Professional Role Transition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional Role Transition - Assignment Example Data sources that contained information related to the topic were also used during the research process. The studies presented evidences such as quoting those who were interviewed during the study. This showed that students were given equal opportunity to answer the questions directed at them. The studies also took a while to be completed. A slow research ensures that the researcher gains all the information required. Things tend to change with time and by conducting a research study within a long time, the researcher gets to record every change that may take place and also predict how the study will be in future. What I know about the journal is that it intends to understand the challenges that students face when transitioning into BN from LPN. The journal identifies all the challenges and helps to explain methods that can be used to curb them. The journals target LPN students who may be interested in studying BN. The study will help them understand the challenges they are bound to face. The journals also target other scholars that focus on studying the topic. These journals will give them a point of reference for their study. Educators in the institutions that the students enroll for BN are also a target audience for the study because they will have the knowledge of how to help the students adapt to the transition. Because of the challenges faced when transitioning from LPN to BN, students opt to turn to their mentors at their places of work to guide them. These mentors are in a great position to help them put into practice what they have studied. The journals have also helped explain why the LPNs choose to expand their knowledge. One of the reasons given by the participants is that at the work place, they are considered less of nursing practitioners and their opinions are not valued. Some of them had to endure being called Little Pretend Nurses instead of their real titles. For the students who have

Depression: Medication versus Therapy in Adolescents

Depression: Medication versus Therapy in Adolescents A Literature Review Mental health is a growing issue in the United Kingdom. According to Reynolds (2016), one in four individuals are diagnosed with a mental health illness. This literature review will look at the various perspectives of the use of medication to treat depression against the perspectives of psychotherapy as there has been a great increase in the number of prescription antidepressants dispensed, with 3.9 million additional antidepressant drugs dispensed in 2015 than in 2014 in England alone (Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2016). On the other hand, in 2014, 947,640 were referred to psychological therapies (Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2014). However, in 2015, there were 1,267,193 referrals made to psychological therapies (Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2015). According to Compton et al (2004), At any one time, approximately 1 in 20 children and adolescents suffers from major depressive disorder, with rates of depression rising dramatically in adolescen ts, especially in girls.. Depression is a mood disorder which causes a constant feeling of sadness and a loss of interest (Mayo Clinic, 2016). Depression was originally known as melancholia and was first noticed in the second millennium B.C, however, it was considered to be due to demonic possession (Nemade et al, 2007). The first medications to be introduced to treat depression were Iproniazid and Imipramine in the 1950s (Là ³pez-Muà ±oz and Alamo, 2009), there are now over thirty types of antidepressants on the market which are separated via categories: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Tricyclics and other types, with SSRIs being the most common type (Tracy, 2017). In relation to psychotherapy, there are many types of therapies an individual can have, however, this literature review will focus on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). There has been a substantial amount of research done in regards to treating depression with either medication or therapy. First to be discussed is the findings for combination treatment i.e CBT plus SSRIs. A qualitative study by Melvin et al (2006) found that both CBT and SSRIs, specifically Sertraline, were recommended for the treatment of adolescent depression. This study consisted of 73 participants: 22 were assigned CBT alone, 26 were assigned Sertraline alone and 25 were assigned a combination of both treatments. Participants receiving the CBT treatment were required to attend twelve 50 minute individual weekly sessions while the participants receiving Sertraline were required to take 25mg/day for one week. All groups exhibited considerable improvements which were then maintained for the following six months. Furthermore, a previous study by Asarnow et al (2009) also found the combination of medication and CBT to be superior to medication alone. However, this was only the case with adolescents who were white, in their late adolescent years and who did not exhibit self-harming behaviour. Contradicting, a qualitative study by March et al (2004), revealed a combination of a SSRI and CBT was found not to be the most effective form of treatment. This study included a variety of groups including SSRI alone, Placebo alone, CBT alone and CBT plus SSRI. In regards to limitations, the groups who received SSRI alone and placebo alone were blinded, meaning they did not know what medication they would be receiving. This was done to eliminate bias, however, some say that this is unethical as it deceives the participant (Schattner, 2011). On the other hand, Goodyer et al (2007) conducted a qualitative study involving SSRIs and CBT treatment in the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) yet found no evidence to suggest that the combination of CBT plus a SSRI was superior to SSRI alone. This study consisted of 208 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 with moderate and severe depression. 