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Women and Disabilities, 2008.
A review of the book "Past Due: A Story of Disability, Pregnancy and Birth" by Anne Finger.
808 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 28.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the autobiography of Anne Finger "Past Due: A Story of Disability, Pregnancy and Birth" which articulates an excellent example of a writer who is a disabled activist. The paper explains that the disabled woman offers forceful insight within the disability system in terms of a situated theory. The paper looks at how Ms. Finger shows extreme sarcasm in her words when explaining how she acquired polio. The paper also explores Ms. Finger's various attitudes towards abortion. In conclusion, the paper shows that Ms. Finger poses reproductive rights entangled by a myriad of social construct and these social constructs are categorized through personal experiences, feminism, selective abortion rights and aggressive politics. The paper also notes, however, that there is an uncertainty of obligation that is questioned by Ms. Finger throughout her memoir that lacks stability.
From the Paper
"There are several examples of opinions, which make Ms. Finger furious and/or hostile in regards to abortion, parental choice, disability, and of course politics. For example, Ms. Finger takes a reactive stand against anti-abortion. Yet, within her text, confusion seems to be set in place in terms of "the right to privacy" and "parental choice" (Finger, 25). If a woman chooses to abort a child for whatever reason, it would be considered a parental choice. In a similar sense, if a disabled woman chooses to abort a child for whatever reason knowing that the child would be disabled; isn't this considered a parental choice as well. Why would the disabled woman choice be different from the nondisabled woman?"
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Analysis of "The Hockey Sweater.", 2008.
A description and analysis of Roch Carrier's short story, "The Hockey Sweater."
909 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 0 sources, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the short story, "The Hockey Sweater" by a French-Canadian writer Roch Carrier and argues that the main theme of the story is the strained relationship between the Anglophone and Francophone Canadians, told through an allegory. The paper relates that, although Carrier does find that there are common points in the relationship between Francophone and Anglophone Canadians, most of the story is concentrated on the conflicts between the two major Canadian cultures.
From the Paper
"The story selected for this essay is "The Hockey Sweater" by a French-Canadian writer Roch Carrier. The essay will argue that the main theme of the story is the strained relationship between the Anglophone and Francophone Canadians, told through an allegory.
"The main protagonist of the story, written in the first-person narrative, is a young boy whose life revolves around school, the church and the skating rink where he plays hockey with his friends from school. This suggests that the author might be writing from his own experiences and points of view. As will be shown later in this text, he lives in the small town in Quebec. The most exciting part of boy's life is takes place at the rink. Everything else is considered punishment. The choice of hockey rink as a center of life, or at least of good life, places the story setting deep in Canadian culture. Hockey as national Canadian sport is a part of both Anglophone and Francophone Canadians' life. Something the two can and do share. Probably the most common dream of all Canadian boys, Francophone or Anglophone, is to be a great hockey player."
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"Romeo and Juliet", "M. Butterfly" and the Oppression of Men, 2007.
A discussion of the oppression of men in the plays "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare and "M. Butterfly" by David Henry Hwang.
1,708 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the oppression of men through the study of characters and their experiences in two literary works, "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare and "M. Butterfly" by David Henry Hwang. The paper explains that masculinity is fragile because it is socially constructed and men have to struggle everyday against anything within themselves that many be perceived as not masculine: anything passive, any attraction to the same sex, and even displays of vulnerability are all suppressed. The paper argues that Romeo stepped out of the 'masculinity' assigned to him socially, and because of this, suffered. The paper also looks at how Gallimard, is insecure in his masculinity and uses it, along with his racism and prejudice to destroy himself. In conclusion the paper shows that the male protagonists in both plays are in a way a victim of patriarchy because they do not conform to the 'masculine' ideal.
