The Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children - 2678 Words

Abstract The possible harmful side effects of violent video games has been long debated for many years, especially in light of recent tragedies such as the Columbine shootings which was initially thought to have been caused by excessive violent video game play. Over the years, many professional health associations have joined in agreement of these harmful effects (Anderson, Ihori, Bushman, Rothstein, Shibuya, Swing, Sakamoto Saleem, 2010). Past research has revealed evidence that violent video games and media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both short and long term contexts (Anderson Dill, 2000). However, because video game violence is a newer phenomenon with this technology emerging in the late 80’s and early 90†s, research is still very limited (Anderson et al., 2010). Nevertheless, Anderson and Dill (2000) produced two quantitative research studies in their published article, â€Å"Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Be havior in the Laboratory and in Life† using the General Affective Aggressive Model formulation, which revealed a correlation between video game violence and increased aggressive behaviors in both long and short term frameworks. Introduction Although there is a plethora of research that has been established on the harmful effects of television and movie violence, empirical research on video games is still limited (Anderson et al., 2010). Anderson and Dill (2000) sought to understand theShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children1074 Words   |  5 PagesVideo Games. Anderson et al. (2008), Anderson et al. (2010), Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis (2005), Erwin and Morton (2008), Gentile and Stone (2005), and Jason et al. (2005) revealed a correlation between violent video games with immediate and later aggressive behavior. All of the research for the effects of violent videos games are conducted on older children and current research has not yet studied young children or preschoolers. It is important to note what research exclaims about the long-termRead MoreViolent Video Games Effect On Children1654 Words   |  7 Pagessamples of the dialog talked between kids who play games such as like â€Å"Call of Duty† or â€Å"Halo†. In today s age, kids frequently boast about the quantity of players they figured out how to kill while playing these video games. Two decades ago, this would not be the typical waste of time of an eleven year old, yet now kids are seeing this kind of brutal movement as simply one more approach to take a break on a Saturday morning. Since the video game market is blastin g at this moment because of progressiveRead MoreViolent Video Games and Their Effect on Children2104 Words   |  9 PagesProfessor Colbert English 128-03 7 April 2010 Violent Video Games and Their Effect on Children Ever since the creation of the first video game, they have had a certain effect on the individuals who play them. As video games have become more advanced and elaborate, children’s interest is at an all time high. With the degree of violence that has been a part of video games since the early 1990’s, parents and activists have claimed that these games are affecting children negatively. This claim only seems toRead MoreViolent Video Games Effects On Children934 Words   |  4 Pagestodays’ society is Violent video games effect negatively on youngsters. This issue is growing because many of these games are featured aggressive elements that lead youngsters towards violence. For most players, video games are fun but also violent games take over the lives of some player. Since the world of video games was started in the 1980s, the video games still getting new level of popularity in this world. Most people are getting really addictive of these violent video games. T he first importantRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children1359 Words   |  6 PagesKhan, Mohammad Salman English 1001 Rebekah Barton 5/4/2015 Effects of Violent Video Games â€Å"Boom! Headshot† â€Å"Time to kill that commie bastard† these are not from some war movies or documentaries. These are the dialogues of some recent games in market. In modern age, children often feel proud about the number of people or enemy they managed to kill when they are playing these games in various console. While even a decade before, this would not be the normal past time of an eleven year old teenage kidRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pages† Studies has shown that children that play violent video games desensitize players to real-life acts of violence, the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology says that it is a reduction in emotion-related physiological reactivity to real violence. It is also proven that people who are desensitized to violence are likely to commit a violent crime of some type. In 2011 there was a study that resulted in the finding of a link between the exposure of violent vide o games and an increase in aggressionRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children2016 Words   |  9 PagesMaisonneuve Professor Haynes CENG 102 04 December 2015 The Effects of Violent Video Games On Children Newton N. Minow once said, â€Å"Children will watch anything, and when a broadcaster uses crime and violence and other shoddy devices to monopolize a child’s attention, it’s worse than taking candy from a baby. It is taking precious time from the process of growing up†.The media is a powerful tool that in a very influence on children. There are many things that the youth in today s society isRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children1258 Words   |  6 Pagesminutes into playing a violent video game the average person becomes desensitized to the fact that they are killing someone. Now it it may seem like nothing when you play these games. But when people, especially children play them often it starts to become the only thing that they think about. Even if it is â€Å"just a character† in a game it becomes so to them to pull that trigger. I’ve witnessed this happen in my own household and I don’t hesitate to say: violent v ideo games are poisonous to the brainRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children1790 Words   |  8 PagesGaming the Violent Life Throughout recent years there has been many stories, well, more like excuses that adolescents have blamed violent video games for their violent behaviors. Can children truly use this as their excuse anymore? Many studies on this subject have recently been in the spotlight over the concern of young violent offenders, with numerous governing leaders and child developmental specialist concerned whether violent video games are the true cause of violence in children. With the growingRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children902 Words   |  4 Pagesrestless minds. Violent video games are a conflict in modern day society because children are witnessing harsh behaviors that are conditioning them to believe it is acceptable to commit these actions displayed before their eyes. There are many health effects that are involved with participating in these products of entertainment such as an increase in aggression, poor social skills and the formation of terrible habits. The ideas that will be discussed in this essay will pertain to how children are becoming

