Abstract This paper discusses the autobiography "Book of Margery Kempe". The paper examines the way the book was written, the themes in the book and how they compare to modern times and the character of Margery Kempe. The author also provides a brief comparison to Augustine's Confessions.
From the Paper "The Book of Margery Kempe takes us to a world that first seems very different from our own, and then oddly familiar ; and then very different once more. The book, which was dictated by the apparently illiterate Kempe to two clerks in the 1430s is often credited to be the first autobiography written in English. It presents us with the story of brewery owner, Christian mystic, and mother of 14 Margery Kempe."
Abstract The following paper explores Johanna M. Smith's critique of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" which the author feels is trapped by its goal of feminist analysis. In trying to determine gender roles, Smith categorizes and generalizes Shelley's characters. The author of this paper asserts that Shelley's protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, is much more complex and less categorical than Smith's analysis.
From the Paper "Initially, Smith observes that although Victor states his admiration for Elizabeth and affection for his family, he seems to avoid their presence throughout the narrative. He presents his parents as moral ideals, but fails to follow their examples of "patience, of charity, and of self-control"(42). Smith asks, "Why does this enclave of domestic virtues not produce a better Victor"?(318). If he values his family so highly, why does Victor continually neglect and avoid them? In her section titled "Cooped Up", Smith cites examples of Victor's gratitude towards his family, but asserts that this gratitude comes with an oppressive sense of obligation. Smith sees Victor's behavior as a rejection of the feminine domestic sphere in pursuit of the masculine scientific and public sphere. However, I feel Smith's dichotomy between the domestic and the sciences is an attempt to categorize a more complex relationship; her solution is too simplistic and bypasses other issues presented by the text. There is relevance to her claim, but the deeper conflict is between Frankenstein and his inner desires, as personified by the Wretch."
Abstract This paper examines the life of Margaret Thatcher and how she will always be remembered as the Iron Lady. The author feels that the impact she made on British government can never be reversed. This paper also discusses the role model that Ms Thatcher became for many women all over the world, and the immense progress in women's rights she inspired by becoming the first woman prime minister in Britain. The paper studies her life and achievements and the impact she has made on history.
From the Paper "Margaret Thatcher was a social revolutionary and one of the most brilliant conservatives of the twentieth century. She opened the door to women in European politics by becoming the first woman Prime Minister in British history. I am going to discuss some of the views, which she is known for, and I do mean some, because she had many and I would have to do an entire research paper to begin to cover them all."
Tags: Britain, century, england, history, twentieth, women, Margaret, Thatcher, Prime, Minister
Abstract The writer discusses the duties and involvement that women had in the Civil War as well as examples of patriotism shown by Southern women. We are also given some examples of female heroines from the war.
From the Paper ?When we think about a Southern Belle, we envision a pale, fragile wisp of a woman who swoons if it gets to hot. She is delicate and beautiful and must be taken care of by a man. Over the last centuries this is the image that we have adopted when it comes to the way we perceive Southern women. The reality however is much different. Even during the Civil War women of the Confederate side were tough, capable and willing to do what ever it took to win the war effort against the North.?
Tags: Civil, War, hospital, care, centers, medical, care, Matrons, education, rebellious, struggle, public
Abstract This paper analyzes Anne Sexton's life struggles and emotions as seen through her poetry. The author discusses Sexton's obsession with death in her works, leading up to her suicide in 1974. The paper looks at Sexton's poetic collections "Transformations", "Book of Folly", "The Awful Rowing Towards God" and "Live and Die".
From the Paper "In ?45 Mercy Street,? which was published after her suicide, Sexton refers to her life as ?the clumsy calendar in which she lives.? We realize here that the general confusion Sexton experienced in Sexton's short life is finally getting the better of her and her suicide may be imminent. She also mentions in her suicide note, which was also a poem published under the same name, that she has died before, ?once in November, and once in June.? This directness and ambiguity characterizes Sexton's poetry not as a type of genre or style, but as brutally honest and a true representation of her life."
Abstract This paper details the oppressive lives that women led in the 1800's and tells the tale of one married woman and how she coped. In "The Awakening", the protagonist discovers her sense of individuality and her sexual passions and has an affair in order to fulfill these needs. She becomes awakened and more aware of herself and leaves her husband. This paper also includes a critique of "The Awakening" by Woman's Rights movements.
