Month: November 2021
The Methamphetamine Abuse Epidemic that our Country is Actively Fighting against
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to bring awareness to the Methamphetamine abuse epidemic our nation is actively batting. This drug is sought by multiple individuals who are looking for a quick feel-good, escape from reality. Methamphetamine is a blue-white glass-like substance that is cheap to make and easy to find. Some common street names for this drug include but are not limited to, crank, chalk, meth, speed, ice, and crystal. Methamphetamine is frequently smoked, snorted or injected. The abuse of these feel-good substances can lead to clinical manifestations such as heightened energy, increased alertness, decreased sleep, euphoria, weight loss, activation of the sympathetic nervous system, and dry mouth that lead to tooth decay. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).
Individuals seeking a relatively inexpensive, fast-feel-good experience often turn to use methamphetamine, often known as Meth, for a high. It first appeared as a low-priced drug that was also readily available (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2016). This drug is easy to obtain by addicts due to it being made in and outside of the United States. One convenient source is the small, secrete laboratories that use cheap, over-the-counter ingredients like pseudoephedrine that can be found in cold medications (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Just about and “street chemist” can manufacture the drug and sell it to addicts, regularly referred to as customers. A large number of these so-called “customers” are already dependent meth or another illegal substance.
The abuse of Methamphetamine is problematic and early identification with instant treatment is the best course of action (Bhatt et al., 2016). Abusing meth can lead to several health-related issues such as serious cardiac conditions. A shortlist of other health-related issues includes; aortic dissection, hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension, acute coronary symptoms, and methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy. Hypertension and tachycardia that stem from meth abuse is caused by a hyperadrenergic state that is similar to autonomic dysfunction or pheochromocytoma. In the hyperadrenergic state, stimulation occurs with both the a-adrenoreceptors, which mediates peripheral vasoconstriction, and the b2-adrenoreceptors that mediates peripheral vasodilation (Paratz, Cunningham, & MacIsaac, 2016). Consequently, treating tachycardia and hypertension that stem from meth abuse, including a blockade of both adrenoreceptors or hypertension will basically worsen due to vasoconstriction. Meth abuse is far from a modest predicament, its effects can develop into a wide variety of issues that are difficult to manage.
When it comes to treatment, there are no approved medications that can aid in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorders. Nevertheless, there has been a large increase in the use of psychostimulant agents, mostly dopamine agonists. However, more data is needed and there is a need for advocacy that calls for more studies on psychostimulant use on meth addiction (Bhatt et al., 2016) A few other medications have revealed potentials related to aiding in treating addiction to meth. Medications like naltrexone, modafinil, and bupropion are able to support psychosocial interventions by its focus on intermediate addiction phenotypes such as prevention of relapse or cravings. Again, more researches are needed as studies were consisted of small trials and covered distinct populations (Courtney & Ray, 2014).
As meth addiction continues to grow, so do the research and studies being conducted to break this addiction. In one study, it was delineated that Meth stimulated BK-? subunit trafficking thereby reducing activities of BK channels and researchers found that the resulting behavioral response due to dopamine neurotransmission modulation is partly due to BK channel activity regulation (Lin, Sambo, & Khoshbouei, 2016). However, these discoveries are still being substantiated and information has not found clinical application.
Unfortunately, there is no precise or absolute treatment for Meth abuse disorders. Researchers must undertake more studies that can help solve the methamphetamine public health issue. The current meth epidemic must be taken seriously, with an emphasis on studying more about biomarker identification that leads to treatment, prevention of relapse, and remediation of cognitive impairment. These are the knowledge areas that need to be addressed to gain a significant footing in the fight against methamphetamine abuse (Courtney & Ray, 2014).
References
- Bhatt, M., Zielinski, L., Baker-Beal, L., Bhatnagar, N., Mouravska, Laplante, P., N., Worster, A.,
- Thabane, L., & Samaan, Z. (2016). Efficacy and safety of psychostimulants for amphetamine and methamphetamine use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews, 5(189),
- Courtney, K. & Ray, L. (2014). Methamphetamine: An update on epidemiology, pharmacology,
- clinical phenomenology, and treatment literature. Drug and Alcohol Dependence,
- Lin, M., Sambo, D., & Khoshbouei, H. (2016). Methamphetamine regulation of firing activity of
- dopamine neurons. The Journal of Neuroscience, 36(40),
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Methamphetamine. Retrieved from
- https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/drugfacts-methamphetamine.pdf
- Paratz, E., Cunningham, N., & MacIsaac, A. (2016). The cardiac complications of
- methamphetamines. Heart, Lund, and Circulation,
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2016). World drug report. New York: United
- Nations Publications.
Cite this page
The methamphetamine abuse epidemic that our country is actively fighting against. (2021, Nov 25).
Retrieved November 4, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2021/11/page/6/
Understanding the Psychological Influences
There are several psychological influences firstly, stress as part of everyone’s daily life can lead to individuals using opioids to control stress and relax (Al’absi, 2007). Stress is highly associated with increased use of opioid drugs. Research suggests that the presence of chronic stress from areas such as relationships troubles and work-related problems can cause an increased vulnerability to the use of opioids and therefore addiction (Sinha, 2008).
The presence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is also a risk factor for opioid use and addiction. ACEs are events that happened in childhood as parental neglect or abuse that lead to further psychological consequences in later adulthood. There is a correlation between ACEs being present and health-harming behavior to cope with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Donkin and Allen, 2015). Likewise, PTSD is not just from childhood experiences that can be a risk factor that leads someone to become dependent on an opioid drug. In the scenario, there is mention of the patient being an amputee. If this patient was a veteran and had developed PTSD then negative alterations in mood, cognition, intrusive thinking, and dreams (Paulson and Krippner, 2007) may have led this patient to be on methadone as an alternative(López-Martínez et al., 2019).
The opioid is being used in an unhealthy coping strategy to manage thoughts and feelings that have derived directly from PTSD (López-Martínez et al., 2019). As a whole, PTSD is highly prevalent among individuals who use heroin incidence from the US and Australia shows PTSD is most prevalent in opiate users compared to users of any other drug class (Mills et al., 2007). PTSD is not only drawn from the military but from other factors e.g. ACEs, witnessing a trauma event, serious assault, or rape.
Chronic pain is another risk factor. It is estimated that opioid prescribing has doubled in the period 1998 to 2018 for chronic pain management. Currently, there is no guidelines from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2018) about the effectiveness of opioids and chronic pain and the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) have stated a clear risk of harm to patients who are prescribed opioid drugs to manage pain effectively in the long term(FoPM, 2018). The patient may have started to use an opioid to cope with pain from an earlier injury in the army perhaps.
Critically, RCoA state that opioids are good management for acute pain and pain at a palliative level however, on the whole, only a small percentage of patients would benefit from long-term prescribing of opioids as chronic pain is complex in nature (FoPM, 2018). Critically, Rosenblum on the other hand states opioids is among the most effective medications for moderate to severe pain. Several medical professional organizations acknowledge reports of satisfactory reductions in pain over time. Rosenblum, et al. 2008).
There is clear evidence suggesting chronic use of opioids is dangerous and can lead to increased dependence, addictions, and an array of other medical complications (Taylor, 2015).
Looking at the Psychological Consequences (LO4):
The presence of ACE’s, stress, chronic pain, and PTSD all have a substantial risk of using opioid drugs.
There are several psychological consequences once an individual engages in the use of opioid drugs (Brinksman, 2018). In brief, the scope and severity of the consequences range drastically. Psychologically, there is evidence that the link between taking opioids and having an exacerbation of mental health conditions e.g. depression and anxiety can worsen these conditions as opioids can interference with the brain's neurotransmitters which blocks and presents the normal function of the central nervous system. Opioid use can also create further mental health problems such as delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia (Sullivan et al., 2006). The main reason for this is the dependency many people taking opioids experience.
Chronically, the consequences of taking opioids in the long term can change the brain itself. Long-term use of heroin can change the structure and physiological aspect of the brain. Heroin for example is linked to causing brain damage similar to Alzheimer’s disease where a build-up of proteins causes nerve cell damage (Haley, 2009).
The Social Influences (LO4):
Social influencers such as existing poverty, peer pressure, and social isolation can all have an impact on the likelihood of an individual starting to take an opioid. Recent statistics show that around 24.6% of opioid overdose deaths were living in poverty (Altekruse et al., 2020) and that. Individuals who are at risk or are living in poverty are at risk of engaging in opioid use.
Moreover, young people and adolescence are also at high risk of being socially pressured into taking opioid drugs. One study in the US suggests have taken a form of opioid in their younger adult life. Pressure around having to fit in alongside issues of own self-esteem can interlink and cause a deadly combination to the start of opioid addiction. Furthermore, the likelihood is also increased if individuals are socially isolated from others and use substances to make friends or pass time (Romanowicz et al., 2019).
Financially there is also a risk to individuals. This is usually after addiction has started. However, is there influence beforehand. For example, individuals in financial problems or bankruptcy are at risk of starting to misuse substances harmful to their health. Individuals living in poverty, therefore, are also at risk of developing the need to cope and are at risk of opioid use. Influences such as inadequate housing, poor education, and social opportunities can make an individual more likely to become deprived and live in poverty.
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Understanding the Psychological Influences. (2021, Nov 25).
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What Unpleasant Experiences in Life Lead to
The unexpected death of a close friend or relative, a difficult divorce, unwanted change, or even the loss of a job can take away considerable pieces of wellbeing from a previously untouched being. These adverse experiences can occur in both childhood and adulthood and can weaken the entire existence as well as motives for life, especially when those around us were also affected or unable to help us fight our pain because of their own. It is no surprise that anxiety and depression are factors that intervene in such a tortuous relationship with addiction. In this way, the cycle of falling into addictions begins to stun pain, which increases the anxiety of our decisions and feeds our depression. To say that addiction is a decision and not a disease that needs help is to perpetuate a stigma that has been repeated for decades, and for many, it has become a waste of time when there is a life worth living.
