The Oedipus complex Essay Example

The Oedipus complex Essay Example The Oedipus complex Paper The Oedipus complex Paper Essay Topic: Literature Psychoanalytical criticism, developed by Freud, is a way to interpret authors, and other artists work, making connections between the authors themselves and what they actually create. The Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytical theory where a child has the unconscious desire for the exclusive love of the parent of the opposite sex. The desire includes jealousy towards the parent of the same sex and the unconscious wish for that parents death. It usually occurs between the ages of three to five and is a normal developmental process of human psychological growth. The stage is usually ended when the child identifies with the parent of the same sex and represses its sexual instincts. Freud believed that all people experienced the Oedipus complex but many researchers in psychoanalysis believe it develops as a result of a persons environment and does not occur in everyone. Freud believed the complex could stay in the unconscious mind and affect the person in adult life.? Within Hamlet the Oedipus complex can be applied to Hamlets character. Hamlet still isnt over his fathers death, and the appearance of the ghost of his father at the start of the play fuels his anger to take revenge, but he delays killing Claudius throughout the play. This is because unconsciously he admires Claudius, because he has fulfilled Hamlets own unconscious wishes of killing his father and marrying his mother, a father killd, a mother staind, which is exactly the position Hamlet would like to be in. The Oedipus complex can appear to be reflected in Hamlets behaviour in Act III Scene IV. From the start of the scene Hamlet is talking to his mother with anger and resentment. He is disgusted with her for marrying her dead brothers wife; You are the Queen, your husbands brothers wife (III, IV, 14). This is because unconsciously he feels he should be in Claudius position, of being King of Denmark, and being married to Gertrude. Things start getting very heated between Hamlet and Gertrude and he shows his disapproval of their relationship; In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, Stewd in corruption, honeying and making love Over the nasty sty! (III, IV, 92-94). At this point Hamlet sees the ghost of his dead father appear before him to remind him of what his purpose is, which distracts him and interrupts their heated conversation. The ghost appearing at this particular moment could be seen as Hamlets unconscious creating the image of his father to stop something happening with his mother. Hamlet then warns his mother But go not to mine Uncles bed (III, IV, 161) because he doesnt want her sleeping with Claudius, or being close to him because he wants her for himself. Act III Scene iv is a crucial part of the play for a director when deciding whether to interpret the play with the Oedipus complex in mind or not, because there is so much dialogue interaction between Hamlet and his mother, more so than other scenes in the play and because it is easy to identify the Oedipus complex in this scene. Looking at this scene especially, in different film versions different directors have interpreted it in different ways. In Zefirellis 1990 film version, Act III Scene IV has been performed with strong reference to the Oedipus complex in mind.? Oliviers 1948 production is performed with only a slight reference to the Oedipus complex in the way the characters interact with each other.? In Brannaghs 1996 film version, there is no direct reference to the Oedipus complex in Act III Scene IV at all.? Freuds theory can be applied to the text as a whole as well as just Act III Scene IV. In Act I Scene ii this is the closest Hamlet gets to confronting Claudius about the marriage to his mother. He talks to himself about it straight after Claudius and the rest of the court have left She married -O most wicked speed! (I, II, 156) but it is still directed at Gertrude not Claudius because unconsciously he cant blame him. And throughout the whole play he never says anything about, or to Claudius, being incestuous for marrying his brothers wife. After Hamlet sees the ghost of his father and is told by it to take revenge for his murder, Hamlet pretends to be