Cytogenetics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cytogenetics - Coursework Example Other Cytogenetic techniques include Fluorescent in-situ hybridization, Centromere or C-banding, replication banding, Sub-microscopic telomere analysis, distamycin staining and Comparative Genomic Hybridization (1). Abnormalities in chromosomes can also be identified by non-cytogenetic methods, like that of Microarray analysis and Molecular analysis of Telomeric sequences (1). Human numerical abnormalities are now measured by the advent of cytogenetics, which include Downs Syndrome, Turners syndrome and Klinefelters syndrome. The advance of molecular cytogenetics started in 1980s with the advent of Fluorescent in-situ hybridization. Later than FISH, technique of chromosome microdissection came in picture in which micromanipulation and examination of chromosome was carried out. This method lead to study in detail the aberration in chromosomal structure that could be isolated cloned and thereby studied in even finer detail. This method is also been put to medical use like in diagnosis of cancer and in hematological malignancies where it is used to determine the chromosomal translocations in the malignant cells, thus making the diagnosis easier and thereby the treatment becomes more specific. It is also used in the identification of the abnormality in myeloid leukemia (2). The future focuses on molecular cytogenetics include Comparative genomic hybridization microarrays; Single-Polynucleotide based Polymerization based karyotyping. Report for the clinician referred to: 1. Observation and background: Given sample of Mrs. Krerr has been analyzed and karyotyping was carried out based on the G-banding Karyotype. There were clear indications of translocation between in Chromosome 4 and 11 having t(4;11)(q21:p13) phenotype. Based on published literature and reports translocation in chromosome 4; 11 was found to be associated with high risk infant acute leukemia (3) which arises due to illegitimate re-combination between MLL and AF4 gene. Identification of this gene translocation in early stage of life cycle allows us to define the treatment regime in subsequent development of diseases (4). The mechanistic aspect of this translocation is largely unknown but researchers are able to map the genomic breakpoints and, in this particular case it was found to be hyper-sensitive to Dnase I and the cleavage site for Topoisomerase II. 2. Probable Gene involved and proteins: a) AF4p12, also known as FRYL gene homologous to Drosophila FRY gene could be involved in maintaining integrity of polarized cell during morphogenesis (6). b) MLL 11 Q23 transcriptional regulators. 3. Further investigations: Observed karyotype and interpretation needs to be validated based on little more cytogenetic analysis including Q- banding to obtain high resolution banding pattern to locate precise translocation. Similarly NOR (Silver) staining will help to identify translocation due to involvement of shorter arm translocation in given sample. But it is highly recommended to use Q-PCR methodology using fusion specific primer (i.e. primer which amplifies fusion region of MLL and AF4). The results of PCR amplification can

Cultural Differences Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Differences - Research Paper Example American workplace however differs that individuals are expected to rely on its own merit where hiring and promotion depends on what one have done or can do. It will not be offensive to impose professionalism at work. While kinship is valued in Philippine society in general, its professional class understands the virtue of performance and results as a basis for hiring and promotion. The perspective about power has the biggest disparity between United States and the Philippines. US scored 40 on this and this is reflective of American values of equality, liberty and justice for all compared to the Philippines which is a younger society and thus still feudalistic scoring 94 manifesting its hierarchial society which is reflective of its society’s inherent inequalities. Unlike in the US workplace where both managers and employees share information frequently in a manner that is informal, direct and participative, it is quite the opposite in the Philippines where subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is the benevolent autocrat. While American workplace requires little structure and little rules, these are emphasized in the Philippine workplace. Subordinates know their places and are generally accepting of this structure. This difference in perspective of the workplace an easily be resolved as a new manager in the Philippine context by clearly stating what is expected of its employees or subordinates. It can initiate a new culture of being more â€Å"egalitarian† in the workplace making it more flat which Philippine society is generally accepting of any initiative from the management as long as it does not threaten them. Both countries scored low on long-term orientation with the Philippines scoring 19 while the US scored 29. This does not however mean that both countries share all the characteristic of short sightedness. US short