As difficult as it is for someone to deal with their problems, the consequences of drug use will always be much worse than the problem they are trying to solve with them. In general, the use of drugs corresponds to a desire to escape from reality. Drugs provide an escape route, a temporary relief to personal, family, and social problems. They are also an exit door in front of the existential void present inside a person, which leads them to turn around in search of illusory exits that “fill” that void. Drugs block all sensations, both those desired and unwanted, and while they provide brief relief to mitigate pain, they also nullify consciousness and the ability to make rational decisions. Some people use them as a means to compensate for frustration, loneliness, self-esteem, and emotional problems. While under the effect of drugs, the person experiences a state of euphoria that makes him forget the problems or limitations he/she has. The worse thing about this is that it is an illusion, after that state of euphoria comes an even greater frustration than the initial one, which leads the person to resort once again to those substances.
Growing up in a dysfunctional family can also contribute to a reoccurring pattern of addiction. A dysfunctional family is one in which the roles of each member are not defined nor respected causing negative behaviors to arise. A dysfunctional and toxic family is characterized by stressful and debilitating situations rather than uplifting and encouraging positive experiences. The problem is that people who grow up in these types of families, do so with these confusing and sometimes disturbing experiences, so they lack the real meaning of how a healthy family should be and the bonds that should exist between each member.
Vance’s mother had an addiction to both drugs and the constant need of being in relationships. Growing up in a household filled with violence, substance abuse, and lack of role models led Bev to make those same mistakes. Bev frequently witnessed violent fights between her mother and father and even recalled the time her mother split her father’s forehead open by throwing a vase at him. These experiences scarred the Vance children but appear to have had the strongest effect on Bev. Although marrying multiple times, it seemed that Vance’s mother was never fully satisfied nor happy. Those failed relationships brought infidelity, violence, and even drug abuse in order to cope with the loneliness. Bev’s regular drug abuse resulted in increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior. She crashed her can in what may have been a suicide attempt, and after being released from the hospital, she threatened to crash a car with her and Vance in it. Not only was this affecting Bev, but it also took an emotional toll on Vance and his sister Lindsay. Vance had to say goodbye to every man he met just as he was beginning to like them and became fearful and disappointed in his mother’s decision to the point of calling her a bad mother and resenting his grandmother for the lack of attention. Lindsay was often neglected as Bev chose to go to parties during her teen years.
Addictions, all addictions, present a double face. First, they appear with a positive, favorable image that attracts both young and old. Afterward, that face disappears. Rapidly addictions begin to show themselves as they are: pain, problems, unhappiness, and multiple disorders. In this duality that addictions present resides part of the potential difficulty in preventing new people from consuming and abusing them. If from the beginning, the prevailing face was the negative, the attraction and mystique that surrounds the world of addictions would disappear. In many ways the process of addiction has been compared to that of entering into a relationship; but in this case, it would be an unhappy relationship. As we go through the successive stages, the commitment intensifies and the influence that exerts on the addict becomes stronger.
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What unpleasant experiences in life lead to. (2021, Nov 25).
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https://studydriver.com/2021/11/page/6/
Neuroscience of Addiction what is Addiction?
Addiction is the condition of repeatedly using a particular substance or doing a particular activity, despite its damages. In some estimates, the modern-day addiction crisis in the United States started in the 1800s when patients suffering from injuries and illnesses did not have proper medications to ease their pain. Pharmaceutical industries developed painkiller drugs and convinced doctors that they were not addictive. However, after using painkiller drugs for a particular time patients started to become addicted to them. The use of opioid prescriptions started to rise and many people started to die because of overdosing. In 1914, the government banned the use of some drugs, such as opiates and cocaine, and limited the trade of others.
In 1946 President Truman signed the National Mental Health Act, which provided funds for the National Institute of Mental Health, and researchers started to develop medication and treatment for individuals with mental disorders. In 2000, the use of drugs decreased but a large number of people kept using drugs for pleasure. Today, in the United States more than 7.4 million people suffer from drug addiction, and opioid overdoses cause the death of 115 people every day. Environmental Factors which lead to Addiction Johan Hari, the author of the book “Casing the Scream”, is one of the researchers who claim that environmental factors such as social isolation, depression, and stress can increase the susceptibility to addiction while motivation and sociability disincline it. For example, during the US-Vietnam War, depression and stress led the majority of soldiers to use drugs.
Yet, 95% of the veterans were able to quit it when the war was over. However, when veterans returned to their country, they resumed their normal lives without continuing their drug habits. This shows that happiness, motivation, and a balanced lifestyle can help individuals to quit their drug habits. Stimulating activities and a friendly environment is another major factor that may disincline addiction. A laboratory experiment on rats, which was carried out by Professor Alexander, is a great illustration of this claim. In the experiment, rats were left alone in a cage and had access to both normal water and water containing heroin or cocaine. The rats preferred medicined water almost 100% of the time, ultimately resulting in their death. However, another group of rats were given access to drugged water but were put in a cage with more rats, good food, and lots of stimulating activities.
In this case, these rats almost never used drugged water. (cite) This shows that people are more likely to use drugs when they are alone, stressed, and unmotivated. The chemical structure of drugs causes sudden and gratuitous happiness which grabs the attention of people who suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression. Today 20% of Americans with depression and anxiety also experience drug addiction, which shows that there is a direct connection between depression and drug use. Effects of drugs on the brain, the most complex organ in the human body, regulate the basic functions in our body and enable us to think and feel. The brain is formed by billions of neuron cells which are organized into circuits and networks.
Neurons receive signals from other neurons in the circuit to transfer information. Each part of the brain is responsible for specific functions, but they are all interconnected with circuits and work as a team. To transfer information, the neuron releases neurotransmitters into the synapse (the space between two neurons), and neurotransmitters attach to the receptors of the receiving cell which causes a change in the neuron. Other units which are known as transporters recycle the neurotransmitters by bringing them back to the neuron which released them. Some drugs, such as heroin and marijuana, have a similar chemical structure with natural neurotransmitters and imitate certainly.
However, they activate neuron cells in a different way and cause neurons to send abnormal messages to networks. Other drugs, such as amphetamine or cocaine cause neurons to release unusual amounts of natural neurotransmitters which generate high motivation and happiness. Also, they interfere with transporters and prevent the normal recycling of neurotransmitters. Therefore, marijuana weakens memory while heroin slows breathing and heart rate. Cocaine and amphetamine may cause victims to get violent, have panic attacks, feel paranoid, or have a heart attack. Brain parts that are affected by drug use The brain are the coordinating center of sensation and the nervous system, and each part of the brain plays an essential role in regulating our body.
The basal ganglia are a group of structures in the brain which are responsible for motivation and play a role in the formation of routines and habits. The motivating activities, such as eating, playing, and sex, form the reward system. Taking drugs over-activates the reward circuit and causes gratuitous happiness and motivation. However, drugs decrease the sensitivity of the circuit. After using drugs for a certain time, the brain doesn't feel enough pleasure from other activities besides drugs. The extended amygdala, the stress system of the brain, evaluates and responds to stressful feelings, such as fear and anxiety. It plays a key role in the transition to addiction and maintains dependence even after drug use is stopped. That makes it easier for addicted people to repeat drug use over and over again without thinking about it. For this reason, most addicted people use drugs to stop cravings and to find relief rather than to get motivated.
The prefrontal cortex enables us to think, make decisions and solve problems. This is also the part that makes people more vulnerable during teenagehood. There is a balance between this circuit, extended amygdala, and the reward and stress systems of the basal ganglia. Drug use shifts the balance between these circuits and makes a person lose control and seek a drug continuously. Genetics of Addiction Genesis the units of DNA that make up the human genome. Genomes code for information that regulates the basic cellular activities of the body. On average, the DNA of most people is 99.9 percent the same and 0.1 percent different. This 0.1 percent difference contributes to visible traits such as eye color and height and invisible traits, such as increased risk to certain diseases like Huntington's disease, Cystic fibrosis, heart attack, diabetes, and addiction. The recent studies in genetics, help researchers to analyze complex diseases, such as addiction by examining persons whole genome.
To identify errors in DNA (single nucleotide polymorphism) scientists study whole genome sequencing and exome sequencing. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism analysis has proven that Circadian genes are an important factor that affects the development of addiction. Circadian genes code for proteins that make up Circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm regulates most of the behavioral, physiological, and physical rhythms, such as mood, body temperature, hormones, metabolism, oxygen usage, and blood pressure. Circadian genes also plan our normal sleep, wake, and social schedules. Outside factors such as lightness and darkness also affect the circadian rhythm. For example, at night you feel sleepy because your brain sends a signal to your body to release melatonin which makes you feel tired. Drug use causes a disruption in daily circadian rhythm.
Drugs, such as Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Ethanol, and Morphine affect the circuit of circadian rhythms of behavior and physiology. Moreover, people who have distribution in circadian genes show more use of drugs and withdrawals. Circadian rhythm also regulates the physiological response to drug use. New clinical reports show that drug overdoses and withdrawals are circadian rhythm-dependent. The laboratory experiments show that animals use cocaine significantly more when they are treated at night rather than in the morning. After three cocaine intake in an hour, the circadian rhythm gets disturbed. Treatment Addiction is a complex and hard treated disease which affects the brain's functions. Different treatments work for different people and addicted individuals should start the treatments as soon as possible. New medications and (......) help people to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, and treat reoccurring conditions.
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Neuroscience of Addiction What is Addiction?. (2021, Nov 25).
Retrieved November 4, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2021/11/page/6/
Drug Addiction isn’t all about Heroin
You can get addicted to alcohol, nicotine, opioid painkillers, and other legal substances quite easily, especially if addiction and alcoholism run in that person's family. There are also more effects than just withdrawals or diseases that come along with addiction; depression and anxiety can take part in your life when you become addicted. Even though anyone could fall into addiction, youths can be more at risk than adults are, especially due to the increase in vaping. A teen’s brain is not fully developed, creating many opportunities for addiction to take action. Not only are youths less mature, but there are also many other things that motivate youth to become addicted in the first place.
Vaping in teens has increased dramatically since 2017 (Teen Vaping soared in 2018 2018). The CEO of a top e-cig brand said other e-cig manufacturers used flavorings “to attract children” (Vaping 2018). Ten months later that same company’s CEO introduced a flavor named “Butter Crumble” and other berry flavors ( Fact 265 2018). It is a fact that there is more smoking in TV shows rated TV-PG than in TV shows rated TV-14. In other words, smoking is not only trying to tempt and lure youths in, they are targeting them. These companies have a large effect on teens and children to motivate them into trying new flavors and eventually get them hooked on nicotine. These flavors are found to be appealing to children, and even though the CEO of the company JUUL said they would help to stop teen vaping, many people will say they did not put in enough effort to fix the problem.