mad, unconsciously, to delay killing Claudius. The Oedipal complex explains why Ha mlet delays killing him and is unable to take direct action, through out the whole play. Claudius has coincidentally fulfilled Hamlets unconscious fantasies. After the Mousetrap play is performed and Hamlet knows for sure that Claudius is guilty of his fathers murder, he still doesnt take action, but chats with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, O, the recorders. Let me see one. (III, II, 36). He doesnt realise he is doing this, and so wont think that Claudius will stop him from telling people and he does. He sends Hamlet to England. Before Hamlet pretends to be mad, he is deeply in love with Ophelia, I did love you once (III, I, 115). But when he is pretending to be mad he tells her bluntly that he no longer does, which hurts her so much that she kills herself! The desire for his mother is so much that he no longer cares about Ophelia. Surely if he realised what he was doing, he wouldnt have done it because he cares for her. But he doesnt realise and unknowingly plays a part in her death. When Hamlet finally does take action against Claudius in Act V Scene II (the final scene), it is only after Gertrude is dead that he is able to kill Claudius. This is because Claudius is no longer a projection of Hamlets unconscious mind so he now takes revenge for the murder of his father and his mother. When applying the Oedipus complex to Hamlets character, it can be a valid interpretation. The behaviour of Hamlet, and his actions through out the play, shows how the theory can be applied, as it is in film versions by Zeffirelli and Olivier. But there is actually little textual evidence to support the idea. The only way it can be applied is by looking at it as a deep Freudian interpretation. If taken at face value with out reading into it as much, it is difficult to see the theory applied in the text, although it can be seen if a director has chosen to interpret it this way. As Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, and it was being performed, in the seventeenth century, the Oedipus complex and Psychoanalysis would not have been applied, as it was only developed in the twentieth century by Freud. This means that at the time, it would not have been performed with the Oedipus complex in mind. In Elizabethan England It most likely would have been performed simply as a play to entertain the audience and would have been understood by them to be a revenge tragedy which were popular types of play at the time. Act III Scene IV is a major part of the play for a director when deciding whether to interpret the play with the Oedipus complex in mind or not. In Brannaghs film version, there is no evidence of the Oedipus complex being applied to the scene, or the play as a whole. With out applying the Oedipus complex, Act III Scene IV can be presented in different ways. From the start we know Hamlet is still not over his fathers death; Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek thy noble father in the dust. (I, II, 70-71). He has so much pent up anger and emotion from the death of his father and the hasty marriage between Gertrude and Claudius, he doesnt know what to do. Act III Scene IV can be presented as a point where Hamlet finally releases all his anger because Claudius has just shown his guilt from his reaction to the Mousetrap play. This leads to the confrontation with his mother, where he shows his dislike for their marriage, Mother, you have my father much offended (III, IV, 9), and where he warns her to stay away from Claudius But go not to my uncles bed (III, IV, 161). He is so angry he has no hesitation in killing the person behind the arras, especially as he thinks its the king. The play can be presented at face value, simply as a story of revenge as it would have done at the time it was written. I think the Oedipus complex is a valid interpretation of the text when psychoanalysed and can be performed well with the theory in mind, but it is a twentieth century interpretation. In the seventeenth century when it was performed, it would have been written to be performed as entertainment. The performers would of performed it to entertain the audience and the audience would of understood it as it was performed, not my looking into the text and looking for deeper meanings.

