From the Paper " 1. Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses shows that Olivia was shaped by American values, materialism, self-centeredness, rationality, skepticism, and rejection of the traditional ways of China. The major complicating factor is, of course, the influence of her sister Kwan. Their very names suggest this division, one American, the other Chinese. As much as Olivia wants to throw off forever her ethnic past, Kwan is always there as both sister and surrogate mother to remind her of the roots of which Olivia is ashamed.
Because of her Americanization, Olivia lives a life defined by externals--what other people think of her, how much money she and her husband make, material goods. Her childhood, however, is more contradictory: "For most of my childhood, I had to struggle not to see the world the way Kwan described it. Like her talk ..."
Abstract This study will analyze Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Mary Barton as a portrait of English society during the Industrial Revolution. The study will focus on the significance of the author's descriptions of the social classes, focusing on the members of the working class and their relationship with their employers, the changes which Mary and John Barton undergo as a result of their socioeconomic struggle, and the author's apparent suggested solutions to the injustices of her day, which will be shown to be woefully inadequate and idealistic.
From the Paper "This study will analyze Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Mary Barton as a portrait of English society during the Industrial Revolution. The study will focus on the significance of the author's descriptions of the social classes, focusing on the members of the working class?and their relationship with their employers, the changes which Mary and John Barton undergo as a result of their socioeconomic struggle, and the author's apparent suggested solutions to the injustices of her day, which will be shown to be woefully inadequate and idealistic.
The heart of the book is the choice the protagonist, Mary Barton, must make between a rich man and a working class man. Of course, that message immediately introduces the restrictions under which women lived in the early Victorian 1840s in Manchester, England, where the story takes place. Rather than ..."
From the Paper "The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, reveals much about the power relations prevailing in the Heian period of Japan. Although the book deals primarily with the private and personal lives of those in the aristocratic class in that era, the stories inevitably shed light as well on their public and political lives, the prevalent institutions of the period, and the nature of power which shaped public and private relationships and identities of the time. Specifically, the study will argue that men wield the power at both the personal and political levels in eleventh century Japan, and that women are secondary figures who are kept in their place. Power is wielded according to standards and procedures understood and recognized by all, with rare exceptions. Because all of the characters belong to the aristocratic class--including princes and princesses, emperors..."
A review of the psychotherapist's work on dehumanization and the relationship between conditioning and spiritual dimension of freedom and meaning, based on logotherapy.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, 2000, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Viktor Frankl, in Man's Search for Meaning, examines the relationship between human conditioning and the human spiritual dimension of freedom and meaning. As a psychotherapist, Frankl does not offer religious solutions, but he clearly believes that the individual seeking freedom and meaning in his or her life must connect with some cause beyond himself or herself, or with some person other than himself or herself, if he or she is to overcome the dehumanizing and unhealthy forces of conditioning in physiological, social and psychological terms. Frankl also believes that it is the responsibility of the individual to recognize his or her freedom of choice, despite the conditioning circumstances which prevail, and to take action based on that freedom which will transcend that conditioning and lead to a connection with another human being and/or with a cause which..."
From the Paper "The Minutemen and Their World
Robert Gross's book is a social history of the period before, during and after the first shots were fired at Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 which seeks to explain why and how Concordians and their defenders, the Minutemen, joined together in support of the American revolutionary cause and also examines the effects of the Revolutionary War and its aftermath on the town and its inhabitants. His fundamental point is that the townspeople were fundamentally motivated by local concerns and turned against British rule only gradually as they began to appreciate that their local liberties and other interests were threatened by the imperial policies of the Crown.
Background
At the time of the Revolution, Concord was a crossroads town 20 miles north..."
From the Paper "Several of the dialogues of Plato recount the trial, sentence, and execution of Socrates, with his friends gathered around. An image of the man emerges from these dialogues showing him to be a person of fierce integrity, a man who would rather die than consider himself dishonored, and a man who charges his friends to allow him to live life as he sees fit. Even as Socrates challenges aspects of the society of Athens, he demonstrates the importance of certain values in that society both in his own person and even in the charges brought against him, however incorrect those charges may be. Socrates believes the unexamined life is not worth living, and if he accepts the right of the court to judge his thoughts, he has lost his integrity. Socrates is a poor man who is rich in intellect and in dedication. His followers carry on his ideas for him, and..."
