Social Distance and Regulatory Focus Effect on Over Choice

Social Distance and Regulatory Focus Effect on Over Choice The effect of social distance and regulatory focus  in the context of overchoice ABSTRACT The current research examines whether regulatory focus vary according to social distance (self, close friend, stranger), and investigated whether the self-other decision making in over-choice contexts induce a reversal choice overload effect to an individual. 21 undergraduates rated satisfaction in accordance with social distance after selecting colours using swatches either few or many options. Against previous research, the post-satisfaction was higher when participants make decision for themselves. Moreover, there was a choice over load effect but no reversed effect when participants make decision for others. Thus participants tend to use promotion regulatory focus for self and prevention focus for others. Further research need to investigate this area in greater depth. Introduction Decision making is the cognitive process of selection a logical choice from the available options. The economic models of behaviour known as rational choice theory assume that individuals take into account each piece of relevant evidence to ensure that they come up with the optimal decision making in all situations (Becker, 1976). These models, however, do not match actual behaviour. Rather than evaluating costs and benefits or calculating probabilities, what is actually decided can depend on the context of situations (KahnemanTversky, 1973). There has been a consequent increase in studies designed to determine decision making strategies which may be appropriate in various cases. Regulatory focus theory is an example of decision making strategies. The theory posited by Higgins predicts the two orientations to purse a goal: promotion and prevention (1997). A promotion focus emphasizes accomplishments and advancement with approaching gain. Alternatively, a prevention focus emphasizes safety and responsibility with avoiding loss. The utility of gain or loss is considered subjective and depends on the difference that it will make to the reasoner’s self-regulation. For example, a small gain is worth more to someone who has little (promotion) than to someone who has a lot (prevention). An interesting point is that the self-regulation is applied to make choice for others in different way; while individuals who make decision for themselves prefer avoiding losses, people who make decision for others prefer acquiring gain (Kray, 2000; Polman, 2011). Researchers have found that risk taking increased when participants were choosing on behalf of others compared to when choosing for themselves (Stone, Yates, Caruthers, 2002; Beisswanger et al, 2003; Sabrina et all, 2007). Polman suggests that this is because personal decision makers tend to use prevention focus (i.e. loss aversion), and conversely, proxy decision makers use promotion focus (i.e. risk preference) (2012B). This self-other theory is connected to the construal level theory (CLT) which describes the relation of psychological distances. The general idea is that the more distant an object or event from the individual, the more abstract the conceptualisation and perception (Trope Wakslak, 2007). As a result, peop le tend to engage in more risky behaviour in high-level construal than low-level construal. According to Polman’s study (2012A) choice overload effect had interaction in reversal since proxy decision makers used promotion focus. The theory called â€Å"choice overload†, also referred to as â€Å"paradox of choice†, describes that people have trouble making optimal choices when confronted with plethora of choices with lower satisfaction (Iyengar Lepper, 2000; Schwartz, 2004). On drawing of the self-other decision making theory and choice overload effect, Polman reported that when participants chose for others, decisions comprising more options were more satisfying than decisions comprising fewer of choices with various kinds of choices (e.g. paint swatches, wine, ice cream flavours, school courses) in six studies. Among those studies, the first and fourth studies which used paint swatches developed the theory by using self-construal: the extent that others are included into the self-concept. While the first study examined the interaction between self-other theory and overload effect, the fourth study tested personal disposition and divided participants into interdependent self-construal group and independent self-construal group; who expected to show low social distance with others or who expected to show high distance with others (Elliott Coker, 2008). The results indicated that people who have promotion focus (i.e. proxy decision makers and independent self-construal group) exhibited a reversed choice overload compared to participants who have prevention focus (i.e. personal decision makers and interdependent self-construal group). It is, however, difficult to generalize as there can be numerous decision making methods which is each approach often claims to be the more effective method. Most of all, it is doubt whether a person would show the same propensity when s/he make decision for self and others at once (at the same time), rather than making decision for self or others separately based on individual’s personality. Social distances also need to be subdivided into three (low, middle, high) rather than two (low, high) pounder over CLT. Current research, therefore, examined 1) if an increase in three subdivided social distance generates a higher level of satisfaction to a person depends on whom the decision is for, 2) if a choice overload effect is present when selecting a choice for self and a reversal choice overload effect is present when selecting a choice for others. Method Participants There were 27 participants, 14 in few and 13 in many choices. 