Abstract This paper examines marriage, courtship and the lives and roles of young women in children's literature from various cultures. The texts considered are African, Chinese. Japanese and Russian. In traditional tales women are subordinate to male characters in the role of wife, mother and temptress.
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the courtship styles of Rochester in Charlotte Bronte's novel, "Jane Eyre," and Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". It shows that, although the style and tactics in courtship were wielded differently by Rochester and Mr. Darcy in their pursuit of the women that they loved, patience did play a large part in both men's characters.
From the Paper "Both Bronte's Jane Eyre and Austen's Pride and Prejudice are in the style of romance and naturally are based around the workings and events expressed within the romance. Bronte's Jane Eyre is a story of a young orphan who manages to find her way in the world because she was abused to the point of having nothing left but to stand up for herself and is a story of opposites such as would be ice and fire which are symbolized throughout the story. Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a story of several daughters of a 'near' upper class family whose estate will not stay with the daughters but revert to a cousin upon the death of their father."
Abstract This paper closely examines gender roles and their effect on relationships in "Taming of the Shrew". The paper discusses the courtship and marriage of two couples, Katherine and Petruccio and Lucentio and Bianca, and shows how Katherine and Petruccio's contentious personalities, and non-traditional courtship leads them to a deeper and more satisfactory union than the more orthodox Bianca and Lucentio share. The paper brings out how conformity to standard gender roles can lead to a relationship based on false ideals.
From the Paper "In Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare explores gender roles and their effect on relationships. The play chronicles the courtship and marriage of two couples, Katherine and Petruccio, then Lucentio and Bianca. Initially it seems that Lucentio and Bianca have the ideal relationship and that Petruccio will be miserable with Katherine the titular shrew. This however is not the case. The play exposes the ways in which conformity to standard gender roles can lead to a relationship based on false ideals. While Katherine and Petruccio may not have had a traditional start to their relationship they are honest with one another. In contrast Bianca and Lucentio find themselves in what ultimately appears to be an unhappy marriage."
Abstract This paper discusses how since its publication in 1813, literary critics have praised Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". It reviews two of these critiques, one being Austin's narrow artistry in David Monaghan's essay, "Pride and Prejudice: Structure and Social Vision" which states that Austin's work is that of a well made structure which is meant to convey nothing more than the courtship ritual of Regency England. The other is the varying interpretation as represented in an introductory essay to the novel written by Tony Tanner for the Greenwich House Classics edition which admits that it is timeless and unlimited in its presentation of astute themes and truths that stand the test of time.
From the Paper "Pride and Prejudice, is certainly a book structured around a limited social vision as Monaghan demonstrates. Yet, as Tanner points out, this book is about something more timeless than the search for a profitable marriage partner in the early nineteenth century. It is about the search for self, a search that is not only timeless, but one that can take place in any setting small or great. Austen, through her ironical tone, can be interpreted as saying that no part of society is too small to reveal the whole. Thus, even though the novel "unmistakably reflects a certain kind of society at a certain historical moment," there is also "an element of timelessness" (Tanner 397). In offering a satiric study of a class-conscious society in 18th-century England, and centering on the romantic love story of Elizabeth and Darcy, this novel does exemplify the narrow range of Jane Austen's work."
Tags:courtship, love, elizabeth, darcy, england, society
Abstract This paper discusses how "courtly love" is a term that was retroactively developed to describe a medieval French concept known as ?Fin Amour.? It examines how this concept became widespread in the 12th century and referred to a code of behavior that was to formulate our modern conceptualization of chivalrous romance. This concept was reflected in Francesco Petrarch's "Italian sonnets", which introduced the concept of lyrical poetry in the 14th century. It analyzes how by Shakespeare's time, a renewed interest in medieval court behavior coincided with a growing interest in Italian ducal courts as depicted in "Othello", "Romeo and Juliet" and "12th Night". It also evaluates how Shakespeare's sonnets, which differed from Petrarch's format, invoke medieval romantic concepts of unrequited love and long periods of courtship while taking a more humanistic approach to these themes.
From the Paper "In that jealousy ultimately destroys Desdemona and Othello, Shakespeare's portrayal of love is ultimately a tale of how people shouldn?t behave when they are in love. The way that the ill-fated couple conduct themselves before they leave Venice is essentially anti-social: when they secretly marry and elope, they implicitly reject the values of society and the desires of Desdemona's family. Whereas a modern audience might see Desdemona's refusal to respect her family's wishes as a not to what were to become the cosmopolitan values of liberal, sexually and racially emancipated Europe, a Shakespearean audience would have recognized this action as a serious breach of conventional norms that characterized European society. "
Abstract This paper compares "Jane Eyre" and "Pride and Prejudice" as a way to explore the social customs of Victorian England. Specifically, these two novels express the conflicts of love and passion with the social rules for courtship and marriage. Both novels portray how social expectations of behavior contradict the personal emotions of relationships and how these produce great emotional struggles that must be reconciled. In an era where passion and marriage are not enabled in the social sphere of Victorian customs, love becomes a conflict.
