Risk of Disease due to Heredity and Lifestyle Term Paper Essay

Risk of Disease due to Heredity and Lifestyle Term Paper - Essay Example That while both grew up under almost similar conditions, eating more or less similar foods, and with both developing affinity for basketball at early ages, the latters’ injury that left him with a broken leg during his second year in college would latter change his fortunes forever. Though Johnson remained focused on his studies, the loss of his basketball career was but a painful experience that pushed him into a partying spree that included heavy drinking, with beer alongside buffalo chicken wings and pizza finding way much into his daily diet. Despite the unforeseen circumstance that befell his brother, Lida never lost hope, spending hours conditioning his weight both in the gym and through sports in order to scale up the heights that they both started together. Unknown to Lida was the very fact that Johnson has gone extreme, eating convenience foods, heavy in protein, in effect avoiding the strenuous, time consuming fresh food preparation that are usually much healthier. At his graduation, Johnson weighed over 400 pounds, increasing even further after securing a job in one of the reputed auditing firms in the country. He, Jonson, would soon be diagnosed with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and mild kidney disease, all of which can be traced within the family lineage. More than anything else, he has more than worsened obesity statistics that the state is fighting so hard to reduce. It is more of a fact that obesity is a threat to a healthy lifestyle. The above diseases are more related to poor eating habits and inadequate physical exercises to help in the burning of excess fats within the body systems, and that more than ever, I am determined to pursue nutritional information as much possible, ensure the availability of nutrient-rich snacks, model healthy eating habits, and more than anything else, make tremendous efforts in practicing such healthy

Rhetoric from renaissance to modern day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rhetoric from renaissance to modern day - Essay Example It is important to understand from the very beginning, that the division of the history of rhetoric into periods is somewhat conventional. In fact, from the moment of the emergence of rhetoric in its classical form, and through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the period of the early modern history, and up until modern times there was taking place an interconnected process of diversification of fields of application of rhetoric, as it was endowed with many different tasks during its 2500 year history by needs of politics, religion, philosophy, and science. In general, in the time that preceded the Renaissance rhetoric was made to serve Christian religious goals instead of political ones as it was the case with the classical rhetoric. Also, during the Middle Ages the classical prescriptive attitude to notion of good composition was greatly intensified, so that many medieval rhetoric works contained only rules and examples of composition. In the early Renaissance there appeared rhetor ic that followed classical examples but was composed in vernacular language. Rhetoricians who practiced such an approach accentuated the examination of style, and at times directly connected their vision with poetry. Another significant factor that influenced Renaissance rhetoric was the work of Peter Ramus, who wanted to reform the so-called medieval trivium (studied by medieval students as a combination of grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic) by shifting accents in the classical division of the stages of composing on invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Rhetoric of Ramus deepens the separation between these stages, and assigns invention and arrangement to the field of logic. In general, Ramists strived to establish a strictly logical frame that would be efficient due its rationality. For Ramists, rhetoric relates only to style, memory, and delivery. In their turn, memory and delivery gradually declined in significance during the Renaissance due to introduction of prin ting, which made written texts ever more essential for political, religious, and academic life. In this situation, rhetoricians of the Renaissance began to view the role of rhetoric in upper-class education as of a means to decorate one's ideas with the most graceful appearance. The University of Edinburghs rhetoricians, for whom such an attitude to rhetoric was trivializing, attempted to halt this tendency by postulating, on the basis of connecting of rhetoric with psychology, that the study of right and convincing style created not only professional orators but good people as such. Their greatest influence on America probably stemmed from works of 1780s of Hugh Blair, who accentuated the ethical qualities of belletristic taste and authorized the social superiority of a professional public speaker. Actually at this time George Campbell, another rhetorician of the Scottish tradition, related rhetoric to the functioning of the human mind, and described eloquence as the art to adapt discourse to its proper end. Alexander Bain, a later Scottish rhetorician, argued that persuasive discourse is formed by combining ideas in such a way that they produce the needed emotion in the public. Bain also formulated familiar classification of structures of discourse - narra tion, description, exposition, and argumentation. For America with its young democracy, the Scottish modification of classical rhetoric was especially important, as there was a perceived need for