21 women and 6 men were allocated randomly. The participants ranged in age from 19 to 22, with a mean age of 20.29 years (SD=1.06). All participants were level two psychology undergraduates at Sheffield University. Materials A limited array (8 colours) or an extensive array (35 colours) of paint swatches was used in each condition of choice array (Appendix1). The colours were labelled with numbers to avoid any confounding. A questionnaire was used to instruct scenario and choose a colour (Appendix2). Follow-up questions were used to record the main dependent measure (post-choice satisfaction and regret) using a 10-point scale, anchored at 1 (not at all) and 10 (a lot) (Appendix3). Data analysed using SPSS. Design The experiment had a two-way mixed design. The related measures independent variable was the decision maker role (social distance) with three levels (self, close friend, stranger). The unrelated measures independent variable was the number of choice options with two levels (Few, many). The main dependent variable was participant’s post- choice satisfaction measured by the level of satisfaction and regret. Procedure Participants took part in experiment individually and instructed to follow the scenario on the questionnaire. Half of the participants made selections from self, close friend and stranger in order, and the other half made selection in reverse order to counterbalance. The participants were asked to select a colour what they would like to use in their own and other’s bedroom among either 8 or 35 colours. After selecting a colour, the participants rated satisfaction and regret for their choices from 1 to 10 scales. When participant had no further questions, they received a debrief describing the study’s aim. Results An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. Prior to analysing ANOVA, Shapiro-Wilk test and outliers were obtained to examine the distributions for the primary dependent variable satisfaction. Although the Shapiro-Wilk showed each data were from a normally distributed population except a small number of participants who make decision for others in many choices option (p=0.29, others overall p>.05), there was large inconsistency between satisfaction and reversed regret regarded as a result of either participant’s misunderstanding or unconcern about the experiment with low reliability (ÃŽ ± =0.186, 0.560, 0.788 respectively). Six participants, therefore, who showed an inconsistency of more than four, were excluded as bivariate outliers. The regret score was reversed and combined with satisfaction into one scale (ÃŽ ± =.674, .805, .892 respectively). Levene’s test indicates that variances are homogenous for all levels of repeated measures variables (p=.260, . 333, .057 respectively). Hence, data collected from 21 participants (11 in few 10 in many options) were analysed using a mixed-design factorial ANOVA with a within-subject factor of social distance (self, close friend, stranger) and a between-subject factor of options-choice array (few, many) to examine the effects of choice overload on self-other decision making. Since Mauchly’s test had been violated (W=.60, X2(2)=9.19, p=.01), degrees of freedom were corrected using Greenhouse-Geisser estimates of sphericity (ÃŽ µ = .714). The analysis revealed that there was a significant main effect of social distance (F(1,27)=11.14, p=.001, ÃŽ ·p ²=.370) with higher satisfaction for self-decision making (M=8.74, SD=.903) than close friend (M=8.28, SD=1.09) and stranger (M=7.41, SD=1.94) (Figure 1). However, the data in Figure 2 show that there was there was no significant main effect of choice overload nor reversed effect (F(1,19)=.567, p= .461, ÃŽ ·p ²=.029), with slightly higher satisfaction in Few (M=8.33, SD=1.09) than Many (M=7.95, SD=1.83). These main effects were not qualified by the significant social distance and choice overload interaction (F(1,27)=1.62, p=.211, ÃŽ ·p ²=.0.79) (Figure 3). Discussion Overall, there was a significant difference on social distance, but was not neither self-other effect nor reversed choice overload were observed. Rather, the results demonstrated the completely opposite effect to previous study. Although there was a significant difference among social distance, the participants’ satisfaction was higher on choice for self than close friend or stranger. Moreover, participants did not exhibit any pattern of reversed choice overload, but did of choice overload when they make decision for others. These results indicated that participants used promotion focus for self and prevention focus for others. Thus, there was no evidence to support Polman’s claim. To understand the results of the current experiment some implications can be taken into consideration. Perhaps the most obvious explanation is that the self-other theory and reversal choice overload