We Must Change the American Health Care System :: Medical Care Insurance

We Must Change the American Health Care System I came to the United States sixteen years ago. Being a European, I have watched with great interest and disbelief about the ongoing disagreements regarding a socialized health care system, which President Bill Clinton has proposed. I am a native of Poland and experienced positive benefits of socialized medicine, so I can't understand why some people are so negative towards changes in the health care program. Are we really happy with our current medical insurance? I don't think so. Recent data from the Census Bureau show that "43.4 million people in the United States had no health insurance coverage" (Bennefield 1). Almost eleven million American children are uninsured as well. Adults and children don't have medical coverage because they can't afford it (1). People who do have some form of medical coverage are often unaware of the hidden costs dictated by the private insurance companies. In addition, do you recall how many times you have watched the news about people asking us for fin ancial support because they couldn't pay their medical bill? What is wrong with this picture? Why do we have to ask for charity versus having a better health system? I strongly believe that health care should be available to anyone, and especially in America, the richest country in the world. We all want good, affordable medical coverage, but we are not getting it. Therefore, we should change the current medical system by following the example of socialized medicine in Europe, by making changes in the insurance companies, and by making preventive medicine our priority. First of all, let me tell you what socialized medicine means. It is a public system of national health insurance where doctors are usually paid for their services by the government, and everyone is eligible for medical care without any preexisting condition. Most European countries have some form of socialized medicine. For example, in Poland the health care system is free. Employers pay 48% of a worker's monthly salary to cover not only medical care but the retirement program as well. The rest of the money for medical needs comes from the government's funds. My sister, who lives in Germany, told me that 13.1% of her monthly salary is deducted from her paycheck to cover the medical insurance. She said that she only pays about $5 for her prescriptions and about $15 per day for a hospital stay.

Pompei and Herculaneum Religious Archaeology

Being one of the most fascinating and cataclysmic events in Ancient Rome, The violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius ultimately destroyed a set of unique and culturally significant societies from Rome. With Pompeii and Herculaneum’s unique culture came their widely influenced and varied religion. Religion of which had no one following, one god or one origin. Both societies housed many cults and religions, many of which were adopted by citizens after foreign influences, significantly from the Hellenic civilizations. Pompeii was evidently a wealthy aristocratic city, as demonstrated by the abundance of valuables located along the remains of dead Pompeians. Golden coins, jewelry and lavish houses adorned with frescoes were extracted from Pompeii at the time of finding, as the volcanic debris preserved much of the city. This is not to say that Pompeii also housed many middle and lower class citizens, slaves being an integral part of the city-town. Much of these influences manifested itself in the form of temples, epigraphy and burial practices and are examples of how much and how many forms of religious impact were seen throughout the city. Seeing how these religions surfaced in Pompeii and Herculaneum can help uncover how these distinct cults and practices impacted the societies. Being one of the most prominent and distinct examples of influence in religion in both societies, the temple of Isis housed a large and devout cult all around the Roman Empire, but very much so in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Being of Egyptian origin, the god Isis was a significant part of both cities, the temple in subject adorned with mosaics of Roman and Egyptian gods, with the god Hermes carved onto the purgatorium. This demonstrates to us that the Cult of Isis did not in a way, interfere with the practices or other religions, but rather integrated into. Isis herself was represented in large of lower classmen, commoners as well as slaves and women. As such, having a large slave and tradesman population, meant that Isis was a popular cult and goddess towards the people. The courtyard itself contained a multitude of chambers and buildings, one of which led to a cistern that held water from the rive Nile. This shows us not only of their devotion to Isis, but it is also evidence of ritual and cult practice. As the Temple was kept intact so well, much of the architecture and detail in regards to the walls and columns tells that the city had strong Egyptian influence, as well as showing us how important Isis and Egyptian religious worship was to them. Such importance in that an Egyptian Temple was