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Chaucer, Shakespeare and Gender Roles, 2008.
A comparison of the portrayal of sexual and gender roles in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale" and William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night".
1,540 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
The paper compares how Geoffrey Chaucer in "Wife of Bath's Tale" and William Shakespeare in "Twelfth Night" questioned, challenged or mocked contemporary views on gender roles and sexual stereotypes. The paper shows how, although there are differences, we can see a similar attitude in both works toward gender roles, sexual stereotyping and the treatment and portrayal of women.
From the Paper
""The Wife of Bath's Tale" is one of a series of stories in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. It was probably written shortly prior to his death in 1400. The Canterbury Tales is a "frame story," meaning that a series of narratives are tied together allowing each character to relate their own story (Alexander xvii). Chaucer's stories are the individual tales of a group of pilgrims traveling together to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury (Alexander xvi). "The Wife of Bath's Tale" is really the second for this character as it is preceded by "The Wife of Bath's Prologue" which is sort of an autobiography in which she describes her five marriages. The true order in which Chaucer placed each of the tales (other's including the Miller, the Pardoner, the Prioress and the Nun's Priest) is not known (Alexander xix). Chaucer was not only a writer, but had a long career as a public servant. During his life he traveled widely throughout Europe, no doubt the source of many of his story ideas and characters. It is possible that Chaucer never finished all of his intended tales, and that some of the book is autobiographical, with him playing the varied role of the host for his collection of characters."
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The Causes of Rape, 2008.
A review of the book "The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life." by Michael Gurian's and Kathy Stevens.
1,330 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Michael Gurian's and Kathy Stevens' book on the causes of rape, "The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life." by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens." The paper discusses the excellent manner in which Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens touch upon the need for parents to make the early years of a boy's life ones in which emotional intelligence and bonding capabilities are established. The paper then outlines how teachers (and society as a whole) must do a better job of recognizing the vulnerabilities of men and the challenges they face. The paper also looks at the contradictory "messages" that society transmits to young men and how they contribute to incidences of sexual violence. In conclusion, the paper shows that until the psychological, emotional and scholastic needs of boys are fully met by society, sexual violence will continue to be a frightening menace.
From the Paper
"The tension between men and women has grown substantially in recent decades as the initial fight for equality waged by feminists on behalf of all women gradually gave way to a "gender feminism" all-too-often typified by anti-male rhetoric and by a legislative agenda that privileged the needs of girls over boys. Not surprisingly, this anger and resentment has dramatically increased the prospects of an all-out "gender war" that will leave both sides as victims."
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Gender and Foucault, 2008.
This paper discusses textual construction of gender differentiation in texts of Sigmund Freud, Nancy Chodorow and Michel Foucault.
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that the issue of gender differentiation is a highly contentious one. The writer points out that this involves not only questions of how the process occurs in humans, but also its political associations in terms of power relations between the sexes, and institutional power in western societies in general. In order to understand the significance of the textual construction of gender differentiation the writer maintains that it would be useful to consider Foucault's analysis of how the medical community has played a major role in exploring this issue. Foucault's analysis is important for he does not simply consider the debates over gender differentiation to involve simply questions of biology and psychology, or even gender relations between the sexes. Instead, the writer notes that Foucault asks that we consider the textual explorations themselves as instruments of power by which medical institutions and society define and control sexuality.
From the Paper
"This "debate" between Chodorow and Freud with regard to the differentiation of gender can thus be seen as a struggle for gender power in society as a whole. The capacity to define one or the other gender as a normative state of humanity is clearly an assertion of power. However, in a larger analysis, Foucault would suggest that we see both researchers as been fundamentally similar in that they both partake of an institutional approach to infantile sexuality in the medical and scientific community which has, as its ultimate purpose, the assertion of control and domination over children's sexuality through processes of surveillance and behaviour modification. These processes with regard to the development of gender differentiation, Foucault argues, can be seen in the rendering as "perverse" such gendered states as "homosexuality" in children. This is revealing of the instrumentality through which western societies have, for at least the past few centuries, applied significant efforts to the control of individuals through the control of sexuality and - in particular - the power to define sexuality according to the interests of institutional powers."
