Aeronautical Science Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aeronautical Science - Assignment Example The changes in pressure cause a change in velocity (accelerations) resulting in motion if the balanced forces are maintained. In choosing a rivet, it should be made of the same materials as the object being fastened, have an equal length to the thickness of the two objects, select non-corrosive ones, the diameter must fit the hole of installation, and have a countersunk head because of the wind resistance concern (Dorf n.p). The modulus of elasticity is the rate of change of strain as a function of stress. Specifically, this is the slope of the straight-line portion of a stress-strain graph. Furthermore, it can be described as the mathematical description of an objects affinity to be distorted elastically when energy is applied to it (Fang 304). The application of force result in the formation of a stress-strain curve (slope) called the Modulus of Elasticity. The plastic property of a material is the plastic deformation that occurs when there is adequate stress to deform a metal permanently. Specifically, it involves the movement of dislocation that breaks limited number of atomic bonds (Fang 307). On the other hand, elastic property or deformation is a temporal change in the shape of a metal at a little stress that allows the material to self-reverse to its original

Militia in the War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Militia in the War of 1812 - Essay Example In addition, many on the western front believed that Britain was involved with Native Americans in the attacks upon settlers Confrontation seemed inevitable, and coincident with a declaration of war was the fact that most of the political power resided in the South and the West; The same people who were anxious to go to war with Britain were also the ones whom the president needed to support him in what was, after all, the year of the presidential election. War was almost certain under these conditions. That does not mean, however, that the American states were prepared for war. Many authors agree that the constitution was fearful of creating a large standing army, and for this reason relied upon the citizens to form militias in times of crisis: " The actual standing army was tiny, with the Office of the Chief of Military History calculating that army at about 11,744 men. As a consequence of this small number, the defense of the united States was very dependant upon militia armies raised by the states. As many of the militias held by individual states were disorganized and chaotic, "Many states had to recreate their militia from scratch once war was declared in June 1812". Therefore, one of the reasons why different states had different militia was partly dependant upon the state of this army before 1812: where the militia was in good repair, the state could mobilize these units effectively; where they had fallen into disrepair, the 1812 militia was usually ill-trained and ill-equipped. How these militia were created and maintained was very much dependant upon the individual states. Many of them were opposed to these raised armies being taken away from their state of origin, as a proclamation by the Governor of Vermont in 1813 demonstrates: It appears, that the third brigadeof militia of this state, has Been ordered from our frontiers to the defence of a neighbouring Statewhereby an extensive section of our own frontier is left, In a measure, unprotected, and thegood citizens thereof are put In great jeopardy (Chittenden, 1813) The federal governments were unwilling to put large numbers of their men at the disposal of the National government, and especially, they did not want to see their troops moved out of their province in order to defend another state. There were other reasons why federal states might be unwilling to put up large militias. While many of the Western states wanted the war, states such as New England actually sided with England, and "Massachusetts Governor Caleb Strong even attempted secret negotiations with England with a planfor New England to secede from the Union" (Lutins, 2007). So the second reason for differences in the militia is the differences in support (or lack thereof) for the war. Both of these reasons were also interacting with the great problem which the United States had with federal governments, which is the reluctance of the States to grant power

Effect of Marijuana on PTSD Patient Stress Levels