is not always pre-eminent away from other strategies. This may because multiple conflicting criteria need to be evaluated in making decisions. Phrasing equivalent choices as situations involving a loss or a gain, therefore, can alter the choices people make in way that do not accord with normative theory. On account of contradictions, some decision making methods that weight against to our prediction may explain the reason why personal decision makers showed promotion focus, while proxy decision makers showed prevention focus. First of all, the opposite effect of social distance may due to regulatory fit theory. When people believe that there is a math between orientation and a goal, they will intensify response (e.g. more positive response for positive dicision) by feeling rightness about pursuit a goal (AvnetHiggins, 2003; Higgins, 2000, 2005). Regulatory fit may not directly affect the judgements, but influence a persons belief in their reaction to the object or event (AakerLee, 2006). If participants had a colour with high preference in the swatch they used, therefore, it would be no surprise why they rated higher satisfaction on personal choice. Second, a hypothetical scenario could have influence on experiment. CLT is not restricted to social distance but expanded to the idea of temporal and hypothetical distance (Pennington Roese, 2003). For instance, temporal distance may create confliction with social distance in that the decision people make for future selves and other people tend to be similar to each other but different from their present decision (Pronin, Olivola Kennedy, 2008). According to Gilbert et al (2004), when attributing the cause of problem people tend to blame themselves in hypothetical situation, but often blame external circumstance in real situation. This probably led participants to feel the sense of responsibility on proxy choice. Finally, reciprocal determinism may be the answer. The reciprocal property predicted to play important role when combining the judgements of several individuals for the group (Saaty, 2008). Some researchers also have argued that people tend to feel more regret when the problem is important in the context in social (Janis and Mann, 1977), especially when others have interests with the decision (Zeelenberg, 1999). This can alter the participants’ regulation focus. In conclusion, the finds suggest that the reversed choice overload of proxy decision makers have no predominance effect on overall participants’ satisfaction. The failure to find the effect appears to have theoretical implications. Further research should test whether the reversed effect can be generalized with other decision making strategies and investigate more reasonable explanations for difference if it shown to exist.

Jacques La Ramee :: Biography History Ramee Wyoming Essays Papers

Jacques La Ramee Throughout Wyoming many landmarks are named after an early French—Canadian trapper. These landmarks include the Laramie River, the Laramie Peak , the Laramie Plains, Laramie County , Fort Laramie , the town of Fort Laramie , and the city of Laramie . Jacques LaRamee (Laramà ©e, Laramà ©, Laramie , De la Ramie, de la Rame, or La Ramee it is spelled different by almost all the listed sources) was a mysterious man with obvious influence (Chittenden, 1935; Coutant, 1899; Fetter, 1982; McDermott, 1968; Pitcher, 2000). However, there is little known about him. LaRamee’s significance is seemingly lost along with his complete history, but when researched further one can begin to understand his historical impact. Not only are there various spellings of his surname, but some historians also question whether or not Jacques was his first name. Some go so far as to say it was Baptiste. There are others who state his given name was Joseph; this may be more accurate (pitcher, 2000). J. Edmond LaRamee, a supposed descendent of LaRamee the trapper, traces the trapper’s lineage from Jacques Fissiau (who would have been the great grandfather of Jacque LaRamee). The parents of Jacques are thought to have been â€Å"Joseph and Jeanne Mondou LaRamee of Yamaska , Quebec .† Other records show that Joseph fathered five sons, â€Å"none of whom was named Jacques or Baptiste. However, the third son, who was born on June 8, 1784, bore the name Joseph.† The name Jacques was first used by Dr. C.G. Coutant and that is probably the reason many historians use it today (McDermott, 1968). Among the remains of LaRamee’s fractured biography, a man of upright character and independent quality begins to emerge. According to Dr. C.G. Coutant’s History of Wyoming he entered the United States around 1815 with the North West Company – a major player in the fur industry that was involved in a continuous feud with a rival company, The Hudson Bay Company. These conflicting fur companies often created competition between their employees which resulted in violence. LaRamee strung together a group of â€Å"free trappers,† and they began trapping at the headwaters of the North Platte (Fetter, 1982). LaRamee’s success was due to his renowned attitude and peaceful reputation. His fellow free trappers shared his â€Å"theory that the world was wide and there was room enough for all.† LaRamee led his band of hard working peaceful trappers to undisputed territory where they could trap an abundance of fur without quarrel.