Transfer To Virginia Tech Essay Example for Free

Transfer To Virginia Tech Essay I have come to a point in life that many people have not.   I have made a firm decision to recommit myself to pursuing my dreams.   While there are those who believe that with an ounce of luck and a ton of persistence anything can be accomplished, I believe that there is no reason to expend so much energy and rely on luck.   I believe in taking hold of my destiny and carving out a future for myself based on the decisions that I make in life.    Life is simply too short and too precious to be left to luck alone.   This is why I have chosen to apply at (Selected University Here). My most important character strength, in my opinion, is my ability to adapt, accept and learn from different cultures.   I traveled a lot when I was younger and have been exposed to all sorts of cultures and societies.   Growing up, I found myself amidst people of many different cultural backgrounds and I have found that I have grown to accept people for who they are and not where they are from. The world is fast becoming a borderless place.   Cultures, races, beliefs and ideologies are blend together and interact because of the growing advances in communications.   In order to succeed in this world, one needs to be able to adapt to the various cultural differences as well as be able to maintain a certain sense of individual identity.   This is why I firmly believe that Virginia Tech is the perfect place for me. In order to get ahead in this world, it is important to have a good education.   While I began to pursue my dream at App State University, I feel that Virginia Tech is the better place for me.   The fact that my mother graduated from Virginia Tech only adds to the many reasons why having a quality education from a well-known school is crucial to the pursuit of my long term goals in life. While I personally believe that â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch† and that everything a person has in life must come from hard work and perseverance, I also believe in charity.   I believe in helping others who do not have much in life.   I believe in helping people regardless of their nation, race or creed.   I believe in being a better person so I can best help myself and others around me.   I strongly feel that my time of being an object at rest has gone on long enough and that it is now time for me to move forward to achieve my dreams.   For this reason, I feel that (name of university) is the best place for me to turn these beliefs into realities.