103 received a SSRI medication and routine care while 105 received SSRI, routine care and CBT.   Although the medication in this study was different to the Melvin et al (2006) study, they were both in the SSRI group. Contrasting Melvin et al, Goodyer et al included adolescents who were experiencing active suicidality and self harm, which Melvin et al did not. This could explain the differences in results between the two studies. Although combined treatment has been shown to be an effective way of treating adolescent depression, it can also have some its disadvantages. Vitiello (2009) voices that combined treat ment requires more resources and is more expensive. To be argued next are the findings for SSRIs superior to CBT. Returning to the study carried out by March et al (2004), unlike the other studies March et al found that the SSRI alone treatment was superior to CBT alone treatment. However, it is noted that this could be due to the low dose of SSRI used. Although SSRI in this study was superior in rapidly reducing depressive symptoms, it doesnt present to be more beneficial than psychotherapy in the long run. Also, it has been found that there are disadvantages to SSRI treatment. According to a systematic review, of eight studies, conducted by Barbui et al (2009), there is an increased risk of contemplated or attempted suicide among adolescents who are prescribed SSRIs. Barbui et al also mentioned that specific SSRIs such as Paroxetine and Venlafaxine would be better avoided when treating adolescent depression as the risks associated with these medications outweigh the benefits. Contradicting, a meta-analysis of randomised controlled t rial by Bridge et al (2007), found the benefits of antidepressants for adolescents to be far greater than the risk of suicidal thoughts and/or suicide attempts. Due to these risks, in 2004 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (as cited in McCain, 2009) required a black box warning, which is the most serious warning and consists of the warning surrounded by a black border. The FDAs boxed warning on the labelling of antidepressants mentioned an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in paediatric patients when using the medication. Conflicting, Valuck et al (2004) conducted a study which involved 24,119 adolescents from across the United States of America and found SSRIs has no significant independent effect on the risk of suicide attempts among adolescents. Next to be discussed are the findings for CBT superior to SSRIs. Returning to the study conducted by Melvin et al (2006), Although this study found the combined treatment to be effective, Melvin et al (2006) also found that CBT received a stronger response at the posttreatment assessment compared to Sertraline alone. Although, Melvin et al recognised that this cannot demonstrate an advantage to CBT as the lower dose and slower titration schedule could explain the difference compared with previous studies. In addition, an evidence-based medicine review by Compton et al (2004) found CBT, at the time, to be the best treatment for depressive disorders in adolescents. CBT can be extremely helpful in cases where medication hasnt worked. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2008), about 40 percent of adolescents with depression do not adequately respond to a first treatment course with an antidepressant medication. In cases like this, a combination of both CBT and SSR Is are used. Moreover, there has been research done on other types of treatment for adolescent depression, one being exercise. Although there has been little research done on this topic a randomised controlled trial orchestrated by Nabkasorn et al (2005), found exercise to improve depressive states. However, Nabkasorn et al did note that this study had some limitations such as its participants only being a very small group of adolescent females, 59 to be exact. Meaning that results from this study could not be transferred to other populations, ages, and severity of depression. In addition, a meta-analysis review (Cooney et al, 2013) of twenty five randomised controlled trials comparing exercise to various treatments such as placebo, pharmacological and psychological treatment. Cooney et al, found the exercise groups to have substantial improvement in depressive symptoms as opposed to the other groups. Divergent to Cooney et al, Blumenthal (1999, as cited in Carek et al, 2011) found that a variety of groups including exercise, pharmacological and combined, all had considerable improvement in their depressive symptoms with no a major difference between them. Another treatment method which has been studied is music therapy. According to Nauert (2014), a new study, the largest study of its kind, including 251 children and young people, found adolescents who received music