Tuesday, December 24, 2019

I Am Working As A Family Health Nurse And Counseling A...

When caring for families who need genetic counseling, it’s essential that the nurse understands and considers the family’s values, background, beliefs and behaviors. This information is valuable when setting mutual goals, developing care plans and choosing interventions (Andrews and Boyle, 2016). In this post I will imagine that I am working as a family health nurse and counseling a married couple who are seeking my advice because they are both carriers for Huntington’s disease. As a nurse it’s my responsibility to not let personal feelings or values influence the counseling that I provide to families. When working with this couple, it’s important to understand what they hope to gain from the appointment, so I would start by asking what their goals are for the visit. I would also present an overview the services that we offer such as assessment for genetic risks, genetic testing, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation and evaluation. The implementation phase may include coordination of care, teaching and health promotion, consultation, treatment and counseling (American Nurses Association, 2011). If they are interested in moving forward, I would gather data to create a family pedigree. A family pedigree is an assessment tool that documents genetic risk information to identify family members at risk for genetic disorders. The pedigree usually includes three generations of family members, and the results are used to develop recommendations forShow MoreRelated02/08: Palliative Care, 8Am-6Pm (Due To Seeing A Lot Of1872 Words   |  8 Pages02/08: palli ative care, 8am-6pm (due to seeing a lot of patients) Pre-clinical Preparation: I prepared for clinical this week by starting to work on my midterm self-evaluation; this allowed for me to go through the objectives I haven’t meet yet, and plan to meet some of them for the clinical day. I also made a plan for completing part D and E this week in clinical. Summary of experience: †¢ Palliative Care morning meeting. †¢ Admitted a patient with NP to see a 74-year-old patient, newly diagnosedRead MoreMy Family s Heritage By Lev Vygotsky1796 Words   |  8 PagesWho Am I In order to truly understand the culture and various lifestyles that envelop American society today, one must learn to appreciate and understand their own cultural heritage. Lev Vygotsky, a psychologist in the early 1900’s, simply put it, â€Å"Language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality.† Therefore, culture determines more than merely our origin or family; culture shapes the structure of our lives, and greatly impacts our futureRead MoreLife Course Perspective Essay1935 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Personal lifestyle choices can be influenced by the family of origin, peers, social movements, and global revolutions, and can have a positive or negative life-long impact. A COUPLE OF SENTENCES DEFINING THE LIFE COURSE PERSPECTIVE AND HOW/WHY IT IS USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING OLDER ADULTS. Based on an in-depth qualitative interview, this paper will include an analysis of lifestyle choices and trajectories, particularly how human agency and cohort effects, have impacted the life courseRead MoreFamily Assessment : A Health Care Provider Essay2152 Words   |  9 PagesFamily Assessment The family assessment is a thorough assessment done by a health care provider. This assessment is the foundation of how health care providers deliver care for a certain member of the family or the family as a whole. This assessment involves exploration of the family structure, development, and function. In addition, the family will express their strengths and barriers, internal and external structure, ethnicity, social class, religion, and subsystems, which will allow the readerRead MoreHsm 542 Week 12 Discussion Essay45410 Words   |  182 Pagesresponse is posted. | | | Response | Author | Date/Time* | | | | Hello | Professor Hijazi | 3/2/2013 6:28:48 AM | | | Welcome class,   Please read the text and ensure that you answer discussion questions to the fullest. This will be a very interesting class for all of us.   | | | | | RE: Hello | Mary Claire Jennings | 3/6/2013 12:00:09 AM | | | An intentional tort is one that is committed deliberately, such as assault coupled with the apparent present abilityRead MoreDepression Is A Normal Part Of Aging Among Older Adults10811 Words   |  44 PagesAmericans would be considered as an older adult (US Department of Commerce, 1995). There are many losses that accompany the aging process. These include the loss of loved ones and their independence. They begin to feel as though they will depend on their families for the rest of their lives. Based on the research conducted, it is found that stigma affect older adults who are diagnosed with depression. Further finding’s reported to belief that depression is a normal part of aging among older adults. It isRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Anxiety9666 Words   |  39 Pagesbringing with them feelings of fear. The more you think about these feelings, the more fear seems to come as a result. Your nervous system may become disturbed and your stomach may also feel the effe cts of these negative thoughts. Your general physical health can suffer greatly as a result of anxiety. Anxiety is a vicious cycle; the more you dwell on the negative thoughts and sensations, the more follow as a result. The feelings that follow will then you will dwell upon, carrying with them their own negativeRead MoreCase Studies13817 Words   |  56 Pages(she is a single parent with three children), and she asks you to give her a good recommendation and not mention her drinking, which she assures you is now under control. She also asks you to say that she voluntarily left the company to address a family medical crisis, and that the company was pleased with her work. You like this person and believe she is a good worker when she is not drinking. You doubt that she really has overcome her drinking problem, however, and you would not recommend yourRead MoreCase Study Essay33967 Words   |  136 Pagesoverload, quality of life X Scenario M.G., a â€Å"frequent flier,† is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF). She was discharged from the hospital 10 days ago and comes in today stating, â€Å"I just had to come to the hospital today because I cant catch my breath and my legs are as big as tree trunks.† After further questioning, you learn she is strictly following the fluid and salt restriction ordered during her last hospital admission. She reports gaining 1 toRead MoreCarl Roger Transcript44281 Words   |  178 Pagespsychotherapy (Part I)[Film]. Orange, CA: Psychological Films.] GLORIA DR. CARL ROGERS PART I -- DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM [Before the Interview] From my own years of therapeutic experience, I have come to feel that if I can create the proper climate, the proper, relationship, the proper conditions, a process of therapeutic movement will almost inevitably occur in my client. You may ask, What is this climate? What are these conditions? Will they exist in the interview with the woman I am about to

Monday, December 16, 2019

Rumors, Deception and Philosophical Essay Topics

Rumors, Deception and Philosophical Essay Topics The Fight Against Philosophical Essay Topics The cost of an essay depends upon the quantity of effort the writer has to exert. The reader ought to be impressed by the manner in which you defend your ideas. The writer has to have all knowledge linked to the idea. He must keep in mind the targeted audience of his paper and use language accordingly. Top Philosophical Essay Topics Secrets Your main objective must be to take a particular point and establish it using logical justifications in order for your readers agree with this. This essay topics will talk about the philosophical aspects of several diverse religions, and topics that compare the similarities between the philosophies of unique religions. You should back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and data also. LeFevre's humorous endorsement wasn't shared by most of libertarians. You can't receive the best essay result from only a number of the very important c omponents. Our main purpose is to be certain that we address all of your essay writing needs. The structure permits the writer to set the order where the terms ought to be discussed. Another procedure that ought to be observed during the finalization of the essay is to ensure that the appropriate language was used. The variety of paragraphs depends on the duration of the essay. So far as essay structure goes, a 4 or 5 paragraph essay based on the number of points you are going to want to argue is a great start. Write down the definitions that are explicit. Whatever They Told You About Philosophical Essay Topics Is Dead Wrong...And Here's Why An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. There are lots of resources you may explore to secure more info about philosophy essay topics ethics. Philosophical questions haven't any set answers. At times you might require some expert help with argumentative essay topics. Grammatical mistakes can produce the essay unreadable and decrease the strength of the arguments being made. The subject of choice is going to be expected to withstanding academic inquiry. Among the most well-known topics refers to the industry of healthcare and medicine. The 5-Minute Rule for Philosophical Essay Topics You have to know wha t's a Philosophy essay before you begin to write. It may be hard to oppose famous philosophers. With philosophy being among the oldest sciences in the Earth, dating back to the ancient Greece, there's certain to be a good deal of subject material for you to use. While it isn't feasible to find a person to write you a paper free of charge, it's possible to acquire the philosophy of religion essay topics written for you