David and Solomon Essay Example for Free

David and Solomon Essay In 1 Kings 9:12-13, Hiram, the king of Tyre, is described as not pleased with the kind of towns that King Solomon has given him. Perhaps expecting for something that would have equaled all the pine, cedar and gold that he gave Solomon, Hiram questioned the King about the towns that he received. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 merely mentions that Solomon reconstructed the villages that Hiram had given, after which he settled the Israelites in these villages. Following the passages in 1 Kings 9:10-28, Hiram named the twenty towns in Galilee he received from Solomon as the Land of Cabul. The word â€Å"Cabul† means ‘what does not please’ in Phoenician. The fact that the Hiram named the land Solomon has given him â€Å"Cabul† suggests that, indeed, Hiram was not pleased at all with the gestures of the King. Perhaps the reason to Hiram’s displeased reaction is that he gave all the pine, cedar and gold that Solomon wanted only to get twenty lands which did not suit his taste. It might have been the case that Hiram had high expectations in return of his gestures to Solomon. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 suggests that Hiram gave the towns to Solomon instead of Solomon supposedly giving Hiram the twenty towns in Galilee in 1 Kings 9:11. In 2 Chronicles 8:2, it is mentioned that Solomon â€Å"rebuilt† the cities he received, implying that the cities were not in good condition. In the same passage, we are also told that Solomon eventually placed the Israelites to live in those rebuilt cities. The passage appears to point us the idea that Solomon was a king who was out to develop the undeveloped and to expand his dominion through the resources he garnered from his conquests. Moreover, Solomon’s men together with Hiram’s sailors returned home from Ophir delivering four hundred and fifty talents of gold to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 8:17-18. On the contrary, 1 Kings 9:28 narrates the same fleet of men sailing to Ophir but only delivering four hundred and twenty talents of gold to Solomon. The discrepancy in the amount of gold delivered suggests at least two ideas: one is that Solomon was either exceedingly triumphant or not in his exploits and two is that he was either a well-respected ruler or not by his subjects. In essence, the accounts provided in 2 Chronicles 8:1-18 suggest that Solomon was a king who was exceedingly triumphant so much so that Hiram was compelled to give him cities which Solomon then rebuilt. On the other hand, the accounts provided in 1 Kings 9:10-28 suggest that Solomon was a ruler who, in general, did not give the appropriate dues to people who expected much from him insomuch as he was a ruler who the royal subjects can easily steal from due in part to a lack of honesty and respect. I think the two accounts differ with respect to the descriptions of the character and the actions of Solomon because of differing perceptions towards Solomon. I think the inclusion of the displeased reaction of Hiram in 1 Kings 9:12-13 may suggest that some people saw Solomon at the time of his rule as someone who could only care less about how other people may see him and react against his actions. On the contrary, the omission of Hiram’s reaction in 2 Chronicles 8:2 may suggest that how people viewed Solomon with regard to his actions was irrelevant since he may have been seen as a righteous ruler who provided for his subjects their necessities. In general, the description of Solomon’s reign in 1 Kings is not only â€Å"based on a variety of sources with a different provenance† but also â€Å"displays traces of different stages of redaction† (Talshir, p. 233) or the combination of multiple source texts, thereby suggesting that the differences in the accounts can be largely attributed to their respective writers. In both 2 Samuel 8:1-18 and 1 Chronicles 18:1-17, the triumphs of David in all of his wars are narrated. In all of the wars revealed in the two accounts, David is portrayed as an able leader who is very much capable of invading territories and still not forgetting to make offerings to God such as the gold and silver exploits. Both accounts agree that the Lord helped David wherever he went, indicating that the Lord was pleased with the efforts of David. However, one major difference between the two accounts is that, in 2 Samuel 8:2, David is described as having been able to defeat the Moab forces which was followed by the execution the few remaining Moabites. In the selection process, the Moabites were made to lie on the ground in a line and those who were within two lines were put to death while those in the third length were given the chance to live under the rule of David. Apparently, nothing about the process of the execution was mention throughout 1 Chronicles 18:1-17. The inclusion of the description of the execution of the Moabites in 2 Samuel 8:2 gives a rough image of how David was supposedly ruthless towards his conquered subjects. The passage gives us the impression that, although David was kind enough to â€Å"randomly† allow some of the Moabites to live, he was nonetheless a leader and a warrior who showed little mercy towards those who have survived the onslaught of his armies. The seemingly detailed account of the execution of the Moabites creates an eerie mental environment, appearing as a visual reminder that David was a conqueror who displayed his authority and power with little mercy. And yet, David is still portrayed in the same passage as an abiding servant of the Lord who never forgets to provide his offerings to God. It signifies that, since the Lord helped David wherever he went, nothing can stand against the way and the disposition of David. In essence, it appears that the position of the writer in 2 Samuel 8:1-18 is that David was a devout servant of the Lord while being a ruthless conqueror who can easily take the lives of his conquered subjects according to his will. On the other hand, the writer of 1 Chronicles 18:1-17 seems to suggest that David was blessed by the Lord and that he was a leader who piously served and gave offerings to the Lord without the hint of ruthlessness revealed in 2 Samuel 8:2. The two accounts differ primarily because David, I think, was a ruler hated in his time by those who became victims of his military actions. It is therefore not surprising that at least one account pertaining to David’s military advances gave several details about how people were executed depending on the decision of David. However, those who saw David as a righteous ruler and those who benefitted from his triumphs are more inclined to put David on a more positive regard. Roddy L. Braun suggests that the Chronicler—the writer of the book of Chronicles—presents David’s kingship as â€Å"greeted by the mixed multitudes of Israel with immediate and enthusiastic unanimity† (Braun, p. 503) unlike the respective writers of Samuel and Kings. Such variations in writings can hardly be reconciled almost entirely and that the only way to avoid the vicious circle that can commence from the failure to reconcile the accounts, as Sara Japhet suggests, is â€Å"by studying the matter from its positive aspects—not from what is omitted, but from what is existent† (Japhet, p. 206). Thus, it is not necessarily the case that the differences in the accounts mean that one account is true and the other is not. While Solomon may be portrayed in Kings quite differently from Chronicles or while David may be portrayed in Samuel differently from Chronicles, the differences may not essentially signify the truthfulness or falsehood of either one of the accounts. Rather, the presence of additional details in the each account provides more insight into the lives of Kings David and Solomon. Works Cited Braun, Roddy L. â€Å"Solomonic Apologetic in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 92. 4 (1973): 503-16. Japhet, Sara. â€Å"Conquest and Settlement in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 98. 2 (1979): 205-18. Talshir, Zipora. â€Å"The Reign of Solomon in the Making. † Vetus Testamentum 50. 2 (2000): 233-49