Abstract The paper shows that in the short story "The Chrysanthemums," John Steinbeck meshes the elements of character, plot, theme, symbolism, point of view, setting and tone to explore the life and attitudes of one particular woman while at the same time exploring the nature of gender roles in society. It shows how the story makes use of the reader's expectations regarding gender to turn those expectations around, showing the woman as the strongest character and the most able to prevail over the weaker natures around her.
From the Paper "The point of view of the story centers on Elisa. The story is told in the third person, but the narrator chooses to keep the focus on Elisa and her actions, allowing the reader to see what she sees. This makes her all the more the central character end emphasizes that it is her reaction that is important. The other two characters in the story, Henry and the stranger, are important as they interact with Elisa, usually isolated with her flowers."
Abstract The paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the book "Bread Givers" by Yezierska. Specifically, it includes how the author changes her life, and really becomes American. The novel is an account of how the author goes through the process of immigration and absorbtion into American society and how she moves from being a new immigrant to a true American.
From the Paper "Born in Poland, Anzia Yezierska came to the United States in 1890, when she was about eight years old. She grew up in New York in a Jewish ghetto, and then later worked menial jobs in laundries and sweatshops. She was an unusual woman for her time, because she finished school and went on to college. She began to write about her experiences, and became a successful and celebrated author for a time. She wrote "Bread Givers" in 1925. While the book is a novel, there is at least a little piece of the author in every book she wrote, and this one is no exception. The struggles Sara experiences in leaving the ghetto and getting an education are surely some of those the author faced in trying to become a "real" American."
Abstract This paper examines how the author, a specialist in child care and a teacher of special need children, addresses the sensitive issue of a child abuse victim being accused of a horrible crime to another child. This paper discusses the sensitive issues of the book and how it can be used as a guide for both a teacher and a parent when addressing children with special needs.
From the Paper "The book One Child by Torey L. Hayden details the psychological and physical rehabilitation of a young girl named Sheila who had committed a horrific crime against another child. Sheila however, was herself the victim of a crime. Sheila was abandoned by her mother on a highway. The author of this nonfiction, first-person account named Torey Hayden, the girl's teacher, had to deal with both the young girl's loss of her mother, which motivated the girl to commit such an action. Hayden also had to deal with losses the girl experienced because of the unconscionable living environment she finds herself in. This book is instructive for a student of nursing as well as a student of teaching because it illustrates how loss is not always a concrete event, especially in the life of a child. Rather, loss becomes part of the development of the child's personality unless intervention and proper counseling occur."
Abstract This paper focuses on the male/female perspective on the issue of abortion as it appears in Hemingway's most subtle short story, "Hills Like White Elephants". The paper shows how the author makes use of symbolism to highlight the problems experienced by most married couples due to lack of proper communication. Hemingway chose this topic because he believed in this interesting iceberg theory which is explained in the concluding part of the paper.
From the Paper "The theme of abortion is predominant in the story titled, "Hills like white elephants". The author, Ernest Hemingway, however has not mentioned the actual word "abortion" throughout the entire short story but instead has used symbols and vague dialogues to convey his message to the readers. The reason why Hemingway probably refrained from using the actual term was because he firmly believed in using dialogues and language, which required deeper study. The author wanted the readers to know about male and female perspective on this issue and thus chose to highlight the theme with effective use of symbolism and ambiguous dialogues. It is important to understand that Ernest Hemingway has not tried to advocate any particular opinion, he appears to be concerned only with the way males and females view this issue. The opinions of two characters on the controversial issue of abortion reveal the differences in male-female psyches. This story is indeed a classic tale revealing the subtle differences that exist in the way men and women view different things. (Lamb, 1996) "
Tags: controversial, pregnancy, behavior, psychological, communication, iceberg, theory
Abstract This paper analyzes Frederick Douglass' famous anti-slavery speech on July 5, 1852 which claimed free blacks and slaves were not Americans because Constitutional benefits and protections granted to whites were not given to blacks. It examines his accusations that America had always had double standards and it had never been sincere and true in implementing liberty, equality and justice. The paper continues to back his claim with examples from David Walker's appeal against the apparent injustice of the white man and the writings of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a militant civil rights fighter.
From the Paper "We can clearly see that Douglass' aim was to uncover the injustice and hypocrisy of American liberty and equality, its empty slogans and hollow mockery. By doing this Douglass not only inciting his black fellow men to rebel against such unjust and oppressive system but also uncovering the naked truth to the authority and to the people who are celebrating the Independence Day. Douglass by referring to past is pointing out to the systematic development of slavery in the United States. "
Abstract The paper analyzes the four-stanza, sixteen-line long poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson about the suicide of Cory. It examines how Robinson employs simple but well-chosen words to illuminate the title character and illustrate the tension between Richard Cory's inner and outer worlds. It discusses the use of the first person plural pronoun, 'we' to identify with the 'people on the pavement' and how it lures the reader into identification with the general populace enabling the reader to perceive Richard Cory through the people's eyes, rather than the poet's.