built in a Roman city, further enhancing the notion that Egypt had large impact onto Pompeii and Herculaneum. Plutarch stated that the Egyptians were indeed of a very pious nature, but they were not the only cult to call Pompeii its home. The cult of Dionysus, another large following in Pompeii and Herculaneum, was to honor the titular god, Dionysus. Being the god of Wine and festivities, the higher class individuals may have seen the cult as a representation of themselves, demonstrating how it catered to the aristocrats’ own lifestyle, similar to how Isis represented the poor and working class individuals. Dionysus was of Greek mythology, showing us the influence of the Greeks, but it very much resembled Bacchus, the Roman god of similar representation. Dionysus was somewhat worshipped in the Villa of the Mysteries, in which Romans would accommodate its interior. The Villa was a meeting place and a home to many patrons in Pompeii, lined with ornate and detailed frescoes, largely intact. The frescoes depict a multitude of activities and practices, such as rites of passage, leisurely activities such as dancing and instrument playing, as well as featuring Dionysus himself. This was likely some of the many practices that the cult delved in during the villa. It is also interesting to note that the exterior of the villa was closed off and although a large part of the city, it is situated in the northwest of the city, away from the general populace and larger landmarks. In addition to that, much of the rituals and events took place at night and in secrecy, specifically the rites of passage. One could assume that although the worship of either Bacchus or Dionysus was prevalent, the practices and activities that were partaken, especially at night were something to be discrete about. Such a source is useful to us as the Villa’s Dionysus worship is backed by the fact that the Villa and its practices and rituals were placed so far away from other prominent buildings and individuals. Other figures were also incorporated into housing and residences as well, one of them being the Lares. Lares were guardian figures in Roman Mythology and were widely impacted throughout Pompeii and Herculaneum. Many of our references to the Lares are shown in the form of mosaics and statues, particularly around Roman residence. Lares were seen to be protectors, which explains their use around the city. One such residence, the Villa of the Vettii, houses a particular mosaic of two Lares, assumed to be sacrificing another individual, with a snake under them, representing prosperity. Not only this, but Lare statues were placed all around the house and for many other everyday occasions, such as funerals, banquets and births. Cicerobelieved that â€Å"The mose sacred and hallowed place on earth is the home of each and every citizen†, the citizens of Pompeii rightly believing so. One could deduce that the citizens believed that the Lares were directly related to the city’s well-being and that they demanded sacrifices in order to achieve it. In addition to this, the fact that these deities were so widespread and common throughout both Herculaneum and Pompeii, in addition to much of the rest of Rome, shows its usefulness in identifying that the Lares were seen as a very significant and integral part of everyday life. Another significant religious practice in both societies was the use of tombs and burials. The ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum are scattered with the tombs and burial sites of dead citizens, mostly of aristocratic descent around the gates and leading to the city. The graves collectively formed the Necropolis and are scattered with statues and inscriptions of different gods and followings. This shows us how diverse the religious demographic was in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Many tombs also contained valuables along with their owner’s remains. Things such as jewelry and weapons were found during excavation, detailing that these individuals had possibly believed in an afterlife with the items that they were buried with. It is also interesting to note that Hellenic and Gallic civilizations adopted this practice earlier on, possibly concluding that there could have been Northern and definite Greek influence in Pompeii. It is also a point to make that these tombs were built around the gates of Pompeii and Herculaneum, a place of high traffic. Citizens could then be speculated that they may have treated the idea of death much more positively and more conventionally than how the modern world handles it, the latter in question usually designating graveyards near places of little significance or at least, certainly not of high traffic. The Necropolis in question of its usefulness is very much a key part in understanding the belief of death, its practices in burial and the afterlife as it was and still is, the resting place of thousands of people, all of them, believing that the Necropolis was a distinguished, significant place of burial and where they wished to be encapsulated, many of them bearing and displaying their Religious affinity in either the form of epigraphy or an idol or shrine near their tomb.