Fight Club (Film) by David Fincher Essay

This confronting movie casts the brilliant Edward Norton and the extremely popular Brad Pitt as they team together to bring the public one of the greatest suspense movies of all time. Norton plays Jack, a middle-aged man, who isn’t sure what his purpose for living is anymore and Pitt plays Tyler Durden, a soap salesman, who has come to the same realization about life. Directed by David Fincher, written for the screen by Jim Uhls, and based on the acclaimed novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is a powerful film, which fuses the highly sensitive issues that haunt its frustrated and confused protagonist with the visual representations of his mental states. It all begins when Jack becomes so frustrated with his life that he just can’t take it any longer. For his entire life, the media has painted a glorious image of wealth for everyone and has made everyone believe that they would be rich and famous eventually, while in fact they weren’t. Flooding society with more useless products and making them slaves to their own needs’, Jack realizes that it is all just a joke. Under the realization of this, Jack searches for a way to find new excitement away from the material world. He starts to visit numerous support groups for cancer victims and other diseases. This is where he meets Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), a middle-aged woman who is also going through the same thing as he is. Together these seem to be the only places for them to find real emotions, and to be able to express their own emotions at the same time. One day while on an airplane, Jack meets Tyler Durden. While talking with Tyler, Jack notices that they have the same exact suitcase along with many other things in common. Tyler gives Jack his business card and tells him to call if he ever needs anything. When Jack returns home, he finds that his entire apartment has been blown to pieces. With nowhere to go, he takes out Tyler’s business card and proceeds to call him. Tyler comes to Jack’s rescue and the two begin living together in an old run-down house. One night outside a bar, confused in their frustration of the world, they begin hitting each other for the pure excitement and adrenaline rush. After much thinking, Tyler has made up his mind about society and has created his own beliefs. He opposes all material wealth and lives for the moment, unafraid of pain or death. Slowly he teaches Jack these traits as well, as they now begin to build â€Å"Fight Club,† an underground association where equally frustrated men can take out their emotions by fighting with one another. Soon many Fight Clubs spring up across the country and Tyler is hailed as a celebrity among the members. With Fight Club’s popularity increasing, Tyler’s plans become much bigger and he establishes â€Å"Project Mayhem,† his plan to destroy the material world. He recruits an army of equally powered men and goes on a spree to destroy all signs of materialism he sees. While watching the mayhem Tyler has created, Jack becomes disturbed by the idiocy of the followers and the violent acts they are committing. He wants to put an end to the insanity, but without Tyler he can’t stop it, and Tyler is nowhere to be found. With Tyler now missing, Jack begins travelling from city to city in search of Tyler. When asking people if they know Tyler Durden, he is given the same answer over and over: â€Å"Yes sir, you’re Tyler Durden.† Jack finally comes to the conclusion that he and Tyler are the same person. Tyler is simply a figment of Jack’s imagination. Tyler is everything that Jack wishes he could be. He looks how he wants to look. He acts how he wants to act. He is Tyler Durden. This movie combines great action sequences, romance, and suspense all rolled up into one. The great casting of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give the movie just the right amount of masculinity it needs. How the composer creates meaning The composer creates a chilling setting, which is familiar and stereotypically American with its high-tech devices, also with fast and crisp movement of camera angles to show some extraordinary effects. The composer also used lighting to create meaning. The lab in which Jack was sitting down which we witness in the fast and crisp movement of camera shots, had very dark and dull colours. The music also rolled along to help create this setting, which is very important within the film. The director David Fincher utilizes a number of techniques to present his ideas of change. The film opens with voice-over from our lead character Jack, played by Edward Norton. He hasn’t slept in months and it’s beginning to take a toll on his sanity. He finally finds release from his troubles by going to support groups for people with various diseases – testicular cancer, bowel disease, etc. – where he finds freedom in pretending he’s a survivor, that he has nothing to lose. Thus, it also represents a new foundation as a result suggesting a change in Jack’s lifestyle. Through the character Jack the composer is also able to create meaning. Here we see that through zoom and close-up camera angles the composer shows a change in the behaviour of Jack. It becomes evident that after bearing in mind explosion of his apartment, he becomes astound and through the facial expressions we see that he is discontented. The smile that was witnessed prior to this terrible tragedy has mislaid as a