The Right To Access Clean Water Environmental Sciences Essay

The Right To Access Clean Water Environmental Sciences Essay Human rights ensure that the basic needs of a human are provided equally to all individuals regardless of monetary stature, race, religion or discrimination of any sort. It works to maintain that both, the bearer and the recipient play an active role in this providence. In the 21st century Human Rights is becoming much more important and playing an additional vital role as further needs are being labelled as a right that should be enjoyed and exercised by all individuals. One such human right is the right to access clean water. There are basic human rights that have often been recognized, food, healthcare, etc. So it should come to no surprise that Water is also a basic human right. Water is, in our eyes, a fundamental human necessity as there is no life without water. Yet, the situation remains that not every human being on this other is gifted with access to clean water. Moreover, the lack of clean water is transforming from a limitation to an enormous threat. Definition of terms Human Rights Council The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. Groundwater   Groundwater is water that is found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is an important source of water for consumption. Low income groups Individuals with access to a low income in comparison with the average income of the general population in an area. Income is the amount of money an individual earns in a certain time period. Inadequate Inadequate means that a certain factor is unfit for usage or consumption. It does not fulfil the needs of a task or individual. Millennium Development Goals The MDGs are eight goals that were formed at the Millennium Summit in 2000 and aim to bringing international development. All member nations of the UN have agreed to meet these goals by the year 2015. Background The background to this issue on the agenda lies in the simple fact that 900 million people worldwide dont have access to clean water. A basic need of the human body; lying out of reach for all these people is not a matter that the UN would leave unaddressed. The underlying problem that causes this issue of lack of clean water is with the unequal distribution of water and poverty. Often, low income groups, those living in extreme poverty and people living in rural areas cannot afford a clean water supply and make do with unreliable water sources. Over 3.4 million people die every year from causes related to water, sanitation and hygiene and 99 percent of these deaths occur in the developing world. Out of just over 7 billion people on this planet, more than 894 million dont have access to improved water sources; which is about one in nine people. As rivers dry up, lakes shrink and groundwater reserves get depleted, that figure will rise to 3 billion in 2025, especially in parts of Asia and Africa. These facts are just the tip of the iceberg as the ongoing issue stems into many other situations that the UN has to face and its roots must be uncovered by members of the UN so that the access to clean water is no longer a demand, but a provision. Causes of the Lack of Clean Water The fact remains that there is indeed enough water on Earth for the need of the world population. Thereby the problem lies in the unequal distribution of water and poverty around the globe. Inequality of Distribution Lack of transportation systems and systems to obtain water, such as harvesting rainwater and extracting groundwater as well as in some cases not restricting peoples access to water has left clean water in scarcity. When the extraction of groundwater becomes excessive (for industrial and agricultural use), its availability at domestic households is poorly affected. Poverty Economic condition is another factor with access to clean water. Developing countries such as India have a number of rural areas where there is an inadequate water supply. Individuals have to usually travel long distances to get water from rather unsafe sources. Even in Developed nations such as the USA, low income groups typically live in places that are not provided with adequate water supply options. For example, impoverished slum dwellers in  Angola  draw drinking water from the local river where their sewage is dumped. Farmers on the lower reaches of the Colorado River struggle because water has been diverted to cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Corruption Corruption too plays a part in the scarcity of clean water and reduces its availability. Slow response or no response at all to this issue in some areas is all due to corruption. Almost 40 percent of water is lost in leakages from water pipes and canals of which the main cause is illegal tapping. This also results in a hike in water prices which only goes on to ruin the poor. Important Measures Obviously an issue of such importance is not being given the spotlight in just now, in the 21st century. Measures have been taken previously to deal with the right to access clean water. In 1948, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into being which laid down the basis to all universal rights. It formed the various social, economic and political rights of humans. In 1966, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was formed which was a legal binding treaty where States parties are obligated to protect, respect and fulfil rights such as the right to life, the right to dignity, and the right to self determination. The right to water is not explicitly defined in this treaty but comes under the right to life as water is essential for human life on planet Earth. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which took place in 1979, was the first time water supply was addressed in a legally binding way.   Article 14.2(h) states that women have the right to enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and  water supply. This convention was followed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 10 years after in 1979. The convention talks about the right to health in Article 24, where the focus on combating disease and malnutrition primarily states that children should have a provision of nutritious food and clean water. Moreover, Article 27, the entitlement to adequate living conditions is said by the Committee on the Rights of the Child to include access clean water. One of the key conferences was the Millennium Summit, New York, USA in 2000. The conference adopted The Millennium Declaration and set various Millennium Development Goals. One of the targets is concentrated on the right to access clean water: the goal to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015 The United Nations has also declared that the decade from 2005 to 2015 is known as the Water for Life decade In March 2008 at the Human Rights Council Resolution on Human Rights and Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation decided an independent expert should be appointed to deal with the issue of the right to access clean water and basic sanitation. In the September of that year (2008) the Human Rights Council appointed Catarina de Albuquerque as the Independent Expert. She began her mandate on 1 November 2008. She has already made a number of visits to various destinations where she inquires and checks on the state of access to clean water and gives advice and makes recommendation on what further steps can be taken and how to go about in bringing them out. In July 2010 at United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the right to water and sanitation a resolution was initiated by Bolivia. The Resolution 64/ 292 acknowledges that clean drinking water and sanitation are integral to the realisation of all human rights. The Resolution also welcomes the important work carried out by the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation and welcomes her presentation of an annual report to the General Assembly. 122 Nations voted in favour of this resolution and 41 countries abstained. The abstentions were mostly from primarily developed countries including the USA, Canada, Australia and several European Nations who commented that the resolution would undermine UNs Human Rights Council in Geneva to build a compromise on water rights. Solving the Problem How to go about solving the issue is the actual setback on solving this global concern. Short term, and relatively simple, measures have to be taken. Treating water with chlorine, setting up new pipes and canals for widespread transportation, filters, etc are all existing technologies that can be implemented. Short term measures differ from country to country as not country has the same barriers in providing clean water. The long term goal remains to provide easily available sources of clean and treated water for all individuals. Methods of water conservation such as water recycling and drip irrigation do contribute in making clean water more available but to bring about quick and decisive long term change a global step must be taken with all countries in unison so that the individuals of the world may benefit. The resolution introduced by Bolivia in July 2010, which was passed, aimed at recognizing this matter once again and showed the divide between countries. 41 countries who did not want to go on record for not passing this resolution abstained, as it would complicate steps being taken in Geneva to deal with the same issue at the UNs Human Rights council. Moreover, the resolution was not regulatory and its main aim was to raise concern for the issue and bring out backing for solutions that may come through. To resolve, however, this crisis, nations must come together as one to produce a resolution that tackles the right to access clean water thoroughly and provides the necessary change required for individuals to be given easily available, clean water. Key Conferences 1977  United Nations Water Conference, Mar del Plata, Argentina 1990  The Global Consultation on Safe Water and Sanitation 1990  World Summit for Children 1992  International Conference on Water and the Environment, Dublin, Ireland 1995  World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, Denmark 1997  The First World Water Forum, Marrakesh, Morocco 2000  Millennium Summit, New York, USA 2000  The Second World Water Forum, Ministerial Conference on Water Security in the Twenty-First Century, The Hague, Netherlands 2001  International Conference on Fresh Water, Bonn, Germany 2001  New Partnerships for African Development, NEPAD framework document 2002  World Summit on Sustainable Development, Rio + 10, Johannesburg, South Africa 2003  Third World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan 2006  Fourth World Water Forum, Mexico 2009  Fifth World Water Forum, Istanbul, Turkey