cheaply. Higher education or college is likewise an important component in the philosophy of American schooling. You might want to know that psychology demands philosophy. Your very first activity in answering philosophy topics are to generate suggestions for your paper. When you must purchase essays, it's prudent to choose a custom writing service with a reputation for reliability. There are several different kinds of philosophical questions. Just make certain that you get information you have to have in writing so you are not going to have much a tough time getting started. Philosophical Essay Topics - Overview In order to make a great philosophy paper, it's first essential to consider very carefully and clearly about your topic. By way of example, in college, you might be requested to compose a paper from the oppos ing standpoint. If you're assigned philosophy paper writing for the very first time, you can face some difficulties. Before you commence writing your research paper, make sure that you've got a very clear idea about what you are going to be discussing. Philosophy essay samples can help you to overcome difficulties and to compose a paper of top quality. The introduction lays the groundwork for the remaining part of the paper. So as to compose a brilliant academic paper in philosophy, you should earn a deep research and plunge into this issue.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Methodological Issues in Psychotherapy System †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Methodological Issues in Psychotherapy System. Answer: Introduction: Both psychotherapy and counseling are professional therapeutic activities, which utilizes the interpersonal relationship between a therapist and the client to help the client to develop self-understanding, which leads them to make changes in their lives. The most seen issues, which a psychotherapist or a counselor faces in his or her practice, are the dilemma over many issues. One of the important dilemma the psychotherapists faces is the dilemma over showing responsiveness and recursiveness to the clients. Another major issue the psychotherapists face while treating the youth is the application of many methodologies as most of the youth tries to resent the therapy. To study the effectiveness of the methodologies the psychotherapists follow, the researchers always depends on the process studies and outcome studies (Anker, Duncan, Sparks, 2009). Process research can be stated as the interactive study between patients and the therapists. Outcome research depends on the outcome of any health structure, which is needed for the well-being of the population. The purpose of the article is to explore these mentioned dilemmas the psychotherapists faces in practice (Markowitz, Lipsitz, Milrod, 2014). The article would also explore some evidence based outcome studies on these mentioned methodological issues. The article will explore the outcome result of the relevant studies which states about the methodological dilemmas the psychotherapists faces in their life. The psychotherapic treatment is considered as hazardous as the psychiatrists always face the burden of keeping substantial relationship with the clients. The relationship between the psychiatrist and the clients has a thin border. There are many complex ethical questions the that the therapists encounter during their practice. Many of these dilemmas are contextual, complex and dynamic. Some of the ethical dilemmas, which are most frequently cited, are related to the professionalism and therapeutic boundaries (Stiles, 2009). To resolve these ethical dilemmas, the psychiatrists and the counselors uses the medical ethics as the medical ethics addresses many ethical dilemmas, which is better, expressed in a method. There are another important dilemma which can be seen in the psychiatrists is their obligation towards the clients Overview of outcome research: The article would help the readers to identify the importance of solving the methodological dilemma faced by the therapists. The article would also address the current problem of the youth psychotherapy. The experiment logic and the usage of Randomized control trial over the psychotherapy research are beyond confounding due to the presence of many non-independent contributing factors. However, some of the factors such as treatment, therapist, and clients depend on each other. There are many issues and dilemmas over the methodologies; a psychotherapist faces over his or her career. The counselors face many issues over the methodologies. Such as, the counselors and psychotherapists have to maintain a strict treatment frame (Borkovec, Ruscio, 2001). If the treatment frame is weak, the line between professionalism and personalization is breached. A counselor might feel strong emotion regarding the condition of a client, but the counselor has to maintain the treatment frame. Sometimes the therapist tries to apply another approach instead of the usual approach while treating the client. The