consequence symbolizing a change in his attitude and his perception of the slight civilization. The composer also creates meaning, through the use of Jacks lifestyle. In this motion picture the main character Jack, changes his lifestyle through self-destruction rather than self-development. The composer has done this to show that there is more than one way to change, that change does not always have to occur in a positive way. This is one of the most important themes running through the movie. Fight Club; a movie about the change within one mans life, Jack, with the help of his ‘friend’ Tyler, who is actually a creation of Jacks mind. Jack breaks away from all of societies conventions and this leads to the many changes in his life. Jacks changes are made all the more significant through the use of colours. Before Jack’s ‘enlightenment’ all the colours used are dull blue-greys. The camera angles are narrow and focused. This creates a tone of monotony and boredom. Later, the scenes become brighter and colours are powerfully contrasted. Many of the scenes take place at night with neon lights in the background with contrast with the bright red leather jacket worn by Tyler throughout much of the film to create an exciting, almost surreal element to the scene. The camera angles become wider, reflecting Jack’s broader perspective of life. A further structural device used by David Fincher is to allude to Jack’s earlier life. One example is when he receives a phone-call from the detective looking into the explosion of his house. Jack responds to his questions by discussing how much the things in his apartment meant to him, how they were part of his identity. When the phone-call is over he says, â€Å"I would like to thank the academy.† From this statement, it is obvious that he looks back on his former lifestyle with contempt. From this film we can see how difficult it can be for one to move to another door of perception when everything around them reinforces the accepted view of the world. It is easy to accept everything that is occurring and live in denial without changing. Jack would not have been able to escape from the media induced, corporate driven life that he led if his brain had not created Tyler Durden. In Fight Club we see there are many reasons for people to choose not to change. The risk may seem too high. It might be hard work. There is a loss of the security a person has when he or she is in familiar territory where everything is known to them. Even when the opportunity stares at them right in their faces they refuse to take it. In the movie, we see Jack struggling at first with quitting his â€Å"ikea-guy† life but is soon able to boldly step away from the illusions that held him. Explanation of how the text links to both a text from the Stimulus Booklet and the play Away Clearly, change brings consequences. These consequences can vary in importance and significance; they can be beneficial, detrimental or even impartial. Change, its impact on self and the resulting consequences, which it inevitably brings, is an issue explored by many composers in a variety of texts. Change is the process of being made different. Change can be caused by anything such as time, birth, death, people and fighting†¦ The concept of changing self and its significance to the individual is explored in a number of texts including the play â€Å"Away† written by Michael Gow, â€Å"Sky High† by Hannah Roberts (BOS Changing) and the film Fight Club by David Fincher. All these texts symbolise change in a variety of ways. To show the consequences of change composers have used a number of techniques in terms of language, imagery, contrast and repetition. This film Fight Club deals with the approach in which we transform ourselves. In this film Jack transforms his standard of living through self-destruction to assertion self-development. The director David Fincher has fulfilled this to exemplify that the things we own, actually end up owing us. The change occurs when Tyler opens the door for him to amend. Unfortunately, Tyler becomes too powerful. This shows the rituals of both sides. Allusions is a structural device used by the director Fincher to contrast the Jack-then to the Jack-now, constantly making references to his earlier life presented at the beginning of the film. An example of this is when Jack is living in the dilapidated house he often receives calls from a Detective Stern from the arson unit, inquiring about his destroyed condo or feeding him information about it (the police suspect he did it to claim insurance). Jack often replies by talking about how much the things in his condo meant to him and how they were a part of his identity. When the phone-call is over he says; â€Å"I would like to thank the academy†. From this statement it is obvious that he looked back on himself with contempt. The director shows that the choices that one makes during his or her life, defines the changes that would occur to them in the future. When one looks back at the decisions that they had to make, the difference before the choice was made and after becomes quite obvious. Another aspect of change presented in the film is that change is often cyclic. As we make one decision, we are soon required to make further decisions and it is a never-ending cycle until the day we die. Therefore one never stops changing until their death. From this film we can see how complex it can be for one to move to another door of perception when