Incarceration in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott Essay

Incarceration in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott - Essay Example Susanna Kaysen was the author of the book Girl, Interrupted, which was published in 1994. The book was about her life while she was confined within the premises of McLean Hospital. She was incarcerated in the hospital because she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. During her time in the hospital, Kaysen felt being deprived of the freedom she once had. She felt that she was placed in a â€Å"parallel universe that is unconnected to the outside world†. She felt helpless being a patient in McLean Hospital because they may be able to have all the time they need, but the irony is that they are also captives of time. As patients, their lives were governed by the rules of the hospital. Their self-determination was removed from them, allowing the hospital to drive their faith and protection. Also, they were checked by the hospital staff every 15 or 30 minutes, which interrupts them in whatever they are doing. Also, the experience to be alone, unlike in the outside wor ld, means being deprive of freedom and put into the seclusion room. Also, in the beginning, she compared the hospital entrance similar to a prison, and that patients were locked in their rooms like prisoners. Furthermore, the hospital staff resorted to medications in order to control and refrained them from misbehaving. However, at the end, Kaysen â€Å"accepted the fact that she is mentally ill,† and that her stay in the hospital will eventually shed light on her illness and recovery (Klemens 2-4; Kaysen). On the other hand, Jack Henry Abbott wrote In the Belly of the Beast, which was about his life in prison. During the 20 years that he was incarcerated, he described his experience as a terrifying one. Aside from his childhood experiences, he was incarcerated in Utah State Penitentiary and was sentenced to serve for 19 years in a federal prison. Throughout these years, he had experienced eating cockroach in order to survive, beaten physically and verbally, and injected with drugs to calm or control them. Moreover, he cited that there was an impartial treatment between races which was exemplified by the officers. Also, murder was inevitable inside the prison, even though there were guards inside the premises. He stated that most of the time, the guards allowed riot inside the prison for them to avoid being harassed by the prisoners. He saw the American penal system as a corrupt one which made the prisoners lived by the rules of it. Furthermore, he was also in solitary confinement, where he dwelled into the nothingness of the world that needs to â€Å"justify himself as a mortal being† (White House 32-33; NY Book Time; Abbott). However, Susanna Kaysen and Jack Abbott are two individuals who are of two different backgrounds who battled against their incarceration experiences as being described in their books. Susanna Kaysen was from a well-off family and was also well-educated. Prior to her admission to the McLean Hospital, she had a bright future ahead of her because of her education and simply because she belonged to an affluent family. However, at the age of eighteen, Kaysen decided to kill herself, and for this reason, she was sent to McLean

About myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About myself - Essay Example I have an inner steering ambition and drive towards professional excellence in this career as I always envied being at the focal point to dictate a trend. I meet my marketing targets within stipulated timelines. Others see me as a quiet individual since I never get involved in verbal exchanges with them. I like analyzing circumstances and scenarios before commenting or giving inputs about them. I am a social individual with an inner unique ability of trusting others. My inputs towards assisting colleagues immediately after completing my tasks help them in rating me as a good partner. I entrust the members I work with, with all the tasks involved within the professional line. I enjoy working and coordinating groups since teamwork adds unto my knowledge and professional understanding. Sharing of ideologies within the groups enhances and increases my socialization abilities with others. An instant case proving my special abilities in socializing with colleagues is when I acted as a mediator in a conflict resolution process among colleagues. To overcome my weakness as a quiet person, I tend to engage my colleagues in innovation competitions that help to positively shift their view about me. The competition involves consultations hence the process increases my engagement with the colleagues thereby changing their perception about me. It is every individual’s dream to be successful in what he or she does. My role in the teams is coordinating and organizing marketing platforms to attract more clients. My deeper sense in research and creativity makes me critical personnel in this profession. In addition, the socialization ability helps coordinate and organize groups as a group leader to work jointly as a team for a common goal. However, my weakness is over expectations and pressure that I pile on the various group members