Poverty in the Caribbean

Poverty in the Caribbean Poverty in the Caribbean has been an irritating issue for as long as I can remember. It is an issue that has caused many governments in the Caribbean and world-wide, grief and even resulted in their loss at the polls or demise. In truth it is a very hard issue to overcome or rectify due to its magnitude of causes both internal and external to the particular country. To obtain an understanding of the psychology of poverty and its cause and effect in the Caribbean; one has to examine the following. Psychology, what is it? Simply put (according to the book UNDERSTANDING Psychology, 1992, pg.7, 9.) it is the study of human behaviour and mental processes. It covers every thing that people think, feel and do, and further seeks to describe, explain, predict and control behaviour. Poverty; according to the The Concise Oxford Dictionary means indigence, want, scarcity, inferiority and poorness. However, I prefer to agree with Professor Bournes opinion stated in his paper entitled Poverty and its Alleviation in the Caribbean 2005; in that poverty is not just defined as those individuals who live off less than one dollar per day ($1.00/day)(as described as the Millennium Development Goal for poverty reductions target 2000). But that it is a pronounced deprivation in wellbeing that is to be in poverty or to be poor is to be hungry, lack shelter, clothing, to be sick and lack health care to be illiterate and not schooled and further relating to the work to Amartya Sen, that states that, the state of being poor extends beyond income levels, but is also affected by unfreedoms which individuals are subjected to in terms of tyranny or bad treatment by the state and exclusion from participating in decisions and also being vulnerable to economic and natural hazards POVERTY IN THE CARIBBEAN When one looks at the islands of the Caribbean, in terms of their governmental and economic structure, levels of education, health care and income levels; they are all different. With this in mind the term poor might fit into different categories. Countries such as the Bahamas and the U S Virgin Island with their close affiliation to the U.S. and its almighty dollar might have a higher standard of living and poor in their country might mean middle class in another. To further emphasize their differences; I quote from Professor Bournes paper (according to the Surveys of Living Conditions conducted between 1996 and 2002), that countries such as Haiti and Suriname whose poverty line was 65% and 63% were on the high end of the poverty spectrum, while Belize, Dominica and St Kitts were between 30-40% and Anguilla, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Island were between 20-29%, while Barbados had 14% and Jamaica had 20%; concluding that at that point in time Barbados had the lowest poverty level in the Caribbean. CAUSES OF POVERTY In discussing this issue, due to my being Jamaican by birth and living here all my life; (with few exceptions of travel) and my familiarity with the intricacies of the country and the discovery that there are varied levels of poverty or being poor that exist in this little island . I have chosen to use Jamaica as my example and direct most of my discussion using this island; for I believe that Jamaica is indeed the melting pot of the Caribbean. If one looks widely one will be able to find a native of every Caribbean island living here; just look at our Psychology class! In this class of 21 students, we have Nigerians, (Africa) Guyanese, (South America) and Jamaicans. Quite a mixture indeed! The causes of poverty in my opinion are varied and I would like to start with that of: Slavery, (defined as the condition of a slave, which further means to be a helpless victim to or of some dominating influence; according to The Oxford Concise Dictionary) is still very operative in our Jamaican society and that of the Caribbean today. Although we boast of having one of the greatest Reggae singers of all time; we have still not fully understood the meaning of Bob Marleys song which states EMANCIPATE YOUR SELF FROM MENTAL SLAVERY In my opinion we as a Caribbean people although we have been made free for a number of years and in Jamaica it has been from 1838; over one hundred and seventy one years ago. Although physically we have been freed, we still possess a type of mentality that causes us to want hand-outs, and the need to be taken care of still exist.(just like when the slaves were on the plantation and looked to their slave masters for their total existence). The word independence or the need to be independent has still not been cemented in our minds; in order to create a change in behaviour that causes us to obtain a sense of determination that says that I will obtain or achieve any thing I put my mind, heart and abilities to.