everything around them reinforces the accepted view of the world. It is easy to accept everything that is occurring and live in denial without changing. Jack would not have been able to escape from the media induced, corporate driven life that he led if his brain had not created Tyler Durden. In link to ‘Sky High’ by Hannah Robert’s it demonstrates that responsibilities force a person to change, and that the change is not always optimistic, other than it has to be embraced for a character to established, and that although there is a change it is most undoubtedly not an end, but rather a progression. This text has contributed a great deal to my understanding of change. It helps us to see how difficult it can be to change ones lifestyle and to change their view of the world when it is reinforced as being the accepted view of the world that we must adhere to, and sometimes it requires something as drastic as an imagined person to change that view. The other thing it has contributed is that there are many reasons for a person not to change, risk, too hard work or the loss of security in their new life, but once that change is made, the person’s old lifestyle seems contemptibly inadequate. In â€Å"Sky High† by Hannah Roberts, it is not another person, which outlines a change in self of the persona, but an object (a clothesline) that triggers a memory from the persona’s youth. Personification of the clothesline, and it’s relation to the author’s own change in self since her youth, is one technique incorporated by Roberts. When describing her and the clothesline in the first two paragraphs, we are given the phrases â€Å"silver skeletal arms† and â€Å"smooth, sweat damp hands†. Comparing this to â€Å"age-warped washing line† and â€Å"hands, beginning to accumulate†¦wrinkles† one can see the dramatic realisation of the changed persona. Another representation of the changing influence of the clothesline is the descriptions of the hanging clothes. Where as in her youth the clothesline was â€Å"festooned with socks and knickers and shirts like coloured flags in a secret code†, Roberts now â€Å"write(s) my own semaphore secrets in colourful t-shirts and mismatched sock†. This suggests that as a child, the author thought that the clothes were hung out in â€Å"secret code†. Now as an adult she realises the ordinariness of the practice. The â€Å"semaphore secrets† that she writes as an adult expose to the reader the question if these are messages of unhappiness. The narrator utilizes an analogy to illustrate how responsibilities and social conventions limit a person’s ability to follow urges. The writer wants to ‘fly’ as she did when she was young, but she is concerned that the conventions of her modern life will not allow her to do so. Remembering the minute details of the garden develops a nostalgic mood. This is so as a person remembers details such as these if they treasure the memories Sky high has contributed to my understanding of change by showing that responsibilities force a person to change, and that the change is not always positive, but it has to be embraced for a character to mature, and that although there is a change it is most definitely not an end, but rather a process. On the surface ‘Away’ by Michael Gow, may possibly appear like a simple narrative about three families who take off for a holiday. People are shown as going away, being pulled away, being washed away, walking away and so on. What is also stressed however is the act of recurring, regrowth and renewal that results from their ‘away’ experience. Away presents the concept of change as self-recognition and renewal through the portrayal of the key characters who journey from fear, isolation and delusion to an understanding and acceptance of themselves and their relationships with others. Away is a short though direct play, which deals with many variations of change, each of which is a change of character or personality, which occurs as a realization as the events in the play, get through to them. A perfect example is Gwen, a middle-aged mother with the need to control. Her resistance to change is of an attitude as her family suddenly becomes separate in reaction to her behaviour. The family is on a holiday and what was meant to be enjoyable, becomes a conflict which causes her daughter Meg to isolate herself from her. Gwen depicts this resistance to change with the importance of it. Simply compare changing toothbrush to changing personality, which will have a resisting effect. Michael Gow’s play is very theatrical. While much of the dialogue is realistic, drawing on the idiom of the day, the storm and the appearance of the fairies break away from realism. Gow draws on the conventions of comedy and tragedy as the play moves from the comic to the tragic. Many of the characters appear as stereotypes found in comedy- the nagging wife, the henpecked husband, the pompous teacher, – but as the play progresses these stereotypes are abandoned as the characters are confronted by the need for change. They become individuals capable of change. The composer exploit Language to provides a precious impending into the intelligences of the protagonists. Gwen’s continuous and tedious use of clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s creates her the parody of a middle-class housewife with high-class aspirations. In the final act, mime plays a vital role. It is the explicit lack of language here that provides the audience with a perceptive