Vaping could be seen as a gateway drug and may even cause teens to start smoking cigarettes. People's bodies build tolerances for nicotine, first, a person could start on a low nicotine intake, then when that does not satisfy them, they start increasing and increasing the amount of nicotine they take into their bodies, and soon, they find themselves wanting more and more of the substance and they keep their addiction thriving. The scary thing is seeing teens start at such a young age is that they might never stop. Their body is used to nicotine and the youths do not see issues just yet other than that they are short on money. But the effects that smoking cigarettes or vaping have on anyone can be life-threatening. 82.4% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking, and about one-third of youths smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease, including COPD, Heart Disease, Asthma, Diabetes, and many more. There is the potential of there being 1 billion tobacco deaths worldwide in the 21st century if current trends continue (Fact 141 2018). So, nicotine addiction in teens is not heading in a good direction and other addictions are right behind it.
People who experience drugs and alcohol earlier on will most likely develop a drug abuse issue when they are older (Teen Drug Addiction 2012). At first, some will choose to take a drug because they like the way it makes their body feel, which is dopamine, a chemical that releases happy feelings in the body. It can become a habit, then it turns into abuse. Some may think they can control how much and how often they use it when they can not. But over time, your brain functions change. These physical changes can last a long time. They make you lose self-control and can lead you to damaging behaviors. People who are addicted become less motivated or less excited about things because they start to revolve their life around their drugs. They might start to miss work or school and also generate problems within those areas.
They tend to become isolated and will start to lie to and blame the closest people in their life, causing issues with their family and friends. They are always in denial and try to rationalize their issues by doing so (Symptoms and Signs of Addiction 2018). This can completely destroy their social life. Money will start to become an issue for them since they might be missing work and spending their money on drugs. Even their emotions will start to go out of sorts. The eating habits of an addict will change due to a lack of appetite or an increase in appetite. Your body will become overall unhealthy and will cause your lifespan to decrease drastically. Addiction can completely destroy a person’s mind and body and will take all their energy.
Drug addiction generally starts in the pre-teen or teen years. This time in young people’s lives is when they often like to experiment with and use drugs or alcohol, and many get hooked. The problem is that the brain hasn’t fully developed, and won’t be until age 25 or so, meaning it is easier for your brain to get ‘rewired’ or pick up new habits when you use drugs earlier on, and kids are easily influenced during this time (Drug Addiction and Poverty 2018). Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala, which is the emotional part of the brain (Understanding the Teen Brain 2019), so it is easy to say some teens use drugs like marijuana to deal with their pre-existing depression and/or anxiety, even if it’s not helping at all. Your brain is wired to make you want to repeat experiences that make you feel good.
So you’re motivated to do them again and again. Drugs are mind and mood-altering drug which produces all the effects required to satisfy even the most stringent definition of addiction (Treating nicotine addiction 1988). This is why it’s so hard to quit. A drug addict's whole brain chemistry alters. Once a person is caught up in the cycle of addiction, they will do almost anything to gain a steady supply of their drug. Some people think drug addicts can just stop, but they can’t. For someone to end addiction, they need to go through a whole cleansing of their body and their mind. They need to practically relearn everything and they need to learn how to say “no” to addiction. Some people may never even fully recover from addiction because it had that much of an effect on their body and their mind.
Peer pressure has a drastic effect on teens. Teens can get almost motivated to use substances that can get them addicted or to abuse drinking alcohol. They are six times more likely to drink if their friends drink. To youths, addiction isn’t in the picture when they use drugs or alcohol, and being cool and rebellious is. A study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that teens are more likely to act out risky behaviors if they know their friends are watching, and this truly does show. Youths do not think of the consequences. The impetuous choices at the moment can influence one to deviate from regular decision-making habits and cause them to make bad decisions.
So youths are more likely to gain an addiction if their friends have an addiction because the environment we live in and the people we surround ourselves with have a huge influence on our lives. It affects how we live, how we act/behave, and the characteristics we portray. For example, if an individual is surrounded by addicts or alcoholics, the chance of that person becoming an addict or alcoholic increases greatly. If an individual surrounds themselves with motivated, intellectual people, the chance of that person achieving success and being smart with their choices will rise. It’s all that you make of it. Though, Some may not be able to control their environment or situation.
People with lower income or those who live in environments that are not conducive to economic growth are more at risk of being victims of drug abuse than somebody who does not receive low income (Drug Addiction and Poverty 2018). Some people who are in poverty and also are addicts can find it hard to get help or a rehabilitation center because those who live in poverty have fewer chances of entering rehab than those who are better off financially merely due to the fact that they cannot afford to pay for it. In addition, those who live in poverty and attempt to quit drugs are oftentimes more exposed to the drug trade. People in poverty-stricken areas find that the selling of drugs can offer them fast money, and enough to pay rent. For someone who is not used to having a lot of money, the idea of making a few hundred dollars in a day by selling drugs is very appealing, and sometimes, their only choice. But Drug abuse and addiction do not only affect homes of low income. People who are good financially can be affected even if they live in a good environment.
Especially with the opioid epidemic, it has shown us that people from all walks of life and economic backgrounds can fall into drug addiction. For example, there is always news about celebrities dying from accidental overdoses and while there is a higher risk of becoming addicted for the uneducated, those who drop out of school, or for the people who have a low income, parents need to keep a close eye on who their teens are hanging out with to protect them from addiction.
Some people call addiction a disease, and some people say it's that person's fault and that they did it to themselves. Yes, that person did make the choice to put that drug into their body but that shouldn't determine whether it's a disease or not. If a person goes into the cold without a coat on and they get sick, does that necessarily mean that it's their fault? It's the same with a person who's fallen into addiction, they know there could be consequences, but it's not thoroughly thought of.
Though it may feel impossible for the addicts, they can and some do overcome addiction. Examine obesity, a non-chemical substance, or addiction to heroin, a chemical substance, these are both subjected to one’s mind and influences emotion and motivation in the brain. People recover from obesity, due to determination and hard work. If a person wants to stop being addicted to drugs, they must use mind power and find motivation and determination to achieve their goal. What people choose to put their mind to depends on that person, and they have the potential of finding themselves again. It is questionable if drug use could be stopped, or if it will always exist. Drugs have been around for years, and there are no signs of a huge decrease in drug use. Drugs will be around for so many years to come but that does not mean they cannot be prevented. Programs held by schools and fundraisers for poverty can help. Along with being aware of the consequences of your actions.
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Drug addiction isn't all about heroin. (2021, Nov 25).
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https://studydriver.com/2021/11/page/6/
Death is an Aspect of Life that is Inevitable
Despite how hard someone tries, they will be acquainted with the end sooner or later. Some fear death as they tremble at the thought of being trapped in their sleep forever. There are others though, who view death differently. They believe in the afterlife -- that death is merely just a door for another existence. Both John Donne's 'Death, be not proud' and Dylan Thomas's 'Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night' present death as an enemy of life and as a force, we should not easily succumb to.
In Donne’s poem, “Death, do not be proud,” he justifies death saying it is nothing more than an aspect of life, simply an event of that moment, “one short sleep past, we wake eternally.” Every day, people all around the world are having to face death without warning. Accidents occur and people that are in one’s life can disappear within an instance. There is nothing to do to stop this unavoidable eternal rest because it is simply one more part of life. He continues to describe death as a low being that only deals with the pitiful attributes of life: war, disease, and murder. Using personification to create a sense that we know who death is; making death a non-threatening person.
Death personified is subject to these horrible circumstances, therefore, is very low in stature. If death can only reap vengeance with such low standards governing him, then death becomes less mysterious and something we are not afraid of. There has been no man to ever escape the jaws of death and because man is cursed with the hunger for power. It is inevitable for us to destroy ourselves and others. Even the “best men” are bound to die; Donne’s poem explains that even if you are considered a good person or the best of the best, you are still unable to escape death. The poem has a deeper meaning behind his words. Reading it, you can discover that there is no need to try and avoid or fight the occurrence of death but rather accept it because it is just another part of life’s many moments.
On the contrary, “Do not go gently into that good night” by Dylan Thomas, urges you to fight against it until the last breath of life is gone. To give up is a coward’s way. Throughout Thomas’ poem, he concludes each stanza with “Rage, rage, against the dying light” where rage is repeated to emphasize the theory of battling intensively and to live against the dying light is portraying light as a symbol of life
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Death is an aspect of life that is inevitable. (2021, Nov 25).
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One of the Best Novels by Frank Kafka
Frank Kafka was the oldest of six siblings. He grew up in Germany as a son of a conformed Jew. He had two of his younger brothers and all three of his sisters die in concentration camps, unfortunately. He went to the University of Prague to study law and received his doctorate in 1906. He worked in insurance until 1917 then was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was forced to quit. He passed away in 1924. His home life stood out in most of his writings and the description of how his parents treated him and how they lived their life are needed to understand the full meaning behind most of his literature’s true meanings. His father figure was an angry man who would sometimes direct his anger at his son whose only escape was in the books he read. The Mother of the household was a busy body and worked a lot, so the children rarely managed to get time with her. The kids themselves were raised by nannies and servants.
“The Metamorphosis” is a short story written along with several other short stories by an Austrian writer Frank Kafka. It was originally written in German and translated later into English. It's one among the top few and one of the more remarkable works of 19th-century contemporary literature. The story is metaphorical in nature and seems to be more satirical towards modern society normal in regards to how you look like how rich you are and what you contribute to society much like today's modern celebrities. The novel shows the inner workings of a family and the problems and relationships they have with each other. This story seems to show that Kafka was using this as an outlet to show his true inner workings of how he felt about some things going on in his life at the time period. He felt alone and alienated from his family he was depressed and down on his luck just like the main character in this novel. It explores the ideas of individualism and contradiction of personal and social.
A traveling salesman by the name of Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning and realizes that he transformed into an appalling bug. His family disowns him after Gregor's physical transformation and locks him into a room alone until he dies of starvation and neglect. As the story goes on, it's clear that Gregor's negligence began at first before his physical transformation. The condition of Gregor in the story is essentially representative of the author's life, Franz Kafka. He was working for the Kingdom of Bohemia at the Workers' Accident Compensation Institution and worked for long, strenuous hours before his battle with tuberculosis forced him to take a sick leave and retire. 'The Metamorphosis' is a tale based on Franz Kafka's life and reveals how Kafka's wellness and inability to establish good relationships with others contributed to loneliness and isolation in a world of indifference.