Weber vs. Marx Essay -- essays research papers

Weber destabilizes the relationship between base and superstructure that Marx had established. According to Weber, the concept of historical materialism is naà ¯ve and nonsense because superstructures are not mere reflections of the economic base. (â€Å"The Protestant Ethic† and â€Å"The Spirit of Capitalism (1904-5) Weber agrees that the economy is one of the most faithful forces in modern life. However there are other social and legal factors which exhibit power and thus influence society. These factors help define bureaucratic society or Weber’s concept of modern society which operates through the rational administration of labor. According to Weber, the condition of modern society is disenchantment, which, through rationalization (division of labor), worldly activity is no longer motivated by cultural or spiritual values (meaning) but is instead motivated by economic impulsion. Ironically though, Weber attributes religious aestheticism (meaning) to the root of rationalization, and once mechanism (capitalism) takes off on its own, that religious root is no longer needed to justify work. Thus, mechanized petrification emerges, leaving hardly any room for spontaneity, with a few exceptions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In establishing a definition of modern society, Weber, unlike Marx, acknowledges that certain ideas can have great influence on material conditions. He suggests a more complex, dynamic relationship between economy and superstructure. Human activity is motivated by reasons other than just capitalist consumption. For example, many people act based on meaning, such as religious or spiritual. Values shape how people live. Weber accuses Marx of being an economic determinist for believing that the mode of production is the only force that moves the base. Weber believes that social and legal factors such as status, class, party, and the division of social honor from economic order in addition to the eco nomy influence modern society, which, according to Weber, is a bureaucracy organized through the rational administration of labor. Weber believes that human history has been the progressive rationalization of life (modernity). The increased rationalism (measuring/controlling the labor process, ie: assembly line) based on logic and calculations instead of traditions, heart, and feeling of modernity le... ... be used to promote one’s status. An influential politician, for example, has a lot of power not because he has money, but because his decisions impact society at large and play a very important role in governing the lives of others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weber notes that although bureaucratic rationalization has disenchanted the world and its endurance seems inevitable, the spirit has not been completely eradicated. Weber believes that as an advanced society we cannot escape the pattern of rational rules and laws. However, he allows for the arrival of prophets or charismatic people from time to time, those who exhibit good rational administration skills as well as heart and passion. While offering no clear solution, Weber leaves us with an optimistic hope fo r the future and inspiration, perhaps, to emulate those extraordinary leaders of our time.

Isolation in Faulkners Light in August Essay -- Light August Essays

  Isolation in Light In August  Ã‚   In William Faulkner’s Light In August, most characters seem isolated from each other and from society. It is often argued that Lena Grove is an exception to this, but I have found that I cannot agree with this view. Consequently, this essay will show that Lena is lonely too, and that the message in Faulkner’s work on the issue of human contact is that everyone is essentially alone, either by voluntary recession from company or by involuntary exclusion, and the only escape from this loneliness is to have a proper family to comfort you. As a child, Lena was involuntarily isolated from a society she wanted to be a part of. We are told that â€Å"six or eight times a year she went to town on Saturday† (p. 5), which obviously was not enough for her. â€Å"It was because she believed that the people who saw her and whom she passed on foot would believe that she lived in town too† (p. 5). Lena had a need to be a part of society and join the ranks of ordinary people in an ordinary town, which presumably includes marrying and starting a family. Living with McKinley in a far off mill hamlet continued to keep Lena isolated, and this condition was further aggravated by the fact that she was kept busy with housework much of the time. Admittedly, housekeeping for a large family is one kind of community, but it is not the kind that Lena wants. She would rather have a family of her own than care for someone else’s, and so she seeks love in the form of Lucas Burch. Unfortunately, Burch does not want to start a family. He only uses Lena for his own pleasure, and as soon as she tells him about the pregnancy, he leaves town (p. 16-17). Lena takes off on a quest to reunite herself with her would-be hu... ...g the society she loves. When she no longer has any hope of putting her family together the way she reckons it should be, she can no longer face society because she will never fit in. Even if she married Bunch, he would still not be her child’s father, which would make their family an anomaly. Lena has turned into a voluntary outcast, dragging Byron Bunch around to help her run her daily life but never letting him get intimate, never really making him a part of her life. After being forced into isolation from society for most of her life, Lena has now chosen to remain isolated. She is just as alone as any other character in Light in August. The conclusion I inevitably reach is that Faulkner wanted to portray family as the ultimate unit of society. Without a family, you cannot fit into society, and if you do not fit into society, you are essentially alone.