Buying Local Selling Local - 1169 Words

Buying Local Many of us go to the produce section in search of fresh fruits in vegetables, but what many of don’t realize is our â€Å"fresh† produces isn’t all that fresh. Most produce throughout the United States is picked four to seven days before being placed on supermarket shelves and usually travels an average of 1500 miles before being sold (Local Harvest). This does not include the produce shipped from other countries like Mexico and china. Our â€Å"fresh’ food does not sound so fresh any more, does it? Buying local is the best way to avoid our not so fresh, fresh foods. It also can allow us to buy higher quality goods like clothes and household items. Buying local is the idea of not shopping at big box stores like Walmart and Target, but rather going to farmer’s markets and other stores that are unique to the community to buy produce and other goods. Buying local can do more than just provide us fresher produce and higher quality goods; i t also can improve the community’s economy, create jobs, and help save the environment. Many people shop at the big box stores because it is the cheaper option. However, what many people do not realize is that even though buying local is a little more expensive, in the long run it has a far greater impact on the community’s economy than saving a few extra dollars has on their life. By buying local people can stimulate their local economy. Time Magazine says, Money is like blood. It needs to keep moving around to keep the economy going,Show MoreRelatedHow Spokane Is A City Of The State Of Washington952 Words   |  4 Pagesit can be said that this city is the second largest city of Washington. Overall, this city has been declared as 102nd biggest city of the world. Initially this area was not developed at all. 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I chose this topic because I am really interested in the different types of food people consume and how it affects their health. The big question I will be answering is whether or not to buy local or non-local foods. I will go over which is safer for the economy, the environment, and people. After I research this, I will then find which one is better to buy. This is a question that each person should ponder before deciding which type of food to buy. My hypothesis is thatRead MoreEssay Case Study #1: Wal-Mart’s Foreign Expansion1027 Words   |  5 Pagesmerchandising strategy wholesale directly to another country and succeed. Because different countries have different cultures and backgrounds, in order to succeed in another country, it needs to adapt to these differences and find a way that best fits in the local market. Apparently, the â€Å"U.S. style† does not work for all the countries. For example, Wal-Mart is famous for its low price strategy in the U.S. However, when it shifted its store with the same strategy to Germany and South Korea, it soon failed. PeopleRead MoreCraigslist Essay1220 Words   |  5 PagesBut, Do you know that Facebook can also be used as an alternative to Craigslist. If youre having problem selling something on Craigslist, then the best of all options to consider is Facebook . Yes !!! Facebook allows you to list items you want to sell. All you need to do is type in the name of your local city and online yard sale (i.e. Knoxville, TN Online Yard Sale) to find your local selling group or click on the â€Å"Buy and Sell Groups† button in the Explore menu. 2. eBay   eBay  is an online marketplaceRead MorePersonal Selling Philosophy1728 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Personal Selling Philosophy The web dictionary defines selling as; a sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. Signaling completion of the prospective stage, it is the beginning of an engagement between customer and vendor or the extension of that engagement. Personal selling occurs where an individual salesperson sells a product, service or solution to a client. Salespeople match the benefits of their offering to the specific needs ofRead MoreReview Of The E-Series How To Beat Your Competition Selling Real Estate To Foreign Buyers708 Words   |  3 PagesThis is the tenth book in the E-Series How to Beat Your Competition Selling Real Estate to Foreign Buyers. The E-Series will eventually summarize All-You-Have-to-Know to successfully market and sell real estate to international buyers. Why would you need the real estate buyers from abroad? â€Å"All real estate is local† as the old saying goes, but buyers are not! In today’s internet times you can sell goods, services and real estate to anybody in the world without borders. 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The current employees are also dedicated to the store and some have been with the company for over 10 years. Mr. and Mrs. Grande obviously care about the store and want to see it succeed in the future. They plan to allow the buyers to continueRead MoreMarketing Week 1 Assignment Essays638 Words   |  3 PagesAssurance of Learning Review 1) The four types of utility are: Form, Time, Place, Ownership a) Form would be a dinner at the Red Lobster b) Time would be getting a haircut at the base barber shop c) Place would be an ATM machine inside the local grocery store d) Ownership would be shopping at the outlet mall 2) The marketplace condition after World War II that gave rise to the need for consumer orientation by business was the shift from a sellers market to a buyers market. When WWII