From the Paper "The Awakening, which might have been more aptly titled, The Sexual Awakening shocked the delicate and rigid sensibilities of Kate Chopin's contemporaries of 1899, although many of those contemporaries were slowly experiencing awakenings of their own. In telling the story of a married woman who begins to realize that she is an individual human being, rather than a nonentity made up of female roles assigned by a male-dominated society, Chopin immediately struck resonant chords and rocked an already unbalanced boat. Rarely is such extreme reaction achieved unless the subject matter has deep roots tapping into the unspoken truth, and in this situation, the truth being dealt with was that of female oppression."
Abstract A brief comparison of the way people live in both China and India. It shows that both countries do not provide equal opportunities for their women - Communism and the caste system. In China the emphasis is on a good education and striving for hard work while in India most of the population is illiterate. The writer suggests that while both countries are densely populated their attitude towards life are very different.
From the Paper "The cultures of India and China share some similarities, yet are vastly different when answering the question of how ideally a person should live their life. India, as a country, embraces the diversity of their people, and lives peacefully despite the different religions that coexist. The country supports a large population that is estimated at over 1 billion people. The people of India speak thousands of languages, practice nearly every religion imaginable, and oddly enough still incorporate the caste system. China similarly supports a 1-billion+ population, along with social classes, but more emphasis is placed on being male, and receiving higher education. Communism has been a very intrusive government system, which has dramatically influenced the everyday way of life in China."
Abstract This paper is a literary analysis of Nathanial Hawthorne's tale about love, sin and redemption, "The Scarlet Letter". The author looks at the various themes in the novel, examines the symbolism and discusses the role of Puritan women in their society.
From the Paper "While others mock her, gossip about her and whisper her name, Hester stands, a strong woman, unintimidated by their threats. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his book The Scarlet Letter presents the reader with a number of contrasting images to reinforce the themes in the book. Three themes he presents are: The nature of women, the problem of guilt, and the contrast between sin and grace. John Calwell Stubbs discusses some of these themes and images in his critical essay, ?The Scarlet Letter: A Tale of Fraternity and Sorrow.?
Abstract This paper analyzes and examines the issue of female police officers and maternity leave. In Part II, the history of women as police officers is discussed. Part III examines the Family Medical Leave Act and its assorted advantages and disadvantages. In Part IV, the maternity leave policies of eight police departments within the United States and two police departments from outside the United States are outlined. Part V reviews short-term disability insurance. Lastly, this paper concludes with proposals for improving and maintaining the current policies which govern female police officers and maternity leave.
From the Paper "Female police officers, much like female firefighters and females in the military, are a fairly recent development and evolution in history that was long overdue and met with some resistance initially. While females have experienced and overcome barriers to entry in numerous occupations, female police officers, female firefighters, and females in the military have had to deal with a culture and mentality that was (and still is to some degree) so firmly entrenched, i.e., the good old boys network taken to its extreme. Although certain individuals in society may believe that females should be excluded from becoming police officers, firefighters, or from joining the military due to their perceived emotional and/or physical weakness, the reality is that countless females are as qualified, if not more qualified, than their male counterparts. In addition, once a female becomes a police officer, firefighter, or joins the military, she will deal with and conquer the exact same challenges as the men, i.e., her life, like the lives of men, will be put on the line each and every single work day."
Abstract This paper examines the validity and accuracy of the functionalist and conflict perspectives which both adopt an over simplistic approach to a highly complex issue, deviance. The author discusses the way in which the development of Subcultural theory, Feminist theory, and Action theory among others is evidence of the impossibility of adequately addressing the topic of deviance within a single sociological perspective.
From the Paper ?The functionalist perspective's approach to deviance is based, to a large extent, on Emile Durkheim's theory of anomie and the subsequent reworking of this concept by Robert Merton, who believed that in societies such as America, where the commonly shared cultural goal is economic success, there will be individuals who are unable to legitimately achieve those goals. This situation, Merton argues, results in a breakdown of the social norms among these "under-achievers", who will then use other, illegitimate methods of gaining success.?
