Provincialism in to “Kill A Mockingird” Essay

The 1930s was a time when the U.S. was undergoing major changes. As well as the economic depression which was being felt so sharply; it was the years where clashes between certain ethnic groups occured. The happenings of those days have been reflected upon literature as well. Most of the authors often take racism as their theme, as their main idea. However,†Harper Lee†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs book, To Kill A Mockingbird, was different than the other books because Harper Lee created the theme of â€Å"provincialism† which added great variety to his book. The book is about a six-year-old called Scout who is reacting to the provincial events in her town, Maycomb County in Southern Alabama. Harper Lee classifies the types of provincialism in three major parts such as; distrust of others who are different, evidence of different levels of society and finally racial intolerance. Firstly, Harper Lee uses the general attitude of Maycomb people towards some persons who they think are untrustworthy; to show a face of provincialism. The first example is the town’s perception of Miss Maudie, an old lady whose hobby is to look after her flowers and keep her garden neat. The town thinks that if she went inside the house to read the bible she might have done something better. One day she tells Scout: â€Å"Did you know some of them came out of the woods one day and told me that me and my flowers were gonna go to hell, they thought I spent too much time God’s outdoors but not enough time in the house reading the Bible.†(p.50) The town perceives Mrs. Maudie as a person who has gone mad and yet enforce her to become religious like the rest of the town. The second example is Atticus who the town once saw as their pride but suddenly lost all his dignity by defending a black man in the court. â€Å"I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger lover besides but it certainly does mortify the rest of the family†(p.89)says Francis to Scout on the night when they are celebrating Christmas. Atticus’s attempt is certainly not approved by the family, the family is now thinking that Atticus has become a stain for their name. The last example is the Radley Family who behaves so badly when considering Maycomb’s own principles. â€Å"The Radleys welcome anywhere in town had kept to themselves, a predilection unforgiveable in Maycomb†(p.15) says Scout, pointing out to the town’s pre-judice against the Radleys. Maycomb, being a little town where everything is constant and where people happen to always predict what is  waiting ahead of them, has become a boring place. This boring atmosphere of Maycomb leads people to gossip about certain people like the Radleys, like Atticus or like Mrs. Maudie or other people who don’t admi re Maycomb’s ways. Secondly, Harper Lee shows the reader the various socio-economic groups of people in Maycomb as a part of his theme, provincialism. The town has a caste system where slaves and blacks form the group with the least income, living in absolute poverty. The blacks are socially and racially discriminated and live in a totally segregated area. They use different buses, they have their own schools, they don’t have equal rights in the law and they aren’t even allowed to use the same water fountains as whites. They are third class people, briefly. In a conversation about the trial of Tom Robinson, a Negro, Mrs.Merriweather tells Scout the following words: â€Å"The cooks and field hands are just are just dissatisfied, but they’re settling down now, they grumbled all next day after the trial.†(p.238) In here Mrs.Merriweather sees the blacks as servants only, as field workers or cooks. That’s what mostly can become from a black person. The second group of peop le is the farmers whose economic condition is slightly better than the blacks; but having a tough time because of the economic depression. When Scout wonders if her family is poorer than the Cunninghams, Atticus answers her: â€Å"The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers and the crash hit them the hardest.