Virtual Child Pornography Case Study - 818 Words

Case 1-Virtual child pornography Parties are The Federal Child Pornography Prevention Act, the people in the porn video, and the people recording it. The moral issue is people that are playing in porn videos posing as a child but is really an older person that looks young, also the people who think this is okay to watch. â€Å"Virtual child pornography† is a term given to video depictions of child/child or child/adult sexual activity in which the â€Å"participants† are not actual children but realistic computer-generated images of children. This was the reason that The Federal Child Pornography Prevention Act banned this kind of porn because this is not right to show children bodies off to people for pleasure. As I did some research I see this,†¦show more content†¦I as well came across this as I researched about child porn, the â€Å"CPPA defined child pornography as: Any visual depiction, including any photography, film, video, picture or computer-generated image or picture of sexually explicit conduct, where the production of such visual depiction is, or, appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or such visual depiction is advertised, promoted, presented, described, or distributed in such a manner that conveys the impression that the material is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.† This to me is sickening and for a person to be able to go online and click in the search box and google or search in what even search engine they may use and type child porn and can bare t hemselves to sit there and watch this is a very heartless person. The question remains whether the government may criminalize the production and possession of â€Å"virtual child† pornography if no child is used in the production of pornography and the images are completely fictional.† My all around output on the child porn is that I think it is so disgusting and it is observed and no oneShow MoreRelatedThe Debate On Virtual Child Pornography734 Words   |  3 PagesLindsay Hall Thinking and Doing Ethics Professor Wisniewski November December 8, 2015 Word count 849 Case 1(Ruggiero 173). We have the debate and Supreme Court ruling in 2002 that stated the ban on ‘virtual child pornography’ was unconstitutional, and in turn, The Federal Child Pornography Prevention Act was overturned. The parties involved are the disgusting, scum of the earth who produce this ungodly entertainment for sick minded pedophiles, the US Supreme Court who have taken an oath to protectRead MorePornography and the New Media Essay1220 Words   |  5 PagesPornography and New Media Pornography, depending on how one defines it, has existed for thousands of years in the forms of picture, sculpture, performance, and writing. Over the centuries the advent of new media has broadened the flow of distribution of pornography and erotica to the masses, making it readily accessible. From the printing press, to photography, to film, each new medium has provoked a call for censorship from concerned citizens during the early stages of its existence. PornographyRead MoreWe Must Make Virtual Child Pornography Illegal Essay2771 Words   |  12 PagesThe Supreme Court lifted a 1996 act banning virtual child pornography. 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I am tired of seeing how people take advantage of inoffensive and inexperience teenagersRead MoreCell Phones, Sexting and Teenagers2233 Words   |  9 Pagesthe beginning of the last century, has forever changed the way people communicate. Some of our nation’s teenagers are being caught in the crossfire between technology and the law. Teenagers are charged with possession and distribut ion of child pornography when caught using cell phone technology to share with others intimate, provocative, seductive, or sexually explicit photos of themselves. Radley Balko writes of the absurdness of these prosecutions in his article, Ruining Kids to Save Them.Read MoreThe Negative Advantage Of Social Media1020 Words   |  5 Pagesmedia in â€Å"four ways: enormity (increase in number of people who can be reached), communality (scale on which information can be shared), specificity (more particularity in formed ties), and virtuality (ability to assume virtual identities)† (Sharaievska Stodolska, 2015). A research study that collected data from seven families in total twenty-two individuals which households contain two parents with multiple children found that some primary reasons for using Social media to connect with other peopleRead MoreEssay on Googles Orkut in Brazil710 Words   |  3 PagesCase Study: Googles Orkut in Brazil 1. How do social networking sites work? What has contributed to their immense popularity? It is a data platform on a website that enables people to exchange information about