From the Paper
"Looking at the text closer, it is clear that Romeo does not exhibit typical masculine characteristics, and that Juliet often acts as the more aggressive, less 'feminine' one of the pair. This is evident from the beginning of the play all the way through to the end, where each chooses a different way to die. In the first scene of the play we are introduced to Romeo, both his parents are worried about him, as he seems melancholic. He is sad, in love, and because of this he suffers. All of these are not very masculine characteristics. He loves to read, is keen on poetry, and loves to be in love. All these characteristics could be considered 'feminine'."
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"The Spider Eaters" - An Inside View of Mao's China, 2007.
A review of the book "The Spider Eaters" by Rae Yang.
1,132 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Rae Yang's memoir - "The Spider Eaters". The paper explains that the books is the story of a classless person who came of age during the Cultural Revolution and who obviously worked hard to present her experiences in a direct and emotional manner. The paper explains that Yang's volume covers the decades between 1950 and 1980 and clearly illustrates the cruelty that Yang came to see all around her though a committed communist and Red Guard. The paper also shows how Yang's memoir points to Mao as a very aware person, a megalomaniac in Communist clothing who had no care as to the degree of cruelty that was inflicted through an entire society, or how this experience might shape future Chinese society and politics. In conclusion, the paper shows that Mao and the Chinese Cultural Revolution destroyed the Chinese who might have had much to offer the socialist experiment, drove great wedges between people and accustomed the Chinese once again to conditions of great fear.
From the Paper
"Mao's regime could be, just as the Red Guard she came to recognize as brutal, a movement quickly dissolving into anarchy, a kind of gang warfare, till the Red Army intervened. This is an interesting revelation given that one is so often instructed that Mao was not aware of the abuses inflicted on many Chinese during the Cultural Revolution, that the Red Army had somehow taken over or carried out what he had not intended. Yang's memoir points to Mao as a very aware person, a megalomaniac in Communist clothing who had no care as to the degree of cruelty that was inflicted through an entire society, or how this experience might shape future Chinese society and politics. Yang's volume covers the decades between 1950 and her 1980. Shortly after, Yang left for the United States where she made her career."
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Kate Chopin's "The Awakening", 2008.
This paper discuses the dilemma of the protagonist Edna in Kate Chopin's novel about Victorian society, "The Awakening" .
3,515 words (approx. 14.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 98.95
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Abstract
The paper explains that the character Edna in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" longs for freedom and finds it only to realize that the freedom she found cannot exist in her Victorian world. The author points out that, although it is debatable whether Edna was acting out of noble motives or was merely a selfish woman who chose the easy way out, the story mirrors the plight of women in the early twentieth century. The paper relates that this book reveals much information about gender relationships in the Victorian era by depicting the tragic story of Victorian women trapped in a world in which they did not belong. The author stresses that, while some people have suggested that Chopin was a feminist ahead of her time, categorizing this work as feminist or Victorian is a mistake because of the complex setting of the story itself and the complex nature of the time period.
From the Paper
"This image, while short and appearing to only establish setting, is filled with a number of insights into the Victorian mindset and understanding of femininity. Madame Ratignolle is the perfect "mother-women", contrasted to the explicit statement that Edna is not . Here the readers are shown at a distance, a woman in white (the essence of purity, of course) with immense grace, who may at first appear royal and near-divine. As the children come and "cling to her skirts", she lavishes her words of affirmation on them, opening her arms to receive them, doling out grace and divine dispensations."
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The Genre of Travelogues, 2008.
This paper discuses the genre of travelogues by comparing Caryl Phillips' "The European Tribe" and Karen Connolly's "Touch the Dragon - a Thai Journal".