In the novel, Gregor's relationship with his boss leads to the alienation of Gregor, since he is seen as an accessory and not a human. On the day of Gregor's physical shift, he did not turn up to work for the first time in his five years of service. As a result, his boss turned up without warning at his home. He then goes on to state that even with these five years of loyal service he is replaceable and not an asset to them. Gregor was an outstanding employee and never missed a day of work and for being late one day is suddenly is expressed by his boss as being “pigheaded” and inconsiderate. “The New Yorker” had a good line about Gregor and how his boss treated him:
“Gregor is a salesman, but what he’s sold is himself: his own agency and dignity, making him a sellout through and through. For this reason, I occasionally use the word “drummer” (commercial traveler) to describe his profession, referring back to another of his ilk, “a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them.” That’s Willy Loman as described by Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman (1949). The Metamorphosis is Kafka’s own Death of a Salesman, with all the sad, grubby tragedy, all the squalor. Like Willy Loman, Gregor is a suicide, though of a different sort: he dies a hunger artist, perishing of starvation because nothing tastes good to him anymore. And like Willy’s, Gregor’s death is the final service he performs for the benefit of his family.” (Bernofsky)
This relates to Kafka's life because when he started to show symptoms of tuberculosis, he was unable to work as much as he used to. When he started to miss work because of his illness his boss may have been disappointed and not understanding of Kafka’s predicament. He may have simply believed that Kafka could return to work like nothing was wrong as if he was a machine. Kafka’s ongoing struggle with work which started prior to the setting of the book and his illness which caused tension between him and his family and is expressed through the physical transformation in Gregor’s life. Prior to his physical change, Gregor started to work heavily at which point his parents began to see him as their main provider rather than their son.
This sparks the beginning of his alienation. his boss only sees him as an accessory and not a person. In relation to Kafka, this exemplifies his problematic work-life after his signs of tuberculosis began to show and he was no longer able to work to the point he once had. Also, similarly to Kafka, after Gregor began working a lot his parents no longer saw him as their son but as their main provider. Once Gregor, like Kafka, was unable to work due to his illness, his family had to further take up the responsibility of supporting the family someone they were completely capable of doing on their own. Finally, once Gregor lost literal communication with his family his alienation and isolation sank in entirely. This and the entire book symbolize Kafka’s deteriorating feeling of his humanity when he was unable to function properly due to his battle with symptoms of tuberculosis The character and the author concentrated not only on one young man's individual problem but on the whole society's problem. This novel is the strongest manifestation of the world's tragic experience which was a feature characteristic of all Kafka's works.
This can be viewed in different ways referring to a family and social isolation, a person's loneliness capable of compassion and self-sacrifice, one's difference from another. Kafka portrays the intellectual and emotional alienation of the story as a result of its metamorphosis. He reveals the true and believable nature of society: you are a member of the community so you can work and do your job. If you can't do it, however, society doesn't need you anymore. Also, he highlights the insecurity of humans within society. A human is just an impotent and helpless 'toy' doomed to be alone. “The Metamorphosis” is a revolutionary story it is full of symbolic and metaphorical images that underline the tragedy of a person's life, the isolation of the individual, his impotence before society. This is one of the stories that will get people to talk about many of “life’s problems.'
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Failure of a Godly Person to Demonstrate a Lesson
Gilgamesh aspired to escape death and searched to the ends of the Earth for immortality. Icarus had a much more mundane goal, he merely wished to see the lands below him in a more glorious fashion during his flight towards his homeland. By ignoring the lesson the story is meant to convey, the protagonists of the myths experience a great fall of some sort, Icarus’ fall much more literal.
While Gilgamesh’s epic contains a multitude of lessons, the primary focus of comparison is that of his search for immortality in response to the death of Enkidu, his greatest friend. In his despair, Gilgamesh sought out Utnapishtim, the survivor of the first great flood and who was granted immortality, to teach him the secrets of eternal life. While Gilgamesh succeeds in finding his “golden egg” of sorts, he is challenged to stay awake for a single week as a test of worthiness. Gilgamesh immediately succumbs to the mortal vice of sleep but is given a second chance through a weed that if consumed will grant him an escape from death. He also fails in this endeavor by allowing a snake to steal and eat the weed, once again stealing his escape from mortality. The tale of his search is a narrative of the fall of a godly being, wherein Gilgamesh abandons his post as king and lord to try to escape the inevitable. Through his fall, Gilgamesh learned that death was an inescapable and impartial end to all mortal beings and that one must relish what experiences they can have during life’s duration.
The story of Daedalus and Icarus is one of father and son, and their efforts to return from their exile to their homeland. Daedalus, the great inventor, and architect wished to feel the soil of his home between his toes once again as he had grown hateful of Crete, his bastion during his exile. Daedalus made two sets of wings made of tar, pitch, and feathers to bring both himself and his son across the lands and seas of Crete through the sky, the only realm that king Minos could not deny them.
Daedalus instructed Icarus on the mechanisms and the importance of the flight path, the final instruction was simply to follow Daedalus as similarly as possible. If they flew too low, the feathers would be dampened by the sea’s mist and make them too heavy, too high and the tar would melt causing the feathers to fall away, making their lift too sparse. In their flight, Icarus admired the islands and seas below him and disregarded his father’s instructions to fly higher and see more of the land’s beauty. In his naivety, Icarus flew too high and melted away the tar of his wings and plummeted into the sea below, and to his death. In his final moments, Icarus learned far too late the importance of moderation, and that the extremes of anything can be a dangerous path to follow.
While the lessons of these myths are vastly different, death and moderation, they provide a method of living that can coincide with one another; live life to the fullest but remember to indulge in moderation. The lessons themselves were conveyed through a great fall from glory, and the end of their ride through extravagance. This method of conveyance is quite effective, as the reader likes to place themselves in the shoes of the protagonist while they are in positive and preferable circumstances to experience their glory and pleasure by proxy. While in this circumstance, the fall of the protagonist is equivalent to the fall of the reader without the consequence or trials, but still providing the lesson.
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One of the most Tragic Things is the Death of a Family Member.
One of the most tragic things to occur and for people to experience in life is the death of a family member. Everyone in the family suffers, as well as extended family and friends, suffer a great deal of grief. It is completely normal to grieve in different ways, nobody is the same therefore everybody has a different way of coping with such tragedies. It is especially difficult for teenagers. Adolescence is a very fragile time in which a teen is transitioning to adulthood. Their brain and their emotions are easily affected by things that happen around them. The death of a sibling can cause a very great deal of harm to the teen's mentality and could cause further problems for them in the future, this is the case with Holden. Holden’s brother, Allie, died while Holden was a teen, and that took a serious toll on Holden causing him to act out in various rebellious ways, but also in caring ways towards children. The cause of Holden’s behavior is the death of his brother Allie. This is shown through his constant remising of the past and his desire to preserve the innocence of other children.
Throughout the book, Holden is always caught thinking about the past, and he often thinks back to his childhood. It seems as though his happy moments were only during his childhood. One person that is constantly on Holden’s mind, other than Allie, is Jane Gallagher. Holden is always thinking and talking about her, even if he doesn't notice it sometimes. She seems to have a great impact on him, and he has a very deep caring for her. They met during Holden’s childhood in Maine: “Anyway, after that Jane and I got to be friends and all. I played golf with her that same afternoon.” (Salinger, 77) After this day, Holden and Jane spent a lot of time together and they became very close.
She was one of the only people that he showed Allie’s baseball mitt, which is a big deal because Holden is a very closed-off person. He doesn’t share much with people and he has a harder time making connections than most people. Within this difficulty of making connections, it seems as if Holden is missing a piece of himself, which doesn’t allow him to be the person he can be to the fullest. In the article, “Experiencing the Death of a Sibling as an Adolescent”, it states: “... even adolescents, cannot always tell the difference between themselves and their siblings. When the sibling dies, it may feel as if part of the self is lost too.” (White, 2) Holden may feel like when Allie died, he also lost a part of himself as well, and it makes it harder for him to connect with others. On the website “Ourgrief.org”, it was said: “After your brother or sister has died…In addition to the wide variety of typical physical and emotional expressions of grief, here are some reactions that are specific to the death of a sibling…
You may feel abandoned or left behind.” The thought is that Holden may feel as if when Allie died, he left Holden behind, that is why he may feel like he lost a part of himself and he has a hard time creating new relationships with others he meets or people that are around him. Additionally, Holden thinks about his little sister, Phoebe, a lot too. During the novel, he contemplates calling her to talk but hesitates because he doesn't want his parents to answer the phone. When he was going to meet up with her at the museum, he was remembering his time at the school Phoebe currently attends: “We had this teacher, Miss Aigletinger, that took us there damn near every Saturday… I get very happy when I think about it. Even now.” (Salinger, 119) He used to go to the museum all of the time when he was younger and just thinking about the past and how his teacher would take the class there every Saturday made him very happy. It is commonly seen that anything having to deal with Holden’s childhood brings him at least some bit of happiness because his childhood was when his brother was still alive.
Not only is Holden’s rebellious behavior because of Allie’s death seen through his thoughts about the past, but it is also seen through his longing to preserve the innocence of other children and how their innocence brings him happiness. Holden was walking along the street when he saw a family who had a little boy. The little boy was simply minding his own business and being a little kid, just that brought Holden happiness: “The cars zoomed by, brakes screeched all over the place, his parents paid no attention to him and he kept on walking next to the curb and singing ‘If a body catches a body coming through the rye.’ It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore.” (Salinger, 115) The boy was walking along the sidewalk just singing a song, Holden saw the innocence that was within him and that brought him joy. When Holden went to meet Phoebe at the museum, he saw a curse word written on the wall of the museum and it infuriated him. He thought about how all of the little kids that passed through there would see the curse words: “I thought how Phoebe and all the other kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant…
I kept wanting to kill whoever's written it.” (Salinger, 201) He said he wanted to kill whoever had done it. He was scared that the little kids would wonder what the words meant, and he didn’t want the innocence of the children to be corrupted. Also having to do with Phoebe, when Holden told her that he was going to run away, she wanted to go with him but he didn’t let her: “I almost hated her. I think I hated her the most because she wouldn’t be in that play anymore if she went away with me.” (Salinger, 207) Being in the play was a demonstration of childhood to Holden. He knew that if his little sister went away with him, then she wouldn't be able to be in the play and that would in a sense ruin her childhood. Furthermore, when Holden was asked by Phoebe what he wanted to do in life, he said:
“What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.” (Salinger, 173)
Holden wanted to catch all of the children at the end of the cliff of the rye field before they fell off because they would be running and they wouldn’t see where they were going. Above all, Holden wanted to be the one that saved them and saved their innocence. Because he was the happiest during his childhood when his brother was alive, he finds it important to preserve the childhood and innocence of other kids so they can be happy.
