Abstract This paper explains that, in "Bird Raptures", the nightingale theme, which carries through another Rossetti poem, shows that Rossetti not only loved the freedom imagery attached to birds but also loved the contrasts between various birds and between birds and humans. The author points out that, in "A Hope Carol", Rossetti relates a rather simplistic and universal desire to connect to nature and to be alert to the sounds of nature so that she might know where the bird is and when the song is being sung. The paper concludes that birds have more than feathers and a beak; they have faces and with their lovely songs, reach into people's hearts especially, the heart of Victorian poet Christina Rossetti.
Table of Contents
"Goblin Market" - Christina Rossetti
"No, Thank You, John" - Christina Rossetti
"May" - Christina Rossetti
"Song ['When I am Dead']" - Christina Rossetti
"Ode to a Nightingale" - John Keats
"Bird Raptures" - Christina Rossetti
"Odyssey" - Homer
"After Death" - Christina Rossetti
"Lady of Shalott" - Alfred Lord Tennyson
"A Ballad of Boding" - Christina Rossetti
"The Thread of Life" - Christina Rossetti
"A Hope Carol" - Christina Rossetti
From the Paper "How and why would all that luscious-sounding fruit harm the two maidens? "Who knows what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots?" Laura wondered. Who knows, the reader conjectures, what the strange little men really had in mind beyond just the tempting fruit. Roots that are both "hungry" and "thirsty" are roots that are in immediate need of something that may be unhealthy. But Lizzie was less prone to temptation than Laura; she covered her eyes so she couldn't even see the "little men"; one was hauling a basket, one a golden dish, but while Laura was curious, Lizzie was frightened, and "thrust a dimpled finger in each ear," shut her eyes and ran."
Abstract Christina Garcia's "Dreaming in Cuban" follows three generations of women in a Cuban-American family, and looks at the effects of the Cuban diaspora in America. This paper examines how the novel relates to how families are divided over the revolution.
From the Paper "A patchwork of incident, memory, letters, dreams and visions provides glimpses of a Cuban family at home and in exile in the '70's and '80's, but Garcia's debut suffers from its fragmented style. From disparate times, places, and (mostly female) points-of- view, Garcia reveals the circumstances and inner lives of various members of the del Pino family."
Tags: Cuba Castro, diaspora matriarchial garcia christina female communist del pino novel literature
Details the continuing theme of death in the works of Pre-Raphalite poet Christina Rossetti, focusing on three of her poems and how they relate to events in her life.
Abstract Details the theme of death in three works by Christina Rossetti, a Pre-Raphalite female poet of the Victorian Era. "Resurrection Eve," "An End," and "Love, Strong as Death, is Dead" are all cited, and their themes are illustrated in a review of her own life. All poems used are included at the end of the paper.
From the Paper "As a young woman succumbs to the unknown, there is no fear in her lyric. She is unafraid and grateful for the shelter that is provided for her in the dark cover of death, surrounded by the beauty of nature, and away from those who might try to keep her in the "struggle and horror" of the living. There is certainly no mistaking Christina Rossetti's voice in her work, nor her deep Romantic ties. Her work was always simple but complex, her dramatic gestures never overt or overplayed. Unlike other Romantic poets, Rossetti's heavy sigh and grand laments were much more obscure, never over the top. While Rossetti was ?romantically in love with her woes,? (106, Guide) shown in great detail in her many poems dealing with death, she made no real dramatic gestures."
This paper reviews the book "Engendering the Chinese Revolution" by Christina Gilmartin, which provides a portrait of the women active in the Chinese Communist and Nationalist parties in the 1920s.
Abstract This paper discusses the book "Engendering the Chinese Revolution: Radical Women, Communist Politics, and Mass Movements in 1920s" by Christina Gilmartin which shows that despite the efforts of various Chinese feminists, both male and female, the patriarchal nature of society created a gender system within the Chinese Communist Party, which ultimately reinforced traditional roles. The author states that the book focuses on Xiang Jingyu, one of the most well known women in the era fighting for reform in education and other facets of social equality. The paper explains that this book also deals with the extreme revolutionary period of 1925-27 through the First United Front, the alliance between the Communist and Nationalist parties.