( in respect to the elements of time and opportunities) Unemployment and low income levels. I must agree with professor Bourne in his paper mentioned above that the governments of the Caribbean including Jamaica; have not been able to create an adequate amount of jobs for its people; as he states that unemployment is between 7 and 20% which is relatively high . Incidentally in Jamaica this has given rise to the hustler mentality. One has but to go to Down-Town Kingston, especially on a market day, that is on a Saturday and sees the amount of individuals who hustle for a living day by day. Hustling ranges from the buying and selling of legitimate goods, to dealing in drugs such as ganja, to that of the gambling of the now famous cash-pot which believe it or not puts food on many a table daily. As for low income levels, for example, one has but to look at the difference in pay of Registered Nurses in Barbados whose basic pay is approximately $77,0000 per month compared to the same category of nurses in Jamaica who earn $48,000 per month. Th is difference one might agree would affect the individuals ability to save for a rainy day, or to make investments, to maintain an acceptable standard of living or to even further ones self academically. Also the inequality of pay scales within a given country can affect its peoples poverty levels. Take for instance in Jamaica at this time of world wide financial depression when Nurses and other workers are negotiating for a better pay scale and who are just able to scoop out a meager existence from their meager salaries only to be informed of individuals earning $1.9 million per month for negotiating services. Look at the gross difference! Volatility of our economy and susceptibility to Natural disasters. I must concur with professor Bourne, when he states that the Caribbean economy is volatile and this volatility is a contributory factor to poverty. He further sates that economic volatility arises from several sources, all of which are not necessarily operative at the same time. The sources include economic dislocation caused by major adverse changes in international markets for Caribbean exports of goods and services. One has only to look at the issue of the decline in the export our bananas where the European and U.S. markets have now started to import Chiquita bananas instead of bananas from the Caribbean. This has impacted negatively on our economies (especially Dominica) in terms of job losses and loss of investments by the governing bodies of these countries involved. Professor Bourne also states that we are also affected by the acute fiscal difficulties arising from changes in flows of foreign and international debt. In Jamaica one has only to remember the harsh demands that the International Monetary Fund made on us in the past such as gross job cuts and can only pray that the new intended demands may not be as harsh. (One can only Hope!) As for Natural Disasters, we are quite susceptible in that we are at the mercy of hurricanes and floods. I remember Gilbert as if it was yesterday; when the roof of my house was lost. If it were not for the quick actions of the government of the day in issuing free zinc of which I was a grateful recipient. I would have remained roof-less until December of that year when the Insurance representative got around to evaluating the damages and ended up issuing a third of the estimated cost of repairs because he thought that it wasnt that great a damage! To think, I had Insurance! What about those who could not afford insurance because their low income levels? To further examine these hazards effects, just look at what hurricane Ivan did to Grenada; Ivan prac tically flattened Grenada in a few hours and destroyed infrastructures that took years to develop. It literally changed Grenadas means of existence for long time. Lack of proper Health Care and Educational facilities. Poor people in the Caribbean may be working but might still remain poor. This causes them to be unable to access proper heath care which might result in a rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and even psychotic illnesses such as depression. In Jamaica there is now free health care, but just how effective it has been is another matter. Take for instance my aunt of 82 years, she has a cataract in her eye and needs for it to be repaired surgically. She went to the Kingston Public Hospital to in October 2009, of this year where she got an appointment to return in December, 2009; where another appointment will be given for her to return some time in 2010! I could not believe it when I was told. Can you imagine, by the time December comes, much less 2010 my aunt may be home with the Almighty God! (dead) As for the ability of poor to access education; it can be taxing, with the ever rising cost of school fees, book s and uniforms the low income earners and even those of middle income can just barely get by. In Jamaica there is the PATH programme which is of some help to the poor in that it assists with school fees, uniforms etc.; thus taking off some of the financial strain from the parents. EFFECTS OF PROVERTY Based on the definition given above that states that being poor or living poverty does not only rely on low income or the lack there of , but also on the lack of proper health care ,proper infrastructure( such as roads, water), educational facilities, tyranny etc. In my opinion, when one looks at the lack or unavailability of these facets in the rural communities of the islands of the Caribbean, one realizes that people who think that the urban communities are a better place will want to migrate to these areas. This can be seen in my country Jamaica where the Government offices, best hospitals and schools are located in the two main urban cities that is Kingston and Montego Bay. This migration often result in