of the high level of self-awareness and imminent that is now shared by the protagonists. Perhaps the two most significant characters in ‘Away’ who experiences the most profound changes are Gwen and Coral. * Gwen is one of the most momentous protagonists in the play. She changes from being a stress ridden control freak of a mother and wife to coming to an understanding of life and the fact that humans are not in control. The plainest demonstration of this is the storm, which trashes her perfectly planned holiday. Note that in the stage directions, the fairies single Gwen out for particular attention in the storm. Gwen experiences an epiphany during the walk with Vic, presumably in reaction to the news that Tom is dying. She returns from the walk a changed woman, and it is she who stands and applauds Coral as she ‘walks’ in ‘Strange on the Shore’. * Coral has lost her grip on reality. At the beginning she is a woman pervading grief at the death of her only son in the Vietnam War. In attempting to respond to her husband (Roy’s) plea that she behaves ‘normally’, she enters a relationship with a young recently married man named (Rick). She than adopts the persona of the artist on the beach, and it is Tom who recognises her as the headmaster’s wife. She achieves some kind of acceptance of life and loss through her performance in ‘The Stranger on the Shore’. (â€Å"I’m walking, I’m walking† represents a return to life). The ‘walking’ becomes symbolic of Coral’s return to reality, her final acceptance of the death of her son who died in Vietnam. Tom is responsible for her ‘healing’. He determines Coral’s role in the play. In Act 5 scene 1 we see her reconciled with her husband Roy. These changes are represented dramatically in the pl ay. Her situation in ‘Away’ is symbolized by her role in the little play- when she walks at the end, she is retuning to life where she belongs. Opening on the last day of the school year in 1967 and closing on the first day of the next school year, the play spans only a few short weeks in the lives of its characters and yet their perspectives and understandings have changed radically over that time. Possibly the character who experiences the most philosophical change is Gwen. Through the intensity of the emotional conflict she encounters, she has had to acknowledge the inevitability of change in life and has adjusted her expectations accordingly. This change of perception over time can be contrasted to the reminiscing of Hannah Robert, in her story â€Å"Sky High†, Text 3 in the Board of Studies ‘Changing Booklet’. Where the older narrator looks back on a lighter, less burdened childhood. The rewarding repercussions of confronting change and of living for the present have been highlighted by the texts I have studied which in turn delineate the integral nature of change in the lives of people and their relationships.

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay - 907 Words

A Doll’s House nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In past history, society has been both very prejudiced and traditional with its view of gender roles. Often times a woman would not have had the same right to something as a man did. Many women however went against the law and tradition to do what they thought was right. In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, Nora does something that is unimaginable during the time period. Nora’s husband Torvald believes he is the man of the house and that his wife should be grateful and entertaining for him. Nora however signs her father’s name to a document in an attempt to do something she feels is right. What she doesn’t realize though is that by doing so she has committed forgery. Nora’s act of forgery†¦show more content†¦As â€Å"sick as he was† Nora did not want to disturb or hassle her father for his signature so she signed the document herself (984). Before this incident, Nora felt insignificant and thought she’d done nothing in her life to feel good about. All she ever did was please Torvald and obey his directions. When Nora learned of this opportunity she wanted to do something that would cause her â€Å"to be proud and happy† for herself (975). This greatly motivated Nora into forging the signature. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;After Nora finally obtained the money she needed there were many expected outcomes as a result. Nora finally had â€Å"something to be proud and happy for† (975). She was tired of having no significance and doing nothing important. She now felt like she had something to show for her life since she was â€Å"the one who saved Torvald’s life† (975). Without Nora’s actions â€Å"Torvald never would have lived† (975). Nora â€Å"was the one who raised the money† and got the loan that allowed them to travel south (976). She realized though the biggest drawback to getting the money was that she would have to lie to Torvald. Nora was well aware that â€Å"[Torvald] mustn’t [know], for anything in the world† or else he would lose his honor, and their home would never be the same again (975). Nora also had another reason for not telling Torvald about the forgery and loan. Nora made Torvald happy and pleased him b y â€Å"dancing and dressing up and reciting for him† (977). She believedShow MoreRelatedEssay on Henrik Isbens A Dolls House1015 Words   |  5 Pages Independence nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. 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