Abstract This paper examines Gregory Corso's famous poem "Marriage"; Corso's speaker is disillusioned by the convention of marriage, which seems incompatible--or at least in conflict--with the uniqueness and individuality of his generation. It explains how the speaker explores courtship and three forms of the matrimonial state: from the perspectives of the rich, poor and middle class. Criticizing popular (and unintelligent) culture, he examines the stereotypical forms of marriage; after determining the pros and cons of each, he decides to wait "up to 2,000 years" to find the woman who will transcend popular culture and engage him spiritually, sexually, interpersonally and intellectually. After this funny but serious debate, he refuses to compromise love for the mere comforts and conveniences of conventional marriage.
From the Paper "Gregory Corso uses a confluence of sarcasm and wit to criticize the disillusionment of the individual caused by various social constructs in American society. Corso manages to infuse humor in this long criticism of the sacred institution of marriage without losing either his credibility or the audience's attention-readers from across the intellectual spectrum are attracted to the captivating combination of gravity and levity in Marriage. Corso's humor is indeed structured to add to the poem's seriousness by raising a series of profound and absurd questions regarding the mutual exclusivity of love and marriage."
This paper reviews and analyzes the similarities and differences in T.S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and Andrew Marvell's writings in "To His Coy Mistress."
Abstract This paper focuses on the themes of love, courtship and romance as depicted in both poems. The writer points out the different approaches each poet applies in his work to convey the same message. The writer contends and explains the manner in which Marvell's protagonist is impulsive and eager to explore his love for his mistress while Eliot's main character is much more at ease, relaxed and at peace with his love interest. The writer analyzes the plot and main characters in both works of writing. The writer also clearly explains why Eliot's poem is dark, mysterious and at times even depressing while Marvell's more upbeat work gives the reader a feeling of hope and something to look forward to.
From the Paper "Reading these two poems together is helpful because they show that different poets can handle the same theme in very different ways. Love seems like a universal theme in poetry, music, and literature. No one has the same experiences in love as another person, and so, every person's outlook and thoughts will be special, and these two poems creatively illustrate that. This helps the reader understand the many tones of poetry and literature. It also shows how no two authors could ever write about exactly the same thing in exactly the same way. People are unique, and so is how they present their material to the world. It also shows that love and courtship are universal issues that men face throughout time. No matter what happens, men and women will fall in love and write about their experiences, and these poems show that while the experiences and ideas may be different, the topic will always endure."
Abstract The paper explains how Jane Austen was an author who wrote about society and private lives of individuals in love. The paper examines her novel "Pride and Prejudice," and shows how social misunderstandings as well as personal misunderstandings profoundly impact the lives of the main protagonists. The paper discusses the characters and explores how the balls and dances are some of the most crucial stages of meetings, courtship, and romance in Austen's novels. The paper explains how dances do not simply function as social locations where people enjoy themselves, but they set the stage for what will occur later, privately, between the romantic protagonists of Austen's novels.
From the Paper "Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet meet at a dance in the novel, and the reader and viewer of the BBC miniseries version of "Pride and Prejudice" first encounters Darcy and Elizabeth together at a dance. However, the director Simon Langton was forced with the challenge of rendering into a dramatic sequence what Austen only needed to convey through arch, ironic prose. Thus, during the early, crucial ten minute Meryton Dance sequence, the tension between Darcy and the rest of the reveling characters is clear from the beginning. Darcy scowls, and holds himself aloof from the other revelers. The viewer has 'met' Darcy, unlike in the novel, fencing with his friend Charles Bingley, so the viewer knows Darcy is not always this dour. However, the impression Darcy makes upon the other dancers is clearly a bad one."
Abstract This paper discusses the play, "The Man of Mode", by Sir George Etherege, as a story about the courtship rituals that are present in society and how these rituals are a result of stereotypical gender roles. The paper specifically discusses the protagonists in the plot and their relationships and then suggests that the play calls into question the social conventions that are present in society.
From the Paper "The only difference between Harriet and Young Bellaire and the rest of society is that they are fully aware that they are acting and they are not doing so with the purpose of fooling each other. Over the course of Act III, the protagonists become more and more aware of the roles that they are supposed to fill in society and, with this awareness, they become more and more defiant towards these roles. These two characters develop into people who will actively question what is expected of them because they do not believe that these expectations are correct. Through the interaction between and subsequent development of Harriet and Young Bellaire, "The Man of Mode" shows the audience that the status quo is not always the best method of proceeding in life."