From the Paper "The Communists adapted Soviet models of propaganda, cultural symbols, and organization to mobilize the worker population, both male and female, in assisting the formation of a new nation-state in full equality- at least that is what the posters, articles, and orators exclaimed. The urban and rural student populations were especially targeted as both recruiting areas and distribution systems for party literature. The propaganda during the Northern Expedition against the warlord factions was particularly graphic; it detailed the horrific acts the troops carried out against women."
An analysis of hegemony theory and Marxist theory as discussed by John Storey in "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction" and related to Christina Aguilera's song, "Beautiful."
Abstract This paper discusses hegemony theory and how it relates to popular culture. It particularly focuses on Christina Aguilera's song, "Beautiful" and how hegemony theory and Marxist theory relate to it. The paper discusses the views on hegemony theory and Marxist theory expressed by John Storey in his work, "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction."
From the Paper "Both Hegemony Theory and Marxist Theory serve as useful lenses through which to view the video because each emphasizes aspects of Beautiful that are central to its importance in greater popular culture. Viewer responses to the video on sites such as YouTube provide telling evidence as to the viability of these two perspectives. In the tradition of Hegemony Theory, many viewers interpreted Beautiful as an affirming challenge to dominant culture, writing comments such as "this video taught me that it's ok to be different and had a big change on my life." Other users, in the tradition of Marxist pessimism, interpreted the video as yet another traditional reaffirmation of social ideals. As one user eloquently put it, "Yeah Christina's trying to change her image and I don't know about that. But damn she's still hot.""
Abstract This paper examines how, in his letter to the Grand Duchess Christina, Galileo argues that explanations of physical phenomena are not matters of faith. It discusses how he consistently attacks his opponents and counters their arguments on the basis of two flaws, while defending his own work and the place of science in society. By constantly emphasizing the significance of the Bible and his own devout nature, the papers attempts to show how Galileo's clear arguments succeed in proving how the domains of religion and science can be balanced without demeaning one or the other.
From the Paper "Galileo upholds and supports the significance of his scientific work and of science in general, not by humbling religion but by refuting the beliefs of those associated with it. In turn, he accuses them of wrongdoing in the name of Catholicism. By attributing this as the sole reason for any discrepancy between science and religion, he begins to attack his opponents. He does so in a very direct and precise way. First, he makes it clear that many of his opponents are ignorant of the current scientific developments, even those that are compatible with Catholic doctrine. The fact that Galileo had supporters from the Church proves that even the controversial points could be studied, as long as their legitimacy was not openly acknowledged. This justifies Galileo in accusing his adversaries of a complete lack of knowledge and understanding of science. "
Abstract This paper explains that a close reading is a subtle and complex process, which entails reading and understanding the meaning of the literary piece and looking at its linguistic nuances and connotations. A close reading of the poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Georgina Rossetti shows how the author was emotionally torn between a sacred and pious life or a sensual and carnal one--or, in terms of the poem, whether to live a fruitful or fruitless existence. The author looks at Rossetti's life to shed light on the underlying meaning of this poem. The paper illustrates the many different poetic devices, which Rossetti used to convey her extremely corporeal poem that includes all the human senses.
From the Paper "Symbolically, the poem is a remembrance of what took place at the Garden of Eden. Here was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had warned Adam and Eve not to touch. They disregard his heed, eat from the forbidden fruit and, as a result, lose their innocence. In "Goblin Market," Laura has tasted this succulent morsel and Lizzie wishes to know the flavor, but refrains. She is caught in an approach/avoidance situation.
"Thus, going deeper into this poem based on Rossetti's background is her own similar approach/avoidance with the opposite sex."
Abstract This paper explains that, in addition to the more obvious themes such as girls should not talk to strange men, Christina Rossetti's poem "Goblin Market" is an allegory on sexual morality. The paper describes the ways that the poem puts an emphasis on maidenhood as a code of behavior, which is violated when Laura eats the goblin fruit. The paper also relates that the contrasts between violent and erotic imagery with more moderate balanced images are meant to show the dangers of temptation and of decadent passions.
