Case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Case study - Assignment Example The nursing assessment tools relevant for the situation of David Kings are Crichton Royal behavior scale and the Barthel Index. Barthel Index encompasses ten items for measuring daily functioning of patients and particularly mobility and daily living (Gallao 2006, pg. 201). The tool helps in investigating items such as moving, feeding, transferring to toilet and back, bathing, walking, dressing, grooming, up and downstairs movement and continence of bladder. The Barthel Index is important here considering that the situation of avid King disenables him practicing self-care or operating independent of a caretaker. His hands are weak, he cannot communicate and has incontinent bladder that makes the tool the best for offering comprehensive care. Crichton Royal behavior scale measures patient’s ability in ten dimensions or items that include mobility, memory, self-care, social disturbances, communication and orientation (Schachter 2011, pg. 181). This toll is relevant considering t hat it guides in accurate assessment on issues that directly affect David Kings. For instance, the tool cab help a nurse assess and scale communication, coordination and memory capability of the patient. From the description of the case study, David Kings seems to be suffering from three health problems that include heart attack, body injuries and impaired memory. Body injuries resulting from the slump that necessitated admission of David Kings in the hospital is the most urgent health care problem that nurses need to attend. Impaired memory and cognition is the second most urgent healthcare need about David Kings and which requires quick attention. Heart attack that could be due blood pressure requires the least urgent medical care. The reason for making manifest and hidden body injuries as urgent healthcare problems facing David Kings relates to the magnitude of the pain that the problem is likely to cause to the patient. Managing and

Decision Making within college life Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Decision Making within college life - Term Paper Example Different courses of actions have different consequences and therefore since one cannot experience all these consequences before making a decision, then one should review previous decisions made and their consequences. Decision making is a process that one must undertake at one point in their life time. This therefore means that we all have to make choices. Decision making can be a very difficult process especially when one is under pressure. Young people especially those at the campus level are faced with various decisions to make within the course of their stay in school. Colleges are attended mostly by people between the ages of 19-25 years and these are the so called years of exploration. It is at this stage in life when one has obtained freedom in terms of not being shackled by parental rules such as curfews. While here, these young minds are at a curious stage in their lives. They want to experiment on what their parents have been shielding from them. It is at this point in lif e when most young people experiment with drugs, sex and other things. This paper seeks to discuss decision making in campus with the author including personal experiences. Personal Experiences The author will include some of his personal experiences while in campus in order to better understand decision making. Relationships There are very many relationships that are cultivated while in campus; relationships between lecturers and students, lecturers and subordinate staff, students and the administration and students with other students. Some of these relationships are benefitial to the students while others are detrimental. Take for instance relationships between students and lecturers. The relationship formed could be one of a mentor and a mentee. Such relationships could be very fruitful because the lecturer acts as a guardian and is concerned with the all-round life of the student and not its educational aspect only. Compare this with discreet relationships between these two same parties (lecturer and student) which are more sexual in nature. In campus, these are not uncommon relationships which in most cases are initiated by the students in search for better grades not because they deserve them but because they ‘forgot’ to work hard during the year. Degrees or diplomas obtained through such means are referred to as â€Å"STDs† which stands for- â€Å"Sexually Transmitted Degrees/Diplomas†. When such a student approaches a lecturer in such a manner, wearing skimpily in the hope of seducing him she has made a choice. The question as to whether she has considered the consequences is a different matter. A female student I was well acquainted with decided to pursue such a degree but unknown to her the lecturer was infected by HIV. One day she went for testing and upon discovering that she was positive she became so angry and vowed to take a large number of her fellow students to the grave with her. She went on a revenge mission and sl ept with around 150 men after she was infected. When on her death bed she relased a list of all the men she had sexual relations with. The list included the names of lecturers, subordinate staff and fellow students. The list was pinned on the notice board. This is one of the examples of detrimental relationships and the female student in this case made a choice to be vengeful. She had other options available to her such as forgiving and forgetting. Attribution Theory This theory was