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Cultural Self-examination through "Davita's Harp", 2008.
A cultural self-examination for a school counselor using the text of Chaim Potok's "Davita's Harp."
3,168 words (approx. 12.7 pages), 8 sources, APA, $ 91.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Chaim Potok's, "Davita's Harp." Primarily, the paper discusses how reading the text forced a re-evaluation of how the writer sees other cultures and how it impresses upon her the simple reality that she too is not impervious to prejudice. The paper also provides a personal "cultural self-evaluation" and delineates some vital ideas and guiding principles that the writer hopes will allow her to become a better school counselor.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Valuing Diversity in Multicultural School Counseling
Part One: Cultural Self-evaluation
Part Two: A Look At Chaim Potok's Davita's Harp And Its Relationship To My Own Evolving Multiculturalism
Part Three: Assumptions, Values and Biases
Part Four: Responses
Part Five: Concluding Thoughts
From the Paper
"More than that, the work surprised me with its deeply touching and compassionate approach to the human condition as a whole. I knew from my own research that Chaim Potok was born in 1929 in New York City ("Chaim Potok: Novelist, Philosopher, Historian," section 1) and thus would have been in his pre-teens and early adolescence when the Second World War was showing in gruesome detail the horrific depths to which the human soul could plummet. In spite of that, Potok's work has a certain buoyancy and hopefulness about it, to say nothing of a certain earnest striving after something better, that makes you as a reader "pull" for Davita - even if you are not Jewish and have enjoyed precious little contact with the Jewish people ("Davita's Harp Study Guide: Themes and Characters," 2006)."
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African-American Literature, 2008.
A discussion of the literature of black American writers in the 20th and 21st century.
1,484 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the literature of various black American writers and poets. The paper explains that numerous black writers found new ways to express the feelings of their people and created a rich canon of thought and expression leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. The paper looks at how some of these writings show an underlying demand for change. The paper also points out that many of the early literary figures, like W.E.B. DuBois, wrote against slavery. In addition, the paper looks at how, in the latter part of the 20th century black, nationalism was influenced by Darwinian science and by Victorian conceptions of virtue. The paper cites "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody, as an example of the nature of the threat to black Americans.
From the Paper
"DuBois also celebrates aspects of black culture, from the songs of the slaves to and the music they and their descendants make to their religious belief and the special religious observance they developed in the black church in America. He sees the black community then standing at the dawn of freedom, a freedom not yet fully achieved but set out as a potential for all.
"The nature of the threat to black Americans is evident in Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody. She becomes very aware of why as she grows to adulthood and sees more and more racism all around her."
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Gustave Flaubert's "A Simple Heart", 2008.
This paper examines the theme of altruism in Gustave Flaubert's short story "A Simple Heart".
880 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This literary study analyzes the short story "A Simple Heart" by Gustave Flaubert. The paper explains that, by providing an analysis of the intellectual, emotional and character-based reactions of the protagonist Felicity's character, one can realize the depth of Flaubert's desire to present the altruistic nature of human relationships. The author points out that Flaubert projects an emotional, yet intellectually illogical character that is too altruistic to be considered non-fiction. The paper relates that Flaubert provides the tragic emotion of selflessness in a concise manner, as Felicity soon learns that her lover Theodore, had married a rich woman to avoid being conscripted into the army. The author underscores that Felicity's behaviors are far more fictional than non-fictional.
From the Paper
"On a personal level, I have also experienced rejection of this type. I can certainly relate to feeling rejected by a person that is acting selfishly. This is an important part of the story, as Felicity simply goes on to another part of her life as a person that is constantly being used by deviant persons for their own self-interests. In this manner, I cannot relate to Felicity, since I would have learned to be more wary of trusting others that may potentially cause harm."
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Guilds in the Middle Ages, 2008.
This paper discusses the guilds that were in existence in Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century England.
1,339 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper identifies some of the various occupational guilds that formed a part of Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century English world. The paper shows how occupational guilds were a pervasive part of fourteenth century English life and a significant, if not all-encompassing, part of the lives of their members.