therapy had significantly improved self-esteem and significantly reduced depression compared with those who received treatment without music therapy. Nauert states that these findings show the need for music therapy to be readily available as a treatment option. In addition,   Erkkila et al (2011), conducted a randomised controlled trial for music therapy alone or in combination with standard care including 79 participants. The results showed participants who received a combination of those treatments showed greater improvement in depression symptoms than those who received standard care only. According to Erkkila et al, the number of participants was sufficient enough to identify a difference between the two treatment options. Also, Castillo-Pà ©rez et al (2010), performs a randomised control trial for the effects of music therapy compared with psychotherapy for depression. This trial also consisted of 79 participants and found the participants receiving music therapy had fewer depression symptoms than those in the psychotherapy group. Dissimilar to Erkkila et al, Castillo-Pà ©rez et al noted that one of the major limitations for their trial was the somewhat small participant size yer the differences in depressive symptoms between the two trial groups were evident. There are many reasons as to why an individual would decide to take an alternative route for treating depression such as music therapy or exercise. According to Hanzell (2007, as cited in Maratos et al, 2008), this could be due to a lack of satisfaction with conventional treatments and/or a wish to avoid side-effects from medication or the stigma attached to seeking talking therapy. Also, Tartakovsky (2013) states other reasons could be the severity of the depression as many people arent sure if their state needs to be treated as there may be people with worse symptoms who need treatment more. Tartakovsky also states money can be an obstacle, in the UK the majority of the treatment individuals receive is free through the National Health Service, however, in other countries such as the USA, not everyone can afford to put their children into therapy and other treatments as their insurance plans may not cover the costs. In conclusion, it is apparent from research conducted that a combination of both SSRI treatment and CBT treatment is recommended to treat adolescent depression and appears to be the most effective way of treating adolescent depression. Although this is the most effective treatment it is not always the first in line, and SSRIs are more commonly the first point of call for adolescent depression. However, it has been noted that other forms of treatment such as exercise are equally as beneficial and should, in fact, be one of the first lines of treatment for adolescent depression. In addition, other treatments such as music therapy have shown to be beneficial and could be used as an additional treatment. Although there is research showing the benefits of treatments, there could be more research done in order to quickly find the right course of treatment for the individual.

The DaVinci Crock :: essays research papers

Before I even begin to deconstruct Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code, I think it is very appropriate to explain my perspective. I attended Catholic schooling for my first nine years of education. The school I attended taught the Catholic faith in a very conservative and orthodox manner. I still do practice the Catholic faith, but at the current time, I am very impressionable with it comes to my faith and beliefs. My first impression after reading The DaVinci Code was that Brown is very blasphemous towards the Catholic Church. Before the novel even begins, Brown states, â€Å"All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,† which can be very misleading, making the reader think that the descriptions of the Catholic Church are also very accurate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the book, on numerous occasions, Brown talks about how Jesus could have been married to Mary Magdalene, and possibly could even have fathered a child. In one instance Teabing says, â€Å" the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is part of historical record. Jesus as a married man makes more sense than our standard biblical view of Jesus as a bachelor† (245). This goes against many of the Catholic teachings and traditions that say that Jesus was single and chaste the entirely of his life. The Bible says, â€Å"Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well† (1 Corinthians 7:37). It is even more preposterous when Brown asserts that Mary Magdalene could have been one of the twelve original disciples. â€Å"The Last Supper is supposed to be thirteen men. Who is this woman?,† Brown writes (243). Historically, The Last Supper was Jesus’ last meal with his twelve Apostles. Brown is saying that one Jesus’ twelve apostles may have been a woman. To begin with I would have to guess when Brown uses the word â€Å"disciples†, he really means â€Å"apostles†. The word â€Å"disciple,† in the Bible, literally means follower of Jesus. Under that definition, Jesus has had and still has an uncountable number of disciples. The Apostles were the twelve mean that followed Jesus during his lifetime and helped him teach his message. I think Brown was trying to say that Mary Magdalene could have been one of the twelve apostles. Even so the Bible says that the twelve original apostles were men.