Corporate Manslaughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Corporate Manslaughter - Essay Example If the director or senior manager is found guilty then the company is also found guilty. But if the director or senior manager is found to be innocent then even the company is found to be innocent. (Bergman, 2003) Involuntary manslaughter is when someone kills without actually intending to cause death or serious hurt but was blameworthy in some way. There are multiple categories of manslaughter. There is also a concept of gross negligence manslaughter. According to the Crown Prosecution Service there are various factors to be taken into consideration before a company can be prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter. The first factor to be considered is that there was a duty of care owed by the accused to the deceased. The second factor to be proved is that there was a breach of duty of care by the charged. The third factor to be proved is that the death of the deceased was caused by the breach of duty of care by the accused. The fourth important factor to be considered is that the breach of duty of care by the accused was big enough to be characterised as gross negligence and therefore an offense. Under the current law it is mandatory to identify a specific individual as a controlling mind who is personally guilty of manslaughter. ... This is the biggest stumbling block in trying to prove corporate manslaughter. In spite of very serious failures by the directors and senior managers of large companies it has been very difficult to prosecute them. One of the reasons is that large companies frequently assign safety decisions to junior managers or to outside agencies. (Bergman, 2003) In the past some large companies have been charged for manslaughter but unfortunately all the cases have failed. The Herald of Free enterprise sank off the coast of Zeeburgge in March 1987 shortly after it had left the port with its bow doors open. The trail collapsed during its initial stages. The judge ruled that there was no sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of the directors or senior managers which possibly could have resulted in the disaster in which 193 passengers were killed. (Bergman, 2003) The Southall rail crash occurred in September 1997 on the Great Western Railway Line at Southall. Six people were killed and over a 150 people were injured. The crash occurred when 1032 Great Western Intercity from Swansea to London Paddington which was operating with a defective Automatic Warning System indicator went through a red signal and collided with a goods train (Southall Rail Crash, 2006). The company was exonerated of corporate manslaughter after Scott Baker J ruled that the liability of manslaughter can only be imposed on the company on the principle of identification. (Simester and Sullivan, 2002) The Crown Prosecution Service tried to impeach the company without prosecuting any individual director or manager. But due to the court ruling the case could not go ahead on this basis. The company was fined 1.5 million pounds after it pleaded guilty to

What are NGOs How do they help and hinder development Essay

What are NGOs How do they help and hinder development - Essay Example rity organizations, and while their social aims may have political undertones, or political support, they are not created or run for political purposes (Ahmed & Potter, 2006) NGOs can be aimed towards a very diverse array of aims, ranging from environmental benefits, social benefits, poverty alleviations, awareness campaigns, health benefits, or educational reform. They can be very large, ranging across cities or countries, or they can be small, run by and consisting of only a handful of people. For example, in his book Three Cups of Tea, author and NGO worker Greg Mortenson describes his efforts at working in areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, aiming to alleviate poverty and in particular focus on educating young girls. The benefit of NGOs is that they are very easy to set up and do not require government grants or tedious official proceedings in order to set up. Mortenson, who was initially a nurse and mountain-climber before directing his efforts towards social benefits, managed to educate over sixty thousand children, out of which more than 50,000 were girls, a remarkable feat in a place where women are rarely allowed to leave their houses, much less acquire education (Mortenson, 2007). As a result, one can conclude that NGOs maximize developmental efforts for two reasons. Governments tend to focus on geographically significant areas, that is, either areas that are significantly underdeveloped, or areas that are significantly developed. NGOs, being more personal in nature, can focus over a wider array of areas and subjects, which the government might not otherwise be able to focus on, owing either to a lack of resources or distribution of priorities. Secondly, they can be set up on any scale, and provide help on any level, be it small or big. Because it is the vision of common, dedicated individuals, not obligated by their jobs or other responsibilities, yet choosing to do so anyway, they are able to focus in a more converged environment and seek out greater

Ban Chiang Culture And Dong Son Culture History Essay

