er perfumed sea. The writer gave the sea a human lie quality of being over perfumed. Alliteration is used in line 4 when the poem says the weary, way worn wanderer bore. This shows an occurrence of the same letter at the beginning of closely connected words. Poe uses literary techniques to bring clarity and convey clear meanings in his poetry.

Poe references this poem entirely towards Helen, hence the title, To Helen. Poe loves Greek Mythology and the lady is believed to be a very beautiful Greek woman named Helen who was kidnapped by an Asian guy named Paris. The idea of Helen to Poe is that she is made of beauty. Helen is believed to be the most famous symbol of beauty in all of western literature written. This Helen represents Jane Stith Stanard, which was the mother of his childhood friend Rob. Jane was a mother figure to Poe. Poe said Stanard was the first purely ideal love of my soul (Velella). This really expresses the love Poe felt from this significant lady. Poe also said that she was the truest, tenderest of this world's most womanly souls, and an angelt o my forlorn and darkened nature (Velella). This quote dedicates a spot of Stanard in Poe's heart. She soon dies not long after Poe meets her and forever mourns over her death.

Many of Poe's poems have comparisons. For instance, Poe presents a lot of death and tragedy in many of his poems and short stories. All his characters go through distress which usually results in death. The theme of darkness comes from the loss of loved ones and those Poe had good relations with. Readers tend to get a feel of how Poe handles struggles through his writing. Poe uses similar writing in all poems to send a message towards readers. This message is vividly defined as sad. The reader gets to experience all of Poe's emotions by the pain represented in the theme of darkness.

All of Poe's poems can relate back to his own life is some way. An online article explains that there is a psychological intensity that is characteristic of Poe's writings (Poetry). His life was filled with horrifying events. Nothing ever really worked out for Poe other than the fact he put his life on paper with an imaginary twist. It was Poe's particular genius that in his work he gave consummate artistic from both to his personal obsessions and those of previous literary generations, at the same time creating new forms which provided a means of expression for future artists (Poetry). This quote reveals the fact that Poe liked to write about things from his personal life along with things from other literary generations.

Poe's grotesque and scary poems have one specific thing in common: they are all written in 1st person point of view. The use of first person narration allows Poe to consider his stories and poems to mirror his life and reflect upon himself. Only Poe can write what he feels, and his expressions seem to be best portrayed in his writing. Poe's use of 1st person is extremely effective. It allows the reader to get engaged and motivated by his fun use of language throughout his stories. The 1st person prospective lets the audience learn basic information about Poe which can only be picked up through close interpretation of his writing.

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Finding Peace through Forgiveness

For so long, mankind has often used violence to resolve conflicts. But it's also possible to use non-violent direct action and civil disobedience. Many have tried this approach, and most of them have failed. There were two countries where a non-violent movement was successful; countries in which violence could have erupted into a revolution as a result of racial segregation. Those countries are South Africa and the United States, two important nations on two different continents, Africa and North America. Both of the countries had three common conditions that made it possible for nonviolence to work and these are: the threat of violence which made the existing power willing to change, they were both colonies of England, who believed in rule by law, and the presence of an individual who could lead his followers to a violent victory. The two people who made this possible were Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. They both valued the importance of carrying out a peaceful approach to reach their goal. King was the only son in the family to go to college. He also received his Doctorate in theology. Mandela was the first black South African to attend college. He received his degree from law school. As King became a minister in a church, it was a perfect place for him to initiate the civil rights struggle. Mandela started practicing law in Johannesburg, which was where he started seeing racism and discrimination intensified. King's inspiring speaking abilities could be owed to his background, since he was raised in a family of preachers. Mandela had to be great speaker, since he was born to a family of leaders and always wanted to become a lawyer. Even though these two people were from two different continents, their main goal was the fair treatment of black people in each of their society and they were able to accomplish the goal through a nonviolent approach.