Gaddafi Essay Example for Free

Gaddafi Essay The person that I chose to represent Machiavellis ideas is Muammar Gaddafi. He is the longest serving head of state in the world next to Queen Elizabeth II. He is known for his controversial political strategy and his very unusual personality. Gaddafi is easily spotted in animal skins and colorful clothing. His name regularly pops up on lists of the worst dressed world leaders. Ronald Regan named him the Mad Dog of the Middle East. Muammar Gaddafis reputation ranges from a popular revolutionary to an international reject. Gaddafi graduated from the University of Libya then continued to pursue a British military education. While in Great Britain he began to devise a plan to overthrow the Libyan monarchy. In 1969, Libyan King Idris was overthrown by a small group of Gaddafis Junior military leaders. A year later, being inspired by Egyptian President Gamal Nasser, he decided to close US and British military bases and expel all Italians and Jews. While trying to enforce Islamic socialism, he banned alcoholic beverages and gambling and failed at trying to unite Libya with other countries. By the mid-1980s, he was widely regarded in the West as the principal financier of international terrorism. He was also accused by the United States of being responsible for direct control of the 1986 Berlin discotheque that killed three people and wounded more than 200, of whom a substantial number were U. S. servicemen. Gaddafis adopted daughter was killed in a bombing of Libya that was retaliation for the U. S. After that two Libyans were accused of placing a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded and killed 270 people, Gaddafi refused to give up the suspects to America or Britain. Gaddafi finally admitted responsibility for the attack in 2003 and paid more than $2. 7 billion to the families of the victims, initiating the end of Libyas international isolation. Now in Machiavellis The Qualities ofa Prince the very first paragraph talks about how everything dealing with the government is viewed through a military lens. Machiavelli doesnt believe that the prince is a man who is skilled in many disciplines, but he believes that the prince should own a responsibility to make sure that whatever he governs is stable. Gaddafi took responsibility for Libya by creating his own form of government called Jamahiriya, in which the nation is governed by the masses or local councils and he defended his government by saying, There is no state with a democracy except Libya n the whole planet. Machiavelli also raises the question whether it is better to be loved than to be feared. In the twelfth paragraph he states l say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel; nevertheless, he must take care not to misuse this mercy. It is said that Gaddafis examples and thoughts inspire the struggling troubled masses and haunts the ones doin g the trouble. This is why he is loved by people of the world, but feared by the ruling cliques who know that his words and actions expose them for what they are.

Gender Differences in Mental Illness Experiences

Gender Differences in Mental Illness Experiences Title: In what ways does gender shape the experience of mental illness? Introduction Women and mental health is a vast topic and we do not presume to cover all aspects of it within the confines of this essay. We will, however, explore a number of relevant themes in some detail by particular reference to peer reviewed literature on the subject. In doing so, we recognise the fact that it is vital to make a critical assessment of the literature as, in any branch of medically related work, it is vital to acquire a firm evidence base. (Berwick D 2005). Much of the literature that we have assessed for consideration amounts to little more than simple opinion on a subject, and as such, is only of use as an opinion rather than a fact that has been subject to proper scientific scrutiny. (Green Britten 1998). In this essay we take note of opinions but aim to present verifiable facts. We do know that mental illness in the UK is associated with a significant burden of both disability and morbidity in general, and this will vary with both the severity of the illness at any given time and also the nature of the illness itself. (Annandale, E1998). A number of studies have shown that, as a lifetime experience, nearly half of the population will suffer some kind of quantifiable psychological or psychiatric disorder. (Bayer, 1987) The actual incidence of morbidity is hard to assess accurately. Firstly because doctors tend to under-diagnose positive