over-crowding, further leading to a rise in squatter settlements which leads to an increase of tin the spread of disease; thus putting a further strain on the health care system. This type of migration not only happens with in a country, but can also be seen when the Haitians de fy dead at sea to come to Jamaica seeking a better life; thus putting further strain of the Jamaican economy. Although its not the only reason for the rise in crime and drug abuse this is still a contributing factor, as can be seen in the rise in the crime rate in these two cities. There is also a brain drain from the rural areas to the urban areas of a particular country and even between countries of the Caribbean and to countries such as the U.S. and Europe in order to obtain a better income, thus enhancing or providing for a perceived improved way of life. This results in the loss of valuable resources that in my opinion is not easily replaced, and if it is replaced costs these countries practically an arm and a leg to do so. One can also examine the effects of the lack of availability of proper health care; and in this case especially to the elderly, who either have very low income gained from their meager pensions or none at all. This makes them vulnerable and easier to succumb to diseases. For the remainder of the population, ill health (mental and physical) often results in low production levels and decreases the internal drive or motivation to succeed, thus increasing the levels of poverty. The negative effects of international markets on the economies of the Caribbean can be devastating. As was mentioned above; as in Jamaica our dollar is linked strongly to that of the U.S. and if the U.S. dollar falls , our dollar falls; resulting in tremendous losses on the stock market among other investment entities, further resulting in loss of jobs and the demise of companies especially the small businesses. Also if these international countries taste change as was also mentioned above, in terms of the bananas they consume; then there goes the banana industries in a down-ward spiral in these countries also. The inability of our countries to protect ourselves from natural disasters results in a negative effect in that these disasters often destroy agriculture, (which is the main stay of most of these Caribbean islands) infrastructure,(roads, water mains, gullies, electricity) government buildings and private homes. They indeed destroy what it has taken years of hard work, sacrifice, and determination to build. This puts a strain on economies emotionally, physically, and financially to rebuild every time such an occurrence takes place. ALLEVIATION OF PROVERTY I believe that in the Caribbean, in the same way that each island is unique in nature, so do the individual people and governments of each island have to identify unique ways in solving this problem of poverty. As seen in the report on the Cost of Poverty in the Caribbean by The International Institute for Social Political and Economic Change(IISPEC) and co-sponsored by UNESCO. (March 17-19, 2008). Grenada whose poverty level was 32% in 1998 has implemented Safety Net Programme allocation of funds, and established Food Basket programmes, and St. Lucia has implemented a Poverty Reduction Fund. I also agree with their list of initiative programmes that have been mentioned, such as. Focus on education training Provide scholarships to encourage more research, Make CDB/CTCS more national in focus De-politicization of poverty reduction/eradication programmes, Needs national consensus However I will endeavor to add a few other suggestions to both Jamaica and other islands of the Caribbean, Focus on education training, Provide scholarships to encourage more research Make Caribbean Development Banks a national focus, De-politicization of poverty reduction/eradication programmes, i.e. to take political agendas out of programmes designed to assist the poor and the need for a national census in order to find out the peoples opinion on the matters brought forward to solve the problem of poverty. In Jamaica, at this time the governing bodies have implemented the Path Programme, which assists needy (poor) people in a financial way to be able to send their children to school to obtain an education, by way of cash payments. There is also the provision of free health care. In my opinion it is a good thought but I do not think that it can be properly maintained especially in this time of financial depression. If one will take the time to examine the following scenario, one might agree with me on point. Take a healthy young man who doesnt feel that he should work because hes comfortable hustling probably via cash-pot. He gets a girl pregnant and she gets totally free health care to have this child; the child goes home, grows , starts going to school and gets on the Path programme, where society sends this child to school free of cost. One could argue that this is a way of reducing the levels of both maternal and infant deaths by providing free health care; or that by assisting the child to go to school might reduce the probability that this child being uneducated might be a part of our crime problem in the future. Baring all this in mind I might agree; but I still contend that this might help to promote a freeness mentality that is so prevalent in our society; which we need to stomp out of our society, in order for us to improve our way of thinking and thus lift ourselves from poverty. To