In conclusion, it is clear to see that the cause of Holden’s behavior is the death of his brother Allie. Allie was alive during Holden’s childhood, therefore, that is when Holden was the happiest in his life. Holden is often caught thinking about the past, about Allie and Jane, who he also met during the early years of his life. Holden has also shown a caring for the protection of innocence and childhood of other kids. All of this is caused by the death of his younger brother that occurred while he was an adolescent.
Works Cited
- “Death of a Sibling.” OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center, www.ourhouse-grief.org/grief-pages/grieving-adults/death-of-a-sibling/.
- “Experiencing the Death of a Sibling”
- Salinger, J. D. The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger. 1951.
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The Everyman, a Moralizing Play Dominated by Allegorical Characters
Most morality plays focus on subjects such as politics and social issues or the more dominant category of good and evil, in this case, the battle for the human soul. This play is devoted to a day that every human has to confront, judgment day. Each character, both inside and out of the protagonist help to save or obstruct the path Everyman takes to reach his salvation. The play also emphasizes grim humor as it deals with death and the internal situations occurring prior to the encounter with death. Once the protagonists’ figurative friends abandon him, the pressing importance for Everyman to find a solution to his problem becomes greater. In the end, Knowledge leads Everyman and teaches him the overall lesson that one needs to learn to be saved. By using religion and allegorical characters throughout the play, Death is portrayed as the inescapability of one’s destiny.
The inescapability of death is one of the leading themes throughout the play. It is the idea that death is something horrendous that everyone has to go through. Once one is brought into this world, they thereafter carry death with them. No one can escape death and the final judgement as said by God on line 69 where Everyman has been chosen to go on the pilgrimage of “which he in no wise may escape” (Everyman, 69). Death is an aspect of life that no one can control. People occupy themselves with riches and goods of the earth but those material things cannot give you salvation in the end.
The finality of death is perceived as something that takes away all earthly pleasures. Fear encompasses those who are bound by earthly possessions, the ones who are in fear of facing their mortality. At the beginning of the play, Death proclaims that it is a weapon, one that punishes those who “liveth beastly out of God’s laws” (Everyman, 74-75). Death is seemingly only fearful to those living in sin. It is the separator between the earth and eternal happiness or damnation. Everyman at the beginning of the play does not understand the hasty appearance of Death and that he comes “without any advisement” and does not wait for any man (Everyman, 183). Overall the scope of death throughout the play is vast. It is unavoidable and always looming around those living, serving at God’s will as a veil between earthly worlds and eternal happiness or damnation.
There is a connection through the written word, an infiltration of religious values where there is an afterlife post physical death, to the Christian faith. The pilgrimage to the grave begins with death personified in to a character then back into the present as Everyman goes about the pilgrimage throughout the remaining parts of the play. First, using the word “pilgrimage” meaning a journey taken to a religious place connects to an aspect of religion. Until the end of the play, Death does not appear as a physical character. The call to judgment day sparked fear into Everyman’s heart that hastened his journey to salvation. With each friend Everyman came across, he was abandoned. At first, Everyman confides his sorrows in Fellowship after the visit from Death. After a slight conversation, Everyman tell Fellowship of the news received directly from death though not beneficial. Fellowship, a character based on companionship, denies Everyman for “if Death were the messenger, for no man that is living today I will not go that loath journay” (Everyman, 266-269). Though Everyman’s first friend denied him, he keeps trying with Kindred and Cousin while withholding who directly gave him the message. After trying three other friends, all denied following Everyman in his voyage to judgment in front of God.
The third friend, Goods, who Everyman loved best was the one who was there for him the least in his time of need. Goods says “I follow no man in such voyages” on line 415. At this point, Everyman recognizes that Goods would only guaranty that he would confirm Everyman’s damnation as noted on lines 474 through 475, “…for my Goods sharply did me tell that he bringeth many into hell”. This connects back to the beginning of the play where Death is called upon by God. Death proclaims “he that loveth riches I will strike with my dart” as punishment for living outside of God’s laws (Everyman, 76). Death in this play associate living with earthly materialistic goods and goals as living without and going against God’s laws, a Christian value that equates to sins that need to be expunged in order to be saved.
Though death is tragic and feared by most, it is a gateway to salvation. A specific meaning of death in “Everyman” is that without death there would be no God and vice versa. At the end of the play, once the journey has concluded Everyman is forsaken by most of his friends including Beauty, Five-Wits, Strength, and Discretion. At the closing of the play, the Doctor or learned theologian explains the meaning of the play. Every detail relates back to Christian values and living without vanity, objects and goods, and pride but save good deeds for they will guide on judgment day. Death initiates the process of salvation, of realizing what matters in the eyes of God and what does not. Death is only a messenger between God and humans because “every man liveth so after his own pleasure”, the outcome of humans’ betrayal is to “have a reckoning of every man’s person” (Everyman, 40,46). At the start of the play God’s personified character gave the reasons behind the judgment day and a reason for death, those who live without fear because of vanity and materialistic goods.
Most of the play is consumed by the thought of the inherent value of life, the thought that humans are here by right. In “Everyman”, the meaning of death and life are directly correlated to Christian religious beliefs at the time of composition. God proclaims at the beginning of the play that humans are living unconscious of the sacrifices He had given for them to be alive, He declares “to get them the life I suffered to be dead” (Everyman, 33). The act of Death delivering the message that Everyman will be judged by God signifies the moment that Everyman begins to reevaluate his life. Once called to death, the only thing you can take with you into the grave is your good deeds. In the play Knowledge and Everyman make a journey to the house of salvation, but before they encountered Good Deeds.
For after salvation and forgiveness, Everyman and Good Deeds go together into death's arms, “then go you with your reckoning and your Good Deeds together” (Everyman, 28-29). It is known throughout morality that one descends into the grave and faced death alone. The allegorical characters that were personified, such as Good Deeds, emphasized that good deeds are the only aspect of your living soul that goes with you beyond the grave. The themes of death and religion intertwine throughout Everyman for the singular lesson to be taken is that one’s actions in life relate mutually with how one is judged come their time of death. All earthly pleasures and goods fall away while good deeds and sins continue on past the grave. All of these attributes are in line with Christian values and theology, though the play itself does not single out Christianity but is a universal lesson.
Another way death can be perceived throughout Everyman is that he is a servant of God and his values. Everyman was destined to die but he found a way through his at one time abandoned personal religious beliefs, in this case, Christianity, that were translated during the whole of the play that got him past physical death and into everlasting life in heaven. The portrayal of heaven and hell plays on fear and redemption around death and God. The fear of unavoidable death had pushed Everyman into accepting it. Persuaded through internal and external figurative characters to give up vanity, pride, and love of goods. He symbolizes that even in the face of death and fear of losing earthly pleasures, one can be saved once one have learned the universal lesson.
That lesson is that the only things that matter in the afterlife are good deeds, not material wealth or earthly possessions. Death can also suggest God’s grace. At the beginning, Death proclaims that he waits for no man and does not take bribes but allows Everyman to have more time in order for him to learn what life is actually about. By way of Death, God’s grace gives Everyman salvation and redemption while death restores the Christian values on Everyman’s pilgrimage. This is seen on line 141 as Death advises Everyman to test his values or by pattern, personified characters, in a quick manner, (but haste thee lightly that thou were gone that journey and prove thy friends if thou can. For weet thou well the tide abideth no man” (Everyman, 141-143). Death is a reminder to Everyman that everyone has to pay for their actions that have been committed throughout their lives come judgment day.
Inevitability and certainty of death is often imposing. It is seen as a cause of loneliness and alienation as one by one each character abandons Everyman on his journey. Each fear the judgment of God and impending death, the finality of losing what they devoted their lives to doing and paying for how they have spent their time. Death comes when Everyman least expects it, “thou comest when I had thee least I mind” (Everyman, 119) and takes him by surprise. A religious view is that God is always watching even when we have forgotten him. As God says on line 35, “and now I see the people do clean forsaken me” as humans have turned to earthly pleasures without looking to God for happiness (Everyman, 35).
By our hand alone is the reason death had come upon Everyman, to make an example out of someone who lives in riches and does not live in fear of reckoning with God. Only after the confrontation with Death is Everyman thinking of him. From that point forward, Death hangs over Everyman’s head until his sins are expunged and God’s grace grants him salvation. Alone after being abandoned by his friends, Everyman is alienated as “all [friends] forsake me in the ending” (Everyman, 471). Those that he relied on most, especially Goods, would only lead him to hell. At this point, Death has instilled more Christian values unto Everyman. Death is deemed to be the root cause of abandonment throughout the play. The play demonstrates that Death is something that no one can evade and that one’s destiny is unavoidable.
A play devoted to the day of judgment emphasizes through the allegorical character Death, that God’s grace and values will lead to redemption. All earthly possessions and pleasures fade along with vanity and pride. Over, the intertwining of death and religion is the driving force behind the themes presented in Everyman.
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Economic Attitudes in the Play Death of a Salesman
The Great Depression was a time of intense economic struggle and strife. Companies went out of business, people suffered from poverty, families had to make many sacrifices and unemployment rose at alarming rates. Families struggled to pay bills and to provide for their children. Businesses attempted but later failed to provide the resources employees needed to tackle the economic hardships head-on. White-collar workers were at a loss as their weakened businesses began to fall through the cracks.
The crash of the economy in October of 1929 led to a long dangerous downward spiral for America’s businessmen. Stocks fell way below the annual margin. Unemployment rose in March 1930, and in November of 1930, those who once were thriving office workers became apple sellers on busy city street corners. In Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman”, Willy Loman’s paranoia stems from the struggle of the white-collar worker in the years following the Great Depression. The Great Depression shattered the very being of society during the late 1920s. The economic downfall of October 1929 sent stock prices plummeting, leading businessmen to become jobless, thus, destroying the very meaning of their existence.