From the Paper "Rossetti's use of multiple similes creates a lasting impression of Lizzie's strength and purity. The string of references creates a sense of time and endurance. Lizzie is compared to solid structures like rocks, beacons, trees, and towns, while the goblins are disturbing masses of water, wasps, bees, or fleets of ships. This section is full of virginal colors: gold and white, to describe Lizzie. For example, "golden Lizzie", and "white with blossoms honey-sweet". Lizzie is like a symbolic Christ figure, nobly sacrificing herself to save her sister Laura from her sin."
Tags: sisters allegory, sexual morality, goblins similes
Abstract This paper introduces the book "The War against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming our Young Men," by Christina Hoff Sommers, an engaging book about modern feminist values and how they are affecting young people. It looks at how Christina Hoff Sommers believes society is emasculating boys with feminine values, while supporting girls in the classroom and beyond. It shows how in a world where men seem to dominate, Sommers' thoughts are a breath of fresh and much-needed air and how skewing the moral and mental values of boys and girls seems to be far more damaging than we realize. It examines how Sommers shows how "feminizing" boys could forever change the way men see the world and themselves and could be far more damaging than most people realize.
From the Paper "One reason Sommers cites as evidence for her beliefs and findings are the education statistics for young men in America today. She notes, "Boys, on average, are a year and a half behind girls in reading and writing; they are less committed to school and less likely to go to college" (Sommers 14). The author includes a myriad of statistics and tables, which bear out her findings, especially in the learning patterns of boys versus girls. Boys simply do not hold up in most of the studies done. For example, Sommers states, "Girls read more books. They outperform males of tests of artistic and musical ability. More girls than boys study abroad. More join the Peace Corps. Conversely, more boys than girls are suspended from school. More are held back and drop out" (Sommers 25). Her volume is filled with statistics such as these, illustrating not only her research abilities, but also the idea that our educational systems are failing today's boys ? and failing them badly."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth analysis of Arnold's Hellenism and Hebraism whereby the two philosophies are compared. The author concludes that it is equally important to strive to know beauty (Hellenism) as to endeavor to be virtuous and moral (Hebraism), as long as one can achieve a balance of the two.
From the Paper "Lifestyles in England during the reign of Queen Victoria exhibited conflicting philosophical viewpoints. The success of imperialism had contributed to the wealth, decadence, and frivolity of many upper class citizens. This lifestyle exhibited an excess of what Matthew Arnold, in his book Culture and Anarchy, terms Hellenism. Yet there were also those who condemned this existence based on sensuality and aesthetics, going so far as to say that any entertainment was sinful. These people proposed that the ultimate ideal is a life spent solely in pursuit of piety and righteousness. This belief, most apparent in the Puritan doctrine, is what Arnold calls Hebraism."
Abstract This paper discusses the conflict of illusion and reality as presented in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market." The author argues that the two stories, one of horror and the other a children's tale, are so well presented that often what the reader sees as reality, may be an illusion and it is up to the individual reader to decipher fact from fiction. Using different passages from each book, the author discusses this idea and details how we, the reader, have a difficult time discerning what is just an illusion from reality.
From the Paper "She created an illusion for herself while the reality was something quite different. However, the other sister saw the situation clearly and this caused her to sacrifice herself for the sisters sake. There is a close allegorical and symbolic resemblance to the story of the original sin and to which is added the redemption of the fallen one, by the sister. This should not be surprising, because the original sin also has similar connotations and insinuations. The theme of redemption has close parallel to the redemption by Christ of all his followers through suffering he underwent for the sake of mankind. Here the redeemer was another sister, who suffered for her sake but brought her back to life and the world through her love and sacrifice of her principle and her remaining steadfast and ?pure.?"
This paper discusses a movement that is redefining popular music, social consciousness, and the work of artists such as Eminem, Christina Aguilera and Pink.
Abstract This paper discusses that what is new about the social consciousness movement is who is doing it and the methodology. The paper explains that the most atypical, controversial and seemingly anti social performers, Eminem, Christina Aguilera and Pink, are reaching out to the young people and bringing a positive messages about real life, real feelings, and real hope. The paper discusses the music of these performers and their evolution to social conscious music.
