Teresa
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte a classic story of a woman who has left her husband to protect her child and herself. This story touches on many themes: sexism, double standards, faith and morality, love and marriage, as well as work vs. idleness. All these themes come into play as the main character Helen Huntingdon (Graham) comes to the realization that she has married an alcoholic man who enjoys nothing more than a good party and is anything but moral.
Helen’s backstory unfolds in her diary. It tells the story of a moral, faith filled woman who is in love with a man she thinks she can “fix” after marriage. She learns that one can only be “fixed” if they wish to be held accountable and improve their lives. Her husband enjoys the vices of the society of the 1800s and wishes to pass them onto their young son. Helen does not approve and comes up with a plan to leave in order to protect her son from becoming like her husband.
This book is good for discussing how people approach the different standards that many people have and the society that encourages those standards. Faith, marriage, love, morality and even double standards do not happen in a vacuum. The people around us encourage us to go in one way or another. What does it take and how much strength does it take to go against a community or society that encourages one set of standards that you do not agree with or even believe harms the ones you care about? How would you react?
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte a classic story of a woman who has left her husband to protect her child and herself. This story touches on many themes: sexism, double standards, faith and morality, love and marriage, as well as work vs. idleness. All these themes come into play as the main character Helen Huntingdon (Graham) comes to the realization that she has married an alcoholic man who enjoys nothing more than a good party and is anything but moral.
Helen’s backstory unfolds in her diary. It tells the story of a moral, faith filled woman who is in love with a man she thinks she can “fix” after marriage. She learns that one can only be “fixed” if they wish to be held accountable and improve their lives. Her husband enjoys the vices of the society of the 1800s and wishes to pass them onto their young son. Helen does not approve and comes up with a plan to leave in order to protect her son from becoming like her husband.
This book is good for discussing how people approach the different standards that many people have and the society that encourages those standards. Faith, marriage, love, morality and even double standards do not happen in a vacuum. The people around us encourage us to go in one way or another. What does it take and how much strength does it take to go against a community or society that encourages one set of standards that you do not agree with or even believe harms the ones you care about? How would you react?
Murder on the Orient Express is a classic mystery by the author Agatha Christie. The detective Hercule Poirot solves the murder of a passenger on the Orient Express as it is stuck in a snow drift. Who of the many passengers is the murderer? Why did they comment the murder?
I found this book to be quite enjoyable. I confess I already knew how the book ends and who the killer was. After all, I have seen the endings of one of the many movie adaptations of this book. But knowing the ending does not mean you know how the ending came about. This is why I read this book. It was well written and intriguing. I wanted to know why the murderer did what he or she did.
I cannot say to much without giving away who the murder was and why they committed the murder after all “this crime has a signature”. However, this book does bring up some interesting questions. Is murder sometimes justified? If society and the justice system fail, should others step in and even the scales of justice? When is it alright for another to “carry out the sentence”? If you knew the murder was taking place and why, would you cover for the killer or even help? How far should we go for justice?
This is a book, as entertaining and enjoyable as it is, brings up deep questions about society and law. Questions that needs to be asked and answered.
Murder on the Orient Express is a classic mystery by the author Agatha Christie. The detective Hercule Poirot solves the murder of a passenger on the Orient Express as it is stuck in a snow drift. Who of the many passengers is the murderer? Why did they comment the murder?
I found this book to be quite enjoyable. I confess I already knew how the book ends and who the killer was. After all, I have seen the endings of one of the many movie adaptations of this book. But knowing the ending does not mean you know how the ending came about. This is why I read this book. It was well written and intriguing. I wanted to know why the murderer did what he or she did.
I cannot say to much without giving away who the murder was and why they committed the murder after all “this crime has a signature”. However, this book does bring up some interesting questions. Is murder sometimes justified? If society and the justice system fail, should others step in and even the scales of justice? When is it alright for another to “carry out the sentence”? If you knew the murder was taking place and why, would you cover for the killer or even help? How far should we go for justice?
This is a book, as entertaining and enjoyable as it is, brings up deep questions about society and law. Questions that needs to be asked and answered.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith L Herman is a nonfiction book that deals with the psychology of trauma and its aftermath. How does one deal with the aftermath of either single or ongoing trauma? Also, how do the family and friends understand the victims of trauma? This book deals with these topics. [The author also argues that psychological trauma is inseparable in a social or political context.]
Author uses combat trauma, child abuse, rape, and political terror as examples of the trauma people have faced. She discusses the history of the study of trauma that covers the early historic studies of hysteria and war neuroses. The author discusses what trauma is: “Psychological trauma is an affliction of the powerless.” She also says: “Traumatic reactions occur when action is of no avail. When neither resistance nor escape is possible, the human system of self-defense becomes overwhelmed and disorganized.”
She goes on the discuss the symptoms of PTSD (hyperarousal, intrusion, and constriction) and how the trauma itself damages the connection of the victim to themselves and others by damaging the victim’s self. This leads to a disconnection not only with the victim themselves, but family, friends, and the society around them. The only way to heal is to create new connections with a support system that empowers and makes new connections that replace the old connections that have been broken by the past trauma. The recovery occurs in stages: the establishment of safety, remembrance and mourning, and re-connection with ordinary life.
This book touches on much more than the above topics. The in-depth information and examples cover the history of the study of trauma as well as what constitutes trauma and the recovery from it. The book discusses the cautions a therapist must consider when consulting with a trauma survivor for there a mental traps that can cause a therapist to fall on the side of perpetrator or victim too.
This is a book I recommend if one wishes to know more about trauma faced by others, what it is, how to navigate it, and how to help others recover from it. It offers good advice for the victim, family, and therapists to help people navigate life during and after trauma.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith L Herman is a nonfiction book that deals with the psychology of trauma and its aftermath. How does one deal with the aftermath of either single or ongoing trauma? Also, how do the family and friends understand the victims of trauma? This book deals with these topics. [The author also argues that psychological trauma is inseparable in a social or political context.]
Author uses combat trauma, child abuse, rape, and political terror as examples of the trauma people have faced. She discusses the history of the study of trauma that covers the early historic studies of hysteria and war neuroses. The author discusses what trauma is: “Psychological trauma is an affliction of the powerless.” She also says: “Traumatic reactions occur when action is of no avail. When neither resistance nor escape is possible, the human system of self-defense becomes overwhelmed and disorganized.”
She goes on the discuss the symptoms of PTSD (hyperarousal, intrusion, and constriction) and how the trauma itself damages the connection of the victim to themselves and others by damaging the victim’s self. This leads to a disconnection not only with the victim themselves, but family, friends, and the society around them. The only way to heal is to create new connections with a support system that empowers and makes new connections that replace the old connections that have been broken by the past trauma. The recovery occurs in stages: the establishment of safety, remembrance and mourning, and re-connection with ordinary life.
This book touches on much more than the above topics. The in-depth information and examples cover the history of the study of trauma as well as what constitutes trauma and the recovery from it. The book discusses the cautions a therapist must consider when consulting with a trauma survivor for there a mental traps that can cause a therapist to fall on the side of perpetrator or victim too.
This is a book I recommend if one wishes to know more about trauma faced by others, what it is, how to navigate it, and how to help others recover from it. It offers good advice for the victim, family, and therapists to help people navigate life during and after trauma.