themselves on the internet. Users are able to create their individual profile and to communicate with friends or new people. Its popular because it helps people meet others with similar interests and similar tastes. It creates virtual communities among people who want to connectRead MoreSocial Media s Impact On Society1515 Words   |  7 PagesPinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Pulse, Google+, Xing, Renren, Disqus, Tumblr, Twoo, MyMFB, YouTube and Vine. When browsing these particular sites people become connected to a much larger community with a press of a button. These online or virtual communities occasionally trump the populations of countries. However, such ease with these casual connections in a very fast paced technological world also has many downsides. Social media has made it much more complicated for people to distinguishRead MoreEssay on Filters Are Needed to Protect Children From the Internet1924 Words   |  8 Pages1997, the Child Pornography Protection Act (CPPA) which intended to outlaw virtual child pornography or images that are or appear to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct was established. Critics responded to this Act with fear, because they stated that this could be applied without restraint, and maybe even against non-pornographic mainstream films that may have sexual contact.   Once again, a new legislation had to be made.   In 1999, The Child OnlineRead MoreThe Statistics Of Prevalence For Child Sex Abuse Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesThe statistics of prevalence for child sex abuse varies because of all the unique cases of child sex abuse that is reported. Although, statistic show that one in three girls will be sexually abused at one point in the United States and boys are one in seven to be sexually abused (Anderson, 2014). Children are not susceptible to crime as shown in the statistics because predators like pedophiles have fetishes towards little boy or girls. One study found that 10% of children experienced or came close

What Is The Christian Pentecost What Happened - 1842 Words

Diego Chavez TH-120-11 Theology Prof. James Crosson February 22nd 2016 For Part One: 1) 1)What is the CHRISTIAN PENTECOST? What happened? To whom? And where? Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came on the early followers of Jesus. It happened a few weeks after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there were followers of Jesus, but no movement that could be meaningfully called â€Å"the church.† Thus, from an historical point of view, Pentecost is the day on which the church was started. This is also true from a spiritual perspective, since the Spirit brings the church into existence and enlivens it. It became with Three thousand new believers in Pentecost. 2) Who led the new religion in Jerusalem? Who led the new religion outside of†¦show more content†¦How did he become a Christian? What did he do after he converted? What was the name he took after he converted? Saul of Tarsus known as Apostle Paul was not one of the Twelve Apostles but he is considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age. He founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul took advantage of his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to minister to both Jewish and Roman audiences. According to The Bible he was called Saul and he was dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem. While, Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a great light. He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus, and Paul began to preach that Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God. 4) Give four distinct facts about SAUL OF TARSUS (not repeating any of the information in #3). Paul was not physically impressive, nor was he a very good speaker. Paul was educated in Jerusalem under the famous Jewish teacher Gamaliel. Paul participated in the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Paul was the most prominent apostle in the early Church because he was so effective at forming Christian communities. 5) Who were the GOD FEARERS? Be sure to give the complete answer. A God fearer was a member of a

Luckily several months later my uncle informed Free Essays

Dear Academic Standards Committee, My name is Jung-Hyun Shin. Before I start to explain my rapid progression on a high school diploma program, I would like to draw your attention towards my dream career. Ever since I was little, I dreamt of becoming a professional hair stylist. We will write a custom essay sample on Luckily several months later my uncle informed or any similar topic only for you Order Now The state of California has plenty of professional hair academies and schools. However, most of them require a high school diploma. Unfortunately, the lack of a diploma was proving to be a big hurdle in reaching my ultimate dream. Luckily, several months later my uncle informed me that there is a really good online high school diploma program offered in the United States. After doing extensive research about this online high school program on Google and Yahoo!, I was quite convinced. I