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Applying the Psychological Lens means to really pick apart a text and noticing how and why the characters act; it is about the emotions they feel and their psychological state.

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This project will be about examining the texts with the Psychological Lens. The texts I will be covering are "The Team" by Tommy Orange, "Reopening" also by Tommy Orange, and "Speech Sounds" by Octavia Butler.

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Image Source: Tommy Orange's picture on Amazon

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"The Team" by Tommy Orange provides an inside look on the thoughts and ideas of someone living during the Covid-19 pandemic, a hard time mentally for many people. In this short story the narrator is clearly having a hard time with the drastic change of life. He struggles with depression and anxiety being like circling vultures in the sky. His worsened state of mind causes him to spiral into thinking about the time immediately before the pandemic, which leads him to thinking about marathons and his family which is his team, and about his Native American heritage, which he really identifies with. In the end he ends up comparing the pandemic to a marathon, a marathon that needs to be completed by teamwork between everyone on earth.

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Article Source: Isolation and mental health: thinking outside the box | Image Source: https://neurolaunch.com/jealousy-and-anxiety/#google_vignette

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As seen in the linked article above, isolation has many effects including the depression and anxiety mentioned in "The Team". Due to the global pandemic he feels isolated from the world, it is just him and his team. Being isolated as he was also leads to boredom and other similar feelings which often leads to people's minds wandering, and connecting to other unrelated topics, similarly to what the man in the short story is experiencing.

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Isolation and mental health: thinking outside the box

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Social isolation is a universal human experience, impacting whole communities at times and reminding each individual of our need for connection. Isolation weaves through life on an intrapersonal, interpersonal and existential level; all individuals experience this phenomenon, to varying degrees, at points in their development. Research has shown that persistent social isolation is a predictor for cardiovascular problems, mental health disorders and increased mortality rates.1 Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to understand the various forms in which isolation can manifest and ways to foster meaning as a protective factor. As mental health professionals, we must grow in our understanding and willingness to imagine novel solutions for persistent isolation that aid the long-term health of individuals.

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Sticking with Tommy Orange's texts again, this time with "Reopening"

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Sticking with Tommy Orange's texts again, this time with "Reopening"

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This story, similarly to "The Team" takes place during the pandemic, in this case it takes place when schools are reopening. This is huge cause of concern for the child in the text, who has certainly been struggling with the isolation and is ready but is definitely worried about readjusting back into schools and worried about getting sick. Later on, talking to his mom the boy makes some very interesting claims regarding Covid-19 and parents, going as far as saying that "People hate their kids", and exhibiting behaviors such as wanting to make his mom feel bad.

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Article Source: The Effects of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: A Review | Image Source: https://pixabay.com/users/mariohagen-17468991/

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The article linked above provides an extremely in-depth look and contains many incredibly findings and results based on the deteriorating mental health of students unable to attend classes due to the lockdown. In the text the boy clearly exhibits some of the symptoms of isolation especially with his seeming increase in internal psychopathological issues. Of course anyone in a similar situation would certainly be experiencing anxieties about returning to school but in this boys case he seemingly feels lost; he does not want to stay at home but he also does not want to return to school. This leads to him to a situation in which no matter what he doesn't like the outcome. The reason for this negative mindset is likely affected by the pandemic.

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Abdullah K. Aljohani abdullahas535gmail.com ✉Corresponding author.

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The Effects of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: A Review

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The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has profoundly affected global health and well-being. As part of the Coronaviridae family, SARS-CoV-2 joins a diverse group of viruses found in both humans and various animal species, including…

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The text "Speech sounds" by Octavia Butler follows Rye, a former teacher, mother and wife, in this post apocalyptic Los Angeles. In the story an illness ravages the world and results in the death in many but also interestingly destroyed many people's language abilities such as reading or writing. This forces people who retain their language abilities to conceal them in order to protect themselves. In her journey through life Rye meets Obsidian. Rye continues to grow closer with Obsidian until eventually her relationship ends as Obsidian gets killed in an altercation with other people. Immediately after Obsidians death two kids reveal their speech to Rye and she decides to take them under her wing and mother and teach the kids.

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Article Source: Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Jealousy and Anxiety: Causes, Effects, and Coping Strategies | Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57443150@N03/11633263376/

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Focusing on Rye's psychological conditions and viewpoints showcase the extremely difficult conditions she and everyone in this world has endured. This connects to the linked article above. Everyone in this post apocalyptic world is experiences extreme jealous of those who managed to hold onto their linguistic abilities. This can be seen clearly with Rye; she gets so outraged that Obsidian retained his reading ability. According to the linked article, anxiety and jealousy go hand in hand and in this definitely anxiety fueled life Rye and other are subjected to, this is certainly a main contributor to the jealousy people experience.

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Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Jealousy and Anxiety: Causes, Effects, and Coping Strategies

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Explore the complex relationship between jealousy and anxiety, their psychological roots, impact on relationships, and effective coping strategies for managing these emotions.

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At the very end of the short story Rye becomes the caretaker and teacher of the two fluent-speaking children she found. Despite the cruel, savage environment she feels the need to take care of these kids. The way the other remaining people are portrayed in the text I strongly feel that most people in this world would have simply continued on with their life, leaving the children behind. Rye is different, she feels the need to protect this new generation, this probably happens because despite the fact her family is dead and she is no longer a teacher she still identifies with those roles. This gives insight into Rye's psychological outlook; despite the harsh conditions she still cares for the younger children.

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Despite the texts coming from very different authors, in different times, and living entirely different lives, all three texts share a similarity in incorporating clear mental health struggles with the characters. Enduring difficulties in social interaction, whether that be due to a global pandemic or a post-apocalyptic world comes with its disastrous impact on the mental state and severely impacts the decisions and feelings individuals experience. In "The Team" this means feeling depression loom above you due to isolation, in "Reopening" its feeling lost and anxious returning to more normal life, following isolation from others. Finally, in "Speech Sounds" we can see Rye and many others in that setting experiencing jealousy and a desire to not stick out, to just float along with the limited remainder of people left in the world.

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While the texts have similar psychological aspects they also have their differences. Some of the differences are how the characters think and deal with their psychological hardships. For example, see how the main character in "The Team" handles his deprived feelings, they lead him to him escaping his current presence and thinking about completely unrelated topics and looking past the current situation and identifying an outlook regarding teamwork and cooperation between everyone. This is a stark contrast to how the boy in "Reopening" sees his current situation. He seems to feel lost in what he wants. In fact, he doesn't want either outcome which causes to take on a new emotion outlook, one that is more negative. In "Speech Sounds" we see Rye living in this degrading, harsh environment, causing her to mentally re-evaluate her life. She makes very careful, thought-out decisions regarding herself and until the end of the story when she eventually makes the decision to take in those kids, a decision based on her identity and values, reflecting who she really is.

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Applying the Psychological Lens to these three texts really showcases and allows for a deeper dive into how characters feel and act. Comparing the thoughts and feelings of these three different characters, from three different stories, by two different authors truly enhances the readers understanding of emotion and how that affects the actions individuals perform.