| Papers [256-270] of 16691 :: [Page 18 of 1113] | | Go to page : <— 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 —> | |
|
|
Environmental Literature, 2008.
This paper compares the writings of Neil Evernden in "The Natural Alien" and William Leiss in "Under Technology's Thumb".
1,925 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 61.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper explains that Neil Evernden in "The Natural Alien" impressively sweeps over the course of human history and the evolution of human thought demonstrating that reality consists in what one sees, and that one only sees what is important to one. The author points out that Evernden seems to be so obsessed with the "how" of how we talk about the environment that he seems to lose sight of the real issue. The paper then relates that William Leiss's chief focus in "Under Technology's Thumb" is to urge humankind to move away from domination of the earth and instead to move towards caring and respect for the earth. The author stresses that the sheer scholarship of both books is impressive. The paper concludes that neither writer had anything concrete or useful to say about the key issue that faces us today: sustainability.
From the Paper
"Indeed, if we could bring the social and other effects of our technologies into line with the fundamental value of sustainability, then we might have a hope of surviving to the next millennium and beyond. However, when we come to examine what practical help Leiss offers us with this ambition, he too falls short. True, he offers us his interesting and well-argued philosophy of "caring," and a compelling argument, in this context, against consumerism. It may well be true, as Leiss argues, that most people derive more satisfaction from caring for others than from consumerism."
| |
|
Carver's "Cathedral", 2008.
A review of Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral".
1,074 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 37.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines how Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral" from 1983 features an unnamed central character who narrates the entire story in the first person. It discusses how the husband is the 1st-person narrator and how he sets the tone and form of the story. It also describes the three-character organization and priority of the narrator's viewpoint and how background information establishes the nature and importance of the central character.
From the Paper
"There are only three characters in the story: the narrator, his wife, and Robert (the blind visitor) and we only know what we know of the last two through the eyes or mind of the narrator, so we have no independent way to make sure his narrative is totally reliable. We take his narrative for what it is, however, as the story is primarily about him rather than the other two people. The story is about his own experience of and reaction to the newcomer, and through that experience and reaction how he comes to a newfound piece of self knowledge."
| |
|
"Penelopiad", 2008.
An analysis of Margaret Atwood's "Penelopiad" and how it represents the revisionist features of modern mythology.
1,237 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 42.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper looks at Margaret Atwood's text "Penelopiad" and discusses how the Canadian author uses her revision of the ancient tale of Odysseus and Penelope to offer a feminist counter-narrative to Homer's legendary myth. In particular, it discusses the double-standards, hypocrisies, and hierarchies which relegated the maids to second-class status (and also to death) and forced Penelope to wait almost interminably for a faithless husband. Finally, in addition to looking at the sexual violence that Atwood feels pervades the original narrative, the paper discusses the author's emphasis upon how women in the antique world of Homer were treated as reproductive vessels and little more.
From the Paper
"Another element of the new narrative, a narrative told exclusively from the perspective of women, is the manner in which sexual violence is addressed in Atwood's tale. It is not entirely clear if the suitors raped the maids and if these unlucky women are being killed simply because they are the victims of the wrong men. However, there is a point in the story when the Chorus exclaims, "If our owners or the sons of our owners or a visiting nobleman or the sons of a visiting nobleman wanted to sleep with us, we could not refuse. It did us no good to weep, it did us no good to say we were in pain" (Atwood, 13-14). When the "sins" of the maids are examined against this backdrop, it may be said that the new myth concocted by Atwood attacks the sexual violence that, for a whole host of reasons, Homer never finds the time to denounce (or even much care about) in his original work from roughly 2500 years ago. "
| |
|
Female Friendships in Literature, 2008.
This paper contrasts the importance of female friendships as described in J. Bauman's "Winter into Spring" and despaired of in "The Existential Paralysis of Women" by Simone de Beauvoir.
1,365 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper explains that, although male dominated society excludes and exploits women, as portrayed in Ibsen's "A Doll House", the importance of friendship between women can overcome their marginality and restore women to the center of a husbanding society. The author compares Bauman's work to Beauvoir's and points out that Beauvoir writes about the exploitation of women in Western bourgeois society; whereas, Bauman recounts the trials of women in the void of that society smashed to pieces by the Nazis. The paper relates that Beauvoir sees the "eternal feminine" nature of a woman as shaped by the male dominated, patriarchal social structure even if women join together to off set the "masculine universe". The author thenstates that, in contrast, in Bauman's existential account of WWII, the friendship of five women who do "band together" to establish a "counter-universe" and survive is not only important but also vital.