Alzheimers Disease in the Elderly - 655 Words

Walk into any senior home nowadays and there will be at least one person afï ¬â€šicted with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This progressive, neurodegenerative disorder affects more than ï ¬ ve million Americans and is projected to steadily grow in incidence every year (Alzheimer’s Association). While current research efforts have looked to determine how and why AD is caused, the pathogenesis of the disease in patients is affected by numerous factors. A variety of genetic mutations can inï ¬â€šuence the severity and time course of AD. However, researchers acknowledge that the presence of a gene and its corresponding protein does not guarantee onset (Hardy). Rather, external elements such as lifestyles, coupled with the action of multiple genes characterize AD as a complex trait. One hallmark of AD is amyloid beta plaques, large aggregates found in the patient brains composed of the peptide, amyloid beta. These amyloid plaques form the basis for the primary hypothesis behind AD, the amyloid cascade hypothesis. The cascade begins with amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is cleaved by two different enzymes to produce one amyloid beta monomer, which aggregates with other monomers to form cytotoxic structures. These then cause the neuronal cell death and loss of synaptic function that occurs in AD (Laferla). Mutations that affect this cascade are thus of primary importance. There are three main genes, APP, PS1, and PS2, that when mutated alter the metabolism or stability of the amyloid betaShow MoreRelatedAlzheimers Disease in the Elderly Essay examples1604 Words   |  7 Pages Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (GilbertRead MoreDisengagement Theory And Alzheimer s Disease901 Words   |  4 PagesDisengagement Theory and Alzheimer’s Disease There are three core theories’ that have been established in age related studies. There is the active theory which states that a person should remain active and social. There is the Continuation Theory and states that people who age successfully continue habits that lead to a happy life. Then there is the disengagement theory and this theory will be the focus of the paper. Disengagement theory is the idea that as people age it is expected for them toRead MoreThe Dangers Of The Elderly1582 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation, and this number is expected to double over the next 45 years. The effect of the elderly living longer is that the occurrence of illness and disabilities, as well as recovery time, is increased (Lovell, 2006). Associated with this is the increase in demand for health care resources, and the negative stereotype of the elderly being an economic burden (Lovell, 2006). The stereotype of the elderly being frail is perpetuated by the media’s promotion of you th and vitality, as well as the biasedRead MoreWhat Can You Tell About A Population By Looking At Its Population Pyramid?1392 Words   |  6 Pagesnormally and aging with a disease. Thus, disease such as diabetes, hypertension, and Alzheimer’s found among the elderly did not come about as a result of the aging process, but rather as a result of disease process that happened to take place within the elderly individual. In other words, disease is not a normal process of aging. Second, no two people of the same chronological age, age at the same level. There are more variations of change and development among the elderly than there is among theRead MoreMusic Affecting the Memory of Alzheimer’s Patients1080 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Help End Alzheimers.). It is a common form of dementia categorized by a progressive decline in cognitive function (Simmons-Stern, 2010). According to the Alzheimer ’s Association, â€Å"More than 500,000 seniors die each year because they have Alzheimers disease†. Therefore Alzheimer’s disease kills more people than prostate and breast cancer together (Help End Alzheimers.) Although there is no cure or treatment to slow theRead MoreEssay on A Drifing Mind: Alzheimer ´s Disease602 Words   |  3 PagesUnits for Residents with Primary Degenerative Dementia: Alzheimers disease†. The reason I went with this article was because I wanted to focus on a different stage of life. I also have family that has had Alzheimer’s disease. I think this was one of the hardest things I have seen in my life. My aunt would remember my name one moment and forget I was even alive the next. The purpose of this article is to educate those interested in this disease to learn how to deal with them in nursing homes. The researchRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Alzheimer s Disease930 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Kevin Arnold from the Wonder Years said â€Å"Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the things never want to lose.† Memories are the things that are upheld, whether good or bad, those memories are imprinted in the mind and cannot be taken away that is, until later in life. As one ages it is natural for some memories to fade. Loss of memories and brain function deficits that occur and are not from normal aging may indicate a person is sufferingRead More Alzheimers Disease, Nursing Essay1477 Words   |  6 PagesUnderstanding of Alzheimer Disease Introduction nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Loss of memory, forgetfulness, personal change, even death, are common related disorders caused by a disease called Dementia or better known to most people as Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in persons 65 and older. Alzheimer’s disease is, named for the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, who first recognized the disease in 1907; Alzheimer’s disease is characterized byRead More Alzheimer’s Disease Essay1176 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewedRead MoreIbesity And Alzheimers Disease1315 Words   |  6 PagesOne cognitive defect affecting elderly patients is Alzheimers disease. This cognitive disease affects many populations around the world, but mainly aging individuals3. Though the quantity of life is extending with modern medical practices4, Alzheimers disease is still prevalent, with prevention and treatment not yet well defined5. The topic of interest is to determine if consumption of soy will improve cognitive memory in elderly individuals with Alzheimers disease. If soy isoflavones can specifically