Job Analysis Essay

The reason for job analysis is to study and evaluate the things that a job is supposed to involve. This is describing exactly what skills are needed to perform the job, and what the exact qualifications are to fill the position. Job analysis is a method needed when the employee need to know the precise function. An example would be that an employee’s duties should be clearly stated. So, a jobs analyst is to observe the employee at his or her current duties. This is also helpful in deciding what the requirements are to perform this job more effectively. As well jobs continue to change so a job analyst n should watch for any changes so that things are kept put o date. The job analyst should therefore be familiar with the job a well as the position. â€Å"The job analysis will lead directly to development of numerous other significant workers (tools): job requirements, job assessment as well as job performance criteria† (Spector, 2008). Today families are shattered, language barriers are high, violence is a standard, and then education which does not get to high a priority. Counselors typically deal with these types of students that have tangible needs, emotional troubles, and behavioral issues. Counselors have an ear for listening; shoulders to cry on and a firm facilitator for regulations are what a school counselor should use. Before becoming a school counselor a person needs to become part of the educational system as a teacher. There are 10 principles that significant according to the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium when reviewing candidates for the position of school counselor. These principle consist of â€Å"learning styles and diversity, motivation and behavior, interpersonal relationships, communication and knowledge, instructional strategies and problem solving, planning for instruction, making content meaningful, assessment, child development and learning theory, and planning for instruction† INTASC, 2008). Many educators, mainly at an elementary age level, have a filled classroom with minimal resources in regards to discipline. It is important to keep a firm control of authority so as to support appropriate learning environment. Behavior is a test demonstrated by students to push more each day in bold new ways. Since these ideas have been said a prospective counselor in education needs to discern and recognize the benefits as well as the risks that are involved. The risks implicated the issues with reluctant and non participating family members with his or her child’s plan for behavioral concerns. The benefits are clear, when a school s filled with enjoyable, interactive programs t is pursued by a renewed sense of elation to from the students. Position Analysis Questionnaire Method The importance of job analysis in education is imperative. A systematic evaluation of a position for a school counselor aids in the supervised development of quality job performance. An Industrial and Organizational Psychologist employ wide range of techniques to perform accurate analysis on all jobs. An example would be functional job analysis, task inventories, job components inventory, and position analysis questionnaire. School counselors at the elementary level are most commonly given the positions analysis questionnaire. Job position for school counselors reflects services, codes, and programs this s found n Chapter 33 of the Texas Educational Code, Title 2 of the Texas Education Agency, or TEA. The basis of employment positions are required skills and the education a person needs to have to apply for a job. Counselors in Texas, has to have a degree n a Masters program with an credited University also have an official teaching certificate from Texas. In addition a people are required to teach a classroom setting for two years or more before an application for the counselor’s certification will be processed. A good score on certification examinations and a national finger print background check will then allow for the person to become an accredited applicant for school counselor (TEA, 2011). In 1996 across the state of Texas the Texas Evaluation Model for Professional School Counselors (TEMPSCO) was implemented. This serves as a form of regular analysis of an all school counselors. It is also pertinent for counselors teaching grades Pre-School -12th grades. It is documented on The School Guidance and Counseling Job Evaluation Form. Eight Domains of Job Performance There are a multitude of sub categories to the eight domains that are observed in the job analysis. This includes certain standards of personal behavior and job performance of the person in this position. All of the standards are provided by the Texas Education Code, Title 2, Public Education, Subtitle F. Curriculum, Programs, and Services: Service Programs nd Extracurricular Activities; Subchapter A; School Counselors and Counseling Programs (TEA, 2011). This requires practicing counselors to assess, arrange and administer developmental programs (including resources in a program and paraprofessionals) designed for other teachers, parents as well as students. Developmental programs need to concentrate on developing decision making, interpersonal effectiveness, self confidence, goal setting, cross cultural effectiveness, planning, communication, responsible behavior, and motivation