†(p.27) This quote shows the impact of the economic crisis on farmers who are not able to sell the cotton to others. The last groups of people appearing in Maycomb are the educated people and the ladies of the town who spend most of their time sitting and gossiping about the ways of other people. Aunt Alexandra, who comes to stay with Atticus just for a while fits in those ladies very well and becomes a permanent member of all the social activities in Maycomb. She even becomes the secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club. â€Å"To all parties present and participating in the life of the county, Aunt Alexandra was one of the last of her kind; she had river-boat, boarding school manners; let any moral come along and she would uphold it; she was born in the objective case; she was an incurable gossip†(p.135) says Scout, commenting on the things Aunt Alexandra does. Yet, Aunt Alexandra puts down the Cunninghams; â€Å"They’re not good folks like us† she says to Scout, telling her that she is a Finch and she should know  with which people she should be friends with. Referring to all these, there happens to be a concealed caste system in Maycomb, the wealth of a person is taken greatly into consideration when you are evaluating him, the character and other attributions come after that. Lastly, Harper Lee uses the discriminatory acts of white people against blacks that create a convenient mood for provincialism. The Maycomb County is a place where people live with their traditions and it contains many ethnic groups. Like most of the other narrow-minded American towns, Maycomb County is where blacks are treated too badly. For instance during the trial of Tom Robinson when Bob Jewell is explaining to the jury what happened on the night, when his daughter, Mayella was raped; he points his finger at Tom Robinson and curses: â€Å"I seen that nigger rutting on my Mayella.† (p.179) Bearing in mind the fact that the word â€Å"rut† means special excitement time for animals, here Bob Ewell does maybe the most embarrassing thing that can be done to a man. According to the Maycomb people there is no difference between a black person and an animal. Another kind of intolerance we see is implemented on whites who are on the side of blacks; people just like Atticus. After Atticus’s decision about lawing for a nigger is heard all over Maycomb. â€Å"My folks said that your daddy was a disgrace and a nigger ought a hang form the river-tank.†(p.82) shouts out Cecil Jacobs, Scout’s friend from school. Everyone now assumes that Atticus should have gone totally blank and mad by defending a black man. The whites who are with blacks are unfortunately have to face the same struggle as blacks. A white that is with a black is a shame on the white community. The last kind of intolerance is this time coming from a different direction, the isolation of whites from the black community. As it is mentioned before, there is an enormous wall separating these two worlds from each other. A location belongs to either blacks or whites. Just like whites, blacks want respect for the privacy of their community. For instance when Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to the black church, the cold air of exposure greets her: â€Å"You ain’t got no business bringing white chillun here, they got their church, we got our’n. This is our church, ain’t it Miss Cal.†(p.125), Lula, a black woman, expresses her feelings. This proves that there are two different worlds appearing in the Maycomb County. An individual is belonging to one of  those communities. Just like whites blacks always possess a world whose insight is known only to themselves. The Maycomb County is a place where different ethnic groups clash in ideology. After having examined all these examples, it may be concluded that provincialism has three sides to it; pre-judice against certain people who are standing out of the crowd, the presence of gaps between certain people in wealth and philosophy and lastly intolerance of opposite races and peculiar people. The Maycomb County is a place where people are judged according to the town’s own principles, where a person is placed in a certain category of people among with the ones having similar attributions, and finally a place where races happen to be in challenge. Overall, Harper Lee’s TKAM is a good example of what human-beings can do to each other once they live with provincialism.

