Abstract This paper examines famous American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It discusses his marriage, his role in the early 20th century, and his works, including "The Great Gatsby", "The Beautiful and the Damned" and "This Side of Paradise". The author focuses on the typical female characters of his novels and the ways in which they represent and relate to his wife, Zelda.
From the Paper "F. Scott Fitzgerald was a brilliant, successful, but somehow unhappy writer. He wrote beautifully, but it taxed him, and between alcoholism, his much loved, though somewhat impractical wife, and his struggle with the materialistic upper class he was a part of, he was a man caught in troubles and often unhappy. Despite his many problems, he managed to turn out several novels and over one-hundred-sixty short stories, and though they shared many common themes, each possessed its own individual tone. Of these themes, one of the most interesting is the role of Fitzgerald's women--women as individuals, women and alcohol, women and material wealth, women and failure. Fitzgerald's main female characters were a new type of woman in the literary arena. They weren?t made in the image of the traditional woman, but were a combination of such positive traits as attractiveness, charm, youth, capability and independence. Fitzgerald created this woman-girl character in response to his own personal experiences and particularly modeled it after his wife Zelda, whom he adored. He projected much of their relationship and her personality into creating a character who prefigured today's modern woman."
Abstract This paper studies the connection between agriculturally-based land pollution, such as from herbicides and pesticides, and contaminated water. The paper presents research studies and statistics that indicate that this is the most significant and damaging source of water pollution. The paper also looks at the impact of water diversion through damning for irrigation projects. The paper concludes by discussing the international ramifications of land-based water pollution.
From the Paper "Rachel Carson, in her landmark book "Silent Spring" was the first to discover the pollution and contamination of land as well as water by insecticides. These chemicals are absorbed in the earth, and then run off into water- lakes or rivers and streams, and eventually into the oceans. The most recent catastrophe on Chesapeake Bay which contaminated almost the entire shrimp and scallop crop was presumed to have been caused by a chemical spill which began a "fouling" process that was like a fatal domino effect. From the pristine water, of the Bay it then ran off into nearby farmland, not only damaging crops, but also polluting one of the largest poultry producing areas in the country."
Abstract This paper explains that Captain D. Michael Abrashoff "Its Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy" shares the lessons Abrashoff learned in turning a sloppy ship into the pride of the fleet. The author points out that the book draws analogies between naval and civilian management. The paper relates that the book explores problems managers have with subordinates.
From the Paper "Commanding a navy ship is a lot like running a business. Leaders are expected lead by example to ensure critical tasks are completed on time, manage and train subordinates and not waste resources. Michael Abrashoff wrote "It's Your Ship". In it, he shares the lessons he learned in turning a sloppy ship into the pride of the fleet. Abrashoff offers numerous pieces of advice to readers, which are equally applicable aboard a navy ship or to any business. It's funny how often the ..."
Abstract The writer of this paper examines the resulting impact on America's youth of the social and cultural changes that occurred during the 1920s. This paper delves into Fass' well-researched novel which analyzes America's troubled youth during this particular era. This paper details the author's views and opinions regarding how and why the younger generation during the 1920s strongly objected to and defied society's cultural norms. This paper delves into the author's focus on the trendy young Flappers of the 1920s to demonstrate the various problems which were closely associated to sex, licentiousness and the general lack of disregard for authority. The writer contends and explains why this particular book is a fairly accurate account depicting the impact of change on society and American youth as a whole.
Introduction
Analysis of Literature
Conclusions
References
From the Paper "Most striking in this work is Fass's knowledgeable account of youth during the 1920s. The author doesn't simply make blatant statements and assume the to be correct. Rater the book appears well researched and more documentary of the events and social changes that were actually occurring during the 1920s. The book is intriguing and a worthwhile read for anyone interested in delving into the social culture of the 1920s and learning how youth's help shape and change modern culture as we know it today. While many traditionalists of the time may have viewed youth behavior during the 1920s as indecent and problematic as Fass points out, much of the behavior exhibited then might be considered quite hip and normal today."
An examination of the epidemiology of women's depression, with a contention that the depression women experience is caused by their devalued place within a patriarchal society.
Abstract This paper outlines the historic association between women and depression and highlights society's proclivity to believe women are more susceptible to mental illness due to their hormones. It argues, however, that women are more likely than men to experience depression and mental illness due to their social and political stance within society; that is, women are more likely to be depressed because, in a patriarchal society, they have "more to be depressed about". It covers physical and sexual violence, gendered economics, family 'responsibilities' of women, and the gendered implications of female embodiment.