The morale of the businessman was at an all-time low, as their chances of finding high-paying jobs decreased. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”, struggled with his manliness, as his ability to obtain a high-paying salary slowly declined. As jobs were being given to younger men in society, Willy began to question his purpose in the world of business. In the introduction of “Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller states “He (Willy Loman) wants, beyond anything, to be “well-liked, for, without that, he fears he will be nothing at all.”(ix). Reputation was everything in the business world. Men sought to be the best at their jobs, for if they were not thought highly of by their bosses, or if they did not present themselves in such a way that their potential boss would appreciate them, then what was the point of even trying to work hard?
Without a good reputation and validation from bosses and coworkers, businessmen felt that they were not worthy of work, nor of the pay, they were to receive. Businessmen were often abused by their clients and treated poorly by those around them, but they still worked hard. The Loman Family mainly depended on Willy’s salary in order to survive in New York City during the Post-Great Depression era. Willy Loman often wanted what was best for his family, which meant that his son Biff Loman should get an actual high-paying job. Biff’s laziness and his lack of interest in finding a job, other than farm work, often made Willy paranoid about Biff’s future. The possible factor that Biff would wind up on the path of destruction that Willy forged many years ago often made Willy very anxious, and constantly stressed, which was not beneficial to his work ethic (Salesman).
Willy Loman states that “there’s such an undercurrent in him.” (5) which represents the father-son conflict that arose from Willy Loman’s anxiety for Biff’s future. Willy Loman loved his son and he wanted nothing more than to see Biff succeed at whatever he put his mind to, preferably business (Miller, Salesman 5-10 ). Mira Komarovsky, a Russian born sociologist who developed a theory on gender dependence during the Great Depression, states “He (the businessman in the family) experiences a sense of deep frustration…because in his own estimation he fails to fulfill what is the central duty of his life…the role of family provider” (qt. in Wood).
A parent never wants to see his child travel down the same road and make the same mistakes that he made when he was younger, but when that child ultimately leads himself down the path that his parent knows will get him nowhere, the parent will do anything in his power to get him to where he needs to be. In Willy’s case, he wants Biff to become a salesman like him, so he will not fall into despair. In Amity Shlaes’ “The Forgotten Man”, William Troeller, a Brooklyn-born boy, “watched his family slide into an increasingly desperate situation” (14). His father suffered a great deal of pain after a workplace injury that led him to be temporarily unemployed. Family life suffered when the father was not able to adequately support its financial needs. Arthur Miller, the author of “Death of a Salesman” grew up in the Great Depression.
Arthur Miller’s family fortune quickly diminished to nothing after the stock market plummeted in October of 1929.“With the national economic crisis” says Katherine Egerton “the Miller’s hard-won success vanished rapidly, and young Arthur’s life was utterly changed” (“The Freedom” 3). His family was relocated from the lavished city life to the rugged rural life in the countryside. He had to give up certain comforts because his father, Isodore Miller, was not able to adequately support his family. Age played a major role in the paranoia of businessmen during the time of the Great Depression. The older a man got, the less likely he would be to make a sale that would earn him money.
Willy Loman’s paranoia also stems from the fact that his job is not paying him as well as the younger men he works with. During a study of the 1930s and white-collar working conditions in the era of the Great Depression, Historian Clark Davis stated “White-collar unemployment attracted considerable attention, for it seemed a new problem and one that aroused many status anxieties” (qt in Wood). Unemployment rates increased over the twenty percent margin, between the years of 1929 and 1933, according to data from Stanley Lebergott’s and Michael Darby’s study of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“Employment and Unemployment” 42)
While Willy spoke to the assistant, characterized as “The Woman” in “Death of a Salesman”, he said to her “I get the feeling that I’ll never sell anything again, that I won’t make a living for you, or a business, a business for the boys” (25). When all hope for finding a good job, and for providing resources for the family was all lost, suicide was often the last resort for businessmen in the 1930s. The anxiety that had been building up throughout the ten-year duration of the Great Depression had an intense psychological effect on salesmen, which often became too unbearable for them, leading these hard-working men to take their own lives. In chapter seven of John Kenneth Galbraith’s “The Great Crash of 1929,” he explains that suicide in major cities, such as New York, became increasingly common due to the high volume of unemployed workers, who had nothing else to live for.
Salesmen committed suicide often because their businesses were not doing well in the stock market. Stock declines often correlated with the suicide rate in cities such as New York and Chicago (Crash 1929 182-183). Willy Loman is the prime example of a salesman who has just about reached his climax of desperation. After not having made a major sale in years, Willy grew increasingly desperate and felt that he had no purpose in life anymore (Salesman 55). In Act I of “Death of a Salesman”, Willy Loman can be seen driving his car recklessly on the road, and eventually crashing it into the side of the road. This type of recklessness stemmed from his lust to end his life at the spot. While Linda explains to Willy that he needs to take some rest because he has been stressed, Willy says to his wife “…I absolutely forgot I was driving. If I'd gone the other way over the white line I might’ve killed somebody.”(3)
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Paper 2 on Death of a Salesman and Death and the King’s Horseman
Drama can be said to contain something of the ritual—something to be repeated in front of an audience for a significant occasion, event, or purpose, or simply everyday routines and patterns of behavior. In what ways have at least two plays you have studied made use of the notion of ritual in this way and to what effect?
Thesis: Both Death of a Salesman and Death and the King's Horseman address the concept of ritual, through the vehicle of duty, although they differ in the form of ritual they represent.
Death of a Salesman
The ritual is trying to achieve the American Dream through his job Willy tells his sons, “Be liked and you will never want.” (33)Willie’s duty to his family as breadwinner is a daily ritual Goes to a job that he no longer is successful at - a man like him has become obsolete Biff tells his father, “Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?”
This ritual brings about his downfall, as is seen with a tragic hero such as Willie Cannot achieve the success he strives for because he never becomes a prosperous man, as he hoped for His own character and obsession with the American Dream, and his inability to successfully fulfill the ritual is what causes him to fail Happy says, “He had a good dream. It’s the only dream to have—to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this where I’m gonna win it for him.”
Blames only himself for his shortcoming, leading to his suicide Death and the King's Horseman The ritual is taking one’s life for the king, as is prescribed by Yoruban culture Elesin says, “… Life is an honor. It ends when honor ends.” (1.44) Although he knows what needs to be done, he is slow to do it, getting married and having sex before moving on to the suicide A bit too prideful and enjoys the respect the job of King’s Horseman brings him, leading him to not fulfill the ritual and, therefore, not achieve is duty Praise-Singer: “Elesin, we placed the reins of the world in your hands yet you watched it plunge over the edge of the bitter precipice.” (75)
Iyaloja calls him out for this lack of action, saying, “I warned you, if you leave a seed behind, be sure it is not tainted with the curses of the world. Who are you to open a new life when you dared not open the door to a new existence? I saw who are you to make so bold?” (67)
His slow speed to action - to completing the ritual - brings about his downfall
Blames others for his failure to complete the ritual, stating, “You did not save my life district officer. You destroyed it.” It is his failure of duty and ritual that ultimately does lead to his suicide.
Works Cited:
- Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Play in Two Acts. Logan, Perfection Learning Prebound, 1977.
- Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King's Horseman. New York, W.W. Norton, 2002.
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The Main Character of the Play is the Death of the Seller
Death of a Salesman is a story that follows and mainly the main protagonist, a husband, father of two boys, and salesman, Willy Loman. The play’s name has a double meaning, the death being physically real as well as metaphorical. The play is split into two acts and is followed by a requiem. The play is displayed over the course of around twenty-four hours. Starting late on a Monday evening, transpires into the following day, Tuesday throughout the whole day, and into the late evening, until Willy Loman’s death. The play is set in the late 1940s in New York. Willy has a wife named Linda and they have two sons together named Biff and Happy. Willy himself isn’t the best salesman, nor husband or father to his family.
Biff is the eldest of his two sons and has more pressure put on him by his father to be a salesman like him, but he doesn’t want that for himself. A point has been made that Willy at one point in his marriage to Linda, had an affair and Biff caught him with this other woman, which further explains the tension between the two. In between bits of dialogue, Willy is slowly losing his mind and recollects memories from his past. Willy is having trouble making ends meet and ends up fired when he asks his boss if he could get more jobs closer to his home. It becomes apparent that he has thought of committing suicide throughout the play even being confronted by his family about it.
In the end, though, he ends up taking his car and crashing it, so his family could have the insurance money. The point Miller tries to make is that not everyone can become widely successful, sometimes even the “American dream” is out of reach. The important thing is to not live in the past and to focus on the present. Arthur Miller is showing the readers and audiences a man who is not in the same frame of mind and body like he used to be. This man is going through financial troubles as well as a strained relationship with members of his family. He wanted to be just like his father, as well as his son’s to be just like him. But we don’t always get what we want, and that is something we just have to accept.
He metaphorically was already dying/dead on the inside. He ends upending his life, not really considering what his family would feel once he was gone, despite the insurance money. There are a lot of elements in Miller’s work that have been gone over in this literature course. The first one that I thought of was modernism. The Death of a Salesman was a modern piece of literature. He writes of the struggles any of us can face, which wasn’t something typically written about at the time, which is also a common theme in some of the readings we’ve had in this class. Anyone can relate to these struggles, which makes it a great read for literature students.
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Willie Lohman in Arthur Miller’s Play Death of a Salesman
Loman was an assertive salesman and no matter how hard he worked he could never catch a break. He lived in the same house for years with his two sons Biff Loman, Happy Loman, and his wife Linda Loman. Willy’s life was marked by failure and a never-ending attachment to the idea of living the American dream and hitting it big. In this story Loman’s life ended in his own hands, this occurred because his dream to have a perfect life failed and his pride and spirit were completely dying with it. In the 1940s the American dream was not just focused on living a perfect life with your wife and kids in a house with a white picket fence. In fact, its main focus was on working hard and men making an honest living providing the necessities for their families to rise above the great depression. I chose the thematic approach The American Dream / Nightmare because trying to live up to the perfect lifestyle of the American dream has us picturing. It can make us do the most horrifying thing without even thinking about it first. Miller’s play “ Death of a Salesman “ is a very perplexing play that reveals how the loss of the American dream can drive a person to insanity.