From the Paper "Robinson places far more attention on the actions of Richard Cory than he does on the populace because the poem characterizes Cory. But the working class people who come into contact with Cory color their perception of the "clean favored" man. ?We the people on the pavement...thought that he was everything,? because Cory seemed to glow. His presence evoked a sense of quiet envy, of respect and admiration. "We people" lived ?down town,? a visible and metaphoric distinction from the uptown, well-educated milieu of Richard Cory."
Abstract This paper reviews the short story "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, the story of Pheonix Jackson, an elderly African American woman who is on a journey to town to buy medicine for her sick grandson. It examines how the focus of the story is the journey Pheonix makes, a habitual journey bought about by the love she feels for her grandson but also how the setting of the forest represents Pheonix's emotional journey as well as her physical one. It looks at how the setting is crucial to the story because it represents Pheonix's inner state since the forest, the journey through it and the obstacles encountered all represent something about Pheonix and her habitual journey.
From the Paper "A turning point in the setting occurs at the top of the hill. It is here that Pheonix feels she has to make the most effort and after this point her journey becomes less troublesome. The journey from the top of the hill is literally a downhill one and metaphorically a downhill one. After this point she has accepted that she will make the journey. On the top of the hill Pheonix says, "Something always take a hold of me on this hill -- pleads I should stay" (Welty 143). This is because once the hill has been passed, there is no turning back. This is the last point where Pheonix questions whether she should continue the journey. After this point, no matter what obstacles she encounters, she knows she will brave them. "
Tags: african, american, medicine, hill, forest, journey, emotion, inner, state
An analysis of four contrasting William Blake poems from "Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience", demonstrating both the contrary states of innocence and experience and Blake's social criticism.
Abstract A paper contrasting "The Chimney Sweeper" poems from William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience" with "The Ecchoing Green" and "London". The paper focuses on the portrayal of the contrary states of innocence and experience, but the paper suggests that in a greater thematic sense all poems carry Blakes social criticism of the hypocritical Romantic society.
From the Paper "William Blake, from a young age, displayed a vivid imagination which was not looked upon favourably during the pre Romantic period. He continued throughout his writing to radically question religion and politics, especially critical of the church, putting forth his views on the world. Perhaps what Blake is most famous for are his contrasting Songs of Experience and Songs of Innocence poems, which have either been paired by Blake himself, or by critics in their interpretations. In plate three of "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" Blake wrote, "Without contraries is no progression", this statement defining the contrary states of Innocence and Experience, regarded as necessary to both human existence and human progress."
Abstract This paper argues that in her novel, "Mary Barton", Elizabeth Gaskell is trying to offer knowledge as a solution in reducing class tensions and in giving the rich and the poor a better understanding of each other. The paper uses female characters and their roles in the public domain as a medium for demonstrating this.
From the Paper "City life in the 19th century ushered in a difficult and conflicted era for women. Torn between the necessity of remaining in the domestic sphere for the sake of the maintenance of a comfortable family life for all, and the new, frequently arising necessity of entering the public sphere, women of lower classes became obligated to undertake the double burden of balancing traditional roles and roles in the workplace and other public venues. Staying home and entering the public domain both offered many consequences, and left women's practical options unclear, and also created an ever-greater rift between their ways of life, and those of wealthier women, who typically remained entirely in the domestic sphere. Elizabeth Gaskell's 1848 novel, Mary Barton, displays the intricacies of a variety of female lives, rich and poor, public and private, under extremely trying and class-dividing circumstances, those of the Industrial Revolution. Gaskell tends to represent women as actively engaging in public urban life out of necessity rather than out of any personal desire to do so, and she uses the idea of balance as an important issue which also relates to class tensions. Mary Barton's message to women is that they must cautiously advance into the public domain, but not neglect the ill effects and the dangers of such a move, and rather be aware of the positive and negative aspects of life in the private and public spheres. This awareness of both sides of an issue is additionally reflected in Gaskell's compromise-centered views on class tensions and reconciliation, which is to do what one must for one's own station in life, but to remain aware of the effects on others of different classes, and to find a balanced "happy medium" in one's actions."