From the Paper
"The women in Mrs. Pietrzyk's room joined their common longings for life and love to link themselves back into the woman's world of hope, mystery, the sway of her body moving through the ebbs and tides, and the attainment of woman's wisdom. They did this with nothing but their hearts in a time of death. The rejected martyrdom and the paralysis mold. De Beauvoir says the lot of woman's life is passive waiting, but in truth nothing is more powerful: "I've been thinking now about this glorious future that I dreamed up last night. Will it come true? Shall I ever live a free, useful, happy life with someone I love and who loves me? "
| |
|
Greek Mythology - Oedipus, 2008.
A personalized view of the Greek mythical story of Oedipus
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 45.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the use of Greek mythology to explore and analyze many principles and activities conducted by individuals. The author of the paper draws upon his own life and chooses Oedipus as a relevant figure in the heroic myth to explore a few of his experiences. The paper is written in a reflective style and presents some general insights into the author's personal life.
From the Paper
"Using Greek myth to explore analyze is not abstract nor is it necessarily erudite. In fact, many principles and activities conducted by individuals can be attached to Greek mythology; it's the ignorance of this connection that makes it unique when experiences are explicitly connected with Greek myth.
"My own experiences have been somewhat purposefully with only a few surprises in life, however to be reflective; I have recently found that having explored my personal activities and likened them to Greek mythology, I seem a little enlightened and demystified about some of the processes and activities of life. Nevertheless, this has come at a cost, since our society dictates that there is a certain decorum we should follow, and funnily enough, our thinking process is subject to this travesty. This has stifled creativity and a hunger for individualism; take for example the movies at the cinema, they all seem to tell the very same story, sometimes they don't even change the actors to tell the story."
| |
|
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), 2008.
This paper discusses the life and works of Karen Blixen, author of "Seven Gothic Tales".
1,179 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper looks at the background of Karen Blixen and the tragedies she faced. The paper discusses how Blixen (known as Isak Dinesen) successfully faced the odds in getting her stories "Seven Gothic Tales" published. The paper looks at Blixen's mental images in storytelling and shows how Blixen has changed the world of writing.
Outline:
The Life of Karen Blixen
Isak Dinesen - the Storyteller
Blixen's Mental Images in Storytelling
From the Paper
""What is man, when you come to think upon him, but a minutely set, ingenious machine for turning, with infinite artfulness, the red wine of Shiraz into urine" (Donelson). Karen Blixen was best known as a storyteller who enjoyed using her imagination in her stories such as the Seven Gothic Tales. Blixen was a woman who wanted her collection of stories to be published, but she lived during the time where most publishers wanted novels. Yet, she faced the odds and she was successful in getting her stories published. Looking at her life will show that she faced tragedy, but continued to write as a woman during the days of the Depression."
| |
|
"The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11", 2008.
A critical book review of Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11."
2,595 words (approx. 10.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 78.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses how Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 "contains a wealth of information and gives some real insight into just what on earth caused the horrifying terrorist attack of 9/11. The paper looks at how the book includes key themes such as the origins of the extremist Islamist ideology that would fuel Al-Qaeda, and the way it was fanned into extremism by the horrors of torture in Egyptian jails in the 1980s. The paper also examines how the book describes how it was possible for American intelligence to fail so utterly to foresee or prevent the disaster.
From the Paper
"Wright traces the origins of Al-Qaeda all the way back to Egypt, beginning in 1948 in Alexandria with Sayyid Qutb, foreign student in the USA - who would later write some of the books that would inspire and inflame those Muslim radicals who were turning to Takfir (the mirror image of Islam, which purports to be orthodox, while at the same time encouraging murder). Geographically his extensive background spans universities in Egypt, building construction sites in Saudi Arabia, the war in Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban, the setting up of radical Muslim cells in Pakistan - not to mention Qutb's happy days in Greeley, Colorado."
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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?"
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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."
| |
|
"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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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'."
| |
|
"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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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."
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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."
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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."
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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)."
| |
|
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
»
Click here to show/hide summary
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."
|
|
|