methodological difference of these two approaches might bring some dilemma over the mind of the therapist (Luty et al., 2007). Another important issue, a psychiatrist faces when the abused client falls in love with the therapist even if the therapist is maintaining a completely different relationship with them. As the abused clients faces difficulty with intimacy, they easi ly fall in love with the therapist due to their new experience of having someone who actually listens to their problems (Cuiipers et al., 2011). One of the key issues this article is going to discuss is responsiveness. The competency of a therapist depends on his responsiveness regarding the information the client gives. The responsiveness from the side of the client makes the outcome of the therapy more positive. The feedback of the client for the study is also a part of being responsive (Etherington, 2009). One study was done on responsiveness of the couples who has attended couple therapy session. The study over the responsiveness of the couples has done a randomized control research. The psychotherapists face some issues while providing therapy to the patients with anxiety disorder. The psychotherapists mostly treat the clients with generalized anxiety disorders with CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy). As the patients with anxiety deals with the negative thoughts, they try to reject the therapists idea about preventing the anxiety producing thoughts. The therapists are now trying to treat the patients with Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). The therapy is successful while treating patients with mood disorder and eating disorder. Few therapists have been using this method as a test methodology while treating patients with anxiety disorder. This mentioned issue is going to be discussed in this article (Barker, Vossler, Langdridge, 2010). Methodological issues in outcome research: Issue 1: One of the issues, which are going to be explored in this article, is the issue over responsiveness the psychotherapists faces. Being responsive is human nature as the people are always responsive to each other. Both the therapist and the client are responsive over each other for a period. To give an example, a therapist is being responsive when he or she is prescribing the client or treating the client based on the issues the client has. A client also behaves responsively to the therapist over some issues, such as, when the client is giving feedback to the therapist (Cooper, McLeod, 2010). As the psychotherapists are trained to be responsive towards the indication of improvement or corrosion from the behavior of the client. This implies that, the feedback of the client in necessary for the psychotherapists to be responsive. This helps them to get relevant information about the outcome measures . This depends on the client patient alliance. The therapist may feel ethical di lemma as a client may not be responsive to the treatment prescribed by the therapist and the therapist might face ethical dilemma over changing the therapy procedure as the patient might resent it as well (Palmer, 2007). To study the outcome result, a essay named Using Client Feedback to Improve Couple Therapy Outcomes: A randomized Clinical Trial in a Naturalistic Setting were chosen (Anker, Duncan, Sparks, 2009). Study design: The study about responsiveness was done on 453 couples who went to couples therapy in a community based outpatient settings. The groups were randomized into two groups (Feedback group and Treatment as usual group) before the therapists were assigned to these couples. After the session, the clients of the feedback group were invited to give feedback about improving the process of the therapy. Limitation of the study: The therapists used just one outcome measure in the analysis. Other than that, the instruments used by the patients were brief. It limited the understanding of the given feedback by the patients. If the clients and the therapists had alliance that is more extensive then the assessments would have given better result. Intentionally, the study is more pragmatic and replicates the happenings of the clinical practice. The therapists were told to be their own control. There were no special allegiance between the therapists serving in TAU group and feedback group. Result of the study: The study was done to determine the effect of giving feedback over couples therapy in comparison with a TAU group ( Treatment as Usual) in a natural condition of a community clinic. The result is the study was in consistency with the hypothesis as the result of the feedback group were emerged as superior from the results of the TAU group. In the end, it was seen that the post treatment average score of the couples in the feedback group (26.35) were five points greater than the score of the TAU group (21.69). In the above study, the research used patient focus research paradigm to overcome outcome challenges related to irresponsiveness of client during