Tags: instantly, apparent, single, universally, applicable, definition, exists, general, agreement, social, norms
Abstract The author of this paper shows how Gullickson clarifies a common misperception of history through unfolding an historical narrative and contrasting popular illustrations and images with historical documentation. The paper shows how this contrast was made using the women of Paris during the Paris Commune of 1871 as an example.
From the Paper "Even supporters of the Commune, however, tended to accept the notion of women in politics in schematic, rather than humanistic terms. While the conservatives saw the women of the commune as either furies or devils, supporters both of the day and historians of the past saw the women as ministering angels. Liberals tended to see the women of the commune also, not as soldiers engaging in a struggle, or engaging in intelligent and vital actions and negotiating strategies, but merely as physical representations of freedom (like Marianne in the painting "Liberty Leading the People)."
Abstract An essay which discusses images of women in modern and contemporary southern literature. The author of the paper uses several stories as examples, including "Fried Green Tomatoes" by Fanny Flag, Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" and "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor.
From the Paper "Most of the male Southern writers; characters are dark and filled with psychological turmoil. Just think of Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. Their characters are complex and often maudlin. Women Southern writers on the other hand seem to squeeze in humor and irony even among the most sentimental tale. Flannery O";Connor is one example of female Southern writers who seemed to always have a twist of irony in her plots and characters. "
Tags: dialect, Southern, Renaissance, Caroline, Gordon, Lillian, Hellman, Phoenix, Jackson
Abstract The author of the paper shows that even though most people acknowledge that words can do real harm, many continue to insist that sexist language is a trivial concern. This paper looks at the reasons why it is important to be careful about the language that we use. It is all too easy for opponents of care in language to toss off concerns about bias as "political correctness". But it is important that the rest of us insist that "political correctness" can be viewed another way: As basic courtesy and civility. The paper uses several examples to demonstrate sexist language.
From the Paper "The first comes from my high school, where one of the teachers a man ; would always scoff at requests by students that he not used biased language. ;I never feel left out when people talk about men; as meaning all of humanity; he would say. I know that they;re talking about the species as a whole, not just people with Y chromosomes. He was, it should be noted, speaking without any apparent irony. He never seemed to be able to appreciate the fact that while he might not feel left out, women and girls would."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of the role that La Malinche played in Mexican history and culture. The author gives the reader an historical overview, including the fact that she was an actual person, whose actions caused her to lose favor in society. This is done through the review and analysis of two pieces of works by historians, one male and one female, Casillo and Paz. The author also points out that La Malinche is not a well-known personality outside of Mexican culture, but her history dates back to the mid-sixteenth century. According to the paper, La Malinche's role in history has been revived by feminists who feel that her tainted past is the result of the chauvinistic nature of Mexican society which has begun to evolve over the years. For many Mexican women she is a symbol of independence and endurance of the Mexican people, and she should be accorded respect and proper recognition in history.
From the Paper "These many complications and elaborations of this essential and essentializing dichotomy about the true nature of woman can be seen to come together in the character of La Malinche, a figure not well known outside of Mexico (except to those whose families originally came from Mexico). This paper explores the figure of La Malinche, a figure who representations have over the years become at least in general more positive as Mexicans have regained a sense of themselves as a people worthy of self-respect ? and as Mexican women have refused to see themselves as meriting only the role of a traitor condemned to silence."
Abstract A discussion of the the book, "First Generations" by Carol Berkin which explores the lives of women who immigrated to America from other countries, and Native Americans that were there when the immigrations started. The paper shows how the book follows through two centuries of life in America, to show how women's lives changed, improved and/or degraded during this time and how it tells in detail how people, especially women, lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.
From the Paper "Berkin's accounts of everyday life and women in general do agree with other who have written on the subject, but her book adds detail and description to the other accounts. Most "everyday life in colonial times" books tend to generalize about how people lived, but Berkin's book breaks America down by area, and shows how different areas, and their weather, surroundings, and even settlers affected how people lived. She differentiates between frontier households, urban households, and rural households, and shows how women made additional income in each of these areas.
"She also discusses leisure time, birthing methods, and more intimate details of early lives. She even discusses menstruation rights among the Native Americans, and how women came together for births, weddings, and funerals. Her book delves deeper into real live, and gives more intimate details of how women interacted with each other, with their families, and in society."