Ban Chiang Culture And Dong Son Culture History Essay For the origin of the metalwork in Southeast Asia, there were many different opinions of the scholars. Some scholars support that the metalwork in Southeast Asia was origin locally and some of them support that it was from India and China. But unluckily, there is not enough evidence to prove which of them would be the truth. Therefore, the origin of the metalwork in Southeast Asia is not clear and uncertain. Compare with the Ban Chiang culture, the Dong son culture was appeared later in Southeast Asia. The Dong son was also one of the flourishing cultures during Bronze and Iron Age period in Southeast Asia. In geography, the center of the Dong son culture was located in the Red river valley at the North Vietnam. It was named by the village where the archeologists had found. The Dong son culture was not form independently and it was probably developed from the local Neolithic cultures at Vietnam such as the Dong dau. Different to the Ban Chiang, there was the monarch kingdom (Văn Lang and Au Lac) appeared in Vietnam. The Dong son people did trade in Southeast Asia and also China and India by sea, it made the Dong son culture was influenced and transformed by the Indian and the Chinese. In 43 AD., the Dong son was occupied and rude by the Han dynasty in China. The characteristic of the Dong son culture was the bronze object with the high level craftsmanship. Till the Dong son period, the people mastered the technology and skill of the bronze making, they used the metals to make many different kind of metal tools. The metallurgy and the bronze making was in a very high level, and they developed their own sophisticated metallurgy techniques based on the special quality of the bamboo and they were able to use the bamboo to fashion a fire-piston that produced the heat required to liquefy metal.  [1]   The Dong son people used the metal tools in their life, especially the bronze. They used the bronze in making the agricultural tools such as the ploughshare, axe, spade, sickles and hoe etc, (few of them were made by iron) it reflected that the agriculture was high developed in Dong son and the ploughshare was the typical agricultural bronze tools in this culture, it showed and proved that the Dong son people had already domesticated and used the water buffalos strength in their agricultural activities. Besides the agricultural tools, many weapons were found in the relics of the Dong son culture. It might reflect that there were wars happened in this region. There were various of weapons were found and it included the arrows, axe, daggers, spears, swords and breastplates etc., different kind of these weapons showed that the military technology of the Dong son people was quite completed. On the other hands, the weapons were rich of decorative patterns, those patterns were vividly and detailed. The weapons were made in many different shape and the patterns was usually animals and human figures, it represented that the metallurgic technology of the Dong son people was very sophisticated and we can also see what the Dong son people looked like from the patterns. Not only metals, the Dong son people also used the potteries as the utensil for their daily life. The jars, pots, basins, vases and jugs with the decorative patterns were found in the Dong son relic. Some of these utensils found in the relic of burial were filled with the jewelry and even the skull, ash, human bones and remains of the dead people. This relic told us that the pottery jar was not just used for utensil, it was also used as the coffin in the funeral. In the relic, the archeologists found abundant of the jewelry. This jewelry was mainly made of bronze and there were other materials such as the gemstones, glass, iron and shells etc. Some of the ankles rings were decorated with the small bell and it would made sound when people move. It represented that not only for the dead people, the people alive were like to have the jewelry for making themselves more attractive. Except for the pottery and jewelry, there were musical instruments found in the relic. It reflected that the spiritual life of the people and the most representative musical instruments was the Dong son bronze drum. The usage of these drums was still uncertain (it might be used for religious, celebrations or regalia) but many evidences prove that the drums were traded as the goods in China and the Southeast Asia. The ship pattern on the drum might showing the trading activity and the star on the center of the tympanum might represent the mandala polity. Many of the patterns on the drums were seems showing the spiritual life of the people and the style of the drums were different in different regions. Some of the drums were huge and it made by the lost wax method, it made the pattern could be in more detail and showing the sophisticated of the metallurgic of the Dong son people. In conclusion, there was difference of the metal work and used between the Dong Son and the Ban Chiang culture. The Ban Chiang appeared earlier than the Dong son and its metal work was simple and mostly for the practical use. The Ban Chiang also used the bimetallic (bronze and iron) in the tools and iron in burial. Different to the Ban Chiang, the metallurgy of Dong son was more sophisticated and they used the lost wax method in the metal works. The skillful technology made the Dong son bronze working became diversification and many of the Dong son relics was in more detail than the Ban Chiang. The Dong son drums showing the trading activity and there was regalia of the Dong son people, it is very different to the Ban Chiang. The different style of the drums reflected that there were contacts between the regions and the metal working (lost wax method) skill was spread in Southeast Asia. The jewelry and different kind of the funeral of the Dong son showing that the Dong son society wa s more complicated than the Ban Chiang and there might have the social stratification in the Dong son society.