Effect of Marijuana on PTSD Patient Stress Levels Does marijuana decrease stress levels in patients with PTSD? Marijuana and the topic of its effects and whether it should be legalized or not is a popular controversy. Advocates for legalization claim that there are multiple benefits for medical cannabis use, such as treating PTSD patients to reduce their symptom severity and many others. With growing interest in marijuana and its benefits across the world, more knowledge on its composition and effects are vital to ensure that misuse doesn’t become dangerous. Multiple studies have been done on the topic of the correlation between marijuana use and PTSD symptom severity. With varying results, there is significant evidence supporting both sides of the argument. This encourages the fact that more studies need to be conducted to gain a more definitive answer. However, it is evident that marijuana may reduce stress levels in patients with PTSD. Two studies on the effects of cannabinoids on the brain on the consolidation of a traumatic event show that marijuana can be used as a sort of therapy. One of the studies discussed tested the specific cannabinoid and glucocorticoid receptors and their reactions in the amygdala and hippocampus. The other studied the effects of enhancing endocannabinoid signaling and blocking corticotrophin releasing receptor in the amygdala and hippocampus. Both these studies were very specific and had positive results. The findings of the first study suggested that the basolateral amygdala is an area of action of cannabinoids and glucocorticoids in moderating consolidation of traumatic memory in a rat model with PTSD.1 The findings also showed the specific receptors that are activated and deactivated in the amygdala and hippocampus when being treated with cannabinoids for PTSD. The findings of the second article also suggested that enhancing endocannabinoid signaling in the amygdala and hippocampus produced a favorable spectrum of effects. Marijuana dependence is shown to moderate the effect of PTSD on trauma reactivity in substance dependent patients. One of the studies explored the role of marijuana dependence in the relationship between PTSD and subjective and biological emotional reactivity in response to a stressful situation. The findings of the study showed that patients with PTSD who were also marijuana dependent may experience changes in their emotional processing in response to said stressful situations.2 This dampens their emotional reactivity in order for them to not have triggering symptoms. Studies show that with moderate amounts on a regular basis, PTSD symptoms in patients were reduced. One such study explored the moderating role of the tendency to engage in strategies to reduce unpleasant personal experiences in the PTSD–cannabis dependence relationship. This study was conducted among a sample of patients with PTSD in residential substance abuse treatment. Another study reported and statistically analyzed psychometric data on PTSD symptoms. Both of these studies showed evidence for marijuana reducing PTSD symptoms. The studies showed that they are consistent with evidence that marijuana use may serve an avoidant role among individuals with PTSD3 and that cannabis is associated with drops in PTSD symptom severity in some patients.4 Both the studies had positive findings that supported the affirmative side of this argument, but also stated that more experiments and studies are crucial for a more definite and well-rounded answer. Some studies show that PTSD patients who use marijuana with expectations regarding their symptoms decreasing experienced no relief, or their symptoms worsened. One study surveyed over 650 male combat veterans who used marijuana to treat their symptoms. These studies not only discuss the dangers of developing a substance use disorder, but the issue of the patients then resorting to other dangerous and potentially harmful drugs to alleviate their disorder. The results of this study showed combat-exposed veterans who use cannabis appear to use more as the magnitude of their PTSD symptoms and the expectations of cannabis-induced relief of those symptoms increase.5 Not only did marijuana consumption not help them, but their symptoms got worse and in turn, their drug intake also got heavier. Veterans reported expecting marijuana-related improvement of all types of symptoms, but significantly more relief from symptoms of intrusion than hyperarousal, followed by avoidance and then numbing.5 Another study also showed that starters and continuing users of marijuana had significantly higher measures of PTSD symptom severity at follow-up tests compared to patients that have either never used marijuana or have stopped. Marijuana consumers also showed significantly higher measures of violent behavior at follow-up than all other groups.6 Some studies also show that treating PTSD with marijuana while having substance use disorders (SUD) and/or cannabis use disorder (CUD) is ineffective. One study conducted a test on the effects of cannabis on patients with PTSD as well as SUDs. Another study did a CUD diagnosis and observed changes in PTSD symptoms over time after discontinuation. This study claimed to present the first evidence of a potential relationship between problematic cannabis use and PTSD symptoms. This indicated that individuals with a CUD are likely to experience lower levels of change in PTSD symptoms over time.7 Some studies show that patients aren’t benefitted nor harmed by marijuana treatments. However, if the patient continues using marijuana to a point where they develop a CUD, then they will also experience lower or no levels of change in the severity of their symptoms. One of the studies stated that there were no significant positive nor negative associations between cannabis use and end-of-treatment PTSD symptom severity.8 These results support the argument that there are no effects to marijuana treatments. This study also stated