Tags: plot, character, protagonist, gender, society
Abstract This paper proposes a jellyfish living at 3,000 feet below the surface of the sea. It describes the key functions of this jellyfish, including procreation, locomotion, fight or flight, courtship, distance (smell) and touch (taste) reception. The paper concludes that the jellyfish described in the paper is able to combine most of the senses, locomotory impulses, sexual behavior and eating of more sophisticated organisms with a fairly straightforward and primitive nerve system. The paper includes an image of the jellyfish, several illustrations, and a table.
Outline:
Introduction
Primary Morphology of the jellyfish
Morphology of the Jellyfish
Anatomy of Major Cell Groups
Muscle Cells
Eyes
Skeletal Cells
Tentacles
Feeding, Locomotion, Courtship, Fight or Flight
Nerve Action: Smell
Central Nervous System Morphology
Proprioceptive Nerve Impulses
Vision Nervous Response and Courtship/Mating
Feeding and Satiety
Locomotion Detection
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "When the jellyfish tentacles touch a body, sense (taste) elements determine if it is food or a predator. It will sting whatever it comes in contact with; the chemicals in the poison are predigestion chemicals, which combine with the cells of the stung creature in a way that breaks cell membranes and releases chemicals which the sensory (taste) bundles in the tips of the tentacles can use to determine if the creature is food or a predator. In the case of a predator, the jellyfish will not activate the "bring to stomach" mode; in the case of food, the jellyfish activates muscles which cause contraction of the tentacles, which are attached to the prey via the physical hooks of the stingers. The default is "food," in which case poison darts are injected and the food is pulled up to the gut. The morphology of the tentacles is such that, by contracting, the tentacles automatically move towards the gut in a coordinated fashion."
Abstract This paper examines how although renowned Italian poet Francesco Petrarch died long before Shakespeare began writing, his image of love remained a constant preoccupation in much of Shakespeare's work. It discusses how Shakespeare's mockery of love is often pivotal to his comic plots and how nowhere can this be seen as aptly as in "Much Ado About Nothing". It looks at how Shakespeare presents his audience with a powerful satire of contemporary etiquette through the battlefield of courtship. It will explores this courtship battle by examining both Shakespeare's text and Kenneth Branagh's 1993 film version of the play.
Abstract This paper is on the mating behavior of elephants. The author briefly covers the estrus period in females and mainly focuses on the musth period in the bull elephants. It covers the multiple steps involved in the courtship of both males and females.
From the Paper "A female, being lighter, can usually outrun a male that is pursuing her. Thus she does not have to mate with every male that is pursuing her. When the female goes into consort with a musth bull they exclusively mate ensuring the offspring will have the genes of the dominant male. Throughout the description of the sexual behavior of elephants it becomes clear that the mating patterns elephants have evolved are extremely well suited to their lifestyles. This highly adaptive form of mating behaviors ensures that the elephant will successfully mate and pass on dominant genes for many years."
Abstract This paper introduces Geoffrey Chaucer's "Knight's Tale" and the roles of men, women and love in the story. The concepts are explored through an examination of the characters and story with examples from the text. Chaucer's portrayal of women in his other works is considered.
From the Paper ""Knight's Tale" is a story about two cousins, Arcite and Palamon and their love for the same woman ? the beautiful Emelye ? that leads them finally to battle for her. Both the story and the climax is most representative of the attitudes of the knights in those times to women and love (love was often seen linked to concepts of manhood, chivalry and honor.) Chaucer shows Arcite and Palamon battling (figuratively and literally) to win the hand of Emelye. The tournament is held "For love and for encrees of chivalrye" (2184).
The fact that Emelye, herself, is portrayed as wishing for maidenhood through her life and to that extent, indifferent to the courtship of both only adds further substantiation to the theory that perhaps Arcite and Palamon were more driven to prove their credentials as virile knights rather than their passion for Emelye."
Abstract This paper examines how "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot is a poem about loneliness. The paper describes how the poem illustrates the emptiness of Prufrock's life due to his inability to overcome his fears about being rejected by others. It also analyzes the use of irony in the poem.
From the Paper "The title of the poem is very important in setting the scene for the poem. It establishes an irony that effectively communicates the futility of Prufrock's life. The obvious irony is that the poem is called "a love song" when in actual fact it is a poem about a lack of love. This communicates the sadness of Prufrock's life by showing that this is as close to a "love song" as Prufrock can get. Prufrock's name is also important in two ways. Firstly, the sound of the name has no romance attached to it at all, adding to the irony."