Race and Your Community Essay

My community is very diverse. On the left side of my house you will find a young, white on white, married couple and to my left the opposite is true; you will find an older, black on black, married couple. If you walk down my street you will find a wide range of colors and ages any of which may be married or single, in an interracial relationship or of the same race. The feeling tends to be live and let live, or so I thought until I actually spoke with some of my friends that are either of color or are in interracial relationships. What I found was shocking to me and that is that racism is very much alive in my community. I am a white female and I am 35 years old and I am married to a white man that is 30 years old. I have three children from a previous marriage and they are also white. Because the media tends to be geared toward people of white skin I would have to say that they represent people like me. Our local news station consists of two Hispanic news anchors and the rest of the journalists are primarily white, but I do know of one black gentleman. Every where you go in my community the two races that you see represented are whites and Hispanics. I’m not sure what the thinking is concerning the lack of recognition for the other races, but it does bother me that it is so very obvious in its exclusion of others. I am assuming that these decisions are made by leaders within the community, but who they might be I am not sure. I really don’t have much to do with â€Å"leaders† in my community outside of my Pastors and their view is very much the same as mine and that is that people are people and God made us all to be equal. My Pastor has a daughter that is mix and maybe this is one reason he is so open to all races and people. The one thing that you will notice when you walk into my church is that it looks like a racial rainbow. There are a great many races and ethnic groups represented and it is a great place to be. You have pretty much every kind of interracial marriage that you can put together with the races represented and out of this you have some pretty awesome children. I have the honor of working with the little ones and I think that it is so cool that they are growing up in a world that is so open and colorful. At least this is what I thought before I actually spoke with some of the adults about their daily lives as a person of color or in a mixed marriage with mixed children. I spoke with one woman named Roni; I have known this woman for 8 years and what I found out I will have to say was a shock to me. I was telling her some things that I was learning in this class and asked her what she thought about racism and if she experienced any form of it. I have to tell you that I honestly did not expect her to yes. Well, she did and she went on to tell me how when her oldest son was in Kindergarten she was at the Principals office on numerous occasions because of how her son was being treated. He even came home singing a song once that was slanderous towards black people. Obviously her son didn’t know what he was singing but she did and it grieved and angered her. Roni is a Hispanic woman that is married to a black man so keep this in mind when picturing her in the office of a white principal discussing racially slanderous songs that her son was taught in his class. I had such a hard time even empathizing with her. As a white woman I do not even think I have ever been a situation remotely like this. Needless to say she had to be very careful how she worded things to make the principal take responsibility for what was going on in the school. She went on to tell me many other stories of how her children were mistreated in class because of their skin color and how people look at them and stereotype them because they are not white. I would love to tell you that this was the only example of racism but I would not be telling you the truth. My best friend is a white woman in her mid-twenties and she is married to a black man and they have 4 children together. Her kids call me Aunt ShaSha. I was there when these children were born and I love them dearly. I see them as children and it never occurred to me that others may see them as anything else. Well, as I mentioned before I do not have any issues within the community. Everyone is friendly and helpful and I am usually welcomed with a smile, well if I am dressed nice but that is another paper, so imagine my shock when I took her children out to the grocery store and people actually treated my differently because I had mixed children with me. This was not the first time I had been in public with the children but it was the first time that I was out with them alone and to my dismay people actually looked down their noses to me and for the first time I realized what it must feel like to be a woman living in an interracial world. At first I thought maybe I was just having an off day so I talked to Alanna (the children’s mother) about it and she confirmed that she is treated like this on a regular basis. She went on to tell me a story about being at the doctor’s office and how the doctor was ugly to her and her son and even went so far as to refuse to treat her son. She complained to the department head and the issue was resolved, but she assured me this was not the only incident concerning racism. There is a section of my community where the racism is in reverse; it is blacks being racist towards whites. I honestly couldn’t figure it out and I was upset about it as well. In my ignorance I was upset about them always complaining about the slave days and how their ancestors were mistreated and so on and so forth. I wanted to shout to them to let it go and move on and to look around because those days were over and not everyone is racist anymore. Well, through this class I have learned so much about them and what has transpired over the last 100 years and have come to realize that it really hasn’t been long enough for the younger generations to separate it in their thinking yet and that they are upset for many reasons but one valid reason is that they have never been apologized to for the travesty they had to endure at the hands of greedy and self-serving people. I am so thankful for this class because it has afforded me the opportunity to get shocked out of my little bubble and to really get to know my brothers and sisters and some of what they go through on a daily basis. I think that my community does a good job at representing minority group interests. Our schools have ESL programs in place and there is a community health clinic that runs off of a sliding scale for those that cannot afford medical insurance. There’s child care provided at no cost by the government. I don’t mention these things to portray that all minority groups are poor, but the numbers show that there is a poverty issue among some minority groups and so I am thankful that these services are provided. I am one such person that cannot afford medical insurance at this time so I am grateful for these services. I honestly don’t know what other services need to be implemented but you can be sure that I will be talking to more people and finding out. I feel so liberated! I find myself wanting to stop people and ask them what their experiences are and how it affects them and what they would change and why. I am just not sure how people will receive those kinds of questions from a 115 pound, white woman. I think that if there was one area that I could change it would be advertising because I honestly do not believe that America is represented by the people that model for these pictures or advertisements. I would love to use people of color. Not just black or Hispanic, but the real color of America, at least in my community, is mix. It is Philippine and white or Puerto Rican and Black, but it is definitely colorful and diverse. I love my community. I know that it is not perfect but no community is or will ever be, but what my community has is a huge mix of people who the majority of love one another or at least accept everyone. Through this thinking I would have to say that we are the same. There are the ones that still have some growing to do, but progress is being made and through education and time more progress will be made.