that cannabis use was not linked to symptom outcomes at end-of-treatment across participants.8 This again shows that there was no correlation between cannabis use and positive nor negative symptom progress. There is significant evidence for both sides of this argument. Studies show that cannabinoids block certain receptors and dampens emotional reactivity, which in turn, lessens the severity of PTSD symptoms. More studies show that many patients are benefitted by marijuana treatments and they report significant decreases in their stress and anxiety levels. However, some studies also show that cannabis treatments can worsen symptoms. As the patient’s symptoms worsen, their intake is increased until they develop a cannabis-use-disorder (CUD). Studies show that patients with CUDs experience lower levels of change in their symptoms, or don’t experience any changes at all. Some others also state that there is actually no benefit, nor harm as cannabis is not directly correlated with PTSD symptoms at all. However, like all medication, certain individuals experience different effects at different levels since no one is the same. These results clearly show that different people can either benefit from marijuana, develop worse symptoms, or not have any effects at all. Taking into consideration all the factors and study results, more research, experiments and studies need to be conducted to achieve a more thorough answer. References 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shoshan, N. & Akirav, I. The effects of cannabinoid receptors activation and glucocorticoid receptors deactivation in the amygdala and hippocampus on the consolidation of a traumatic event. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 144, 248–258 (2017). 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aisenberg, N., Serova, L., Sabban, E. L. & Akirav, I. The effects of enhancing endocannabinoid signaling and blocking corticotrophin releasing factor receptor in the amygdala and hippocampus on the consolidation of a stressful event. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 27, 913–927 (2017). 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bordieri, M. J., Tull, M. T., McDermott, M. J. & Gratz, K. L. The moderating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and cannabis dependence. J. Context. Behav. Sci. 3, 273–278 (2014). 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greer, G. R., Grob, C. S. & Halberstadt, A. L. PTSD Symptom Reports of Patients Evaluated for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program. J. Psychoactive Drugs 46, 73–77 (2014). 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Earleywine, M. & Bolles, J. R. Marijuana, Expectancies, and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms: A Preliminary Investigation. J. Psychoactive Drugs 46, 171–177 (2014). 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wilkinson, S. T., Stefanovics, E. & Rosenheck, R. A. Marijuana use is associated with worse outcomes in symptom severity and violent behavior in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. J. Clin. Psychiatry 76, 1174–1180 (2015). 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bonn-Miller, M. O., Boden, M. T., Vujanovic, A. A. & Drescher, K. D. Prospective investigation of the impact of cannabis use disorders on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among veterans in residential treatment. Psychol. Trauma Theory, Res. Pract. Policy 5, 193–200 (2013). 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ruglass, L. et al. Impact of Cannabis Use on Treatment Outcomes among Adults Receiving Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for PTSD and Substance Use Disorders. J. Clin. Med. 6, 14 (2017). 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   by MJG,   compiled. Hemp History Timeline on RediscoverHemp.com. RediscoverHemp 7 (2015). Topic Justification: I selected my topic for a variety of reasons. I strongly believe that marijuana could be a revolutionary drug with multiple medical benefits if more thorough research and experiments are conducted. As someone with a passion for helping people medically, I envision the advantages humankind can extract from the beneficial components of the drug. Starting from the treatments done on PTSD patients, I believe that more enlightenment on the drug could help us to understand it better and hopefully cater it to heal multiple diseases and conditions. Marijuana has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy throughout the world. In fact, the earliest use of marijuana and hemp dates back to 4000 B.C, where it was used in ancient China and Chinese-occupied Turkestan9. With no recorded deaths resulting from overdoses (ever) in history, the fact that marijuana is classified at the highest drug classification alongside harsh drugs like cocaine and heroin seems astounding. This also significantly limits the amount of legal research and experiments that can be conducted. I believe that starting off with PTSD patients, as more recognition is received to marijuana as a medical drug rather than a â€Å"dangerous illicit substance†, the benefits can be thoroughly explored and new medical breakthroughs can be achieved.