Martin Luther King was born into a wealthy family on 15th January, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Nelson Mandela was born on 18th July 1918 in the village of Mvezo in the South African province now known as the Eastern Cape. King's father was a Baptist preacher, active in the human-rights movement while his mother was a schoolteacher. Mandela's father, Chief Henry Mandela, was a Principal councillor to the acting King of Thembu people and his mother, Nonqaphi Nosekeni was founder of the Methodist Church in Qunu. King always maintained a great admiration for his father. As he grew up, he developed his public speaking and debating skills; he even won the debating competition at the age of 13, at Booker T. Washington High School. Mandela was raised in the Thembu culture for six years and he was sent to a Methodist Missionary school where he was required to live under apartheid, the white south African system of racial Apartness. King was a model student and was two classes above his friends. He went to University at the age of 15, and completed his Bachelor's degree in Sociology. He was the only son in the family to attend college. In 1951, he gained his Bachelor's degree in Theology at the Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. Mandela completed his certificate in two years. During his studies, he developed a strong interest in traditional African culture. Even though, it was rare for a black South African to attend college, he not only attended, he also graduated and got a degree from law school, and set up a practice in Johannesburg. At a young age, King once had to stand up on the bus to make a way for a white passenger, in spite of his refusal. He was told by his teacher that it would be considered breaking the law. Afterwards, King described his emotions at that time as 'the angriest I have ever been in my life'. At school Mandela's teachers no longer called him by his Xhosa name ("Rolihlahla" literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but it could also mean "trouble-maker"). Then he was given the more acceptable European name "Nelson." This was the first time that Mandela felt disrespected for his blackness. King decided to become a church minister because he saw it as the best way of satisfying 'an inner urge to serve humanity'. At that time southern blacks were facing humiliation due to the racially biased laws of the south called Jim Crow laws. As a student, Mandela met student activists and members of the African National Congress (ANC). While working at a law firm, he started studying law as the only black student at the University of the Witwatersrand. A tired women, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her bus seat to a white passenger, which set the modern struggle for civil rights in motion. King became involved in a Social Gospel movement which pursued Christian values in the fight against social inequality. After facing discrimination and racism, Mandela became increasingly involved in protests and joined the ANC. As a result of Rosa Park's arrest, King organized the first protest, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted for 385 days and resulted in a court judgement outlawing racial segregation in buses. As the South African government began introducing more and more apartheid legislation following the Election, Mandela called on the ANC to intensify its protests by using boycotts and strikes.In 1957, King and several others established the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). Through this organization, they brought together the benefit of black churches in America to fight in the struggle against inequality and discrimination. With the help of Mandela, the Joint Defiance Campaign was launched in 1952 and followed in the footsteps of Gandhi's ideals of nonviolence. Through this Campaign, they won United Nations' recognition that the South African racial policy was an international issue, as a result a UN Commission started investigating the situation. In 1959, King went to India to meet with friends and a man he'd long admired, Mahatma Gandhi. He returned home a few weeks later, more convinced than ever that non-violence was the most powerful way to fight oppression. Mandela addressed groups of tens of thousands of black Africans and became the face of the civil-rights movement in South Africa. Mandela has acknowledged that his own belief system was not based on a religious or spiritual foundation, but rather on the usefulness of nonviolence. According to Martin Luther King, Nonviolence is a more ethical and moral strategy that goes hand in hand with the principles of Christianity and found to be effective in Gandhi's struggle for independence. He also found nonviolence to be an effective way to get the public on his side, by showing them the government's violent reaction to his nonviolent protests. Most importantly, he believed that nonviolence could replace love where hatred and bitterness existed. On the other hand, Nelson Mandela believed that a non-violent strategy should be followed if it's found useful to the movement at a certain time. But then frustrated by its inability to effect change, he considered non-violence a tactic to be used when facing a non-violent opponent. He mentioned that challenge comes when facing a strong state apparatus ready to resort to violence to protect its position and in those circumstances following a path of non-violence can be very dangerous. Mandela deemed nonviolent protest as the only solution. He said, ...we should employ the method or tactic demanded by the conditions. If a particular method or tactic enabled us to defeat the enemy, then it should be used ... This made nonviolence a practical necessity rather than an option. (David J. Whittaker, The Terrorism Reader, 279) This shows that Mandela was only aiming for victory while King aimed for friendship and understanding instead of a victory; his approach could shortly be put as "whatever works." If he had felt violence would solve the situation, he would have used it. Mandela's fight was political and secular, which can partly be owed to his background as he was the son of a Xhosa Chief. He didn't have a place in his mind for Christian values by then. He only wanted to use nonviolence as a tactic to be used as the situation demanded. His nonviolence resistance wasn't just based on the Christian values, but also Mohandas K. Gandhi's actions. Gandhi's successful effort of using nonviolence to lead his people to independence from Great Britain, inspired him and as he said, it was exactly what he had been seeking for. King was looking for a way that was both effective and goes along with his christian values. When talking about his decision to use nonviolent protest, King said, the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom the method for social reform that I had been seeking (King, Stride, 79; Papers 5:422). One thing to remember is that Martin Luther King and all the civil rights leaders at the time were Christians. This quote shows that the primary reason King chose a nonviolent approach is to keep with the ethics of Christianity. As King came from a christian background, listening to his father preach and his mom sing and play piano, he always wanted to do God's will. Even his nonviolence approach was developed directly from the teachings of Jesus Christ. It was a mission for him to serve the lord. His love for Jesus was displayed in his teachings, especially by what he accomplished.