Mahayana Buddhism

Asian Behavior and Thought 10/16/12 Study Guide 7 – Mahayana Buddhism 1. What are the four sublime states? 1. Boundless love is related to friendliness. Buddhists cultivate love that is unconditioned and unlimited, based on the knowledge that all are one in the ocean of love. 2. Boundless compassion is the intense fellow feeling one should have for all living beings who suffer through pain, anxiety, ignorance and illusion. 3. Sympathetic joy- moves one to seek out happiness and prosperity of others and rejoice with them. . Equanimity – is the sense of nonattachment to self and to the world that the arhat achives by following the path of transformation and rooting out all desire and clinging. 2. What is Early Buddhism’s view of material well-being? Buddhist vision for society is the fundamental principle that all types of people are equal and that honor depends not on circumstances of birth but on moral and spiritual achievement?. ( is this the answer) 3. How does the ethical life of lay persons compare with that of monks and nuns?Lay people – There are many scriptures that spell out practical guidance and concrete disciplines for the good life. There are five percepts that leads the good life of compassion, love and fulfillment. 1st percept is the principle of nonviolence – concept expands not only to humans but also to animals. 2nd percept is not to steal – concept expands to avoild all forms of cheating, dishonest dealings to gain advantage over the others etc. 3rd percept is refrain from wrongful sexual relation – concept expands to be married and have sexual intercourse in the right way. th percept is refrain from wrongful speech that would cause others hatred, enmity, & dishmarmony. And 5th percept is refrain from drugs and liquor because it can cause breaking of other percepts. Monks and nuns – has to follow high level of detachment from those material, economic and social attachments that characteri ze life for lay people. They have 10 percepts. 1. Taking life, 2. Not stealing. 3. Sexual misconduct 4. Lying. 4. Drugs and liquor 5. Drugs and liquor 6. Earing after noon 7. Watching shows, singing and dancing 8. Using adornments of perfumes etc. 9.Sleeping in a high bed and 10. Handling gold or silver. 4. Outline an overview of the general spread of Buddhism through Asia. Theravada (ways of elders) came to be dominant in South Asia and South east Asia (especially in Srilanka). Mahayana (greater vehicle – one reaching the goal was being broadened to include others, even lay people) Buddhisim spreaded throughout the lands of East Asia ( monks and missionaries brought Buddhism to China than from China it spreaded to Vietnam, Korea and Japan). Vahrayana (diamond vehicle or tantrism) was accepted in Tibet and 1 Japanese Buddhist school. 5.How is Mahayana Buddhism distinguished from Early Buddhism. Mahayana discarded the narrower concept of the arhat as the one reaching the goal was being broadened to include others even laypeople. Al can be equally on the path toward achieveing Buddhahood While Theravada(early Buddhism) only focused on original teachings of the Buddha. 6. In Mahayana Buddhism what is a bodhisattva? Bodhisattva- being who is intent on becoming fully enlightened in Mahayana Buddhism, one who reaches enlightenment but vows to continvue rebirths in samsara to assist others. 7. How does the conception of Buddha change?The Mahayana group expanded the conception of who or what the Buddha is. They emphasized that Buddha is really the eternal power of the Dharma and that this Dharma body of Buddha is universal. Dharma body is the only real body of Buddha and it is ultimate reality. 8. What is the relation of nirvana to samsara? Nirvana is freedom from samsara and therefore, is a permanent, unconditioned state. Nirvana is not in any sense like God but Nirvana is a reality experienced within as it were a state of unconditioned freedom. 9What are the meaning of emptiness (shunyata) and â€Å"suchness† (tathata)?Emptiness is actually the common predicate of all dharmas. Emptiness means the absence of own being, where own being means something existing through its own power and having an immutable essence. So emptiness is really the same as the truth of dependent co-arising. Mahaynnists point out that not only are all conditioned dharmas empty but also the unconditioned reality of nirvana is empty. This leads to the idea that both Nirvana and samsara is empty there is no difference btw them. Suchness is seeing the world as it really is. Karuna – Buddhist ideal of compassionPure Land – focusing on worship of AMitabha Budhha, with hope of reincarnation pureland paradise. Amitabha – heavenly Buddha who presides over the pure land Buddha realm Chan – school of meditation Buddhism in China, Korea. Zen – important school of meditation Buddhism in japan Lotus Sutra – imp. Early scriptures ofMahayana Buddhism. Vajrajana – Damond Vehicle, tantric tradition of Buddhism especially in Tibet and Japan. Mandala – painting of cosmic Buddhas or a symbolice cosmos, used especially in Vajrayana Buddhist ritual and meditation. Dharma – teachings of budhha ependent co-arising (dependent origination) – central Buddhist teaching that everything is conditioned by something else, that all reality is interdependent. Three Bodies (Trikaya) – Dharma body – universal Buddha essence. Bliss Body – heavenly Buddhas and Transformation body – human manifestations of Buddha. Mahavairocana – great sun Buddha IITuesday, October 23. Tibetan Buddhism. In class video: The Reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche Read: Ch. 6: pp. 103, 106-108. Iyer Pico on the Dalai Lama (on Blackboard). [2nd ed. Ch. 6: 95, 98-100] 1. What are some of the special characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism?The religious specialists were the lamas. Tantric Buddhists act ively engage with their feelings, emotions and imagination. For example, during meditation they will imagine what it was like to be the Buddha in a certain place or time. 2. Based on Pico Iyer’s presentation, how would you describe the Dalai Lama? 3. What stands out most to you personally in Iyer’s presentation? Why? Lama – spiritual masters often thought to be living gods Dalai Lama – head of the Geluk Tibetain Buddhist school, traditionally recognized as spiritual and political leader of Tibetans.

