Abstract
This paper presents an overview and analysis of the article "The Effect of Birth Experience on Postpartum Depression" published by M.A. Bland (2000) on postpartum depression. The purpose of this research was to examine whether birth experience, control of the birth process and place of birth (operating room, delivery room, or home) were related to postpartum depression. The overview summarizes the article's theoretical framework, hypotheses, methodology, findings, conclusions and recommendations. The analysis presents a discussion of the strengths and weakness of the article. The final section of the paper relates the article to the practice of midwifery.

From the Paper
"It was concluded that lack of technological and human intervention in the home birth groups may have given the women more freedom to move about, thus increasing comfort levels, as well as the number of choices that could be made. It was further concluded that the increased intervention involved in a caesarean birth may have played a role in the lack of control that the caesarean group experienced. The authors related this conclusion to attribution theory concerning internal and external control over a person's circumstances."

Tags:birthing, Control, Theory, EPDS, caesarean

Abstract
The paper presents the argument that Gilman, in her work "The Yellow Wallpaper," by utilizing the bland and concealing nature of the yellow wallpaper as a symbol for the hidden volition of the self-liberating woman, submits a sharp and well-conceived criticism of gender inequality that helps to formulate a Gothic tradition which is distinctly female. The paper provides a definition for the Gothic movement and describes how the husband in this story is a caricature of the haughty, dismissive and unconsciously malicious 19th century male. The paper then shows how the narrator, by tearing the yellow wallpaper recklessly aside, declares a liberation for women forced to hide behind a hideous and repetitive pattern of bland, unimaginative and unfulfilling lives.

From the Paper
"Feminist authorship has been an apt forum for protest throughout literary history. By its very principle, the notion of a female writer flies in the face of conventional gender expectations, with a prohibitive patriarchal perspective long depriving women of educational, social and occupational opportunities. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1899 narrative, "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator employs an almost absurdly servile sentiment and an emotional bluntness that, in concert, constitute an articulate critique of society's rampant sexism in a most dark fashion. The narrator, a woman who suffers from boredom and depression, is quite clearly a well-adjusted and self-aware individual who is, therefore, prone to introspection, ambition and intellectual inquisitiveness which, consistent with the Gothic traditions of American turn-of-the-century writing, formulated in the dark and overlooked corner of society. To the point, these are all qualities which were regarded in her time as distinctly and positively male, with the socially proscribed roles of women providing no outlets for such inclinations."

Tags:gender, inequality, domesticity, liberation, women

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that in Tolstoy's 'Alyosha the Pot', the life of a peasant is told with such abject complacency that it both ridicules and perverts the way the poor were seen in pre-revolutionary Russia. The writer maintains that Alyosha's demeanor throughout Tolstoy's short story is that of the faithful lapdog; obedient and always following the master's words. The writer discusses that Tolstoy switches the way the story is detailed and instead of a bland world with a colorful hero the reader is given a bland hero with a wicked world much akin to a fairy tale; in short he becomes Cinderella. The writer notes that Tolstoy demonstrates that while the peasant may do things willingly and be treated as a tool, underneath the dutifulness and complacency there are actual dreams, wants, and needs. The aggravation of the reader as for the lack of Alyosha's aspirations is only testament to Tolstoy's demonstration that everyone has wants and to want is to be human. The writer concludes that Tolstoy shows, paradoxically, that everyone is human through the example of someone that is alien to human aspiration.

From the Paper
"Traditionally the help married in czarist Russia, it was something that could not be avoided given the living conditions and the similar social standing; this would be no different with Alyosha. After some time working for his employers he developed a crush on the cook, Ustinya, as expected. As in most settings it is here that love, as always, complicates matters and it is here that Alyosha's simplicity magnify root emotion into something more. Alyosha's lack of nuanced personality were skillfully crafted by Tolstoy so that, once the plateau of characterization was reached, anything different would become a bumpy ride of feeling. Alyosha's blunt intentions of marrying Ustinya are not played out as usual, she reciprocates but his simplistic nature leads him to see it as a different kind of love, a love of convenience but love nonetheless. It is here where Alyosha shows signs of being the ardent man that the reader first thought he could be, he has a plan and someone to share his life with. Yet, it is the will of others that he must obey, not just as the employee, but as what his personality dictates, dutiful to a fault."