psychotherapy. The advantage of this strategy was that it enhanced outcome by taking continuous progress feedback from clients and results was evident by improvement in outcome of patient in feedback group compared to treatment as usual group. It helped in systematic evaluation of clients response to treatment and helped to address issues of dropout in research too. The effect of regular feedback of client was also consistent with other research. However, there are many areas in the responsiveness issues of psychotherapy, which remained unexplored. As there might be diverse type of clients coming with different types of risk during psychotherapy, the consideration for future will be to tailor feedback process so that people with communication difficulties can also participate actively in such session. The methodology of Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is efficient in treating both mood disorder and eating disorder. CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is known as the best therapy method for the patients with anxiety disorder. IPT is an attachment-focused psychotherapy, which resolves the interpersonal problems. The approach is known for the symptomatic recovery of the patients. IPT is highly structured approach and ends within a definite period (Feltham, Hanley, Winter, 2017). As IPT is a structured framework, some therapists use it treat the patients suffering from anxiety. Using IPT for treating anxiety disorder is a methodological issue as it is still untested as a method for treating anxiety. For this issue, a paper named Critical Review of Outcome research on Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders is chosen. As there is lack of the evidence-based study, the chosen article reviews the effect of IPT on social phobia, panic disorder, PTSD and from these evidences, t he possible effect of IPT on anxiety disorder is discussed (Markowitz, Lipsitz, Milrod, 2014). Rationale: There are two reason of choosing IPT as a method to treat the patients with anxiety. The first reason is, anxiety disorders have some interpersonal features and shares this characteristic with panic disorder, PTSD and social phobia as all of these disorders have interpersonal features. The second reason is the time limitation of IPT, which requires the therapist to complete the therapy within 12-16 weeks. Study designs: The paper searched many literature using Pubmed and Scholarly, and selected 11 studies, 4 of which on social phobia, six for open trials, two studies on panic disorder and 5 for PTSD. Social phobia and Social Anxiety disorder: In the first set of studies, 14 week of IPT was conducted for 9 patients who have social phobia and anxiety. Another study was conducted with providing 14 weeks IPT and psychodynamic therapy to 70 patients with social anxiety disorder in two different randomized groups. The results were compared. Another study in Norway compared 10 weeks of group IPT with Group CBT in a specialized way as 80 patients were treated in a residential setting. There were two studies where 106 medication free patients were randomized for 16 session of CBT or IPT for DSM-IV and Social Anxiety Disorder. In this study, all of the therapists had background with CBT but one of the therapists was specialized in IPT. Results- In the first set of studies, 7 out of 9 patients were reported as improved. They were rated by the Clinical Global Improvement scale (CGI). The patients who were reported improvement were tasted on Liebowitaz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and were reported 78% improved. In the second set of study, the patients of both of the group have significantly improved. The LSAS score was just a little bit better in IPT than psychodynamic therapy. In the third set of study which was conducted in Norway, where all of the patients were also given medication along with the therapy in two groups, one receiving CBT and another was receiving IPT. Both of these groups showed significant improvement on the Anxiety Disorder Interview schedule. There was no significant difference between both groups (Ponterotto, Kuriakose, Granovskaya, 2008). In the last study, the German trial, which randomized 106 patients without medication, has showed a distinct result. The group treated with IPT showed less improvements. 