think even in the large industrial countries health care is not totally free, some one must pay for it! I prefer that my hard earn tax dollars be used to pay for free health care to be available to the elderly, the very young (12 years and under), the destitute, and the mentally and physically challenged; the most vulnerable in our society. I think safety nets can be put in place where a disaster fund is implemented to provide for hurricane and flood victims. Also in terms of providing employment I think the provisions of entities such as the HEART ACADEMY and free primary education are a GOD sent to poor people. However I think that the provision of more scholarships should be made to assist with further tertiary education. In terms of enhancing employment I think that the apprenticeship programme should be reimplementation where one can learn while they work and earn. We could also try to re-educate our people in terms of self reliance, to think that the soil is good in order to attract an increased interest in agriculture and along with this to allocate lands to these individuals in order for them to grow and produce more thus providing more jobs. SUMMARY I conclude that the Caribbean (including Jamaica) has a difficult task in ridding our region of poverty, but not insurmountable! I think that this matter has to be solved with each member state coming together as one. Take for instances at this time, if one looks at our super market shelves, one can see snacks originating from Trinidad and Tobago. But when Jamaica tried to export our patties to them it was barred. Although the states of the Caribbean have decided to be apart of the Caribbean Common Market, some states have not held up to their end the agreement. This results in discontent among member states and ultimately the loss of jobs and the increase in poverty due to their inability to allow free trade in the area. The states in the Caribbean need to realize that individually, compared to the international arena are small and relatively insignificant. But joining together and being one in mind set, we could be a force to be reckoned with. As a people we need to assist each other in terms of the transference of education, science and technology in order to boost each others economies. Thus providing an improved way of thinking and reasoning which will result in a motivated, determined move by the people of this region to rid ourselves of poverty. If not, then to a level that permits an acceptable standard of living. As the clichà © states together we stand, divided we fall we as people of the Caribbean need to learn and understand this. To allow this statement to change their mind set from one of individuality and selfishness to one of togetherness and fruitfulness which will ultimately raise the standard of life for our people and in time reduce the levels of poverty in order to maintain an acceptable standard of living; free from hungry tyranny and illness. What do you think? This is just a wish or fantasy! I should hope not. As I choose to think that it can be a reality IF WE WORK HARD AND KEEP FOCUSED!

racism :: essays research papers fc

What would you do if the Constitution said you were just as good as everyone else but some people still acted as if you were something they had just scraped off their shoe? This sort of thing happens to millions of people on a regular basis. Americans of African, Asian, or Mexican descent are all subject to this kind of treatment. Caucasians are as well, but it is not as publicly notarized as the aforementioned. Most of these feelings towards another of a different skin color are deeply rooted in our minds from previous generations. Many, many years ago, African-Americans were used as slaves. The slave owners treated them badly. The owner’s own children then grew up with the same ideals and passed them on to the new generation. Through the years, people have spoken out about these ill-conceived ideas making the ominous threat of racism more discreet than ever before. While searching online I googled Supremacist groups , I discovered a numbered list of Klu Klux Klan, Aryan, Skinhead, and many other white supremacist groups. I was shocked when I saw how many this one list had. It listed over 800 different groups. I know that number is not nearly accurate because there are many smaller groups that have not yet made themselves known publicly. Even people that do not belong in these racially biased groups perform some acts of racism. Racial profiling- the discriminatory practice by police of treating blackness (or brown-ness) as an indication of possible criminality. "Driving While Black (or brown)" is a campaign started by the American Civil Liberties Union because a study showed that minorities only make up 16% of all drivers, yet they are 74% of all drivers stopped and searched. Generally, only 12 to 13 percent of the U.S. citizens are African American, although Black inmates make up 40.29 percent of death row's population. As of 1996, there have been 232 citizens executed under the death penalty since 1977. Only one white person has been put to death for the murder of a black person. One perfect example of true racial profiling and discrimination is this next story. Danny Glover, a famous African-American actor was in New York City. It was late at night and he was trying to hail a cab. None of the cabs would stop and pick him up because of the fact that he was an African-American male.