found several testimonies from students claiming that it was a legitimate way of earning a degree. Most testimonies concluded that the course was doable and students can finish the course quickly if they work really hard. Later, I signed up for this online high school diploma course, paid tuition in full and received all study materials/textbooks in the mail from school Since I was eager to start hair styling training school in the spring of 2009, I started studying almost everyday. It got to a point where I had only four to five hours of sleep a day. Since I don’t work, I put all my energies into studying for this high school diploma program. My dream career of becoming a professional hair stylist propelled me to go back to high school. The desire to enter Hair Training School in the spring semester was a source of motivation to study everyday. I wanted to earn a high school diploma in order to ultimately meet both admission requirements and an application deadline. Although I was not able to apply to the hair training school for the spring semester, I learnt an important lesson. â€Å"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.† Without having a dream career in my mind, I wouldn’t have made the decision to go back to high school to earn a diploma. Since I had a strict deadline in mind to finish a high school diploma course, I could finish several subjects rapidly. To put it simply, some courses such as Orientation, Human Relations, and Consumer Math were easier and took less time to complete because the questions asked in exams were very straightforward. However, some courses like Civics, American History, World History and Earth Science were rather challenging subjects for me. It was possible to finish Orientation and Human Relations courses in a day. However, the same was not possible for subjects like World History and Earth Science. It took several days and even several weeks for me to finish these subjects.    How to cite Luckily several months later my uncle informed, Papers

Love in Kamala Dass Poetry free essay sample

Love and sex in her poetry become a paradigm for fractured realities encountered by the poetess. Essentially she speaks for a woman who is in search of love. She challenges the very idea of phallocentric tradition and asserts in poem after poem that the subaltern can speak. Post colonialism consists primarily in the contestation of power structures and social hierarchies. For Kamala Das a woman’s predicament as a daughter , a wife, or a lover reflects a victimization in relationships. Kamala Das revolts against a constructed notion of relationship. Women are not the self-sacrficial model of virtue or promiscuity. The hitherto premises of male hegemony are violently shaken by Kamala Das who can defy the conventional ideological discourse of sexism and love. She herself became a victim of a young man’s carnal hunger . In ‘The Freaks’, a remarkable lyric which was published in Summer in Calcutta contains a picture of love that is full of dirt and filth as the man ensconced in sexual intercourse turned his ‘sun-stained / Cheek to me , his mouth , a dark /Cavern, where stalacities of /Uneven teeth gleam , his right / Hand on my knee, while our minds/ Are willed to race towards love ; / But they only wander, tripping / Idly over puddles of desire† . The focus on the ‘puddles of desire’ refers to her unfulfilled sexual desire as her heart remains ‘ an empty cistern’. Kamala Das describes in ‘The Freaks’a man and a woman persona are described as capriciously and whimsically behaving in unexpected manner. The poem celebrates the mood of transitory triumph over the defeat of love : My glass , like a bride’s Nervous smile , and meet My lips. Dear , forgive This moment’s lull in Wanting you, the blur In memory. Elsewhere in the poem Kamala Das describes the ambience : The April sun , squeezed Like an orange in My glass? I sip the Fire , I drink,and drink Again, I am drunk. We get a poignant verbal drama in the expression. The graphic details of drinking and the April heat. The poem focuses on the inborn passivity of the male partner and yet it ends with the assertion : â€Å"I am freak†. This is the identity crisis of an Indian woman who fails to flaunt ‘ a grand flamboyant lust’ in spite of the dissatisfaction. Here the poetess highlight the notion of vehemence and impetuosity with which the poet appropriates and internalizes the vocabulary for mapping out the terrain for the post colonial women in social terms. She secures the first significant step toward the explosion of the myth of male supremacy propagated by patriarchy. This is in itself automatically presupposes the awareness of a shared fate of injustice. In The subjection of Women John Stuart Mill argues that the principle of servitude in marriage is a monstrous antithesis to all the principles of the modern world. For Mill the most liberating aspect is that human beings are no longer born to their place in life. Kamala Das has shown and is very loud in violently showing that to be born as a woman is to lose the capacity to transcend that place in life already determined by patriarchy. Here