Willy Loman is a man living at the end of the modern American period, in the late 1940s. As he slowly begins to lose his mind in the materialistic side of the world, it becomes clear that the only thing he is really concerned about is keeping up with the people that surround him in terms of success and possession. Loman lived a life of betrayal and disappointment from his father abandoning him at a young age and his son Biff’s rejection of him. He also worked very diligently to express credit that he should find rewards, humiliation, and disappointment just piled on top of each other. He attempted to look into other people (the mistress) to prove that he can fill the hollow and unfulfilling pity he was feeling inside. In the story, he is nowhere in his right mind and you can clearly see it because he is still supporting this pleasant vision of success and happiness, but without the tools or the route to navigate to it safely.
In the play, the main type of conflict is man vs man and man vs society. For example, the major conflict in the story is between Biff Loman and his father. Willy felt as if Biff was a disappointment to the family because he was not able to live up to the expectations he set for him. His mother then says “Biff Is a man who has not “found himself “yet. Even at the age of thirty- four willy just seems to view him as a child. This is best demonstrated by his lacking capability to keep a job. He and Happy still sleep in their same old bunk beds; despite the fact that this reminds Linda of their better times, it just shows that neither of the sons has matured. The other conflict is man vs society, and this is demonstrated because Loman is so caught in the idealistic world that he had to live up to society's expectations and that in order to be happy you had to have all the materialistic items in the world. This is a clear display of a man driven crazy while trying to live up to the American Dream the world installed into us.
The definition of the American dream is a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful. . Loman believed that being 'well-liked” would lead him to success as a salesman, although in reality, he was an average person who struggled in a profession that he was not good at. He committed himself to an idea of success that he knew he would never achieve as a salesman. He also instilled the same illusion into his son, Biff, that anything would be possible if he was “well-liked. However, in the play, Willy seems to live in two different realities. In the first reality, he envisions himself as an old unsuccessful salesman who fails to provide for his family, and in the second reality he sees himself as still being a young, promising salesman and his options are still open not only for him but for his sons Biff and Happy as well. Willy always looked at his brother in jealousy because his brother Ben left home at the age of seventeen and before he turned twenty he already come upon a fortune in Africa. In Willy's eyes, Ben is living the American dream. He wants his sons Biff and Happy to be as successful as his brother. As the play continues it begins to break down everything that has failed in his life from his dream to be successful to his marriage and his children.
However, this play ends on an ironic note, because after willy committed suicide and his family hosted his funeral nobody showed up and it confused Linda a lot. Near the end looking at Willy’s gravesite she thought to herself that willy had no business going to commit suicide and she could not feel any sympathy or cry for him. Linda then states that she has finally made the final payment on their house and has finally created a sense of financial security for the Loman's for the first time, something that Willy Loman worked for thirty-five years in order to build this sense of security and stability for his family. Ironically Willy was free from every disappointment he encountered in life yet committed suicide before he could enjoy the results of his work.
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Compare and Contrast Follower and Servant Leadership
In this essay, I will be going over the compares and contrasts of follower and servant types of leadership. I will be breaking down how the sim and the differences on each one and the meaning of both types. In addition, I will go over the passive and active sub-topics of both and how they apply in the ABLM the Army Leaders Requites model. In conclusion, you will have a better understanding of these two philosophies and how the Army corporate’s them into everyday tasks and missions.
Now the idea of the servant-leader is pretty far out from old Army norms but take a second and think of how it applies to you and your organization. Officers hand down a mission, and we say, “Yes, Sir!' and it's done. Inside our psyche, we have already rated the mission’s requirements over the requirements of our subordinates. The Commander is the boss and we are going to get the job done. Most of our brainpower is then used in accomplishing the mission.
The term “Everybody has a boss.” Is it a perfect way to describe what a followership leader is? This is true for the Army; every Army leader, regardless of rank or echelon, is also a follower. The Army spends a lot of time discussing ways to develop leadership. Nevertheless, very rarely do we focus on how to be a good subordinate, though there are different sets of skills to be successful at both. You cannot be a great inspirational leader unless you are a great follower, but nowhere in our doctrine is there a publication with good advice on how to be a great follower.
The differences between these two are vast as in where one follows to become a future leader. The other follows just to follow and never takes the lead or has a purpose other than roger that. Therefore, in today’s Army having a servant leadership mentality will push you further. Then a follower who is happy being in a static position with no point of progression in the Army.
In conclusion, the comparison and differences of followership and servant-type leadership are wildly different and both are used quite often. Just to retouch of these types of leadership is that servant leadership is a type of leadership that develops future leaders to eventually replace you. Now with followership leadership, mainly consist of a non-performer or person with no personal drive to think on their own or make their own decisions.
References
- https://www.military.com/hiring-veterans/resources/understanding-military-servant-leadership-for-civilian-employers.html
- http://loralmountain.com/servant-leadership-in-the-army-5-lessons-that-can-help-you/
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Leadership – when it Comes to Various Life Matters
A society without leadership often experiences chaos and confusion in various aspects of life. Leadership is paramount as it is the reason that direction is achieved. The administration must produce results; a good leader propels the masses to a better tomorrow. Leadership entails several entities that have to work collaboratively for results to be seen. It is unfortunate that people often think that leadership is the aspect of being in power regardless of whether one performs or not; this should not be the case, leadership must produce positive results for it to be termed as so.
The paper will focus on the philosophy of leadership; the primary purpose of leadership, how to determine whether a leader is successful in their leadership, and how leaders can maintain balance in their leadership and their lives. The primary purpose of leadership is to offer excellent service to the people. There has been a misconception that leadership is all about authority and autocracy; it is unfortunate that this is not the case but it is a mindset that many have believed in for a while (Russell & Stone, 2002).
A good leader should make it a priority to serve the people they lead; other factors can come later. Leadership is of different capacities hence a leader should act according to the level they are mandated. For instance, leaders in learning institutions have different roles compared to leaders that are in the political arena or the working environment. It is from this angle that being alert is paramount to assess the need of the people one leads. Personally, engaging in leadership would assist me in reaching out to people I would not have reached to had I been an ordinary citizen. Sometimes leadership comes with authority that can be used positively by channeling help to the helpless in the society or even the voiceless (Weymes, 2002).
My personal goals have always been to help the suffering in society even in the smallest way possible. I intend to enter leadership to make my goals possible in my generation. My criterion for defining success is based on the service a leader renders to his or her people. If there is no trace of any service provided to the people, even the most popular leader may not be successful according to my ratings. Successful leadership must be accompanied by actions of care and concern for others (Palmer, Walls, Burgess, & Stough, 2001).
The passion for leading people that are hungry for change should motivate a leader to work tirelessly to meet their needs. I would want my success as a leader to be rated by how much help I have offered to people, rather than how famous my name is. My internal sense focuses on helping humanity if that aspect is sorted, then I receive a sense of satisfaction even if the external measures may not view things from my perspective. I wish to elevate my effectiveness as a leader by always analyzing my progress from time to time; this will assist in ensuring that errors are corrected and strengths encouraged.
Being trustworthy is a virtue that many leaders struggle to acquire even though it is an essential value as a leader. In order to gain trust from people, living true to my word is what I will strive to do. Often, leaders promise numerous things to convince people to choose them as leaders. However, once they become leaders, they quickly forget their promises (Russell & Stone, 2002). I prefer to be different; I would rather promise a few things that I know I have the capacity to fulfill. In this way, I could remain a trustworthy figure. Effective communication is crucial in ensuring that essential information reaches people. Proper channels must be put in place to ensure that the masses receive adequate information that concerns them (Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, & Fleishman, 2000).
It is unfortunate that some leaders are unapproachable to the extent that the masses get stranded not knowing which channel to follow. During my leadership tenure, proper channels of communication would be structured, and people notified on the procedure to follow when they require help. A leader cannot work alone hence requires trusted people with a common goal to work with. It is difficult to know people that are sincere in their undertakings unless one works with them for some time; after several episodes of working with people, it becomes easy to identify individuals that may be of help to my leadership. I desire to work with people driven by the passion to help others; those with selfish motives often do not go far with me because their interests do not match mine.
Any person who shows traits of greediness and selfishness would be automatically disqualified from my panel of associate leaders. When people get into power, they often enter with the mindset that leadership means power and authority; their understanding of power is the dictatorial one that has no business listening to the opinion of others. This kind of mindset is dangerous and should not be tolerated; it is this mindset that encourages people to abuse power (Palmer et al., 2001). My intention is to refrain from the habit of abusing power by bearing in mind that the core purpose of my leadership is service to the people and not making their life much harder. Finally, maintaining a balance between leadership and personal life issues can be a challenge. Conflicting interests between personal lives and leadership roles can be taxing but manageable (Palmer et al., 2001).
Creating time for both aspects of life is paramount; it is prudent to create time for personal matters and at the same time create time for the community at large. One of the strategies of maintaining a balance is having a proper program to attend to all the competing loyalties; this helps a great deal in handling several issues at a time and can help to avoid cases of negligence in some areas. It can also allow an effective leader to devote proper attention to other areas. Overall, leadership is more about actions than words. Too much talking without acting upon issues that require attention is misplaced leadership. Leadership means service to the people.
A leader that does not offer service is not qualified to hold the title. A number of leaders enter into administration without having the proper knowledge of what leadership is; most of them believe the role is all about power and authority, which is not the case. Leaders must have an impact on the people they are leading. Several elements must be put in place also to ensure effective leadership is attained. Many people are leaders, but it is sad that their leadership is fruitless hence meaningless.
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Distinction between Four Different Areas of Organizational Leadership
After completing the Leadership Orientations Questionnaire and analyzing my findings, my scores are as follows: Structural (15), Human Resource (20), Political (12), and Symbolic (13). My leadership style and ideology are emphasized in the areas of Human resources and Structural. While interpreting my results, I scored highest in the Human Resources and Structural areas of organizational leadership. My Leadership style and disposition do highlight the qualities of both a Human Resource Leader and a Structural Leader.