All Quiet on the Western Front :: essays papers

All Quiet on the Western Front Mental abuse is sometimes overlooked, because of the rough physical abuse, but soldiers see a good side of both during wars. Maria Remarque shows the mental part of abuse on the book All Quiet on the Western Front. The narrator discusses all the hard times that went on during World War I, all through the book. Paul Baumer, the narrator, explains it when he and his friends enter the German army, very deeply although he is only eighteen. Baumer tells a story about fighting for their own sanity as well as their country. As the war begun, he and his friends got an real look at what the war was truly about. This book shows the conflict coming during the actual war, the boys use their spirits to try to overcome it. But the mind against reality that is described in the books, gives them a reality check on how life really is. During the beginning of the book, Remarque explains the boy's job, relating it to how hard it is to be in the war. Their was always something, not getting much sle ep, relieving the front line, and they also didn't have much to eat. What was going to happen, is described good by the way that the author talked about the life of the soldiers, but the boys failed to realize reality. Thinking that the war was just an ideal character. Convincing the reader to believe the boys didn't know the risk they were taking by being in this war. They way the boys viewed it, shows that, true their are some hard times in wars, but their minds are young and they thought it was just another thing to talk about. When they should have been taking things more serious, but thinking about the good parts helped them to keep a hold on their sanity. "They ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity, the world of work, of duty, of culture, of progress to the future", was the beliefs of the boys after their friend Behn dies. Their generation thought that the authorities were going to look after, and take care of them, the authorities were thought of real highly by them. Until their friend passed away, then everything changed. "We had to realize that our generation was more to be trusted than theirs", this is where they came to reality that, everybody was taking c are of their selves, and didn't want anything to do with other peoples problems.

How far is Odysseus’s status Essay

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a Greek hero. However this can be contradicted. In many events Odysseus can be perceived as un-heroic at times. Therefore the above statement can be argued. Throughout this piece of work I will be discussing this statement and I will gradually draw closer to a conclusion. Odysseus shows leadership as he produces very clever ideas and performs quick-thinking actions. Throughout the narrative he has planned strategies, for example, every time Odysseus and his men reach an island he always sends his men first to investigate the surroundings. This quality can be seen as cunning and therefore he can be seen as a hero. His personality can be seen as caring and scheming. In many periods of the book this can be proved. He stays calm in situations and when his men die he thinks of them, and when in trouble he does his best to help them says quote, â€Å"we travelled with heavy hearts, grieving for the loss of our dear friends†¦.. † (Book 10 Line 133) Odysseus can be seen as resourceful, for example, he tool the undiluted wine with him when going into the Cyclops’s cave, which then later came into use as it saved his men and himself escape to safety. He is seen as shrewd as he uses a false name when speaking with the Cyclops which again later on takes its effect when the men are absconding from the dangers of the Cyclops. Even though Odysseus can be seen as a hero, in some cases he cannot be depicted as cunning. For example, he decided to ignore his crew’s suggestion to escape with the food in the Cyclops’s cave. Even though he was right to do the hospitable and respectable thing to do, by staying in the cave to greet their ‘host’, he made the wrong decision as the by staying he risked the lives of his men. Odysseus can be thought of as violent as he blinded Polyphemus with a stake. This could be looked at as un-heroic and wrong, but it can also be seen as him being vengeful for his killed crew. Therefore these different situations can be looked at from two perspectives. He could be seen as hospitable and vengeful, which are true qualities of a hero, or he can be looked at as a violent person who has bad judgement. It all depends on the reader’s standpoint. Odysseus has a very strong relationship with the Gods, especially with Athenes and Hermes. For example Hermes helped Odysseus by giving him the moly flower. This can be looked at from two angles. Odysseus might seem not so heroic as he needs