Kamala Das decides to empower herself as a woman. In ‘Forest Fire’ the poetess minces no word in recording her innate desire to consume all sorts of experiences in this world: Of late I have begun to feel a hunger To take in with greed , like a forest-fire that Consumes , and, with each killing gains a wilder Brighter charm,all that comes my way. A little later the fury of passions gets the most of her : My eyes lick at you like flames , my nerves Consume. This is not a refusal to acknowledge the tenets of valorization in masculine terms. We encounter in these lines paradigms of transgressions in the discourse, the female playing the male role . The readers are more directly taken into a woman’s quest for identity when the poetess can say in ‘The Looking Glass’ : Getting a man to love you is easy Only be honest about your wants as Woman. Kamala Das does not describe how man loves a woman, she is more interested in telling how a woman can get the love of a man: Stand nude before the glass with him So that he sees himself the stronger one And believes it so, and you so much more Softer , younger, lovelier†¦. Admit your Admiration. This is not urge for female hegemony but the quest for identity in a female mind. Surrendering is an image in the poetry of Kamala Das : Gift him what makes you woman The woman here knows that she will be left alone if the lover forsakes her. A lustful woman rarely succeeds. Getting a man to love is easy but afterward without the man it is a living without life. Joan Chittister writes : In the end women like other minorities who have been taught their natural limitations by the dominant culture in which they live, turn their anger against themselves†¦They know that women can not do what men can do, and they resent and scold and criticize any woman who tries to do it. They become the instruments of the system, its perfect product, its most important achievement. 156) Simultaneously, in a poem like ‘My Grandmother’s House’ published in Summer in Calcutta , there is a note of nostalgia in the depiction of the care-free days of childhood : â€Å" There is a house now far away where once / I received love †¦. That woman died†. In this poem the poetess felt â€Å" My blood turned cold like the moon†. The moon is a romantic image. But Kamala Das used it so realistically to reveal her broken heart and lost love. Bedroom door is like ‘a brooding dog’. The poetess peers through ‘ blind eyes of windows’. The polyphonic text about identities with the autobiographical voice multiply itself into myriad selves. K. R. S Iyengar characterizes some of Kamala Das’s poems as ‘confessional’. Devinder Kohli calls her poems â€Å" candid and witty piece of self-revelation’ In the confession, Kamala Das poignantly tries to straddle both worlds – the secret world of her desire and the world defined by the male chauvinists. But she is left with no option but to conform to the stereotype of the sexual –patriarchal man even when it outlines a mandate of a society that loathes any challenge coming from the females. The poetess tries to negotiate sexual difference, but the importance lies rather in the way it showcases male chauvinism in a patriarchal ideology constructing patterns of fixated behaviours exalting them as normal. Individuals in this quest of identity socialized themselves into a locus of role specificity which in the case of a female disrupts the orientations. It is the crisis of the role that sustains the split between the role the character plays in Kamala Das’ poems. ‘Spoiling the Name’ presents effectively one of Kamala Das’ central insights, as Devinder Kohli points out , the commitment of her poetic self to experience. The sighs are ‘metallic’ , limbs are curled at the ‘touch of air’ (‘A Relationship’)and ‘nudity on sheets of weeklies’( ‘Loud Posters’ ). Kamala Das mocks her ‘feminine integrity’ ( Sarkar Jaydip:84) when she finds in a shamefully helpless situation as in ‘The Freaks’ with the lover whose mouth is a dark Cavern where stalacities of Uneven teeth gleam It is not that the subversion is apparent everywhere. Women also gravitate from aspiring to be transgressive social agents to artitculating their muted histories, finally pointing up the truth that they were forced to suppress. In the poem ‘Love’ there is a ‘celebration of happiness and contentment in love â€Å" My life lies, content / in you† (Sarkar Jaydip: 86). The poetess was committed to the sensual world , true, but in her life partner she tried to achieve the shared identity . She sought a life beautifying force of love which might be equated with physical relationship. Sterility and vacant ecstasy were all that Kamala Das abhorred and herein she had her disillusionment. Love that is extra marital was not Kamala Das’ angst , rather her inner self created for herself a tiny world in which the trauma of love and marriage were distant cries, hardly heard of. In the ‘Sunshine Cat’she depicted the picture of ‘a cold and half dead woman’ who was of no use to her. The cat might be her own feminine self as well. In ‘Winter’ , the celebration of sex was a theme,but it was more a desperate