to achieve (TEA, 2011). Also a school counselor is directed to oversee, review as well as plan guidance programs for students that have â€Å"developmental needs†. These needs are made up of physical disabilities, behavioral disorders, as well as learning disabilities. The addition of students who have disabilities is the essential goal for the TEA. Seen throughout the school district are the continued encouragement of other students and more importantly the parents of the child all through the domain of program management and guidance requirements. A school counselor is suppose to be able to openly counsel the students n a time of emergency, suffering, and other non specified issues. School counselors need to therefore consider many variables and use core concepts that are use n the field of Psychology. TEA advises the counselors to be current on theories and techniques that are believed to be satisfactory to achieve and establish individual, learning, community and occupational development for the students. There is a high standard for professionalism and compliance that counselors are held to. School counselors have to reflect proper moral, ethical, as well as lawful standards of behavior. Indecent use of communications or language and violation of school rules will not be allowed during any time for anyone that is n the educational system. This person is not only an advocate for the school, the students and parents, as well as the entire field of psychology. Reliability and Validity Reality and validity in regards to the job analysis of school counselor has significantly improving in comparison to earlier performed evaluations. The text materials and research carefully provides insight into each category and the requirement for each job position for further review and research. A list of certifications and prerequisite procedures are also listed. Evaluating eight levels of job requirements are: counseling, student assessment, professional standards, rogram management, coordination, guidance, and consulting (TEA, 2011). There are several columns or questions the evaluator has to answer. This is done with a score of 1-5 with each of the eight domain levels. The equivalent of the rating scale reflects the following: 1=unsatisfactory, 2=below, 3= meets the standards. 4=exceeds the standards, and 5= clearly outstanding. If the criteria or standard doesn’t pertain to the applicant during the evaluation NA will also apply. There is also a place on the evaluation to be left blank intentionally that will be used by the evaluator that includes his or her personal information, notes telling strengths additional comments that he or she has for the personnel, as well as areas that need to be worked on. Conclusion Depression, addictions, bipolar disorder, stress, divorce, anger, post traumatic stress disorder, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are just a few of the many factors and disorders that a person would receive advice, therapy, and counseling. These disorders and factors affect numerous students and families alike. Therefore there is a need for ethical, compassionate, and competent school counselors are essential. There is also a dramatic difference in the salary based scale and the worth of a job position for school counselors and a professional licensed counselor n private practice. However, the wish to better children’s lives through forms of developmental programs, advocacy for success and psychotherapy, outweigh any financial gain.

Critical Analysis of The Iceman Cometh Essay

It is a basic law of storytelling that in order for an author to capture and maintain the reader’s interest, the author must create â€Å"realistic† characters, ones that are relatable, genuine, and plainly likeable. In the works of Eugene O’Neill, he takes that rule of realistic character development and proceeds to warp and twist it into a beautifully mangled paradigm of raw humanity and pessimism. He formulates characters that are utter derelicts to society, each one desperately hanging on to their hopeless dreams, each one hauntingly familiar to us. O’Neill, one of the more well-known twentieth century American playwrights, borrows from the thinking of Nietzsche to strip away the fluff of human personality, exposing the basic, eternally somber inner workings of the human psyche. In his plays, such as The Ice Man Cometh, O’Neill consistently portrays a classic nihilistic theme that there is no God, one of the first in his field to toy with the idea. He preaches that there is no great reward in life, that even after years, perhaps even a lifetime of suffering, there is no pay off – the only thing you get is the relief that is death. O’Neill’s The Ice Man Cometh, a play brought to Broadway which went on to celebrated success, is the story of, more or less, drunken slobs. The play’s epicenter is a bar/boarding house where a group of drunken derelicts seem to live. The hotel being named after the owner, Harry Hope, is laughably ironic, seeing as how most all of the bar flies have little or no hope left in there lives, yet they all dream of their tomorrows – paying their bills tomorrow, getting their job back tomorrow, making a fresh start tomorrow. The plot revolves around the many bar attendees, but sixty year old Larry Slade plays the role of the bitter objective commentator, a