help from the powers that be, and he might be seen as dependent on the Gods. But this can be argued as only some people would think that only a hero can receive such gifts from the gods and that there has to be something special about him, and also Athene was known for helping heroes which could prove that he was one. Therefore, again, this line of reasoning could be argued. Odysseus and his men have lack trust and confidence in their relationships. This reflects badly upon Odysseus as it shows he is not leadership material. For example When Odysseus and his men sailed away from the Island of Aelia, Odysseus had received the gift of the winds. His crew did not trust Odysseus and opened the bag, thinking it was gold, and released the winds. This shows a lack of trust. Another example that shows a requirement of confidence in their relationship is when one of Odysseus’s men, Eurylochus, says â€Å"You will never come back yourself and won’t rescue a single man of your crew. I am certain of it. Let you get away quickly with those that are left here. â€Å"(Book 10 Line 268). This shows that his men think that their destiny with Odysseus will lead to death. They feel as if his leadership is endangering them which shows that they do not think of him as a hero and influences the reader to think the same, even though Odysseus tries his best and up most to rescue his men In my opinion, I think that Odysseus is a heroic figure. This is because in the book he is proved to be cunning, caring and an important figure. There are many events in the book that contradict this, but they can be argued to whether Odysseus was really in the wrong. For example, he wanted to stay in Polyphemus’s cave because he wanted to be hospitable (which is the right thing to do), and he was not aware of the dangers that were at hand. He can be seen as violent, but revenge was his only motivation, when he blinded the Cyclops. Therefore, I think that Odysseus can be categorised under ‘hero’, and I think that Odysseus’s status throughout the Odyssey all depends on how the reader interprets the events that take place as they always have two aspects to look at.

Brooklyn Bridge Disaster

The walkway of the  Brooklyn Bridge was the site of a shocking disaster on May 30, 1883, only  a week after it opened to the public. With businesses closed for a patriotic holiday,  crowds had flocked to the bridges promenade, the highest vantage point in New York City at the time. Near the Manhattan  side of the great bridge a pedestrian bottleneck  became tightly packed, and the shoving of the crowd  sent people toppling down a short flight of stairs. People screamed. The crowd panicked, fearful that the entire structure was in danger of collapsing into the river. The crush of people on  the walkway became intense. Workmen  putting finishing touches on the bridge  raced along trusses to the scene and began tearing down railings to alleviate the crowding. People picked up babies and children and tried to pass them overhead, out of the crowd. Within just a few minutes the frenzy  had passed. But 12 people had been crushed to death. Hundreds more were injured, many seriously. The deadly stampede placed a dark cloud over  what had been a celebratory first week for the bridge. Detailed accounts of the mayhem on the bridge became a sensation in the highly competitive world of New York City newspapers. As the citys papers were still congregated in the neighborhood of Park Row, only blocks from the Manhattan end of the bridge, the story could not have been more local. The Scene on the Bridge The bridge had officially opened on Thursday, May 24, 1883. Traffic during the first weekend was very heavy, as sightseers flocked to enjoy the novelty of strolling  hundreds of feet above  the East River. The New York Tribune, on Monday, May 28, 1883, printed a front page story indicating that the bridge might have become too popular. It ominously mentioned that bridge workers, at one point on Sunday afternoon, feared a riot. The pedestrian promenade was popular on the Brooklyn Bridge. Getty Images Decoration Day, the precursor to Memorial Day fell that  Wednesday, May 30, 1883. After morning rain, the day turned very pleasant. The New York Sun, on the front page of the next days edition, described the scene: When the rain was over yesterday afternoon the Brooklyn Bridge, which had its crowds in the morning, but had become comparatively open again, began to threaten a blockade. With the hundreds who came down town to the New York gates were hundreds of men in the uniform of the Grand Army of the Republic. Most of the people strolled over to Brooklyn, and then turned back without leaving the bridge. Thousands were coming over from Brooklyn, returning from cemeteries where soldiers graves had been decorated, or taking advantage of the holiday to see the bridge. There were not so many on the bridge as on the day after the opening, or on the following Sunday, but they seemed inclined to loiter. There would be an open space of from fifty to one hundred feet, and then a dense jam. Problems became intense at the top of a nine-foot high flight of stairs built into the walkway, near the point at which the main suspension cables passed by the promenade on the Manhattan side of the bridge. The pressing of the crowd pushed some people down the stairs.   