A Drug Induced Psychosis Health And Social Care Essay

A Drug Induced Psychosis Health And Social Care Essay Within this Independent study drug induced psychosis will be looked at. Within the first two pages a definition will be given as well as a brief history. This will be followed by a discussion on drug induced psychosis how individual is a affected and what is the cause. The author will then look at the drugs and how they affect people mentally and physically as well as how they affect the brain. When the final few pages it the author will look at the evidence and literature available for drug induced psychosis before then commenting on personal recommendations and the conclusion of all findings. The rationale behind choosing this topic was simply that more and more people through subculture and their own vulnerabilities are accepting of drug however through their own naivetà © and lack of understanding are consequences he consequences and consequences Definition According to Mosby (2009), drug induced psychosis is a psychotic state caused by an excessive dose of both illegal and the rapeutic drugs. This is supported by the West Australian Department of Health [WADOH](2009) who defines stimulant-induced psychosis, as an episode where the use of a legal or illicit drug has caused a psychiatric illness where the reality of the patient is impaired. The impairment of the patient can also include hallucinations or delusions, which can cause additional communication problems or social interaction difficulties. The drug induced psychosis according to WADOH (2009) may also be as a result of the overuse or abuse of prescription medication, or the outcome of a history of illicit drug abuse. Brief history Razool (1998) describes the historical evidence for substance abuse dating back thousands of years. Tobacco, alcohol and other psychoactive drugs have bee used by different societies for medical, religious, cultural and religious purposes and acts as a social lubricant. Today there is no lack of interest in the use of psychoactive substances and plants. Alcohol and drug u se remain part of the social and psychological fabrics of our society and are now regarded as a public health problem. Attitudes towards drug use have changed during various stages historically and even with harsh laws, there still remains problems in society where drug education and drug treatment is required by society (Razool, 2008). Tea, coffee and tobacco have all been illegal in Britain at some stage (Whitaker, 1987 cited by Razzol, 2008). Alcohol and drug use can cause a host of physical, social, psychological and economic harm, not only to the individual, but also to the family and the wider community. If the individual has previously had psychosis the use of drugs or alcohol can increase the likelihood of another psychotic event. This is due to the fact that the individual can become emotionally unstable, due to their drug use along with their loss of cognitive processing and therefore, inhibits the chemical balance of the brain (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, 2009). Within this section use critical analysis and relevant referencing to show a lack of information provided and the difficulty clinical nurses face while battling this. Drug induced psychosis

Energy saver Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy saver - Research Paper Example Literature Review During the 2008 presidential election campaign green energy became an important issue as never before in presidential elections. Both the candidates strongly supported an economy which gave strong support for green energy over fossil energy. The difference lay in that John McCain favored the use of market-based approaches towards this objective Obama emphasized the use of governmental initiatives. (2). Thus progress towards greater use of green energy under the Obama administration would depend on the governmental initiatives put in place and the support levels and success of these initiatives. On Inauguration Day the keenness of the Obama administration can be seen in these words of the White House, â€Å"the energy challenges our country faces are seve3re and have gone unaddressed for a long time. Our addiction to foreign oil doesn’t just undermine our national security and wreak havoc on our environment – it cripples our economy and strains the bud gets of working families all across America. President Obama and Vice President Biden have a comprehensive plan to invest in alternative and renewable energy, and end our addiction to foreign oil, address the global climate crisis and create millions of new jobs. (3, p.64). Words were translated into action by the Obama administration. ... (4). Towards this end the EPA was asked to look into California’s long standing request to set strict tailpipe emissions to restrict the greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Department of Transport to develop the regulations to enable the implementation of a 2007 law that required elevated fuel efficiency benchmarks for automobiles and light commercial vehicles by the year 2020. (3). Within the first month of assuming office the Obama administration got the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress. The bill though targeting the severe recession faced by the country, contained several important provisions towards the green energy and environment initiatives. $45 billion within the historic $787 billion bill was meant for energy efficiency, alternate energy programs ad tax breaks towards the use of green energy. $20 billion was set aside for the development of renewable energy power, while $18 billion was meant for environmental projects, and $2 billion towards R&D for ca rbon capture and storage. Tax cuts of up to $7,500 were also provided for those purchasing plug-in hybrid cars. (3). While these initial successes may point to the Obama administration succeeding in its drive towards growing dependence on green energy and lowering dependence on imported oil, the going has become tough, because of the bi-partisan politics involved in it. The Republican party as demonstrated by the John McCain is more oriented to market corrections to lead the way in energy dependence (2). This means that there will hardly any support from the party towards the policy and actions of the Obama administration for increasing use of green energy through government action. This will