Acupuncture Today Essay Example For Students

Acupuncture Today Essay Today, Mrs. Williams will be experiencing a new treatment for her chronic back pain. Chiropractic medicine had failed her before, and her daily prescription drugs were worth neither the money nor the side effects they caused. When the doctor came into the room with a tray of thin, long needles, Mrs. Williams knew that her hematophobia would cause her no discomfort; these needles were not for drawing blood. Her back pain will be relieved through acupuncture, the 5000-year-old Chinese practice of treating pain through the balancing of energy channels. Since President Nixons historical visit to China in 1972, a new wave of traditional Chinese medicine has swept through the United States and bonded with the Western approach to healing. Acupuncture, for example, has taken on many forms in America, and with continued research in the field, doctors have discovered many new uses for the Eastern remedy. With this renaissance comes the realization that acupuncture must really work, or why woul d it have been adopted within both Western and Eastern cultures to such a degree?The main difference between Eastern and Western acupuncture is the reason for inserting the needles. A traditional Chinese practitioner would place the needle at the Ho-Ku point in order to influence a meridian and the flow of chi. Practitioners of modern Western acupuncture would place the same needle in the same location, but would say that they were doing it to stimulate peripheral branches of the radial nerve in order to motivate the production of endorphins, the natural morphine-like substances produced in the brain that cause humans to feel less pain. The belief that life energy, called chi, flows through the body via a series of energy pathways, called meridians, did not mesh with the materialist doctrines of Western society, so more scientific explanations were devised. This new reasoning also made it easier for Chinese medical centers to be established, for any doctor with a background in neuro anatomy could learn acupuncture quite easily. Just as there are different styles of cooking, so are there different acupuncture techniques. It is easily surmised that Japanese physicians with Western training, or vice versa developed most of these variations. Dr. Yoshio Nakatani and Dr. Tae-Woo Yoo, who both are Easter doctors who have studied in America, made significant contributions to the study of acupuncture. The American physician Paul Nogier has devised a way to practice acupuncture without the use of needles. These and other practitioners have created ways to use lasers, sound waves and electric current in their acupuncture. Clearly, two acupuncturists may have studied the same techniques, but no two will treat the same problem in exactly the same way. Western medicine deals with the physical body. Acupuncture, on the other hand, deals with the physical body, the mental being, and the spiritual being. Therefore, with the rising of many new illnesses, acupuncture changed from a pain reliever to a treatment for hundreds of modern diseases and conditions. While structural problems (broken bones, severed nerves, or damaged internal organs) cannot be helped by acupuncture, functional problems can and have been treated successfully. AIDS and cancer patients have experienced relief from acupuncture, as well as those suffering from allergies, diarrhea, bronchitis, fatigue, and gynecological disorders. Acupuncture has adapted to modern times, and its effectiveness is what keeps it going among other new age treatments. Western medicine focuses on suppressing symptoms, which prevent the body from mobilizing its own healing energy. Acupuncture relies upon the bodys natural wisdom to heal itself, and each person is treated on an individual basis, as no two people are alike. So when Mrs. Williams is through with her acupuncture treatment, she not only will experience physical relief, but a mental sense of well being and a restoration of spirit. Because acupuncture affects every aspect of the human body, all techniques and variations of the practice are gaining in population today. .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .postImageUrl , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:hover , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:visited , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:active { border:0!important; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:active , .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804 .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd3b0b8a9332c3076ab58aac1c6ab804:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: What is cultural relativity? 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The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle Essay Example For Students