Bloody Sunday and Sharpeville Massacre were two important events which were the turning points in the struggle against segregation in the U.S. and South Africa respectively.. Bloody Sunday was an event that occured on March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama, where over fifty people were hospitalized. Sharpeville Massacre was an event that occured on 21 March 1960 at the Sharpeville Police station in South Africa, where 69 people were killed and 180 were injured.On Sunday, March 7 1965, six hundred marchers assembled in Selma, fighting for their right to carry out their protest. Led by John Lewis and other SNCC and SCLC activists, they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River en route to Montgomery. Just short of the bridge, they found their way blocked by Alabama State troopers and local police who ordered them to turn around. When the protesters refused, the officers shot tear gas and waded into the crowd, beating the nonviolent protesters with billy clubs and ultimately hospitalizing over fifty people. On wednesday, March 21 1960, a crowd of about 5000 to 10,000 protesters gathered at the police station aiming to force the apartheid government to end pass-laws which required Africans to carry passes all the time. Some sources say the crowd was peaceful while others say the crowd started advancing toward the fence around the police station. There were 289 casualties in total, including 29 children. Many people sustained back injuries from being shot as they fled. Police reports in 1960 claimed that young and inexperienced police officers panicked and opened fire spontaneously, setting off a chain reaction that lasted about forty seconds. In two minutes, police fired more than 1,300 bullets. King found this event to be a perfect way to get people on the side of the protestors [his side]. If the whites in the North saw pictures and films of blacks getting abused by the police while protesting peacefully, they would be more inclined to support the black's goals. Mandela and his supporters, however, used The Sharpeville Massacre as an excuse to implement violent methods in the struggle against the apartheid system. He said that the time for the passive resistance had ended, and that they could never overturn a white minority regime bent on retaining its power at any cost. Bloody Sunday was televised around the world. Everyone around the world was shocked and outraged at the sights and sounds of Bloody Sunday. This also prompted President Johnson to submit a proposal for a strong Voting Rights Act. In an interview with Life magazine's Flip Schulke, King said,"The world doesn't know this happened because you didn't photograph itbut it is so much more important for you to take a picture of us getting beaten up, according to "The Race Beat," a history of media coverage of the civil rights movement. As he was told, Schulke filmed the entire assault and sent it to the television network headquarters in New York. When it aired that night, people all around the world ,including Americans, were horrified to even look at the pictures taken that day. Schulke helped transform this local protest into a national civil rights event. King wanted everyone to see the brutal response of the police to their peaceful local protest, which aimed to fight for their right to carry out a protest and their right to vote. On the other hand, Sharpeville massacre brought international public opinion against apartheid South Africa to a boil. It stood out in the minds of people all over the world. As a result the government declared a state of emergency and banned ANC as an unlawful organization. In his biography A Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela wrote, The disturbance pointed clearly that violence was the only way out; it showed that a government which uses force to maintain its rule teaches the oppressed to use force to oppose it. This refers to the turning point where ANC and PAC realized that their peaceful approach had no effect and that they need to be more aggressive. When both the movements were declared unlawful, they shifted their approach to an armed struggle. As mentioned above, Mandela only advocated nonviolence just because it was believed that it would enable them to defeat the enemy. Once that was proven to be wrong, a new plan was set out to be implemented. Since fifty years of nonviolence had brought the African people nothing but more and more repressive legislation, and fewer and fewer rights, Mandela's followers believed violence was the only clear solution.

