Alcoholism In A Tale Of Two Cities

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Alcoholism can be defined as an individual who desires consuming alcohol at high levels in order to relieve any distress they may possess. It typically begins when someone experiences a negative conflict in their life that affects them to a great ordeal. Excessive drinking can develop overtime, or in some cases, occur in a very short amount of time. The majority causes of consuming alcohol in the first place can be due to high levels of stress. In which, people who have high levels of stress are more likely to drink alcoholic beverages. Another common cause of alcohol consumption would be depression. Those who are affected by depression are likely to drink alcoholic beverages “as a means of self-treatment”(Nordqvist). Therefore, people who are suffering from depression which can be caused by brain chemistry, poor nutrition, and stress, are more likely to consume alcohol to make themselves feel better or at least relieved from their depression. An example of an individual that was highly depressed was Sydney Carton from the novel A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens. …show more content…
Sydney Carton, is one who lived a very monotonous life and believes he has wasted all of time doing nothing beneficial. He also shows no care for anything in existence either, as he cares for no man and “no man on earth cares for [him]”(Dickens 87). This points out to the fact that he finds no purpose in anything and is insubstantial. Sydney Carton possesses causes that lead to depression, in that he no longer feels worthy and finds no purpose in anything, and thus, Sydney Carton chooses to indulge himself with an a mass amount of alcohol. Another example that includes a group of individuals, would be Paul Baumer and his fellow soldiers from All quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque. In this novel, soldiers of World War I are seen drinking in trenches upon warfare. During this time period, the soldiers in the book are experiencing high stress levels and anxiety as they fear for their lives every second. The soldiers are aware that they can be killed within an instant, and there is nothing they can do about that fact. Therefore, they choose to not only drink alcohol, but smoke other products as well. Paul describes the importance of beer to the reader, as it is “far more than a drink” and it is a “token that a man can move his limbs and stretch in safety”(Remarque 152). Basically, Paul is explaining how drinking alcoholic beverages helps them remain mentally stable as it keeps them happy and occupied. This relates to depression, as the soldiers gorge themselves with alcohol, and they basically have no other chance of survival. They are aware that they have to live with the fact that they are in war, and they can die at any moment, and thus, they choose to abuse alcohol and smoking products. Othello, written by William Shakespeare, also exhibits partial alcohol abuse, as Cassio and Roderigo, alongside the other three Cypriots are all practically drunk as Iago explains his plan. Iago’s plan included Cassio performing an act in which he would be ashamed of after. After the explanation of the plan, Cassio returns to the stage but cannot even speak correctly let alone stand. This is one of the effects of excessive drinking, however Cassio wants to make sure that “[they] must not think then that [he] is

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