The giver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The giver - Essay Example In this utopian society, everyone looks the same and this has eliminated any form of competition in the society. The society has also eliminated individual choices from the members of the society, and people are given jobs according to their ability. Spouses are also assigned to the members of the society, and two children are assigned to each family. Jonas, the main character in the story on reaching 12 years is selected to occupy the position of the ‘Receiver of Memory.’ This position entails holding all the memories of the time before the sameness was achieved. Jonas upon receiving the memories also receives the gift of knowledge. This causes him to realize the actual situation that the world he is in-he begins to realize that the situation is dystopian as opposed to utopian. He is faced with the option of either running away or staying in a society devoid of any emotions, choices, or knowledge. What initially seemed like a perfect society is revealed to be a restrict ive society in which freedom is taken away from the people. The conversations in the story revolve around the question of individual freedom, and the effect that the withdrawal of freedom has on the society. The text shows how the intent to construct a utopian society can lead to a dystopian one that does not withhold the principles of utopia. Individual freedom is taken away from when the child is born. ... But even those who came up with the idea of sameness knew that they would be forced to refer to the time before the conformity, and as a result, all the memories of life before sameness have been stored. While equality is one of the ideals that are pursued by a utopian society, Lowry’s work shows the effects of such a pursuit, and how that equality and sameness is achieved in the society. The world that has initially seemed inviting is then revealed for what it truly is. Any form of resistance to the system causes the individual to be eliminated (referred in the book as being released) from the society. The book seeks to warn of the concept of utopia through the way that the society treats the concepts of freedom and memory. The collective memories of the society have been suppressed to enable state control. The suppression of memory has been seen to be an effective tool for control. The regaining of the collective or even the individual memory leads to the potential for rebel lion. Without their memories and without access to the collective memories, the citizens in their sameness are convinced that the utopian society that has been created for them is the ideal society for them to exist in. A utopian society is a highly ordered society. There is no deviation from the routine that has been set for the people. In the book for example, there is a set time for the families to have breakfast and during the meal, there is a compulsory sharing of dreams and in the evening during supper, there is a compulsory expression of feelings that is supposedly for the purposes of avoiding the buildup of any form of emotion. The ideals of a utopian state are for every member of the

Prevalence of Asthma and its associated factors in two different areas Essay

Prevalence of Asthma and its associated factors in two different areas of Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The narrowing or obstruction of the airways is caused by airway inflammation and broncho-constriction. Its prevalence has been reported to be increasing everywhere in the world. Asthma is a considerable burden, not only in terms of health care costs but also of decreased productivity and diminished participation in family life. While for children who were asthmatic, the condition attributed significantly in causing absenteeism of these children as compared to those who were not asthmatic; asthmatic children showed higher mean period of school absenteeism (1) During the past two decades, we have witnessed many scientific advances that have improved our understanding of asthma and our ability to manage it effectively. Still, the variation of national health care systems and of asthma therapies necessitates that recommendations for asthma care should be adapted to local conditions throughout the global community. Saudi Arabia has been one of the nations that had seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma. The country is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen; the terrain is mostly uninhabited sandy desert. Generally the climate is harsh with a dry desert and with great temperature extremes. Saudi Arabia's 2005 population is estimated to be about 26.5 million; including about 5.5 million resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or semi nomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600/mile) (2). The estimated birth and death rates for 2005 were .29.56-births/1,000 population 2.62 deaths/1,000 population. The age structure of the population for the same year for age group 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138), 15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633), and 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (3). Asthma has been rising in prevalence for the past two to three decades in the country and even in different parts of the globe. A survey conducted for the number of asthma cases among children between the ages of 8 and 16 for a 9-year period revealed that there was a significant increase in the prevalence of bronchial asthma from 8% in 1986 to 23% in 1995 (4). Moreover, another study comparing the symptoms of asthma in urban and rural Saudi Arabia in 1998 showed that a greater number of allergic symptoms were found in urban than in rural children and in Saudi than non-Saudi Arab children (5). Likewise, a survey of the socioclinical profile of children with asthma in Al-Majmaah province showed that male children represented 69% of the sample and children under one year of age manifested significantly severe degree of asthma (6). In the United Kingdom, a number of studies have shown a rising incidence of asthma up to 32.2% (7). Similarly, in the United States of America the prevalence of self-reported asthma has increased by 42% (8). Literature Review Factors associated with asthma are countless. They have been categorized in many groups based on some common characteristics. In the following paragraphs the matter is discussed under specific topics as it is concerned with asthma. Genetic Factors Role of genetics in this regard has been universal and it attributes to a