Outline
Women and Mental Illness: From Hysteria to Depression
The View from the Bottom Rung of the Gender Hierarchy
Physical and Sexual Violence
Cultural Implications of Female Embodiment on Economic (In)Dependence
Family Caring Responsibilities
Damned if They Do and Damned if They Don?t: the Feminine Gender Role
From the Paper "The connection between women and mental illness is a long and, in many ways, inseparable one. Historically, in our cultural myths, it is women who are "mad" or drive men to "madness" ? spinsters, crones, and witches are all depicted as slightly mad, while the Furies and the oceanic Sirens are supposed harbingers of madness. Let us not forget either that it was the first woman, Eve, who brought both literal and symbolic madness, in the form of disharmony and evil, to "man"kind. The extensive medical history between women and mental illness begins in recorded history, not surprisingly, as intricately bound up with that which defines them as "other" ? their biology. Four thousand years ago the Egyptian "Kahun Papyrus" associated female distress with the ?dislocation... of the uterus.? Fifteen hundred years later, Hippocrates described the female disease "hysteron" caused by an organic imbalance of the womb, and thus the female "hysteric" was born. By the seventeenth century C.E., dominant medical discourse had relocated the site of women's mental illness from the womb to the brain, and hysteria became a disease of the mind."
The following paper is an exploration of the hierarchy of ideologies in Harold Frederic's "The Damnation of Theron Ware" depicted by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Abstract The following paper examines how the real tragedy of "The Damnation of Theron Ware " is that just as the title character, Theron, becomes illuminated and finally begins to see the truth of things, he is "saved", or rather, damned by Sister Soulsby's deliverance.
From the Paper "While most critics agree that the title character of Harold Frederic's The Damnation of Theron Ware represents the clash of traditional ideas with new beliefs, it remains ambiguous as to what the true agent of Theron's damnation is. Frederic places conservative Methodism in opposition to three waves of thought: New Asceticism, New Catholicism, and New Science. Theron's awakening to these ideas provides the catalyst for his fall, but the real instrument of his damnation is the pragmatic wisdom represented by Sister Soulsby. Theron Ware begins the novel as a vessel for 19th C. American ideals. He is a Methodist Protestant, emphasizing his heart over his head and representing a non-intellectual emphasis on private morality. He is also an Emersonian, a believer in self-reliance and a romantic lover of nature. His faith that he can enter into a new intellectual sphere is spurred by his Emersonian ideals; however his actual experience is reminiscent of the work of Henry James in such novels as The American. Like Newman, Theron attempts to be something he is not. There are naturalistic, deterministic elements at work that suggest that both Newman and Theron are doomed because they quite simply cannot cross cultural boundaries. This pessimism pervades Frederic's novel as we see Theron stumble blindly on, becoming more and more foolish, just as he believes he is being enlightened. "
A discussion of the role of temptation within the context of the play, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and the novel, "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Abstract This paper describes how "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and the "Fellowship of the Ring" are both literary pieces which show how a character can be tempted by the necessity for survival and the desire for self-pleasure. It examines how being devoted to their quests Sir Gawain and Frodo are often ignorant of enticements and often obliged to settle according to the situation and of all the great hurdles that they face on their quests, none is as imposing as that of temptation. Both characters eventually fall from grace and give in to temptation but don?t stay damned by their actions because they rely on faith to guide and redeem.
From the Paper "Medieval literature often utilizes its characters to depict the consequences of human nature; moreover, medieval literature focuses on the fragility and power of the determined individual. In the Fellowship of the Ring and Sir Gawain, the main characters strive to retain their reputations while facing challenges which force them to encounter evil in the visage of nature, the supernatural and man. They have to attempt to succeed in rising above their human (and hobbit) driven tendencies to rely on instinct over integrity. Perhaps the greatest testament to the will of Frodo Baggins and Sir Gawain is their resilience and optimism."
Abstract The paper gives an overview of the two stories in which Swift's goal is to raise awareness of the plight of the Irish and Twain's goal is to argue against the religious concept that humans are God's highest creation. The paper then explains the use of parady by the two authors in order to achieve their aims. The paper refers to three significant differences that exist between the two pieces of writing.
From the Paper "Twain, meanwhile, uses powers of observation to prove that animals are obviously more intelligent than humans. He describes an experiment where he taught ?? a cat ? a cat ? a rabbit ? a fox, a goose ? some doves ? [and] finally a monkey [to live] together in peace; even affectionately.? Next he put an Irish Catholic, a Scottish Presbyterian, a Greek Christian, an Armenian, an American Methodist, a Buddhist from China and a Salvation Army colonel together, and they killed each other."
Relates themes in novel to author's other works ([This Side of Paradise], [Beautiful & the Damned], [Tender is the Night]). Discusses disillusionment, postwar degeneracy and Lost Generation.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 8 sources, 1989, $ 79.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to relate themes in The Great Gatsby to general themes found in F. Scott Fitzgerald's other works.
Following the publication of his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald proclaimed his belief that "'an author ought to write for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward'" (Bruccoli 12). While Fitzgerald was being somewhat facetious in this remark, he also revealed a central motivation for his literary creations: the desire to represent the attitudes, values, and aspirations of his generation. Fitzgerald succeeded in all three goals, becoming the literary spokesman for the Jazz Age and creating a body of work admired for its craftsmanship and brilliant social insights. While not a (...)"