psychiatric morbidity and secondly because there is a general reluctance to seek medical help with this type of complaint. It has been suggested that only 40% of people with a significant mood, anxiety or substance misuse problem will actually seek help in the first year of the problem becoming apparent. (Boswell G Poland F 2004) In the context of this essay we should note that, in broad terms, the overall rates of psychiatric disorder are approximately equal in both men and women, but the significant differences between the sexes are found in the patterns of how the disorders manifest themselves. (Castle DJ et al 2001) It is also fair to comment that an examination of the literature seems to suggest that the morbidity which appears to be associated with mental disorders has been the subject of more attention and research than the actual determinants and mechanisms that appear to be significant in both the promotion of mental health, and protection against mental illness, together with those factors which appear to give a degree of resilience against stress and other adversities which are gender specific. ( Rogers Pilgrim 2002) Gender differences We do know that a number of psychiatric illnesses have different rates of presentation. Some, such as schizophrenia have gender differential modes of presentation and illness trajectory (Kornstein S Clayton A 2002). Just why should this be? A number of authors point to various features of gender difference that may account for this difference. Castle (et al 2001) spend a large proportion of their book differentiating the male and female brain in terms of the effect of testosterone on neurodevelopment. While this is undeniably a source of difference, it would appear that their argument rather falls apart when other authors point to the fact that the differences that we are considering here are actually better correlated with both gender and culture than actual biological sex. (Pattison 2001) Gender has much deeper socio-economic and cultural implications than simply a sexual consideration. It is gender that is one of the prime determinants of the differential power and status factors that influence the degree of control that both men and women have over their socio-economic situation and social position in their own cultural hierarchy. This, in turn, determines both their susceptibility, and indeed their exposure, to significant mental health risks. (Busfield J 1996) We have already alluded, in passing, to the differential incidence of various illnesses. We know that depression and anxiety related patterns of illness, together with those that have a significant element of somatosisation of their symptomatology, are more likely to occur in women than men with a ratio of about 3:1. Illnesses such as reactive (unipolar) depression is found to occur with double the frequency in women, when compared to men. This particular disease process is statistically the most common mental health problem that affects women, but it also tends to be more persistent in women both in terms of longevity of the episode and in frequency of relapse. (APA 1994) Gender differences are also apparent when it comes to a consideration of substance abuse, however it is usual to find the reverse ratio in most studies on the subject. Alcohol abuse and dependence will occur 2.5 times more frequently in men than women. It is not certain whether these changes are primarily cultural or biological, as they do vary to a degree between different cultures, but the sex difference is generally found. (Kraemer S 2000) Unlike the unipolar depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, like schizophrenia, has no differential rate of presentation although there are defined differences in the disease trajectory in terms of age at presentation, the frequency and nature of the first rank psychotic symptoms. This may have a bearing on the longer term sequelae such as social readjustment and long term disease process outcome. (Kaplan HI et al 1991) It is also a demonstrable fact that the degree of morbidity rises exponentially with multiple degrees of comorbidity. In studies on the subject, women outnumber men in this area as well. This consideration then begs the question, â€Å"just what are the gender specific different factors that determine mental health or the susceptibility to mental illness?† We have already suggested that many factors are not purely biological, and a number of different papers point to the fact that many of the triggers and stressor factors which can be associated with mental illness, are also gender specific. The gender based role in a particular society ( certainly in the UK), will produce different exposure to different stressors and negative life experiences. Equally it will give different exposure to the protective effect of a positive life experience. (Moynihan C 1998) We can cite specific examples in this regard. Women are frequently the domestic target of male-based violence. This factor is probably important in the fact that women have the highest incidence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).