The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle Essay As an author, Kurt Vonnegut has received just about every kind of praise an author can receive: his works held the same sway over American philosophy as did those of Jack Kerouac or J.R.R. Tolkein; his writing has received acclaim from academics and the masses alike; and three of his books have been made into feature films. Society has permanently and noticeably been altered by his writing. Through accessible language and easily-understood themes, Vonnegut has created works subtle, engrossing, and familiar. His main method for doing this is by exploiting a theme with which everyone is familiar and about which everyone has his own opinion: religion. We will write a custom essay on The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Not many people are more qualified to explore this theme than Vonnegut. He was born in 1922 on Armistice Day (November 11), a holiday celebrating peace, in Indianapolis. His family was moderately wealthy until the onset of the Great Depression, when they lost everything. In 1944, Vonneguts mother committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Soon afterwards, he joined the army and fought in the Second World War. Vonnegut was captured as a POW and kept prisoner in Dresden. Soon after his capture, Dresden, an entirely civilian town, was bombed heavily. Vonnegut survived the bombing, came home, and became a writer. His first book, Player Piano, received very little notice at the time it was written, 1952. When he published Sirens of Titan in 1959, it also was largely ignored. In 1969, Vonnegut published Slaughterhouse Five, which was an immediate commercial and academic success. Slaughterhouse Fives success brought attention to his other works, and though Vonnegut was not as popula r after the 60s, he continued to publish successful books (http://www.duke.edu/crh4/vonnegut/). Vonneguts works have been classified as science fiction, but that hardly does them justice. His works are significantly influenced by that genre, but contain strikingly relevant commentaries about contemporary American society which set him apart from other science-fiction writers. His use of science fiction draws a humorous contrast between the all-important significance of the nature of the universe and of reality, and the insignificance of human life and society. All of his works emphasize the enormous forces acting on his characters, not the least of which is fate. As his writing progressed and matured, this stylistic nuance became more and more evident. In his book Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut describes his own style by means of Tralfamadorians, an alien race for whom time is nonexistent, and whose literature reflects this:Each clump of symbols is a brief, urgent message describing a situation,a scene. We Tralfamadorians read them all at once, not one after the oth-er. There isnt any particular relationship between all the messages ex-cept that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time (88). Indeed, Vonnegut has dismissed temporal continuity in his writing, and has thus eliminated suspense. Characters are often aware of their own inevitable destiny, as in The Sirens of Titan, and are helpless to stop it from coming to pass. Vonnegut makes it clear that modern society is much like this people can see where theyre headed, but are too powerless or apathetic to prevent it. In his book Cats Cradle, Vonnegut mocks peoples mindless, apathetic acceptance of their fates by portraying a situation in which unimaginably powerful forces toss around people desperate to escape them. He presents civilizations attempt to commit suicide (Hocus Pocus, 72), the atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima, and ends the book with all of the water on earth freezing as the result of a substance called ice-nine, and thus civilization successfully committing suicide. Ironically, the man who created the atomic bomb also created ice-nine, a man not diabolically evil, but merely absent-minded. In this, Vonnegut portrays not only the amazing influence the forces of the universe have on us, but also the influence a select few of us have on the forces of the universe. .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .postImageUrl , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:visited , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:active { border:0!important; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:active , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Heart Of Darkness - Cruelty EssayIn Cats Cradle, Vonnegut describes an amazingly intricate means by which to accept the the whims of the universe. It is a parody of religion, and is what religion would be if it were stripped of all ritual and dogma. It is called Bokononism, and it reveals just how human it is to permit fate to have its way, and just how futile it is to fight against it. The basic tenet of Bokononism, according to Vonnegut, is that people should live by whatever foma (harmless untruths) make them happy. People, according to Bokononism, should do this so that fate seems much less prevalent in their lives, and so that they feel that their own free will is the main force in their lives. Vonnegut argues that such self-deception is one of the most integral aspects of humanity (Understanding Kurt Vonnegut, 53-65). Cats Cradle was published in 1963, at a time in American history when free will seemed to be the only force guiding anyone. People were tired of war, and tired of the threat of war. People were on the verge of losing faith in government. It is in this environment that Vonnegut put forth his attack on religion and on the human situation. The thought of ice-nine was just about as frightening as the very real threat of nuclear attack, so people could easily relate to Cats Cradles plot. Vonnegut describes government in Cats Cradle as effective only when an enemy exists, and he portrays Bokononism as governments enemy. When the tension between good and evil is high, says Vonnegut, the people can be kept happy and under control. When the line separating them becomes blurred, people quickly become disillusioned and rebellious. Though Vie tnam, in which the line between good and evil was almost nonexistent, did not bring about the end of civilization, domestic rebelliousness did alter American life, just as Vonnegut predicted. In this particular instance, Bokononism can be likened to Communism the perpetual enemy perceived, perhaps wrongly, to be the most dangerous force in the world. Cats Cradle is not the only one of Vonneguts works which has such an undertone of angst and urgency; indeed, it is one of the defining features of his work. The tension between the forces acting on the human race is higher than it has ever been, and if one force should give way, life as we know it will end. The only way to carry on is to convince ones self that life is not this treacherous, and that each individual can affect the outcome. This, according to Vonnegut, is the most necessary foma of all, and it might be able to save civilization. English Essays