Tags:peasant, worker, money, character, dutifulness

Abstract
This paper explains that Eric Schlosser, in his book "Fast Food Nation", states that what America enthusiastically and habitually eats explains much of the national psychology of the U.S.; thus, fast foods represent a national "craving" for sameness, predictability and conformity. The author points out that, in Chapter I, Schlosser reports that the "founding fathers" of the American (now very heavily-exported) fast food industry actually used their own originality, creativity, ingenuity, risk-taking capacities and entrepreneurial ways to create, ironically, the bland yet predictable sameness and conformity that has existed from the start within the fast food industry. The paper states that, because the book was easy to read and entertaining, the extensive list of well-written end-notes, thorough bibliography and index was surprising and indicated the far-reaching research upon which the book is based.

Table of Contents
Summary of Chapter I: "The Founding Fathers"
Schlosser: Fast Food is a Metaphor for the Nation
Chapter 10: "Global Realization"
Critique of "Meat and Potatoes" Section

From the Paper
"Also within Chapter 10 "Global Realization" of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation (2001), the author discusses the targeting of children by fast food advertisers, and even of international conferences and marketing organizations like the Gepetto Group that study children's consumption tastes and habits, and marketing trends and techniques that appeal to children in particular. As a result of such efforts, though, childhood obesity, as Schlosser points out, has become an epidemic in America, and in other nations that have embraced the American-created fast food habit."

Tags:conformity, children, founders, research, international

Abstract
The paper discusses how the European Union is one of the most dominant actors on the contemporary global stage whose role is only expected to grow. The paper explains how the European Union is not like a traditional power; it lacks its own armies, does not pursue a coordinated foreign policy and acts primarily in terms of its economic influence. The paper then shows how it uses this economic influence in a variety of ways that contribute strongly to a very real and powerful role in global affairs. The paper points out, however, that the overarching economic emphasis of the European project can have its negative side in terms of too much control, and a bland homogenization that threatens Europe's diverse cultures and those of other nations as well.

From the Paper
"The European Union is one of the most dominant actors on the contemporary global stage, and its role is only expected to grow. Yet, the European Union is often seen in terms different from that of the traditional superpower. Few foresee the emergence of the European Union as a military rival to the United States, Russia, China, or other powers. Instead, its increasing power is seen to be economic, cultural, and diplomatic. A united Europe will see its economic cloud spread across the planet. Its values will shape human and civil rights in both the developing and the developed worlds. Europe will be a leader in the "greening" of the world economy, a primary exponent of policy calculated to combat global warming and other pressing environmental issues."

Tags:economics, military, NATO, UN, corporations, global, warming

Abstract
This paper explains that sensationalism often replaces real news within the American media; thus, if a story, on the surface, seems banal and uneventful, the story will often be "tweaked" in such a manner as to provide viewers with a more dynamic and exaggerated sense of dramatics. The author points out that the proliferation of news bias often distorts consumer's views of what is actually occurring in the world because major world events typically are blown out of proportion in an effort to entertain and captivate viewers. The paper relates that, rather than focus on bland subject material, news reporters more often highlight news stories that entail criminal activity, death, and violence; this type of subject matter is much more dynamic and often causes viewers to tune in and stay actively involved in news broadcasts.

From the Paper
"Glassner also points out that Americans view television as reality, which is a crime in and of itself. People don't necessarily "reap an impression from television but rather take what is presented on TV as reality". Glassner also argues that media moguls won't cover legitimate news issues such as the prevalence of uninsured Americans, because broadcast agents claim their would be no public interest in such matters. Rather, media agents create interest around such topics as violence and raw passion."

Tags:sensationalism, exaggeration, exploitative, entertain, distortion

Abstract
This paper examines "Lies My Teacher Told Me" and shows it as an expose' on high school history books and the tremendous amount of misinformation they contain. The author studied the contents of twelve published high school history textbooks, debunks many of the myths contained in them, and in the process, transforms history from a bland recounting of two-dimensional people into an exciting exploration of the good and bad humankind has done in its history.