Court Observation

Observation of the Court Proceedings in Litigated Cases at District Court Report 20 Submitted to Pubanchal University Chakraworti HaBi College of Law For the Partial Fulfillment as Clinical Works Submitted by Sambal Chaulagain Role No:23 BALLB 1st years Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Objectives and Timeframe of Observation 3. Methods and Limitation 4. Observed Findings 1. Lodging the Case 2. Summoning the Respondents 3. Examination of Witness 4. Hearings 5. Role of lawyers 5. Finding and Recommendations . References and Annexes Observation of the Court Proceedings in Litigated Cases at †¦. Court 1. Introduction †¢ give brief introduction of the report itself (Start as This is a report of the court observation of †¦. court during †¦.. . The purpose of the observation was to gain practical knowledge of the performance of the justice agencies in course of litigation lodged within the given jurisdiction of the court†¦. ) †¢ present a summary of the rem aining chapters 2. Objectives and Timeframe of Observation The main objective of the observation was to gain fresh knowledge on the proceedings of the litigated cases in †¦. Court. More specifically, the observation intended to identify the barriers and lackings in the system that hinders or delays the justice process. †¢ The observation was done during†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (dates) 3. Methods and Limitation †¢ Mention how you observed, how you asked information with whom †¢ Mention what you did not look for in the course of observation 4. Observed Findings 1. Lodging the Case How the complaints or charge sheets are registered †¢ Who observes the document initially †¢ Who give order to register †¢ What is called the name of registry 2. Summoning the Respondents †¢ How the document is presented to the bench †¢ How the initial hearing takes place and how the respondents are summoned †¢ How the rejoinders are registered 3. Examination of Witne ss †¢ How the cases are presented to bench after receipt of rejoinder †¢ What are the basic examination of evidence (witness, documents) 4. Hearings How the hearing takes place awarding judgment †¢ How the lawyers argue and defend in this course †¢ What are the steps of that lawyers pleading is heard by the judge 5. Role of lawyers †¢ What are the role of lawyers you observed in whole cases (What a lawyer does during whole course, mention the major work of lawyers prior to court room proceeding and court room proceedings. 5. Findings and Recommendations †¢ Give a summary what you found in the process †¢ In your opinion were there any other ways to do the process better ? Suggest your idea to bring changes in law †¢ Suggest your idea bring changes in behavior of the officials 6. References and Annexes †¢ Prepare a list to whom you consulted during the observation †¢ Prepare a list to whom you talked and gathered information by intervi ew †¢ If you had consulted any other person beyond court officials and quoted any factual or opinioned information, make a list †¢ Put a checklist that you prepared for conducting observation process

Passion and responsibility in Edith Warton’s “Ethan Frome” Essay

Set in 1881 Starkfield, Massachusetts, Edith Warton’s _Ethan Frome_ reveals a recurring theme found in literature: â€Å"the classic war between a passion and responsibility.† In the novel, published in 1911, protagonist Ethan Frome confronts his two private passions, his desire to become an engineer that conflicts with his moral responsibility to his family and his passion for Mattie Silver that conflicts with his obligations to his sickly wife, Zenobia Frome. Ethan, being a man of responsibility, places the needs and wants of his family, before his own, which causes him to experience only â€Å"[s]ickness and trouble† and â€Å"that’s what [he’s] had his place full up with, ever since the very first helping† (12). The reader sympathizes with Ethan’s struggles as he abandons his studies at Worcester, considers running away with Mattie, and even attempts suicide with Mattie. When Ethan is confronted with family obligations, his desire to become an engineer ceases and, as a result, he leaves Worcester. Later in his, life he starts to realize that leaving Worcester also meant that he would forget about all of the things he learned. Because Ethan was unable to finish his education as Worcester, he looks at the book that the speaker left him and knows that would be â€Å"things in that book that [he] didn’t know the first word about† (14). Though Ethan had to leave Worcester prematurely, he thinks fondly of his university days and longs to recreate them. Ethan’s â€Å"best  parlour† (112) that he uses as a sanctuary is modeled after a professor he had at Worcester. His professor, a minister, fed Ethan’s curiosity by lending him