Inner Demons and Endless Tunnels: Ellen Hopkins' Impulse

Reading the novel She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb has led me to think about my own challenges, which helped me better comprehend the book’s themes. Throughout the story, protagonist Dolores Price deals with a variety of issues, which includes appearance, constant mistakes, and amends for those mistakes to understand her purpose in life. Although Dolores’s problems are different from mine, I could relate to her struggle. Because of this, I was able to better understand myself and the themes of transformation and coming of age.

Jawed Atahi S3544141 Swimming Upstream directed by Russell Mulcahy portrays a story about a young man who loves to swim and tries to go to Olympic and to be an Australian Champion. The film illustrates Tony’s journey from childhood to an adult. Throughout the film Tony’s journey is being focused in achieving his fathers attention and love. On another level the film depicts a story about a father who haven’t achieved his own dream but to uses his sons to accomplish his dream that he never reached. Russel shows how an alcoholic father is dominating a family.

There is at least 113 suicides each day or 1 every 13 minutes. Suicide among males is the seventh leading cause of death and the fourteenth leading cause in females. Most suicides are with a firearm and are carried out with a “ Saturday night special”. (Dilaura,Cynthia DiLaura) “More than 90 percent of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. “ (Brady Campaign) There are a number of reasons why suicide occurs. Stress is the number one cause among our youth, bullies, peer pressure, depression, and abuse. 41,100 people committed suicide in the United States in 2013. Our young teens today does not take time to look deeper into there problem and to seek out a better solution. They are looking for a quick fix but not realizing once the trigger is pulled the result is final with no turning back. Most people who has attempted suicide is more likely to try a second attempt and most have an underlying mental illness. There is many warming that someone may be in a suicide crisis. We most learn how to see things through their eyes. No matter what one is facing in life or the difficult that lie ahead of them Nothing is worth taken your own

More than 89 people die from gun violence every day and out of those 89 people, two- thirds of them are suicides. Guns displayed around the house make it three times more likely for suicides to occur (Gun Violence 2). Every day, out of seven children and teens that die from gun violence, two kill them themselves. Out of 41 children and teens that are shot and survive every day, one of those 41 survive from a suicide attempt. 89 people that die every day from gun violence, 55 of them kill themselves. Every day, 208 people are shot and survive and ten of those people survive a suicide attempt (Key Gun Violence Statistics 2). In one year on average 827 out of 2,677 kids kill themselves and 280 out of 14,822 kids survive a suicide attempt (Key Gun Violence Statistics 2). In our communities, hundreds and thousands of people commit suicide with a gun (Fact Sheet: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make our Communities Safer 2). “Firearms were used in 19,392 suicides in the U.S. in 2010, constituting almost 62% of all gun deaths. Over 50% of all suicides are committed with a firearm. On average, 49 gun suicides were committed each day for the years 2005- 2010. White males, about 40% of the U.S. population, accounted for over 80% of firearm suicides in 2010. Firearms were used in nearly 44% of suicide deaths among persons under

What makes humans unique from one another is that each individual has a different frame of reference and experiences that formulate their decisions. The largest fragment in frame of reference is formed during ones childhood. During this time beliefs, values, and culture begin to form a bias in judgment and understanding. As a child cruises through the different psychosexual stages, their conflicts begin to shape their perspective of their surroundings. These ideals and perceptions of the world directly link to their behaviour. In Wally Lamb’s novel She’s Come Undone, Dolores Price faces a countless amount of epiphanies growing up. She lived in a dysfunctional family where her father abused her mother,

Suicide has become a major issue amongst African-American adolescent males. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), suicide is the third leading cause of death for Black boys age 13 to 17 (CDC, 2014). That is above the number of deaths due to chronic diseases such as cancer, HIV and diabetes (CDC, WISQARS 2016.). Additionally, CDC reports for 2014 there were 68 African-American adolescent males that completed suicide and 1131 reported attempts for that year (CDC, WISQARS 2016). This is a significant number, although not all suicide attempts are reported (Joiner, 2005). Furthermore, suicide accounted for 10 percent of deaths of adolescents in 2014 reports (CDC, WISQARS 2016).

iSuicide has become a major issue amongst African-American adolescent males. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), suicide is the third leading cause of death for Black boys age 13 to 17 (CDC, 2014). That is above the number of deaths due to chronic diseases such as cancer, HIV, and diabetes (CDC, WISQARS 2016.). Additionally, CDC reports for 2014 there were 68 African-American adolescent males that completed suicide and 1131 reported attempts for that year (CDC, WISQARS 2016). This is a significant number, although not all suicide attempts are reported (Joiner, 2005). Furthermore, suicide accounted for 10 percent of deaths of adolescents in 2014 reports (CDC, WISQARS 2016).