3,470 words (approx. 13.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 97.95
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Abstract
This paper states that Caryl Phillips' "The European Tribe" and Karen Connolly's "Touch the Dragon - a Thai Journal" are two very different types of 20th century travelogues. The author points out that Caryl Phillips' book is definitely superior in its attention to history and context because the author kept searching, reflecting and reporting on what he noticed in his travels in Europe. The paper concludes that Connolly's work is immature, has little to report of Thailand as a greater phenomenon but has much to account about the teenage, feminist impressions of Karen Connolly herself. The paper relates that "Touch the Dragon" does serve a growing market for travelogues produced by young people for youths who typically wish to travel as a guaranteed source of self development.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Caryl Phillips and "The European Tribe"
Karen Connolly, "Touch the Dragon - a Thai Journal"
Travel as Source of Identity
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"She is gradually introduced to Thai etiquette, which she confesses to sometimes resenting, as in the need for great politeness or just not pointing with one's foot. The reader does wonder how some Thai people with whom she came in contact thought of their visitor. Again, there is the sense of a book not written by the best caliber of Canadian, but by a person of a certain age used to self-promotion to think that her impressions should be taken seriously or as significant, as a very unattractive feature of this book."
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Stephen Crane's Contribution to American Realism, 2008.
An examination of American realism as it is portrayed in three of Stephen Crane's short stories - "The Blue Hotel," "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" and "The Open Boat."
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper examines three short stories by Stephen Crane, with an eye towards revealing how each one represents the finest in the American realist tradition. The paper analyzes "The Blue Hotel," "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" and "The Open Boat." Through the three texts and his characters, the paper discusses how Crane shows human heroism in a time of crisis.
From the Paper
"The speech, just like the dialogue of the previous story, is undeniably salty, undeniably the speech of ordinary men with rough edges. For instance, as Johnnie grows exasperated by the agitated Swede, he finally says, "Kill you? Man you're off your nut" (Crane, 14). A little later, as a perplexed Scully tries to confer with the frantic Swede, he refers to "illictric" street cars instead of "electric" street cars while detailing what the future holds in store for Fort Romper. Later, of course, we learn that Fort Romper is in "Nebrasker" and far removed from any wild gun fights that might be troubling the Swede (Crane, 16). In the end, the Swede does die, just as he foretold all who would listen and we discover that the sullen men around him could have stopped it (Crane, 16)."
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The Cuthbert's as Foster Parents, 2008.
An analysis of the Cuthbert's as suitable foster parents in L. M Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables".
1,133 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how two of the major questions raised by "Anne of Green Gables" are whether Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert were successful foster parents and what type of challenges they faced as foster parents. The argument is made that Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert were successful foster parents and that they provided all of Anne's basic needs(food, water, shelter, etc...), they provided her education, they guided her through life in Prince Edward Island and they provided love and support. It attempts to show that all of these feats were complicated by the fact that, the Cuthbert's were questionable foster parents initially and that Anne was poorly suited to the rigid social environment of rural life in Prince Edward Island.
From the Paper
"Marilla seems to be the perfect example of what the average person in the Avonlea Community is supposed to be like. She finds it extremely difficult to deal with Anne. To a large extent this is because Anne is such an imaginative free-spirit. Marilla is totally against being imaginative. She even says to Anne, "When the Lord puts us in certain circumstances He doesn't mean for us to imagine them away"(Montgomery 1993: 57). This statement indicates that Marilla and Anne have totally different worldviews. These conflicting worldviews cause a great deal of conflict between Marilla and Anne."
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Realism in Fiction, 2008.
An analysis of three stories: Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat".
1,131 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes three different American short stories: Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat". In particular, the author looks at the stories with regard to the different forms of realism in fiction - being naturalism, local color, and regionalism.
From the Paper
"Realism in fiction appears in several different forms, some of which can be illustrated by reference to different American short stories. The three primary categories of realism are naturalism, local color, and regionalism. In a broad sense, realism emulates reality closely and in great detail, with an emphasis on verisimilitude. Character is more important than action or plot. Social class is an important element that defines characters, and the speech of characters is in the natural vernacular. These elements can be seen in different degrees in Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat.""
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"Araby" and "Heart of Darkness", 2008.
This paper compares the imagery of light and darkness in James Joyce's short story "Araby" and Joseph Conrad's work, "Heart of Darkness".
1,300 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at James Joyce's short story "Araby" and Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and the important role of light and dark imagery in both texts. The paper shows how, while the authors of "Araby" and "Heart of Darkness" use this imagery to very different effects, in both works images of light and dark are central devices employed to convey meaning and illustrate themes.