Character Relations In The Awakening :: essays research papers

It would be easy to say that Edna Pontellier emulates both Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, however, throughout the novel, it is evident that Edna steps out beyond this assumption and asserts herself as another person altogether. This is obvious in the defining features of each of the women. Madame Ratignolle, for example, is always represented in a very flamboyant nature and is usually associated with clothes, whereas, Mademoiselle Reisz, in contrast, has no relation to clothes or anything of material nature. She instead is associated “passionately'; with music. Edna, on the other hand, has none of these qualities attributed to her. She is not described in terms of clothes. She is never attributed with being flamboyant. She is not musically inclined, with the exception of the fact that the music moves her toward the “awakening'; of her sensuality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When examining the first stirrings, “a certain light [that] was beginning to dawn dimly within her,'; we see that Edna thinks independently of outside interference. When she “was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her'; she does just that—she realizes the world within her, not without her. That is to say, she does this entire “awakening'; on her own. She does not directly receive any outside influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edna Pontellier, as a whole, is a woman completely different from any other in the novel. She stands alone and thinks alone and speaks alone. Her ideas and thoughts are completely hers. It would be wrong to say that Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are embodiments of two different Ednas. They are not. They contribute their thoughts and ideas to Edna but Edna interprets these thoughts and ideas and either incorporates them or disregards them. In the end, with one fell swoop, she disregards everything ever suggested to her by these two other women. In the final chapter, she takes off all her clothes and walks into the water thereby ridding herself of both Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz. She does this in that, as mentioned earlier, Madame Ratignolle is often represented by her clothes, thus, by taking off all her clothes and standing “naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that beat upon her, and the waves that invited her' ; she rejects Madame Ratignolle’s self-righteous dedication to her husband and children.

Peak – Time Executions as a Television Spectacular

Peak – time Executions as a Television Spectacular Peak-time Executions As a Television Spectacular by Ellen Goodman. Written for The Washington Post in America in 1954 and later published in the British newspaper The Guardian Weekly on April 1, 1984. The article is about how the murderer James David Autry wants his execution to be on the television and Goodman asks questions to whether or not it is okay to show the spectators that kind of violent spectacular and how it will affect them.Obviously this article was meant to create a debate when it was published those many years after in Britain. If we take a look at the different executions that occur in the article, then we get a pretty good view of how the articles main interest and opinion is negative and wants to show that it has done nothing but bring out the bad in people. Watt Espy who is an historian of capital punishment at the University of Alabama Law Center believes and has heard that violence only brings more violen ce – â€Å"[†¦] has collected tales of the violence begat by violence† (p. ll. 1-2). He gives an example of how the execution of two men in Attling, Georgia. leads to a fight between the spectators and ends with a man being killed. He states – â€Å"This was not unique† (p. 2 l. 3). By that he tells us that it was not uncommon at that time to have consequences like that happen during an execution. The people at that time didn’t handle the rush of the spectacle and of the â€Å"show† very well. It got to them and the influence of the bad situation would spread and affect the spectators.Another example of an execution giving by Goodman is when she talks about one of the last time that the public could watch an execution in America. It was August 26, 1936 that Raine Bethea was hung in front of a crowd of 10,000 people in Owensboro, Kentucky. Goodman describe the execution before and after, like it was some kind of concert or entertainment show that the spectators were about to watch. â€Å"Through the early hours of that day, â€Å"Hawkers squeezed their way through the crowd selling popcorn and hot dogs. Telephone poles and trees were festooned with spectators†. (p. 1 ll. 12-13) It reminds me of a circus, where you can buy hot dogs or an outdoor movie theater with popcorn, also Goodman writes that a vivid account by Time Magazine showed that the night before the execution of Bethea, the spectators had gone to hanging parties and drinking like the execution was something to look forward to. â€Å"By 5 o’clock, â€Å"the crowd grew impatient, began to yip, â€Å"Let’s go, bring him out†. † (p. 1 l. 14) Again the crowd shows the influence of what was going on. The bad situation had a violent effect on them.It made them seem and act almost crazy by the things Goodman describes – â€Å"At 5. 