From the Paper
"In twelve chapters, Loewen demonstrates how the authors of high school textbooks distort history to the point that much of what the books contain is essentially untruthful. He has chapters on how writers make boring heroes out of interesting historical people; what roles Christopher Columbus actually did and did not play in history; the real truth about how the United States has treated its native indigenous peoples; the subtle forms racism has taken in history books; the ways efforts to foster racial equality have been left out; how completely the textbooks ignore social class no matter how important its impact on history; systematically-taught misinformation about the Federal government; how incompletely recent American history is covered or even left out; the facts about American history left out in order to present the history of the United States in an unreal but positive way; how history textbooks came to be so incomplete, inaccurate and distorted; and the harm that comes from teaching sanitized, politically-correct versions of history to students who have no way of intelligently questioning what they read. He argues that the sanitization of history means that students cannot see any relationship between cause and effect in history."

Tags:political, correct, native, america, christopher, columbus

Abstract
This paper explores Oates' story regarding that of a pretty young girl Connie who lives with a rather bland family. The author examines through the narration of the story the way Connie perceives her people.

From the Paper
"The story is basically about how a young woman deals with adolescence. The most difficult stage of life for all beings as some might say, an expert wrote in Gale encyclopedia says, " Adolescence is a border between adulthood and childhood, and as such it has a richness and diversity unmatched by any other life stage. ... Adolescents are travelers, far from home with no native land, neither children nor adults. They are jet-setters who fly from one country to another with amazing speed. Sometimes they are four years old, an hour later they are twenty-five. They don't really fit anywhere."

Tags:yearning, place, search, solid, ground, study, child, development, adolescence, second, decade

Abstract
The author of this paper gives a personal perspective of the teaching styles of two teachers and how these teaching styles affected the students in the classroom. The English teacher in this essay is described as enthusiastic and engaging, while the math teacher is described as bland and monotonous.

From the Paper
"A woman in a corset pointed to the notes on the blackboard. My English teacher was prone to dramatics like this. She used props and other devises to engage the students in their course material. When she taught us Shakespeare, for instance, she almost always came to class dressed in character. Today she was Juliet, without her Romeo. I enjoyed her classes because she was fun and enthusiastic. Even though much of the course material was difficult, coming to class was no chore because we enjoyed the way she presented the material. She wore colorful clothing and spoke loudly and clearly, making eye contact whenever possible. My math teacher, on the other hand, was dry. Many students talked during class or passed notes to each other. He never smiled and had no enthusiasm for his work. He wore the same clothes every day and rarely made eye contact with his students. Although his material was well-presented and well-organized, he failed to stimulate interest. As soon as the bell rang, he would launch into the lesson plan, writing equations on the blackboard and never making eye contact with students. Although both my teachers were well-qualified and I learned a lot from them, they completely differed in their approach to teaching."

Tags:high, school, body, language, blackboard, lecture, class, eye, contact, office, hours, test

Abstract
This paper explains that, throughout the course of the story, Steinbeck uses vast symbolism to illustrate Elisa's attempts to elude her bland and unfulfilling lifestyle. The author points out that the symbols of three dogs are used by Steinbeck for representing Elisa's position in comparison to that of the men and to foreshadow her eventual failure of escaping her role. The paper illustrates that the repairman and Henry, represented by the ranch shepherds' interaction with the mongrel dog to foreshadow how Elisa's conflict will end.

From the Paper
"The snarling dog in the story is a literary figure in the story of the repairman's mongrel dog, which represents Elisa. As Elisa lowered herself and bared her teeth in resistance to the repairman, the mongrel dog succumbed to the other ranch dogs with "raised hackles and bared teeth (29)". This parallel is continued in the physical descriptions of Elisa and the mongrel. As Elisa is "lean and strong (5)", the mongrel was "lean and rangy (28)". Also, the image of a dog about to place its paw on its owner is used to represent the subjectivity of Elisa to the repairman. As she is Kneeling there, her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers. Her hesitant fingers almost touched the cloth."

Tags:dog, symbolism, foreshadowing, ranch, mongrel