Creating Marketing Plan for Online Service Essay

Creating Marketing Plan for Online Service - Essay Example The growing popularity and expected growth with online e-commerce and services offers even more opportunities for creating the right marketing plan for the online service. Tools for Marketing The first approach taken for the online marketing plan is based on growing in search engines. On average, 48% of individuals find the online services by looking at search engines. The approach taken is to build a strong online presence through Google, Yahoo and MSN, the three leading areas that are able to provide opportunities for searching online. The approach to creating a presence on the Internet begins with keywords and tags that come from a website. This is furthered with building links that move back to the website and which are able to provide different alternatives for the website. The approach taken will be associated with the algorithm used by search engines, specifically which read the online website. The algorithm combines the amount of traffic with the given links and keywords to c ategorize and create an area of where the website should be categorized. By using this as a part of the marketing plan, it will become easier to develop a relevant approach to the online presence through the use of the search engines (Aakar, Kumar, 2008). While there are relevant aspects that are associated with the search engines, it is also necessary to reach indirect and direct traffic through a variety of tactics. An approach which has grown in the past years is based on the use of Web 2.0 and social media. The Web 2.0 and social media aspects are able to work toward finding indirect traffic and creating an image that allows individuals to go to the website for the services. Using options such as Twitter, Facebook and other social media allow for more interactions and opportunities for the services. The Web 2.0 alternatives are combined with interactions, reviews and dynamic content that is able to provide even more options for search engines. The communication and interaction t hat is a part of the Web 2.0 applications then create a different level of communication which can be used for the online services (Shankar, 2009). The approach with Web 2.0 and social media is one which is followed by direct interactions with potential and loyal customers. Direct marketing is able to provide even more alternatives to the online marketing while creating even more options for the online marketing. Email, newsletters, promotional offers and continuous contact with those that are interested in the business offers even more information and insight to the customers which are interested in the business. The approach taken is one which is based on customer led options. This allows customers to determine what the nature of the services or products should be. Combining this with insight into developments and new opportunities will assist in creating more customer interactions. By doing this, there is the ability to have interactions, loyalty and the ability to meet the consu mer demands that are available through the online portals (Gay, Charlesworth, 2007). Developing a Marketing Mix The various tools which are used with the online marketing are combined with the specific approaches to ensuring that the

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Psychology - Essay Example Depression hinders with normal routine and activities because it lowers down the functionality of body and mind thus causing a person to become dormant in his daily chores. An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) shows the difference between the brains of a normal and a depressed person, and tells that the depressed brain’s those areas do not function properly which are connected to activities of sleeping, eating, thinking, and behaving. Also known as major depression, the major depressive disorder tends to undermine a person’s capabilities to such an extent that he faces problems in sleeping, eating, studying, working, enjoying and socializing. Some people have only one episode of this disorder while many may experience recurrences. It is mild chronic depression. The symptoms prevail over years but they are very mild as compared to major depressive disorder. The person’s normal functionality and routine is not affected too much; however, he may feel unwell and stressed out at times. The more you are far away from the equator, the more likely you suffer from SAD. End of summers in places far away from the equator means dark hours and evenings and long nights. Thus, a person who develops depression symptoms in this time might have SAD. In Scandinavia, people undergo light therapy and take antidepressants to prevent SAD because winters are too long there. Depression is generally caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Bad incidents that imprint permanent negative effects on brain are a big cause of depression. Some illness like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), HIV/AIDS, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinsons disease, and social phobia, also accompany depression. Drug addicts and alcohol consumers are at higher risk of developing depression. Depression also runs in families. Most common signs and symptoms of