28 there was a swish, a snap. † Soon the spectators crowded in and â€Å"eager hands clawed at the black death cloth†¦ The lucky ones stuffed the bits of black cloth in their pockets†. † (p. 1 ll. 16-17) The quote says that â€Å"the lucky ones† got to go home with a piece of clothing from Bethea after he was dead, as proof that they had witnessed the execution. The way that the reaction to Bethea’s execution gets described is very harsh and cynical, like the spectators had forgotten their humanity and compassion.It is an example like this that makes Goodman bring it up. It shows how wrong it is and what impact seeing an execution can have on people. She sees no reason for bringing such a spectacle up again. For example this quote says that if we go back to the way it was back then it would most likely result in videos of the state-approved murders – â€Å"As we resume the march of state-approved murder, it seems likely that television reporters will soon be allowed to bring tools of their trade – cameras – into the death chamber, the way print reporters bring pencils† (p. ll. 21-13) â€Å"Indeed, if others have their way, we may yet tune in on death. Live at Five. We may enter the death chamber through the living room. Once again we may become spectators at executions† (p. 1 ll. 5-7) – Again when she writes â€Å"once again† she refers to it as going around 50 years back in time to when it was executions on the streets. She also uses irony with the â€Å"live at five† because it makes it sound like it was any other television show and that we could watch death â€Å"through the living room†, that doesn’t sound very appealing.By saying things like that she uses the irony to make people think about what this actually means, which is watching another human die as â€Å"entertainment† on the television in your own living room. In the article Goodman also write about arguments for and against showing executions on televisions, but not her own arguments though. â€Å"Some who favour capital punishment as a deterrent to crime are convinced that watching an execution would scare criminals straight. Some who oppose capital punishment believe that the sight would enrage the public† (p. 1 ll. 3-25) as the quote says an argument for, could be to scare the criminals so they could see what could happen to them. And an argument against could be that it would only have a bad effect on the public. â€Å"There’s no scientific way to prove in advance the effect of televised executions on crime [†¦ ] but we do know something about the effect on the â€Å"audience†. We do know something about spectators from the old days† (p. 2 l. 12, ll. 13-14) – Goodman knows that there is no way to prove what effect it would bring but she see no reason to try and test it. The descriptions of his death were graphic enough† (p. 1 l. 1) – When writing about Autry, Goodman clearly states her op inion towards the subject which if the executions should be on television or not. Like the descriptions of how Autry’s execution went in details weren’t enough? She is saying that it should be enough. That showing it on television would be over doing it. Hearing about how someone takes a man’s life on purpose would be hard enough but to actually see it happening with your own eyes would be horrifying.

Alienation and Isolation in The Metamorphosis Essay

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a reflection on how alienation and isolation begin and develop in a society by employing the characters in his novella as a representation of society as a whole. Using Gregor’s manager to demonstrate the initiation of isolation and alienation of a person, Gregor as the person being isolated and the inhabitants of the Samsa household as the other members of society, Kafka creates an effective model to represent the hierarchically structured effect of isolationism and alienation in society on a larger scale. Kafka uses the company Gregor is forced to work for to illustrate the hierarchical effect of isolation and alienation, where the initiation of isolationism begins at the top of the hierarchy and thus creates a ripple effect down through the rest of society. The manager of the company that Gregor must work for due to a family debt is the representative Kafka chooses to demonstrate the most important person in the hierarchy. By waking up as an insect and being late for work, Gregor has broken his conformity to the parameters of what is tolerated by the company, so the manager himself comes to deal with the issue since such circumstances can â€Å"only be entrusted to the intelligence of the manager† (Kafka, 13). This, as well as how the family treats the manager as nicely as possible when he arrives demonstrates the importance of the manager’s decisions and their respect for authority. Further demonstrating the importance of his decisions, the manager is the first to react to Gregor’s transformation by threatening, â€Å"your position is not at all the most secure† (17) when Gregor will not open his door. This shows that he has the ability to completely disrupt Gregor’s place in the hierarchy and in doing so, isolate and alienate him from the rest of society. The manager remarks, â€Å"that was an animal’s voice† (20) when Gregor speaks, which alienates Gregor from humanity and reacts strongly to the sight of Gregor by â€Å"pressing his hand against his open mouth and moving back slowly† (23). After firing Gregor, the manager flees the building which causes the initiation of Gregor’s isolation since work was the most important and most time consuming thing in his life. This shows that as with society in general, the person in charge holds tremendous influence over the rest of the population and is capable of initiat ing the idea that a person must be isolated. Just because the figure in power decrees that a person is not a good member of society and should be isolated, however, does not mean that all members of society react the same way. the spectrum of views that members of society take against those who have been isolated is shown through Kafka’s portrayal of the Samsa family’s reaction to his transformation. Gregor’s father represents those who respect authority and immediately agree with those higher in the hierarchy and unquestioningly aid in the isolation process. He wears a â€Å"blue uniform with gold buttons† (62) even when he is at home, asleep on a chair in the living room which demonstrates the value he