From the Paper
"As the title of Conrad's novel would suggest, imagery of light and darkness is of great importance in this narrative. From the opening of the novel, the text and its characters seem to exist in a permanent twilight. The narrative of Heart of Darkness is a tale told by Marlow to a number of listeners aboard a boat on the river Thames around sunset: "The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed in a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth" (Conrad 7). The imagery of darkness is thus employed to establish a reflective mood from the outset of Conrad's narrative. Clearly, the imagery of twilight - at the close of the day, and when the promise of the day has been realized or not - is conducive to reflection."
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"Jacob", 2008.
An analysis of Maria Campbell's poem "Jacob".
869 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 30.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at Maria Campbell's "Jacob" and explores how her work captures the rhythms and echoes of non-elite speech. The paper discusses Campbell's utilization of the oral family history, a mode of communication popular among native cultures, that was intended to resist the conventions and paradigms established by the dominant western society. The paper describes the poem as poignant and transgressive snf devoted to breaking free of the literary "mold" put into place by those who effaced the cultures which preceded them in North America.
From the Paper
"Maria Campbell's elegant poem, "Jacob", captures the rhythms and echoes of speech in a way that more conventional and "esoteric" poetry does not. First of all, the poetry uses the vernacular of one who is little-schooled in the art of speaking formal, "white man's" language. Examples of this abound: there are frequent substitutions of "dat" for "that" (Campbell, lines 3, 6, 10, 11 and 15) and "dah" for the article "the" (Campbell, lines 22-24 and 28). Going further, the article invariably uses the term, "dey" in place of the English pronoun, "they" (Campbell, lines 19, 26, 32 and 34). Why Campbell would resort to this is a question that does not yield any definitive answers - but a number of possibilities."
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Human Relationships and the Land in "O Pioneers!", 2008.
An analysis of human relationships in Willa Cather's novel "O Pioneers!".
1,620 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the theme of human relationships in the novel "O Pioneers!" by Willa Cather. The paper contends that human relationships are at the heart of the novel, but at the same time, those relationships are shaped and colored by the vital relationship with the land, as an inheritance and a way of life. The paper also maintains that family is a central theme connected to the land, with the character of Alexandra the focus for the family, just as the land becomes her focus as a substitute for her father. The paper argues that, although much of the novel seems pessimistic about human relationships, ultimately the novel's protagonist, Alexandra, as an embodiment of the land, shows how the struggle for the land would one day lead to an accommodation between human beings and the land.
From the Paper
"Cather seems to doubt the possibility for human beings to form meaningful and lasting relationships, and in the novel, those who try fail or even die before achieving what they seem to want. There are a number of unhappy marriages in the novel, including that of the woman Emil loves, a relationship that ends tragically for all. The one love that persists is love for the land, though that is also a love that is sorely tested again and again by weather, drought, storms, and other hardships faced by the pioneers, who either last through the crisis of fail and turn back. The novel celebrates the pioneer in America and the way the pioneer went to work and shaped the land, but what the pioneer did was also decided by the needs and wants of the land itself. In the end, the hard realities of pioneer life were anything but romantic, and the lives of the characters in this novel shows how they would often act impetuously and then suffer the consequences as far as human relationships were concerned."
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"The Banana Boys" Book Review, 2008.
A review of Terry Woo's book, "The Banana Boys", as a reflection of the Chinese-Canadian experience.
760 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Terry Woo's "The Banana Boys", a fiction book about Chinese born Canadian youths. The derogatory term, 'banana boy', refers to the fact that they are 'yellow' (that is, Chinese) on the outside, but 'white' (that is, Canadian) inside. The paper discusses how each of the boys has a distinct way of dealing with his identity of a 'banana boy', implying that there is no single Asian-Canadian experience. Finally, the paper adds that the book is relevant not only to the Chinese community in Canada but to the larger Canadian community as well, made up, to a large extent, of immigrants and their children.