(Jewkes R 2002) There is still a gender gap in the earnings tables, both in total lifetime earnings and also in average earning levels. This implies that women tend to be less financially independent and more socio-economically deprived (on average) that males. In many societies this is also translated into lower social status that the male and this is often also associated with fewer social freedoms – all of which may be associated with an increasing psychological co-morbidity. (Gordon G et al 2001) There is also the consideration that in the majority of cultures, it is the woman who typically bears the major impact of care in the family, not only of the children, but also of the elderly relatives, and this frequently produces constant and unremitting levels of stress, which again, is recognised as a major trigger for psychological morbidity. (Davies TW 1994) All of these factors, when considered collectively, appear to exert a significant influence on the overall patterns of gender specific distribution of psychiatric morbidity in the community at large. These factors are generally exacerbated (and the gender differences accentuated), when there are sudden and unpredicted fluctuations in the general income level or the stability of the social strata.(Murray M 1995). We have already alluded to the fact that the rates of diagnosis by the healthcare professionals tend to underestimate the true incidence of psychiatric morbidity in the community. It is likely that the healthcare professional can also skew the results in a different way. We know, from a number of studies, that gender bias occurs in both the diagnosis and treatment of mental conditions. Doctors have been shown to be more likely to make a diagnosis of depression in women than in men even when the cohorts have been previously matched in terms of symptom severity and when the present with matched symptoms. Doctors are also statistically more likely to prescribe psychotropic medication for women than for men. (Bhui K et al 1995), Why should this be? Part of the reason is that women have demonstrably different patterns of presentation of psychological morbidity than men. Women are more likely to be open and to disclose their problems to a healthcare professional than a man. Women tend to disclose problems to a primary healthcare team professional (and therefore be treated in the community), whereas a man is statistically more likely to present to a secondary care specialist (which is possibly why men have a disproportionately high representation of inpatient care) (Boswell G Poland F 2004) This may be due to the general perception of the gender stereotype. It is more â€Å"socially acceptable† for a man to have an alcohol problem. Some would argue that Dean Martin made a career out of his drinking. Women are â€Å"expected† to be more emotionally labile than men, and the typical male stereotype is to be stoical and unflinching in the face of adversity. These patterns of behaviour in both the general public, as well as in the perceptions of healthcare professionals, go a long way towards perpetuating many of the gender inequalities that we have examined thus far. It is certainly possible that they may be responsible, at least in part, for the apparent varying susceptibility of the sexes to different illness patterns. (Bandarage A 1997) Conclusions In this essay we have considered some of the evidence that related to the gender differences in the presentation and trajectory of mental illness. We note that the WHO recognises many of these factors on a global scale and has put forward three factors that it considers to be protective in the development of mental morbidity (especially depression). In the light of our discussion above, it can be seen that, although the WHO addresses the points generally to the whole population, they, arguably, have a greater relevance for women than men, certainly in our current culture in the UK. Having sufficient autonomy to exercise some control in response to severe events. Access to some material resources that allow the possibility of making choices in the face of severe events. Psychological support from family, friends, or health providers is powerfully protective. (WHO1998) We have established that women represent the greatest element of morbidity in the overall consideration of both psychiatric and psychological pathology. This may a real finding, but we note that there is a considerable element of bias in the figures, both from the differential rates of presentation and also relative gender bias that appears to exist in the healthcare professionals in general. There is also additional bias in the fact that women have a longer life expectancy than men and therefore have more â€Å"life chances† to present with psychiatric morbidity, quite apart from the fact that the morbidity rates increase with advancing age, primarily associated with the dementias and various organic brain syndromes (Russell D 1995). On a world wide basis, women are more susceptible to the destabilising effect of war, economic instability and natural disasters which add to the burden