Did You Know? Predictions of the Brooklyn Bridges collapse had been common. In 1876, at about the halfway point of its construction, the chief mechanic of the bridge crossed between the Brooklyn and Manhattan towers on a cable to publicly demonstrate confidence in the bridges design. Somebody shouted out that there was danger, reported  the New York Sun. And the impression prevailed that the bridge was giving way beneath the crowd. The newspaper mentioned,  A woman held her baby over the trestle work and begged someone to take it. The situation had turned desperate. From the New York Sun: At last, with a single shriek that cut through the clamor of thousands of voices, a young girl lost her footing, and fell down the lower flight of steps. She lay for a moment, and then raised herself on her hands, and would have got up. But in another moment she was buried under the bodies of others who fell over the steps after her. She was dead when they got her out more than half an hour afterward. Men sprang upon the rails at the side and waved the crowds back from both the New York and Brooklyn sides. But the people continued to crowd on toward the steps. No police were in sight. Men in the crowd lifted their children above their heads to save them from the crush. People were still paying their pennies at both gates and swarming in. Within minutes the frantic scene had calmed. Soldiers, who had been parading near the bridge in  Decoration Day commemorations, rushed to the scene.  The New York Sun described the aftermath: A company of the Twelfth New York Regiment worked hard at dragging them out. Twenty-five seemed to be nearly dead. They were laid along the north and south sides of the pathway, and the people from Brooklyn passed on between them. Men and women turned faint at the sight of the swollen and blood-stained faces of the dead. Four men, a lad, six women, and a girl of 15 were quite dead, or died in a few moments. They had been found at the bottom of the heap. The police stopped grocers wagons coming from Brooklyn, and, carrying the bodies of the wounded and climbing down the planks to the road, laid them in the wagons, and told the drivers to hurry to the Chambers Street Hospital. Six bodies were laid in one wagon. The drivers whipped up their horses and drove with full speed to the hospital. Newspaper accounts of the dead and wounded were heartbreaking. The New York Sun described how one young couples afternoon stroll on the bridge turned tragic: Sarah Hennessey was married on Easter, and was walking on the bridge with her husband when the crowd closed in upon them. Her husband injured his left arm a week ago, and clung to his wife with his right hand. A little girl fell in front of him, and he was thrown upon his knees and kicked and bruised. Then his wife was torn from him, and he saw her trampled upon and killed. When he got off the bridge he searched for his wife and found her in the hospital. According to a report in the New York Tribune of May 31, 1883, Sarah Hennessey had been married to her husband John Hennessey for seven weeks. She was 22 years old. They had lived in Brooklyn. Rumors of the disaster spread quickly through the city. The New York Tribune reported:  An hour after the accident it was told in the vicinity of Madison Square that 25 persons were killed and hundreds wounded, and at 42nd Street that the bridge had fallen down and 1,500 had lost their lives. In the days and weeks following the disaster the blame for the tragedy was directed at the management of the bridge. The bridge had its own small police force, and officials of the bridge company were criticized for failing to place policeman at strategic place to keep crowds dispersed. It became standard practice  for uniformed officers on the bridge to keep people moving along, and the Decoration Day tragedy was never repeated. The fear  that the bridge was in danger of collapsing was, of course, completely unfounded. The Brooklyn Bridge has been renovated to some extent, and the original trolley track was removed in the late 1940s and the roadways changed to accommodate more automobiles. But the walkway still stretches down the middle of the bridge and is still in use. The bridge is crossed every  day by thousands of pedestrians, and the promenade with striking views that drew revelers in May 1883 is still an attraction for tourists today.