From the Paper
"This book is of great relevance both to the Chinese-Canadian and to all other Canadians too. It is a unique work of literature that tells a story of the Chinese Canadians in present time, and their attempts to carve a unique identity for themselves, each of the boys in his own way. They may have tried hard to fit in with the "Chinese" identity or the "Canadian" identity, but there will never be a distinct group for them to fit in completely and fully belong. The "Chinese" and the "Canadians" do not quite claim them as their own, so they search for their own unique identity in pop culture. Many Asian Canadians who have been born in this country or who group up here may find that the 'banana boys' resemble them in many ways, and that the experiences of the 'banana boys' with racism, culture, work, etc. are also their own experiences. Furthermore, other Canadians who are also coming from different cultures may find that the book appeals to them too. The children of immigrants are often faced with identity questions much like the characters of "Banana Boys", and the silent cultural clash is something many experience."
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"Men Want Something Else", 2008.
A critique on David Buss' article "Men Want Something Else".
1,557 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper argues at length that Buss' article, while well-written and generally well-researched, fails to contemplate a number of issues which spring up around the topic of mate selection. It looks at how because of this, Buss appears to offer simply a rationale or even an "excuse" for a social construct that does, indeed, reduce women to a reproductive role and little more than that; he also unwittingly gives credence to the fairly superficial nature of our society vis-a-vis sexual relations between the genders.
Outline
Critique and Transition
Buss' Treatment of Environmental Factors
Buss' Discussion (or Non-Discussion) of Disability Hierarchies
Buss and the Politics of Reproduction
Political Implications Raised by each of the Aforementioned Issues
Conclusions
From the Paper
"Turning momentarily to environmental influences, it is evident that Buss cleaves to the position that biology and not society (for the most part) shapes who we wed and who we choose not to wed; for instance, the male desire for physically attractive, nubile and healthy women extends across all cultures. However, he acknowledges that factors such as chastity and the desirable "plumpness" of a potential mate are determined to some extent by cultural or societal factors such as the relative availability of food in a particular community. The strength of Buss' article, in the view of this reader, lies in his ability to illustrate the persistence in certain trends across cultures - while conceding, where necessary, that cultural externalities can play some role (Buss, 2003). "
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Economics In Modern Society, 2008.
A review of the book "Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered", written by Ernst Friedrich Schumacher.
1,156 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the book "Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered", which is a collection of essays written by Ernst Friedrich Schumacher on the topic of economics in modern society. The paper explains that, although this "modern society" refers for the most part to the outlook from 1973 (when the book was first written), these concepts still have relevance today in our increasingly technological, material society. The paper looks at how Schumacher analyzes economics not in the staid, scientific manner of college professors, but from a viewpoint of heart, wit, humor and originality. The paper also notes that the titles of many of the essays give a clue to the types of perspectives showcased - essays such as "Buddhist Economics", "Technology with a Human Face" and "Nuclear Energy: Salvation or Damnation?", indicating that the collected essays demonstrate a fairly liberal, humanistic view of modern economics
personal and passionate, particularly regarding the academic take common to the arena of economics at the time (the 1970s). The paper further explains that the book aims to analyze macroeconomics in terms of micro examination and that the thesis statement, or main proposition reiterated throughout the book, is that our economy is an unsustainable one, and that we are using up our natural resources.
From the Paper
"In closer detail, topics covered include the modern world and the problems of production, peace and permanence; global resources, and how this relates to nuclear energy, technology, industry resources, land use and consumer education; the third world and its relation to global development, technology, village-style life and unemployment issues; and organization and ownership, which includes an analysis of theory of large-scale organization, socialism, ownership, and emerging new patterns of ownership. The ground covered is not anything particularly new, at least not for our society. At the time of initial publication, Schumacher's sentiments no doubt reflected growing concerns in terms of globalization - the environment, overuse of natural resources, materialism over humanism and lack of proper organization and preparation on a global scale. Today, these issues are so contemporary and current that their highlighting seems commonplace."
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