From the Paper "There may be no more controversial performer in popular music today than Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem. Eminem has been portrayed as a misogynist, homophobic, foul-mouthed punk, but surprisingly he is at the forefront of the new music movement. This change is not going unnoticed. ?Eminem's recent trend is to put out tracks with more of a meaning.? In accordance with the new, more constructive musical philosophy, the song "Lose Yourself", from the 8 Mile soundtrack, is a brilliant anthem to believing in yourself."
This paper compares Elizabeth Barrett Browning's short poem "To George Sand: A Recognition", Christina Rossetti's poem "Goblin Marker" and the novelist Geraldine Jewsbury's "The Half Sisters".
1,425 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 47.95
Abstract This paper discusses the selected works of three feminist writers of the nineteenth century: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti and Geraldine Jewsbury. The author points out that many women writers of the nineteenth century took the limitations placed on women as their topic. The paper states that all three works celebrate women who displayed virtues and achieved ends that, at the time, were considered the exclusive province of men.
From the Paper "Bianca, who becomes a great actor through dedication and determination--bears much more of a relation to Sand. Throughout the novel, Bianca consistently makes the best of each situation. Upon being thrust into the acting profession, and discovering a talent for it, she proceeds to win the highest place in her profession and in society on the basis of her commitment to behaving well in every situation. As she tells her prot?g? Clara Broughton, her only rule in life has been to "measure [one]self always with the highest, and never do less than your best" (364). Bianca is freed of the constraints of decorous and womanly behavior by the grim economic facts and her refusal to do anything but her best."
Abstract This paper performs a close reading of Christina Rossetti's poem, "Goblin Market," arguing that the the two central characters of the poem, sisters Lizzie and Laura, represent the dichotomy of Victorian female sexuality. Ultimately, the poem is deeply ambivalent about the demands of society upon expressions of gender and sexuality.
From the Paper "Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market" is ostensibly a poem about two sisters who are nightly tempted to buy fruits from the goblin-merchants; it is on one level a simple moralistic tale about the near-deadly consequences of yielding to temptation and the virtues of resisting it, and, in the end, about the importance of loving one's sister. Yet reading the poem it is impossible not to be struck not only by the obvious and jolting sexual imagery but by the overwhelming sense of sensuality merged with horror that pervades the entire work. Laura and Lizzie come to be not just two sisters with different reactions to the "Come buy" cries of the goblins, but representatives of the two prevailing models of Victorian femininity. Lizzie is the "proper" feminine ideal: modest, domestic, and possessing enormous amounts of self-restraint. Laura is the illicit woman: lustful, rebellious, and wantonly unrestrained. But though Rossetti does ultimately advocate Lizzie's model, she does not condemn Laura so much as sympathize with her, and her dichotomy is not as clear-cut as it might appear at first. Rossetti probes deeply into the nature of desire in a repressive Victorian context, in a society where female desire is both hidden and exploited. It is a system which forces conformity and sublimation of desire in order to ensure survival and enable some kind of contentment; by the end of the poem Laura has essentially become Lizzie. However, in examining this repression of desire and the constructed sexuality and gender roles that necessitate it, the poem questions these institutions and concludes that they are ultimately destructive for all involved."
Tags: 19th, century, laura, lizzie, poetry, repression, victorian, female
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze two poems: "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti and "Ulysses" by Alfred Tennyson. Specifically, it considers the treatment of the hero and the theme of heroism in the poems. The writer looks at how each poem profiles what it means to be a hero and how the different versions of heroism contrast with one another.
From the Paper "In "Goblin Market," the hero (or heroine) is unexpected, and yet Lizzie is no less a hero than Ulysses is. First, Lizzie is strong and determined, and these are usually characteristics of a true hero. Her profile as a hero is one of caring, compassion, and finally near desperation to save her sister. As the poem continues, it is clear Laura will die unless Lizzie does something, and Lizzie creatively comes up with a solution, which is another addition to her profile. She is a caring sister, but a hero just the same, because she saves a life and continues with her life as if nothing has happened."