“The Human Resource Framework places people first, which is very similar to stewardship or servant leadership where participation in decision making and problem- solving are primary components of the model.” The central theme is improving the fit between the individual and the organization”. As a Human Resource Leader, I find it imperative to value the significance of people and their well-being. It’s equally important to mentor, engage, and empower employees. The primary mission of Human Resource Leaders is to be successful at creating a morally correct relationship between employees and organizations. Next, I analyzed my second-highest score in the area of Structural Leadership.
“The Structural Framework focuses on how to find some pattern of formal roles and relationships that will accommodate organizational needs as well as individual differences”. Again, I agree with these results. Not only does the descriptions emphasize my work style, but it also gives attention to my personal beliefs. As a Structural Leader, I do possess the ability to spotlight logical explanations, scrutinize things when needed and exhibit analytical methods. I’m a firm believer that the primary focus of any organization should be to successfully achieve goals and objectives. On the contrary, I scored lowest in Political Framework and Symbolic Framework. I can completely understand why.
The Political Framework is where the political leaders understand the reality of the politics in the organization and deal with them. Typically, a Political Leader will use various circumstances to exercise power. They develop power by negotiating, forcing, or manipulating others to win. When it comes to set particular goals and objectives, a Political Leader will provide the opportunity to make interests known. “The Symbolic Framework draws on social and cultural anthropology. The organization is thought to be akin to tribes or theater; they are cultures that operate based on ceremonies, rituals, rules, myths, policies, stories, heroes, and managerial authority”. Symbolic Leaders believe the critical duty of management is to contribute observation and creativity. When setting goals and objectives typically they will develop symbols and shared values.
After mapping my results my scores intersect perfectly with my leadership style and capabilities. For Human Resources, Political, and Symbolic Leaders out of a sample of 700 managers, I rated in the 50 percentile. When it comes to being a Structural Leader I was in the 75 percentile. In which frames of leadership will you need additional development? In closing, a Leader should have attributes of all four different frameworks in order to adapt to any situation and organization. Personally, I need to expand on my lowest scored areas which are Political and Symbolic. I’m sure it would be beneficial to have a better understanding of Politics, in addition to, being comfortable with conflict.
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Leadership Types Categorized by Leadership Style
Leaders direct and guide followers in the organization, whereas followership, is one’s ability to follow and methodically execute tasks as they are instructed on the part of the subordinate. However, both responsibilities are critical to the success of the organization. From that, servant leadership is simply about setting examples. The main goal is to put the need of others before one’s self to facilitate high performance among followers. Servant Leadership and Followership are the subjects of several studies. Considering the similarities and differences, followership and servant leadership can be simply two perspectives on the same characteristics.
Servant leadership and followership are closely intertwined. Effective followers can shape productive leadership behavior just as effective leaders develop subordinates into good followers. Plenty of similarities can be found between these two concepts. Both concepts play an important role in reaching objectives, goals, or meeting the standards of the organization. Organizational success, dependent on the actions of individuals utilizing the ideas from Servant Leadership and Followership. Before leading it’s imperative to learn how to follow. In the military, leaders still have to report to a higher rank and follow command. The West Point theory state “able leaders emerge from the ranks of able followers”. The philosophy provides a suggestion that before one steps up and takes charge, one should absolutely learn how to follow, execute tasks and orders.
After clarifying the relationship between the two elements, also consider that each entity has some specific traits. As a servant leader, good knowledge and understanding of your organization, especially its purpose, complexities, and mission are crucial. A cautious and skillful approach to better serve subordinates is important. Leading people requires a lot of sacrifices. Leaderships must insert themselves in order to help others perform and achieve their best. The most challenging entity is building trust, faith, and beliefs. As a leader, one must go through the process with valuable characteristics to connect with followers. Actions and words should clearly demonstrate concerns including placing interest and success of others first. Although, the slight difference can be the weight of each position. Going to an extreme leadership stands with more responsibilities as they are looked up to.
Followership is the ability and willingness to follow a leader, face responsibilities, and accomplish tasks. Effective followership is about adaptability, and being able to critically think in an active way. Followership is a bridge between leaders and goals. However, followers, need to be versatile, flexible, and enthusiastic facing challenges and obstacles. Competency, honesty, and loyalty are some qualities that all followers should remember at all times.
In summary followership and servant leadership are two sides of the same coin. The success of either side depends on the other. Impossible to get the work done as a group without these composite
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SGT Parsons Followership Vs Servant Leader
The objective of this essay is to compare and contrast Followership vs. Servant Leadership. They are two different, but similar subject matters. What comes to mind, without being too religious, is Disciples as a possible description for the term Followership. When I heard the lesson, what came to mind when we were explained what Servant Leadership, also without being too religious, was Jesus. These terms are alien to me. The intention of using ideas I can understand is to have a reference.
I have researched the characteristics of Disciples and Jesus. I managed to convert the wording into common terms. I translated them to stay on topic. Eight for Followership, eight for Servant Leadership, and 4 for Similarities.
I will begin by listing and defining the characteristics I have for Followership.
- Passionately Committed – wholeheartedly dedicated and places the mission first.
- Extraordinary Love for People – keeps down the barriers that separate us.
- Humble – make others shine.
- Integrity – does the right thing when no one is looking.
- Respect – deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
- Cooperating – working together to the same end.
- Student – takes interest in the pertained subject matter.
- Equipped – in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation, mentally, prepared to take on a task and ready for others to follow, copy, or try to follow. In a fit state having one’s affairs in order as to deal with them efficiently.
Now, I proceed with a list and definitions I have for Servant Leadership.
- Moral – concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness of human character or badness.
- Good Communicator – skilled at conveying information, ideas, or policy to the public.
- Wise – having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
- Selective – carefully chooses what is best suitable or best qualified.
- Patient – able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
- Charitable – relating to the assistance of those in need.
- Giving – providing love or other emotional support; caring.
- Forgiving – ready and willing to exonerate wrongdoing.
Similarities of each are:
- Oath Bound – has made a promise and is willing to be punished if broken.
- Loyal – giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution.
- Obedient – complying or willing to comply with orders or requests; submissive to another’s will.
- Bold – take risks, is confident and courageous; stands out.
The purpose of this essay is to stress a finite-difference. A Followership is when one only waits until someone else tells us what to do instead of taking initiative. A Servant Leader has an international understanding and attains great notoriety. A Followership is emissaries, diplomats, or ambassadors who assist or help the Servant Leader who’s above them. The term Servant Leader has two meanings, the larger meaning of being a Servant and the narrow meaning to denote the Followership to the Servant Leader. We can say that all Servant Leaders are followership but all Followership is not Servant Leaders. A Servant Leader is a symbol of hope to many.
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Servant Leader and Followership
An individual can perceive leadership in all types of ways but certain characteristics can mold an individual to be a great leader, that can influence a follower and change a person’s point of view on what a leader should be. Anyone can be a leader but it takes a lot more than just the title to make a great servant leader. It takes one to know how it is to be a follower before leading individuals and honing the skills to be a servant leader.
A servant leader does not stick to just one perspective of what leadership should be, he or she continues to grow and learn from individuals that are above or below and continue to be a servant. As Lao Tzu wrote in Tao Te Ching. “The sage has no invariable mind of his own; he makes the mind of the people his mind.” A servant leader shares his or her power, developing an individual to perform as highly as possible and encouraging them to be the best version that they can be. Providing knowledge and encouragement, a servant leader applies his intellect to improve not just himself or a certain individual, but to better an organization as a whole. The characteristics that a servant leader hones are modesty, trust, and benevolence. Being humble and putting others before himself or herself, a servant leader goes by the NCO Creed in its entirety; an individual can determine a servant leader by their subordinates because the performance of a follower is a reflection of the leader.
As defined on Merriam-webster, followership is the capacity or willingness to follow a leader. A follower has to always uphold the army values, having integrity and being true no matter what situation they may find themselves in. Being loyal to and trusting their leadership's judgments and always committing to the duty given. And upholding the respect that peers, subordinates, or leaders are entitled to. Followership is presented by personnel that commits to or her values, and always have the personal courage to go above and beyond just being a regular individual. A follower is a root to an organization, without followers, there is no organization, and as Merle Crowell said “It is the men behind who make the man ahead.”.
A servant leader is nonexistent without a follower. The one trait that needs to be carried on from a follower to a leader is to always be a servant. Between followership and a servant leader both have certain characteristics that are shared, both are respectful to those that are above and below them. Sustain trust within each other, as a servant leader to a follower or vice versa. A servant leader and a follower have the mindset of working together to better accomplish the duty that is given to them, asking for input from one another disregarding rank or position. Both a follower and a servant leader are caring to those that they are associated with; their leader and peers.
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Running Head: Followership Vs. Servant Leadership
In this essay, we will compare and contrast the difference between Servant leadership and followership. The only difference between the two is the position in which the individual is in and the effect or impact they have. Everyone in some way, shape, or form has experienced both good and bad leadership, there are examples scattered all throughout history. A good leader knows his or her own flaws along with their strengths as well. A good leader knows how to make the hard decisions all the while taking other people and the overall effect it will have on them into consideration.
There are two main types of followers the first being “independent critical thinking”. In this are two subcategories the alienated follower and the effective leader. The alienated follower is able to think critically but in a negative way. Effective followers are able to communicate, empathize, and are able to use critical thinking to improve any given situation. The second type of follower is the “dependent un-critical thinking”. The two subcategories within this are the sheep and yes-people. The sheep do not think critically nor do they try to improve the given situation. Yes-people follow even when it is not in their best interest.
Servant Leadership is a servant first. Some often misconstrued that as being a follower. Servant leadership focuses on leadership from the point of view of the leader’s behavior. A servant leader is able to effectively listen, empathize, is able to use common sense, and work to accomplish the task. The servant-leader simply exists to serve the people rather than having individuals working to serve the leader.
There are very minute differences between being a servant leader and a follower. Both effective servant leaders and followers share the same traits and characteristics. It is all about understanding where we as an individual fall into the spectrum. Some people are great followers however when put into a leadership position they do not perform the same. Everyone is a follower in some form whether it be as a leader to our superior or a follower to our leader. Being an effective servant leader or follower takes both time and experience to truly master.
Reference
- Jonathan Sandling (2 July 2014)
- Retrieved from https://jonathansandling.com/ten-principles-servant-leadership/
Cite this page
Running head: Followership vs. Servant Leadership. (2021, Nov 22).
Retrieved November 4, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2021/11/page/6/