Youth gun violence continues to be a significant topic of research. However, youth suicides with a firearm need to be taken more attention of as the U.S. has the highest rate of youth suicide with a firearm among all of the industrialized countries (Webster et al., 2004). More importantly, the prevalence of youth gun suicide is evident, as it is the third leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 19 years old in the U.S. (Webster et al., 2004). Past studies found that youth suicide is an indicator of gun prevalence and the existence of illicit drug market in the community (Blumstein, 2002). In addition, high rates of suicide among youth with a firearm shadow mental illnesses such as depression and other mood disorders (Pelkomen et al.,

Suicide has become a major issue in Black adolescents. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Black boys age 13 to 17 (CDC, 2014). That surpasses the number of deaths due to chronic diseases such as cancer, HIV and diabetes (CDC, 2014.). Additionally, CDC reports show that in 2014 there were 68 adolescents that completed suicide and 1131 reported attempts (CDC, 2014). This is a significant number, although not all suicide attempts are reported (Joiner, 2015). Furthermore, suicide accounted for 10 percent of deaths of adolescents in 2014 (CDC, 2014).

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. There are approximately 121 successful suicides a day, and 44,193 a year. Almost 50% of suicides are committed with a firearm. Seven out of ten suicides are committed by white middle aged men. It is proven that men die from suicide 3.5 times more than women; however, it is documented that women try three times more. Over the past 17 years’ suicide rates have increased steadily. Suicide rates are higher in people who are 34 and older. Whites currently hold the highest suicide rate. The most popular form of suicide is with a firearm it accounts for 49.8%. Second is suffocation at 26.8%, then poisoning at 15.4%, and other at 7.9%. No count is kept for people who attempted

Boys are more likely than girls to die from suicide; however, girls are more likely to report attempting suicide with 81% of the suicide deaths in the 10 to 24 age group identified as males and 19% were females (“Suicide Among Youth,” 2013, para. 4). Therefore, addressing suicide prevention during a time that children are more acceptable to learning is ideal. Youth spend a significant amount of time in school; accordingly, schools should provide extensive training and information to the students in regards to suicide prevention. Unfortunately, individuals that die by suicide are not a certain age, a certain race, or part of a particular economic status. Thoughts of suicide can enter a person’s mind at any time which is why it is important to start suicide prevention education before the onset of situational factors that have the potential of developing suicidal thought. Schools are a naturally important place for students to receive

The CDC Suicide Facts at a Glance (2015) provided the following statics, “ Suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons aged 10-14, the second among persons aged 15-34 years, the fourth among persons aged 35-44 years, the fifth among persons aged 45-54 years, the eighth among person 55-64 years, and the seventeenth among persons 65 years and older.” Males have a four times higher rate than females for suicide and make up 77.9%, and firearms are the most commonly used method for males making up 56.9% (CDC, 2015). Females are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and poisoning is the most common methods for females making up 34.8%. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015).

On page 9, the author explains how suicide has become common and brought this realistic issue to an extreme. “Teen suicide was declared a national epidemic-- killing one in three teens-- nearly four years ago. It always existed before that, but seemingly overnight handfuls of my peers were jumping off buildings, slitting their wrists--most without any known reason,” explains Sloane. This is effective because suicide is the second most common cause of death among teens. Depression among teens is also becoming more and more common.

In 2011, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of young people aged 15-24 years old. It was reported that there were 39518 deaths by suicide by youths constituting of 78.5% male and 21.5% female.) It was stated that 50.6% of suicide method was by firearm and 24.8% by suffocation such as hanging. (American foundation for suicide prevention n.d)

In the 60s teen suicide was almost nonexistent, however it has been a growing problem ever since then. Donna Gaines explores this with her article Teenage Wasteland following the Bergenfield incident. Gaines conducted research to find out why these suicides were happening, and what led 4 teens to take their lives together. She found out that there is not just one sole reason to why they would take their lives; it was much more complicated then that. It can be based off of your social and personal life, economic standing, loneliness and many other factors.