of negative life experiences that are a prime risk factor for the development of mental illness. (Brown GW 1978). We have also identified the fact that the woman’s position in her particular culture or society is also a very significant factor in generating gender differences. There are gender differences in society and therefore it clearly comes as no surprise that these differences are reflected in the gender differences in health generally. The woman, in the majority of cultures is expected to assume a number of different roles (sometimes simultaneously), each with their own pressures. The unremitting role of the carer is common and clearly a cause of chronic stress. This can be both combined with, and exacerbated by, situations of comparative poverty which again magnifies the effect of all of the negative stressors which can mitigate towards mental ill-health. Other factors such as sexual abuse can also play a gender specific role in the aetiology of mental illness. In the words of Masson, (J.M. 1986) in his historical overview of the field of psychological disability: There is a positive relationship between the frequency and severity of such social factors and the frequency and severity of mental health problems in women. Severe life events that cause a sense of loss, inferiority, humiliation or entrapment can predict depression. Some authors point to the difficulty of communication of the patient with the healthcare professional. In areas where there are cultural or perceived socio-economic differences, it is accepted that this may be a significant factor (Platt, FW Gordon GH 1999). If difficulty of communication is a problem, the conscientious healthcare professional should endeavour to be aware of it and minimise it’s potential impact with strategies such as a translator or perhaps a more empathetic or understanding approach. One could hope that this would go some way to reducing the burden of disclosure from a patient who may already have a significant burden of psychological illness themselves. All in all, we can conclude that the whole area of gender, in relation to mental health problems, is both difficult, multifactorial and complex. A significant amount of work has been done in this field, but there is clearly scope for a great deal more. References Annandale, Ellen (1998) The Sociology of Health Medicine A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Polity 1998 APA 1994 American Psychiatric Association. DSM-IV. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: APA, 1994 Bandarage A 1997 Women, population and a global crisis London : Zed books 1997 Bayer, Ronald (1987) Homosexuality and American Psychiatry The Politics of Diagnosis. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 1987 Berwick D 2005 Broadening the view of evidence-based medicine Qual. Saf. Health Care, Oct 2005; 14: 315 316. Boswell G Poland F 2004 Women’s minds, Women’s bodies London: Routledge ISBN 0333919696 Brown, George W. Tiril Harris (1978) The Social Origins of Depression A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. New York: The Free Press. 1978 Brown, G.W., S.Davidson T.Harris (1977) Psychiatric Disorder in London and North Uist Social Science and Medicine 11: 367-377 Bhui K, Christie Y, Bhugra D. 1995 Essential elements in culturally sensitive psychiatric services. Int J Soc Psychiatry 1995;41:242-56 Busfield, Joan (1996) Men, Women and Madness Understanding Gender and Mental Disorder. London: Macmillan. 1996 Castle DJ, John McGrath, Jayashri Kulkarni (eds) 2001 Women and Schizophrenia Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0 521 78617 7 : 2001 Davies TW. 1994 Psychosocial factors and relapse of schizophrenia. BMJ 1994;309:353-4. Gordon G, Welbourn A. 2001 Stepping stones and men. Washington,DC: InterAgency Gender Working Group, 2001. Green J, Britten N. 1998 Qualitative research and evidence based medicine. BMJ 1998; 316: 1230-1233 Jewkes R 2002 Preventing domestic violence BMJ, Feb 2002; 324: 253 254 ; Kaplan HI, Sadcock BJ 1991 Synposis of Psychiatry, behavioural Sceinces Baltimore: Maryland Wilkins Wilkins 1991 Kornstein S Clayton A (eds) 2002 Womens Mental Health: A Comprehensive Textbook 2002 The Guilford Press, ISBN 1 57230 699 8 Kraemer S 2000 The fragile male BMJ, Dec 2000; 321: 1609 1612 ; Masson, J.M. (1986) A Dark Science. Women, Sexuality and Psychiatry in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. 1986 Moynihan C 1998 Theories in health care and research: Theories of masculinity BMJ, Oct 1998; 317: 1072 – 1075 Murray M.1995 Prevention of anxiety and depression in vulnerable groups. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995 Pattison H 2001 Women and Schizophrenia †¢ Women and Mental Health BMJ, Jul 2001; 323: 114 ; Penfold, P. Susan Gillian A.Walker (1984) Women and the Psychiatric Paradox. Milton Keynes: Open University. 1984 Platt, FW Gordon GH 1999 Field Guide to the Difficult Patient Interview 1999 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, pp 250 ISBN 0 7817 2044 3 London: Macmillian Press 1999 Rogers A and David Pilgrim 2002 Mental Health and inequality London: Macmillan, ISBN 0333786572 : 2002 Russell, Denise (1995) Women, Madness and Medicine. Cambridge: Polity. 