books. However, Ethan’s sense of responsibility made him give up the knowledge he loved and even years later he clings onto the spark of knowledge that he gained from university. Ethan’s longing to run away with Mattie is obliterated by his overpowering responsibility to his wife. Wharton poses a striking contrast between the two women, using light and warmth to represent Mattie and dark and coldness for Zeena. Mattie brings out a part of Ethan that he had lost when he left Worcester. Ethan embraces this newly found self with the desire to talk to her and not be the shy man he was in his Worchester days. To Ethan â€Å"all his life was lived in the sight and sound of Mattie Silver† (35), and because of her he has found a new happiness. However, this newfound happiness can be eradicated by a mere mention of his wife’s name. Zeena’s name â€Å"threw a chill between† (73) Ethan and Mattie. Zeena’s character juxtaposes the character of Mattie; all the warmth that Mattie brings into the Frome home turns wintry when Zeena is present. Ethan’s responsibility to Zeena causes him to stay in the cold town of Starkfield. Even the townspeople believe that Ethan has â€Å"been in Starkfield too many winters† (7). When Ethan is around Mattie he is filled with â€Å"a warm sense of continuance and stability† (45). Yet Zeena stands in the way of Ethan being with Mattie like he so frequently imagines. This causes Ethan’s heart to be jerking â€Å"to and fro between two extremities of feeling† (95), his responsibilities lie with Zeena but Mattie inflames his passions. Red is the archetypal color for passion and it reflects Ethan and Mattie’s inability to act on their mutual desire for one another. When Mattie first arrives in Starkfield she wears a â€Å"cherry-coloured scarf†(27) and later a â€Å"streak of crimson ribbon† (71) through her hair that catches Ethan’s attention. Ethan â€Å"had taken to the girl from the first day†(*******) and his passion for her never left him. Ethan and Mattie’s rebellious attempt at suicide is inhibited by his thoughts of Zeena. Ethan learns that Zeena wishes to send Mattie away and replace her with a hired girl. He knows that he should respect his wife’s decision but feels that his â€Å"heart was jerking to and fro between two extremities of  feeling† (95). Ethan chooses this path with Mattie because it is her last hope, without living in Starkfield and moving with no job experience she only has one thing to offer. Ethan knows this, but also tries to ignore it thinking that she might get a better life, he tries to help but he â€Å"can’t lift a hand for† (138) Mattie. He has tried every possibility, so together Ethan and Mattie finally go coasting. With Starkfield alight below they â€Å"looked ahead with rigid faces† (138). Everything passes by in a blur, all that matters is that Ethan and Mattie are together and they are in their own world. Mattie suggests going down again b ut this time they will â€Å"never come up anymore† (143). Ethan’s final request is for Mattie to sit behind and † to feel [Mattie] holding [him]† (146). It is Ethan’s own clash of emotions that cause him to agree with Mattie’s suggestion that the two of them should commit suicide by coasting into the elm tree at the bottom of the hill. Everything goes to plan until â€Å"his wife’s face†¦thrust itself between him and his goal† (147), causing him to swerve, but he soon rights it. Instead of hitting the tree head on, the two hit it on the right side. The â€Å"smash-up† (4) is not enough to kill them but it does leave the pair seriously injured. When he hears Mattie’s twittering sounds of pain, Ethan realizes his failed rebellious action and his sense of responsibility returns. Ethan hears his horse begins to whinny and thinks to himself that â€Å"[he] ought to be getting [the horse] his feed† (149). Frome’s injuries remain as a constant reminder of his inability to escape his responsibilities. In _Ethan Frome_ the progonist Ethan Frome cannot escape his responsibilities in his life, whether it be his parents or his wife. Now he also has a new weight to carry, along with the responsibility, it is that Mattie’s condition is his fault. Ethan learned that responsibility trumps passion in all forms, he tried to follow his passions but he could not escape reality. That reality is a life with Zeena taking care of Mattie, and Ethan living his hard life with seeing everyday what he did to the love of his life. Wharton’s use of the responsibility vs. passion motif in her novel Ethan Frome is very apparent. Frome is haunted by his own responsibilities first to his mother and father and then later his responsibility regarding his marriage to Zeena. It is these responsibilities that stand in Ethan’s way of  achieving a â€Å"paradise,† whether it be in the form of an education at Worcester, or a relationship with Mattie Silver.