places on the system. This is also illustrated as soon as the manager reacts to Gregor’s deviation from normal when Mr. Samsa begins to â€Å"drive Gregor back into his room by waving the cane and the newspaper† (29). Other members of the family, however, react differently to the situat ion. Grete is the closest to Gregor and is the most sympathetic to him immediately after his transformation by placing milk in his room, which â€Å"was his favourite drink and which his sister had currently placed there for that reason† (34). Her reaction to Gregor’s isolation demonstrates the opposite of Mr. Samsa’s by being as considerate as he is forceful in Gregor’s alienation. Her relationship with Gregor demonstrates how in society, those who know the person being isolated before its initiation are most likely to resist helping to enforce the isolation. However, Kafka understands that people are very dynamic and often change their opinions. Grete undergoes a change in perspective to such a degree that by the end of the novella it is she who declares, â€Å"we must get rid of it† (84). This change in perspective shows how Kafka believes that members of society often stop sympathizing with the isolated group when it becomes inconvenient for them to continue doing so. Gregor’s mother reacts in an initial manner somewhere between the father and sister since when first seeing him she â€Å"went two steps toward Gregor and collapsed right in the middle of her skirts† (23). These conflicting desires continue through the novella, such as when Mr. Samsa tries to kill Gregor, â€Å"she begged him to spare Gregor’s life† (65) but at the same time she is repulsed by him. This illustrates how she wants to help him and tries to think of him the same way she did before his transformation, yet is unable to. This resembles the idealists in society who theoretically support the alienated person but often succumb to social pressures when they are forced to face the problem. These three reactions to Gregor’s transformation as a result of the initiation of his isolation by the manager demonstrate the spectrum of reactions. From the immediate acceptance of the hierarchy represented by Mr. Samsa, to the true compassion of Grete and the idealism of Mrs. Samsa, Kafka shows how a wide variety of reactions is expected from society, and how people often change their opinions. Similarly to how social pressures affect his mother, Gregor is also convinced through his respect for authority that he deserves the isolation enforced on him by society. He believes those above him in the hierarchy to such an extent that he eventually reaches the conclusion that he would be better off dead that to have his family suffering because of his presence. Like his father, Gregor has a strong respect for authority and served in the military until his father, who is an authoritative figure in his life, needed financial help so he became â€Å"almost overnight, a traveling salesman, who naturally had entirely different possibilities for earning money (†¦) which could be set out on the table at home in front of his astonished and delighted family† (43). Gregor’s decision to help his family pay off their debt without thinking of the effect it would have on his own happiness or considering refusing shows how firmly he is entrenched in the hierarchical system. The belief that authoritative figures are always correct leads him to think that since society dictates that he is worthless and deserves isolation, he would be better off dead than a burden to society. This is shown after Grete and Mr. Samsa decide that they want him gone, but Gregor’s â€Å"own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sisters† (89). He overhears his family bemoaning their misfortune and since they are above him on the hierarchical structure, Gregor believes that he has to die in order to spare them the trouble of having to deal with him. This illustrates how Kafka believes that society is so dependent on a hierarchical structure and the guidance from authoritative figures that they cannot think for themselves and even the person who is isolated may still respect and follow those higher in the hierarchy. This is the final step in the transmission of an idea through a social hierarchy whereby everyone believes that a person is lesser and should not exist, including the alienated person themselves. The Metamorphosis comes together to show the hierarchical pattern Kafka believes a society follows in regard to isolation and alienation. He uses the manager of the company Gregor works for to model the instigation of isolationism, which in society is determined by the most important person in the hierarchy. Gregor’s family represents society as a whole and is used to illustrate the variety of reactions the people in society after they are told who to alienate. These reactions range from immediate, unquestioning agreement with those higher in the hierarchy, to idealistically supporting the isolated person, to sympathizing with and trying to help the alienated person. He also uses Grete to demonstrate the dynamic state of human reactions, by changing from sympathetic and caring to vicious and unsupportive by the end of the novella. Kafka continues this shaping of society from the hierarchical structure by causing Gregor himself to agree with the authoritative figures in his life and conform to the idea that he is worthless, thus imposing self-isolation. the interactions between the characters in The Metamorphosis show how Kafka believes that the isolation and alienation of a person in society is initiated by those at the top of the social hierarchy and works its way down through the hierarchy until eventually everyone in society has been influenced to accept the initial decision of one person. Works Cited Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Trans. Ian Johnstone. Nanaimo: Malaspina University-College, 1999.