1995 Showalter, Elaine (1987) The Female Malady. Women, Madness and English Culture 1830-1980. London: Virago. 1987 Skultans, Vieda (1987) The Management of Mental Illness among Maharashtrian Families: A Case Study of a Mahanubhav Healing Temple. Man: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 22(4):661-679 Szasz, Thomas S.(1971) The Manufacture of Madness. A Comparative Study of the Inquisition and the Mental Health Movement. London: Routledge. 1971 WHO 1998 World Health organisation 1998 The World Health Report Executive Summary   Geneva: World Health organisation 1998 ############################################################ 17.1.06 PDG Word count 2,813

Outsourcing Jobs To Foreign Countries Essay -- Outsourcing Globalizati

Outsourcing Jobs to Foreign Countries Due to the lack of employment in foreign countries, companies that outsource work overseas are not only beneficial to themselves but also to the service providers being employed. The initial benefit that catches the public’s eye from outsourcing is a cost reduction on the company’s part. But that is not the only benefit from outsourcing or even the key benefit that causes companies to outsource, on the other hand, outsourcing has its disadvantages as well. Outsourcing, like every developing idea being implemented into our economy, has its pitfalls and drawbacks such as staff cuts and information leaks, there are also cases of breach of contract. Despite all the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing, it is a wheel in motion and is becoming more than just a question of whether or not a company will outsource but it is a question of how much or how little of the company’s work will be outsourced offshore. This having been said; let us discuss the benefits an d pitfalls of offshore outsourcing. Companies not only benefit from cost reductions overseas or the ability of the company to specialize in one area of expertise but also outsourcing certain work lets designers and engineers focus on more important tasks. To illustrate, â€Å"In Calcutta, India, a team of engineers is designing bottle caps ... Back home in Indiana, a team of engineers that used to design the same bottle caps now focuses on more value-added engineering work since some of their design responsibilities have been taken away.† (Katz, J., 2006). Outsourcing from the start was initiated to reduce non-core tasks, such as inventory management and logistics from the already full list of tasks appointed to company heads, â€Å"not an ... ...g. There is an undeniable fact here, that outsourcing is no longer just a strategy to succeed but a tactic used in everyday business. References Carnevale, Dan. "Technology Companies Bring Outsourcing Home.(Rural Sourcing Inc.)." The Chronicle of Higher Education 52.31 (April 7, 2006): NA. InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Apollo Group. 9 July 2006. Katz, J. (2006). LEARNING TO LET GO. Industry Week/IW, 255(7), 31-34. Retrieved Sunday, July 09, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database. Panchak, P. (2006). Next-Generation Outsourcing. Industry Week/IW, 255(7), 11-11. Retrieved Sunday, July 09, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database. "The outsourcing source book. (the pros and cons of outsourcing) (Productivity in the '90s)." Journal of Business Strategy 14.n3 (May-June 1993): 52(5). InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Apollo Group. 9 July 2006

Conflicts in Elizabeth Stuart Phelps The Angel Over the Right Shoulder

Conflicts in Elizabeth Stuart Phelps' The Angel Over the Right Shoulder      Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Angel Over the Right Shoulder" is fascinating because of the conflict it uncovers between a woman's need to fulfill her domestic role and her need to develop as an individual. The story was published in 1852, when the American people were struggling with the role of women in society. The author, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, introduces two opposing possibilities for this role. One is the woman whose entire being revolves around her domestic sphere and who has no individual identity. The other is an individual who, although fulfilling the role of mother and wife, takes time to cultivate and develop her own interests and person. This essay will focus on discussing the social and historical concepts intertwined with these two opposing viewpoints concerning the role of women in the middle 19th century rather then evaluating them in terms of the story. This will give the reader information necessary to better understand and analyze the events of the text.    