In the face of oppression, MLK and Mandela maintained a forgiving spirit. As MLK once said, Forgiveness is not an occasional act, rather a constant attitude. Despite Mandela's 27 years of imprisonment and MLK's several arrests, they kept drawing their strength from the power of love, nonviolence and forgiveness. According to MLK, Forgiveness doesn't mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. Rather, it means that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship, instead it becomes a catalyst for a fresh start. Similarly, Mandela said that Forgiveness liberates the soul; it removes fear. That's why it's such a powerful weapon. He also declared that if there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness. While MLK's philosophy of forgiveness had its base in Christianity, Mandela did it because it's the right thing to do. South Africa was in desperate need of forgiveness, not more chaos. MLK taught that they must forgive their enemies even though everyone is faulted. He spoke about how one could find happiness through forgiveness in such a way that, if someone carries anger and not forgive the evildoer, it causes them to carry a burden which in turn brings disappointment and distrust of those around that person. Mandela said, We especially need to forgive each other, because when you intend to forgive, you heal part of the pain, but when you forgive you heal completely." This means that forgiving others isn't always making peace with others, it's also making peace with ourselves. As we forgive those who harmed us, we feel peace and relief within us. Despite the brutal treatment Mandela received from the guards in prison, he forgave them all. He only forgave them for his own sake; in order to have a happier and healthier future. Otherwise, another civil war would have broke out, causing more people to die and all his work would've been for nothing.

While MLK's words taught his people the idea of forgiveness before action, Mandela's actions taught the people, the importance of compassion and forgiveness. Mandela's utilization of peace as a means of liberation taught Africa that if they were to move beyond the divisiveness caused by the apartheid, compassion and forgiveness must play a role in governance. If Mandela can teach us one thing, it is for us to see humanity and dignity in the other. King said, We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. This means that we have to acknowledge that there is always some good in all the evildoers and some evil in all good people. When we discover this, we are less likely to hate our enemies. If we look beneath the evil deed, we see some goodness and know that the evilness of their acts don't quite represent them. So we start to realize that hate just grows out of ignorance, misunderstanding, pride and fear.

Since MLK had been teaching black americans the importance and significant role that forgiveness can play in the civil rights movement, no one doubted the approach when they began applying it in a number of situations. They knew it was the right thing to do and believed they were doing God's will. On the contrary, there was speculation that Nelson Mandela wasted a great opportunity to deal with poverty, inequality, and uneven employment, by pursuing the reconciliation route without restitution. But as time went on, they realized that he knew what he was doing. One of the most memorable examples of MLK's forgiveness is him forgiving Izola Curry, who had stepped up to his table and stabbed him with a 7-inch, ivory-handled steel letter opener. He only hoped that she gets the help she needs and become a free and constructive member of society. In the same manner, Mandela invited a person named Percy Yutar, a state prosecutor at the 1963 Rivonia treason trial who demanded the death penalty for Mandela, to dinner where they enjoyed a kosher meal. Mandela said that it wasn't his fault and that he was just doing his job. Both MLK and mandela are now considered as two men who fought for peace and equality through love, reconciliation and more importantly forgiveness.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson mandela were inspiring leaders who put the needs of their people first and used the method of nonviolence for equal treatment of colored people in each of their own countries. In spite of the hardships and unfair treatments, they maintained a forgiving spirit toward the oppressing government. Their success taught everyone not only how to approach conflicts but also how to avoid them.

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Finding Peace through Forgiveness. (2019, Jun 26). Retrieved November 3, 2025 , from
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