66% of the patients of CBT showed improvement, whereas 32% of the patients receiving IPT were moderately improved (Riessman, Speedy, 2007). There was a study in Australia, who treated 13 patients who battled PTSD for 1 year. They were given group IPT and nine of them were given medications. Some of the symptoms associated with CBT were improved (Kazdin, 2008). However, there were no overall improvements. Similar results were found on different studies as well. Result- There were many studies on the effect of IPT on PTSD. The results showed improvement on the symptoms of PTSD such as social personality disorders and many more. However, the overall improvement of PTSD remained unclear (Fava et al., 2008). These results show that IPT lowered anxiety symptoms and was well tolerated by all the patients. IPT definitely showed promise as an intervention for treating anxiety disorder. The above article recognized the methodological issue of conducting psychotherapy in patients with anxiety and employed the technique of interpersonal psychotherapy to overcome the issue. The use of this approach is effective because it specifically targets people with mood disorders and focuses on useful meaning of emotions to develop therapeutic relationship with client during the therapy. Review of different research using IPT for patients with PTSD and panic disorder showed that IPT reduced anxiety symptoms and promotes getting better outcomes for patient. Another advantage of IPT is that it overcomes the limitation of CBT and focus on feelings in interpersonal situation instead of cognition to understand signals of client during interpersonal encounter sessions in therapy (Dag et al., 2015). However, some disadvantage found in the research study was that mediating factors influencing IPTs effect and adaptation rate was not properly explained by the researcher. Hence, as IPT may not work for different patient subsamples, there is a need to consider specific process for adaptation of IPT to yield greater efficacy in research outcome. Conclusion: As the treatment of psychotherapy is a holistic approach, the therapists are bound to have many issues while treating the patients with different problems. Many issues they face are ethical and many of the issues are methodological. The article is concerned with the outcome result of two such methodological issues. The first issue, which has been discussed, is responsiveness, which is necessary for the therapist to make a positive outcome for the patients. Responsiveness from the patients comes through their feedbacks of the therapy. One study named Using Client Feedback to Improve Couple Therapy Outcomes: A randomized Clinical Trial in a Naturalistic Setting was chosen for the outcome study. From this study, it can be concluded that responsiveness is necessary for the revised treatment of the patients. The second issue was the usage of IPT methodology instead of CBT for the patients who have anxiety disorder. The study, which was chosen for the outcome result, is Critical Review of Outcome research on Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders. The result showed that the patients could be treated to an extent with IPT methodology instead of CBT. From this above discussion, it can be concluded that there is scope for the IPT methodology to improve as it can be successfully used as an intervention method to treat the patients with anxiety. Further researches are needed in this area. From the first case study, it can be concluded that to battle the dilemma, the psychotherapists should take feedback from the clients, as responsiveness is the only way to give the patients with proper treatment. References: Anker, M. G., Duncan, B. L., Sparks, J. A. (2009). Using client feedback to improve couple therapy outcomes: A randomized clinical trial in a naturalistic setting.Journal of consulting and clinical psychology,77(4), 693. Barker, M., Vossler, A., Langdridge, D. (2010).Understanding counselling and psychotherapy. Sage. Borkovec, T. D., Ruscio, A. M. (2001). Psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Cooper, M., McLeod, J. (2010).Pluralistic counselling and psychotherapy. Sage. Cuijpers, P., Geraedts, A. S., van Oppen, P., Andersson, G., Markowitz, J. C., van Straten, A. (2011). Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression: a meta-analysis.American Journal of Psychiatry,168(6), 581-592. Dag, J., Asplund, R. P., Bsenko, H. A., Hjerling, S., Holmberg, A., Westh, S., ... Andersson, G. (2014). Cognitive behavior therapy versus interpersonal psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder delivered via smartphone and computer: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of anxiety disorders,28(4), 410-417. Etherington, K. (2009). Life story research: A relevant methodology for counsellors and psychotherapists.Counselling and Psychotherapy Research,9(4), 225-233. Feltham, C., Hanley, T., Winter, L. A. (Eds.). (2017).The SAGE handbook of counselling and psychotherapy. Sage. Luty, S. E., Carter, J. D., McKENZIE, J. M., Rae, A. M., Frampton, C. M., Mulder, R. T., Joyce, P. R. (2007). Randomised controlled trial of interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitivebehavioural therapy for depression.The British Journal of Psychiatry,190(6), 496-502. Markowitz, J. C., Lipsitz, J., Milrod, B. L. (2014). Critical review of outcome research on interpersonal psychotherapy for anxiety disorders.Depression and anxiety,31(4), 316-325. Palmer, S. (2007). PRACTICE: A model suitable for coaching, counselling, psychotherapy and stress management.The Coaching Psychologist,3(2), 71-77. Stiles, W. B. (2009). Responsiveness as an obstacle for psychotherapy outcome research: It's worse than you think.Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice,16(1), 86-91. Ponterotto, J. G., Kuriakose, G., Granovskaya, Y. (2008). Counselling and psychotherapy.The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology, 455-471. Riessman, C. K., Speedy, J. (2007). Narrative inquiry in the psychotherapy professions.Handbook of narrative inquiry: Mapping a methodology,426456. Fava, M., Rush, A. J., Alpert, J. E., Balasubramani, G. K., Wisniewski, S. R., Carmin, C. N., ... Warden, D. (2008). Difference in treatment outcome in outpatients with anxious versus nonanxious depression: a STAR* D report.American Journal of Psychiatry,165(3), 342-351. Kazdin, A. E. (2008). Evidence-based treatment and practice: new opportunities to bridge clinical research and practice, enhance the knowledge base, and improve patient care.American psychologist,63(3), 146.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

My Reaction To The Character Of Mrs. Mallard Essays -

My Reaction To The Character Of Mrs. Mallard In ?The Story of an Hour,? Kate Chopin describes to her readers a young woman's response to her husband's death, or at least his presumed death. The opinions readers will draw from this story will vary from person to person due to personal experiences. The experience and wisdom that I have gained through the trails and tribulations of my life help me to understand, relate, and even despise Mrs. Mallard's character. On one hand, I feel pity for Mrs. Mallard. I think she felt trapped in a situation that she found to be inescapable. She felt lonely, restless, and did not know how to help herself. Yet, on the other hand, I do not feel sorry for her character. Almost immediately after finding out that her husband is dead, she rejoices at her newfound freedom. I think that her actions portray in her a selfish and cowardly nature. The story takes place in the late nineteenth century, a time when women had very limited rights. Mrs. Mallard, a young woman who has a bad heart, plays the main character in this story. She receives news that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. Mrs. Mallard is shocked and bewildered by the death of her husband. However, the feeling of bewilderment is only a temporary feeling that quickly leads to an overwhelming sense of freedom. A freedom she has desperately longed for. Yet, shortly after receiving the news of her husbands death there is a knock at the door. Upon opening the door, she discovers that her husband is not dead, for he is standing in the doorway alive and well. Mr. Mallard's appearance causes his wife to die. ?[T]he doctors ? said she [has] died of heart disease ? of joy that kills? (12). However, I believe that she dies because she realizes that she will never be free. In addition, I believe this fact disappoints her to the point where she seems to feel that life is not worth living without freedom. I think Mrs. Mallard felt trapped in her marriage, a marriage where communication no longer existed. I believe this caused her to feel very alone and restless in her marriage. In the late nineteenth century, women basically had little or no rights. It was thought that women's sole purpose in society was to marry, have children, and to care for their family and household. Women of this era were not allowed to satisfy their own wants and desires. Therefore, we can assume that Mrs. Mallard got married at a young age. This fact, along with the crumbling of her marriage caused her to feel lost in a world where she knew not even herself. The fact that she was unable to experience life for herself resulted in her yearning desire for independence. These explanations contributed to Mrs. Mallard's overwhelming enjoyment of her newfound freedom. I know how it is to feel trapped in a relationship that is going bad. One feels there is no reasonable way out; this can cause a person to become lonely and impatient for independence. The fact that I have experienced a similar situation enables me to relate to the character of Mrs. Mallard and can justify the feelings of sympathy and compassion I have towards her. In addition, I know how exciting it is to be able to experience life, adventures, and independence. In this way, I understand Mrs. Mallard's irrepressible feeling of joy at her newfound liberation. On the other hand, I feel that the instant happiness that Mrs. Mallard finds in her husband's death is disturbing. This instant joy portrays the character of Mrs. Mallard as insensitive, selfish, and cowardly. The fact that Mrs. Mallard spent no more than a few moments mourning the presumed death of her husband depicts her character as heartless. She almost instantly converts her train of thought from mourning the death of her husband to rejoicing in her new life and newfound freedom. This conversion of thought shows the selfish aspect of her character. The fact Mrs. Mallard did not try to work out her problems with her husband exposes the cowardly side of her character. Instead, she