The first possibility of woman's ideal social role, revolving entirely around her domestic responsibilities, has its origin in the past. Women of white middle class standing had historically taken on the responsibilities of clothing, feeding and caring for all members of the family, while the men had ensured that the raw materials for these duties existed. Stereotypically, the husband would work the farm cultivating the crops and caring for the animals, while the wife would turn these raw materials into the necessities of life, including food and clothing. When industry began to take over in the early 1800's the specific tasks of gender shifted, but the general spheres d... ...ideas about the new role of women in society while reading "The Angel Over The Right Shoulder", and to consider the ways in which Phelps encourages or discourages each one. I also encourage the reader to delve more deeply into the wealth of information surrounding this very important time period in the history of the United States, to understand where Phelps' ideas were generated and why she may have seemed to favor of one role of women over another.    Works Cited Graves, A.J., Mrs. Woman in America: Being an Examination into the Moral and Intellectual Condition of American Female Society. New York: Harper, 1847,c1841 Melder, Keith. Beginnings of Sisterhood: The American Woman's Rights Movement, 1800-1850. New York: Schocken Books, 1977. Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart. The Angel Over the Right Shoulder. Andover: Warren F. Draper, 1852.   

Compare the play “Killed” with “Blue Remembered Hills” Essay

In this essay I will compare the two plays â€Å"Killed† and â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†. The play â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† was written by Dennis Potter, I have been studying the Samuel French LTD edition. It is set in 1943 in the south west of Britain. â€Å"Killed† was written by Fred Hawksley, it is set mostly in France with flash backs to Manchester. Both plays are set in war times, â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† takes place in the Second World War and â€Å"Killed† is set in the First World War. In â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† the war is a back ground to the story; it is referred to but never seen, unlike â€Å"Killed† where the war is what makes the story. When we acted out the play â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† I played John, he is a child who is part of a gang, a lot like the 14 platoon in â€Å"Killed†. In both there is a strong sense of hierarchy; in â€Å"Killed† there is no answering back to the one in charge this being the R.S.M. and in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† the character in charge is Wallace Wilson, although ever elusive on stage he is constantly mentioned in the dialogue as â€Å"†¦no.1† in the group. The speech in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† is very naturalistic using slang to enhance the informal feel of the play. â€Å"Killed† uses a more formal register when someone is in the presence of the R.S.M but takes a more natural tone when Billy remembers life in Manchester. They both have similar story lines where a group of friends are forced, or accidentally kill another one of their friends. They are both tragedies because the endings are sad and a friend ends up dead. In â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† war is an exciting and glorified vision in the minds of the children. In â€Å"Killed† Billy is executed by his own side in the First World War and shows the harsh reality of being a solder in the trenches on the front line. The two plays have very different views of war. The characters in the two plays have very different personalities, yet they resemble some of the personalities from the other, for example the R.S.M. and Peter being a kind of leader figures bossing the members of the group. Billy and Donald also show similarities as they both die and their friends play a part in their deaths. The two plays would be performed very differently, â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† is very natural; running in almost real time unlike â€Å"Killed† which is very stylistic and happens over two years with narrated flash backs. I would show these flash backs via the flash back being acted out on stage while Billy addresses the audience not being able to interact with the flash back although he tries to. I would create a simple set for â€Å"Killed† maybe some seats and a table for Billy’s home in Manchester and some staging lined up to make the lip of the trench. For the â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† set we made a barn behind a woodland scene so that the whole scene could take place without any changes to the set and used the whole stage well. For costumes I would have Billy from â€Å"Killed† in a First World War uniform and in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† I would try to find some clothes that could help an actor inhabit the role of a child in the 1940s. The two plays are both very interesting and conjure different visions of war, in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills† the World War engulfs all lands over seas and yet the children in mainland Britain have only heard the glorified version of the war, whereas Billy in ‘Killed’ believes he will become a hero but finds that war is not as heroic as he thought.