person who has decidedly removed himself from the anarchist group called â€Å"The Movement† and the responsibilities of mainstream life. He and his companions eagerly await the arrival of their salesman friend Hickey, who comes down twice a year to waste all off his money on buying everyone drinks. However before Hickey arrives, Don Parrit, the son of an ex-lover of Larry’s, a woman who was also in the Movement, comes to Larry seeking help. Apparently the Movement has nearly collapsed on account of someone selling the group out, resulting in the arrest of Parrit’s mother, Rosa. Shortly afterwards, Hickey arrives, which would usually put the men in good spirits. Hickey has changed though, and instead of being his usual enjoyable self, his is sullen and depressed, evangelically preaching to the others that they should renounce their â€Å"pipe dreams† as he has; that it is only when this is done can one truly obtain free will, a doctrine that Larry has already put into effect. That night, they celebrate Harry’s birthday, but everyone has become irritable and quarrelsome, what with Hickey’s grouchiness and unwillingness to drink. The story reaches its climax when Hickey announces the death of his wife, and all the character become infuriated with Hickey for reminding them of their pathetic grasp on pipe dreams, prompting them all to finally get moving towards turning those pipe dreams into realities. However their dreams fall apart the second they start, and they all return to the bar in the end; however their shreds of hope have been dashed by their confrontations with reality, and they all resent Hickey. Hickey then tells them that he actually killed his wife out of sheer hatred for constant forgiveness, and Parrit admits that he sold out his mother and the movement for similar reasons. Overcome with guilt, Parrit asks Larry to sentence his punishment, while Harry turns himself into the police, believing himself to be insane. Larry finally confronts his own fear of death by ordering Parrit’s suicide, in the end leaving Larry with his own desire for death. The characters in The Ice Man Cometh are essentially sad and entirely pathetic; the dynamics that exist between them seem so raw and primitive that it borders on the unreal. Although containing a well-sized cast, the play mainly focuses on the interactions between Larry, Parrit and Hickey (Bogard 51). From the beginning of the play, we are introduced to Larry as a man removed from society, one who cares not to create any more bonds or relationships with the world and its inhabitants. Larry tells us this himself when he says: †¦ So I said to the world, God bless all here, and may the best man win nd die of gluttony! And I took a seat in the grandstand of philosophical detachment to fall asleep observing the cannibals do their death dance. (O’Neill: Plays of Our time 12) Larry attempts to play the part of the coolly detached â€Å"Ubermensch† or â€Å"Overman† as proposed by Nietzsche. Nietzsche describes the Ubermensch as, â€Å"the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the overman shall be the meaning of the earth! I beseech you, my brothers, remain faithful to the earth, and do not believe those who speak to you of otherworldly hopes! (â€Å"Towards the Ubermensch†). What Nietzsche basically illustrates is a man who lives in reality, and does not expect anything more from it; he does not expect an afterlife, nor any reward for his life – he is a man living by his own morals, not buying into â€Å"slave morality†, the basic set of ethics impressed upon society (Wilcox 13). However it should be noted that Larry attempts to play this role; he successfully does so, up until Don Parrit enters his life and tugs at the few heartstrings Larry has left. In the past, Larry was a father figure to Parrit, and now Parrit has come back trying to fill that paternal void in his life. After symbolically killing his mother by selling her out to the cops, Parrit yearns to find some semblance of a reliable parent. Although Larry clearly declares his new outlook on life, he is eventually convinced by Hickey to kill that pipe dream of his, his own fear of death, and takes responsibility for Parrit’s betrayal by sentencing him to his suicide. In his line â€Å"Go! Get the hell out of life, God damn you, before I choke it out of you! Go up-! † Larry is in theory sucked back into the real world by acknowledging that bond he shares with Parrit (O’Neill : Plays of Our time 138). Hickey, like Larry, is another example of the influence Nietzsche had on O’Neill. When Hickey finally returns, he preaches to the rest of the men to give up their dreams, and it is only then can one be totally free. This sudden quest to destroy the American dream is similar to Nietzsche’s rejection of the Judeo-Christian faith and it’s ideals of redemption (Orr 91). By refusing the notion of an afterlife, one is truly free in that you realize your actions have no real consequence. John Orr goes as far as to describe Hickey as both a Christ and an Antichrist figure to the barflies. His preaching offers no one salvation because they all end up back at the bar, mentally worse off than before, symbolically dead, but he himself is crucified when he turns himself in to the police. Edmund Wilson said, â€Å"†¦ [Eugene O’Neill], nearly always, with whatever crudeness, is expressing