attempt of her soul for groping for roots in his body(Sarkar Jaydip: 85). As a singer of feminine sensibility she protests against restraints of society , and simultaneously she shakes off the rigid gender roles , determination triggered by situational factors. In 1948, Alfred Kinsey published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male in which sexual orientation was placed on ‘a graduated continuum’ ( Kinsey: 638). Kinsey advocated a re-appraisal of the treatment meted out to queer beings by way of isolation and rehabilitation. The hypocrisy latent in marriage is due to societal pressures. In most occasions , the victims in such marriage of convenience is the wife, that Kamala herself was and who wanted to express the oppressive anguish of her own life. Thus on the one hand, the poems of Kamala Das are visualizations of her own pains, but at the same time they are the demeaning perceptions galvanizing the concomitant negativity into a motive for further exploration of female psyche. The fantastically confessional poem ‘The Old Playhouse’ reveals this agony of the mind of the poetess: It was not to gather Knowledge Of yet another man that I came to you but to Learn What I was and by learning to learn to grow †¦(K. S. Ramamurti:151) This is what we mean by ‘pathei mathos’,wisdom consisting in suffering, the poetess gradually learning to cope up with demands of the more realistic world and compromising with her dreams as the potential abilities of the human body got stunted by the sterility of the man she loved. We may safely surmise that the poems do not become an erotic world in spite of all the sexual replenishments for the starving soul of a woman. Nor the poems become an articulation of a muted feminine consciousness. Kamala Das exploded the stigma of vulnerability and gained a critical consciousness to stand up to the deforming norms of the conventional intercourses in marital life or love life,whatever it is. It was not in her capacity to reorder the chaotic world into a cosmos. At best she could suggest some therapeutic rehabilitation of a trauma-ridden woman who survives the psychological abuses, manipulation and a dreariness of emotional desert. The poems serve for such a starving soul as a rallying point. K. R. S. Iyengar rightly remarks : â€Å" Kamala Das is a fiercely feminine sensibility that dares without inhibitions to articulate that the hurts it has received in an insensitive largely man-made world. † ( Iyengar: 667) . Reading List Works cited Das Kamala , Summer in Calcutta, New Delhi: Everest Press, 1965. The Old Playhouse and Other Poems. Madras: Orient Longman, 1973. My Story , New Delhi, Sterling Publishers, , 1976. - Tonight , This Savage Rite: The Love Poems of Kamala Das Pritish Nandy. New Delhi: Arnold- Heinemann (India) 1979. Only the Soul Knows How to Sing. Kottayam: DC Books, 1996. Primary Sources . 1. Lal. P. Ed. Modern Indian Poetry in English : An Anthology and a Credo, Calcutta: Writer’s Workshop, 1969. 2. Kotoky , P. C. Indo English Poetry, Gauhati: Gauhati University, 1969. 3. James ,Vinson (ed. ) Contemporary Poets,New York: St. Martin Press,1975. 4. Abidi, S. Z . H. Studies in Indo Anglian Poetry, Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot, 1979. . Parthasarathi, R. Ed. Ten Twentieth –Century Indian Poets. New Delhi: OUP. 2nd Ed. 1980 6. Shahane, Vasant A. and Sivaram Krishna, M. (eds. ) Indian Poetry in English : A Critical Assessment . Delhi: Macmillan, 1980. 7. Rahman ,Anisur. Expressive Form in the Poetry of Kamala Das. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1981. 8. Stella ,Samdahl. ‘South Asian Literature: A Linguistic Perspective’, A Meeting of Streams. (ed). M. G. Vassanji,,Toronto: TSAR,1985. 9. Chindhade ,Shirish. Five Indian English Poets , New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers, 1996. 10. De Souza , Eunice. Nine Indian Women Poets : An Anthology. New Delhi: Oxford Univ. Press, 1997. 11. Mitapalli Rajeswar et. al. Kamala Das: A Critical Spectrum. New Delhi: Atlantic,2001. 12. Gokak, V. K. (ed. ) The Golden Treasury of Indo Anglian Poetry. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 2004. . Secondary Sources: 1. Kohli ,Devinder. Virgin Whiteness: The Poetry of Kamala Das. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1968. 2. K. R. S. Iyengar, Indian Writing in English , New Delhi Allied Publishers,1962; 2nd ed. , 1973. 3. King ,Bruce . Modern Poetry in English, Delhi, Oxford University Press. 1987. 4. Joan D. Chittister, Heart of Flesh: A Feminist Spirituality for Women and Men Cambridge and Ontario : WmB. Eerdsmans Publishing Company, 1998. 5. Alfred C. Kinsey et al. Sexual Behavior in lthe Human Male. Philadelphia: W. B Saunders: Bloomington, Indian U Press, 1948 2nd Ed. ,1998. 5. Banerjee,Benoy Kumar Bakshi, Kaustav. Studies in Indian Poetry in English, Kolkata: Books Way, 2008 6. Ahmed, Irshad Gulam , Kamala Das : The Poetic Pilgrimage. New Delhi: Creative Books,2005. 7. Ramamurti, K. S. Ed. Twenty-Five Indian Poets In English , Kolkata: Macmillan India Ltd. , 2008. 8. Sarkar ,Jaydip (ed. ) Kamala Das and Her Poetry , Kolkata: Books Way,2009. - .