Abstract In the history of literature there have been many a Christ-like martyr, appearing flawless in order to save the damned human race. The paper shows that Harriet Beecher Stowe goes beyond this clich? in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", creating an image of an angelic female child who embodies within her the supernatural strength needed to overcome the forces of sin. The paper shows that in the novel, slavery is doomed through Eva's lasting effect on the reader's emotional response to slavery. Little Eva's fervent examples of compassion convey her power to reform the people whose lives she touches, while her sacrificial death leaves slavery in demand of urgent justification. The paper shows that lacking a valid excuse, the powerful metaphor of the scene of her death holds the readers responsible for letting her legacy of good will be instrumental to our own sense of righteousness, thus preventing outrages such as slavery from ever again being created.
From the Paper "Despite the inadequateness of the world we live in, Stowe offers a strong plea not to judge all mothers by the example of Marie, and not to give up the all-American ideals of freedom on the basis of one defect occurrence such as slavery. We see the hope for a better future come to life in the character of Eva, a daughter born out of necessity for redemption. Eva's name Evangeline reveals her function in the novel, as it is ?based on the root evangel, which means "gospel" and is derived from the Greek euangelion, "good news"? (Donovan 76). Indeed, Eva acts as an apostle of good fortune to all she comes in contact with, the most important event being her influential urging that St. Clare buy Tom, thus saving Tom from the auction. This will be counter balanced in the novel by Marie's cold determination to ignore her late daughter and husband's passionate resolutions to free Tom, because the "despicable"selfish "belle"? cannot be troubled by such trivialities while suffering from her own sense of loss (Donovan 81)."
Abstract This paper analyzes the so-called "Repressed Memory Syndrome." The author discusses how the issue is controversial in that as the so-called victims are winning large settlements in courts, the number of therapists and cases is rising dramatically. While most psychiatrists admit that repressing traumatic memories does indeed happen, many do not believe in the existence of Repressed Memory Syndrome. The paper makes this case by discussing a slew of psychiatric evidence, all of which suggests that memory is not absolute, memories can certainly be created and that the tools therapists use to revive memories can actually help create them. The most damning evidence against RMS has been findings which suggest that the social and legal goals of the rememberer can influence memory. The author closes by arguing that more research needs to be done into how memories are created and how they can be distinguished from false ones, so that actual victims of child abuse need not be trivializes.
Abstract This paper will offer a cursory survey of three variations to the nuclear family in modern day North America. This is done in an effort to determine how far our social value systems will allow us to deviate from the traditional model of the nuclear family. This paper will illustrate how families with dual earning partners and families headed by divorced single parents have become a modern day social norm, despite the taboos that once accosted them. In comparison, this paper will examine how lesbian couples with children continue to be denied access into general social arenas, despite recent empirical findings that contradict damning generalizations.
An essay on God and his relation to the concept of temptation. This paper debates whether or not God initiated temptation and, consequently, sin, alluding to the possibility of a malevolent god.
Abstract This essay is actually written in a fairly satirical tone, pointing out contradictions in the "infallible" Bible, as well as contradictions in God's allegedly perfect character using Christian rhetoric and quotations from the Bible itself.
From the Paper "Although Genesis 3:4-5 (?The serpent said to the woman, ?Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.?) tells us that the serpent tempted Eve to eat the apple, isn"t it true that God tempted Adam and Eve first" If there were no Tree of Knowledge for Adam and Eve to be tempted with, then there would be no concept of temptation, no sin, and no damnation. There would also be no malice, no murder, no hatred, no theft, no bigotry, no rape, no war, no crime and nothing else that could even be perceived as a negative action, because if there was no sin, then none of the aforementioned would even exist."
Abstract In both William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest", and Christopher Marlowe's play, "Doctor Faustus", the principal characters, being Prospero and Doctor Faustus, respectively, equally employ elements of magic, conjuring, and the black arts to achieve the ends that they desire. This paper shows that, while Prospero is clearly reclaimed and ennobled at the end of Shakespeare's work, Faustus, on the other hand, is seemingly damned to hell and certainly does not experience the esteemed return to power that Prospero enjoys. The paper explains that the difference has much to do with the genres of the plays and the positions of the characters. "The Tempest" is, by nature, a romance, which means that it is a fantastical work with a basically comedic ending, whereas Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus" is more properly considered a tragedy.
From the Paper "Also, at the end of The Tempest, Prospero ultimately lays his use of the black arts aside, for they have already served his purpose, saying "Now my charms are all o'erthrown,/And what strength I have's mine own" (Shakespeare V, I). Indeed, part of the thing that makes Prospero a redemptive character is that he ultimately seeks to end his use of his objectionable powers, because he doesn?t need them now that the wrong that was done to him has been righted. Unlike Faustus, he does not cling to his powers for the purposes of status and exploitation once his goal of just vengeance has been achieved."
Abstract This paper analyzes the "Scarlett Letter" and the sins of its characters. The paper specifically claims that Dimmesdale believed he was damned, not because of the adultery he committed, but because he and Hester lost reverence for each other's souls.
From the Paper "While he is under Dr. Chillingworth's care, being further tormented by him as well, they discuss sin and confession. Dimmesdale at this point, wants to believe that he is doing some good in the community by not confessing. He tells Chillingworth that some men don?t confess their sins because they have "a zeal for God's glory and man's welfare, they shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men; because, thenceforward, no good can be achieved by them" (1457). Ironically, by trying to hide his true feelings from himself, he further reveals his sins to his enemy".