some real experience, some impact directly from life. † (382). And Wilson is right; many, if not all of O’Neill’s plays serve as a personal reflection of his thoughts and experiences in life. In cases like The Ice Man Cometh, Bogard suggests that the characters he writes about mimic the people he encountered while he spent his days in the saloons of New Orleans. As one notices in the early stage directions, the characters are described as specific â€Å"types† of people: Joe Mott being â€Å"mildly negroid in type; Piet Wetjoen â€Å"A Dutch farmer type†; and claiming McGloin has â€Å"the occupation of policeman stamped all over him† (51). There is no doubt these characters were based on people or groups of certain people he has encountered in his life. The motif of alcoholism is obvious in The Ice Man Cometh, and of course, O’Neill had first hand experience with alcohol problems. It was his constant drinking that mollified the shock of learning of his mother’s morphine addiction, and what also got him thrown out of Princeton University. Even O’Neill’s nihilistic rejection of Christianity stems from his early childhood, when he insisted that he no longer attend Catholic school, but instead go to a secular boarding school. Also, the suicide attempt of Jimmy Tomorrow and the successful suicide of Don Parrit are reflective of O’Neill’s own struggle with suicide back in 1912, ironically the same year The Ice Man Cometh takes place. With this knowledge of O’Neill’s troubled and mentally disturbed past, we are able to discern the basic themes of The Ice Man Cometh. However this in itself is no easy task, the play is multi-layered, dealing with themes that involve dreams of death, and the existence of God; however they all stem from a focal point which is the inner turmoil that exists within man. In the beginning of the play, Larry describes Hope’s Hotel to Parrit, which coincidentally enough is a perfect metaphor for the mens’ lives: What is it? It’s the No Chance Saloon. The Bedrock Bar, The End of the Line Cafe, The Bottom of the Sea Rathskellar! Don’t you notice the beautiful calm in the atmosphere? That’s because it’s the last harbor. No one here has to worry about where they’re going next, because there is no farther they can go. It’s a great comfort to them. Although even here they keep up the appearances of life with a few harmless pipe dreams about their yesterdays and tomorrows, as you’ll see for yourself if you’re here long. (O’Neill: Plays of Our Time 19). Larry repeats the idea that the hotel is â€Å"the end of the line†, that inside it’s walls there lies â€Å"no chance†, that it’s â€Å"the last harbor†. And so it is, the hotel symbolically becoming a sort of limbo, a hole in the wall place where the burnouts and ruined lives come to kill some time as they subconsciously wait for their deaths. Even O’Neill describes the hotel in the first few lines of his stage directions as: â€Å"The back room and a section of the bar of Harry Hope’s saloon on an early morning in summer, 1912. The right wall of the back room is a dirty black curtain which separates the bar†¦The back room is crammed with round tables and chairs placed so close together that it is a difficult squeeze to pass between them†¦The walls and ceiling once were white, but it was a long time ago, and they are now so splotched, peeled, stained and dusty that their color can best be described at dirty. (O’Neill: Plays of Our Time 7). The hotel exists as a microcosm removed from society; the cramped back room full of dirty furniture and even dirtier people, representing the grim reality of death that lies in the dark recesses of the inhabitants minds. To end up at this bar is to acknowledge your death. However all the hotel’s inhabitants hold on to their pipe dreams, their last great memories of reality, all making empty promises to get back on their feet. However, they still sit, waiting for the relief of death. Their relief is that they can finally end the suffering of day-to-day existence and leave this earth. Nietzsche pushes the notion that the only world that truly exists is the physical one. There remains no great dramatic ending, no glorious redemption, there is no higher being that any of us must answer to or any grand jury that is weighing our every action, â€Å"the ‘apparent’ world is the only one: the ‘true; world is mere added by a lie† (Wilcox 73). These men finally meet their death-bringer when salesman Theodore Hickman, to them known as Hickey, enters the hotel. Yearly coming by for Harry Hope’s birthday, always a bringer of life and vitality (and especially alcohol), Larry and the others notice a gross change in Hickey. He begins to unnervingly preach the glory of killing your pipe dreams. Hickey convinces the drunkards to forget those great memories of reality, forget those promises to start anew, and accept the fact that they are physically and mentally paralyzed; forever stuck in the limbo of Harry Hope’s hotel until their death (Bogard 54). Travis Bogard best explained it by saying: â€Å"Their dreams hold at least an illusion of life’s essence: movement in purposive action. Action, to be sure, will never be taken, but the dreams reveal a basic human truth: to foster life, man must preserve a minimal dream of movement†¦showing the dreamers that they will never take action†¦brings the peace of death. †