From the Paper
"In Chaucer's The Prologue to "The Canterbury Tales," the reader is introduced to a haberdasher, a carpenter, carpet-maker, weaver and to a dyer. These were presumably all very important trades during Chaucer's time, but they were also only a few of the occupations that had guilds during the period. For instance, merchant guilds were quite common in Chaucer's England. By all accounts, these guilds were predominantly organizations comprised of merchants involved in long-distance commerce as well as in local wholesale trade. As well, Gary Richardson of the University of California at Irvine reports that there is at least the suggestion that many of these merchants were also businessmen engaged in the retail selling of commodity goods in their home cities as well as in the distant, exotic locales wherein they were permitted the right to set up shop. Interestingly, it appears as though the merchant guilds of pre-modern England were mostly devoted to trade. However, the most powerful among them could actually establish colonies in foreign cities and even become inextricably involved in local politics - at least in their home towns (Richardson, para.5)."
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Science Fiction Dystopia, 2008.
A review of two films, "Punishment Park" directed by Peter Watkins and "Demolition Man" directed by Marco Brambilla and a comparison of their themes with Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World."
3,977 words (approx. 15.9 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 108.95
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Abstract
This essay considers two science fiction films that have referred back to Aldous Huxley's chilling novel, "Brave New World", written in 1932. The two films discussed are "Punishment Park", directed by Peter Watkins and released in 1971, and "Demolition Man", directed by Marco Brambilla and released in 1993. This essay compares and contrasts the themes, narratives, characterization, setting and plot of these three works and, in the process, reaches some conclusions about what elements are necessary to create a believable and useful dystopia.
From the Paper
"Thus, we see that Huxley's Brave New World most definitely belongs in the genre of science fiction, and indeed is the subtlest form of science fiction, in that Huxley plainly used it as a medium for social comment. The novel deals with a range of key social and political themes, including the possibility that we will be dehumanized by scientific progress (by for example automating natural human processes like reproduction); the implicit dangers of mass production (for example that it will generate a overwhelming need for a consumerist society); and the possibility that we could end up in a totalitarian dictatorship (which would be propped up by extreme methods of socialization, such as Pavlovian conditioning). As will be dealt with further below, Huxley was on the money with several of these key themes (Huxley)."
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Stereotypes in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", 2008.
A look at the recent criticism leveled at Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin", regarding the book's stereotypical portrayal of African-Americans
1,222 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper examines some of the stereotypes found in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", with particular focus on the main character of Uncle Tom. The paper argues that the character of Uncle Tom is represented as a stereotype of an old, suffering and obedient servant, faithful to his white masters no matter what, but that there is also a philosophy of resistance in the passivity that he exudes. Furthermore, this paper argues that it is in the depiction of African-American women that many stereotypes can be found. Finally, this paper attempts to answer the following question: do the negative aspects of this novel outweigh its moral message?
From the Paper
"Uncle Tom's Cabin actually consists of two stories told in parallel. It begins with a financial crisis of the Shelby family whom are forced to sell some of their slaves. Eliza, the slave who is a maid in the house overhears this plan, which includes the sale of her child, and escapes with her husband and young son. We follow their long and dangerous escape route that eventually leads them to Canada. Uncle Tom, although he has a family on the plantation, does actually get sold to a family in New Orleans. He is very pious and accepting and soon becomes very faithful to his new owner much like he was to the one who sold him. The family is eventually won over by Uncle Tom and his calm, assuming manner, that both the father and the daughter become ardent supporters of abolishment. "
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"The Golden Compass" and "The Wind in the Willows", 2008.
A comparison of the characters' relationship to community and friendship in Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" and Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass."
2,154 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper compares friendship and community within Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" and Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass." It argues that in "The Wind in the Willows," friendship creates community, which in turn overcomes conflicts, while in "The Golden Compass," the characters are far more selfish and tend to sustain themselves only.
From the Paper
"Thus we see that in the fantasy world of The Golden Compass, the protagonist, Lyra, has no community, no true friends. All she has is her daemon - which appears to be little more than a very animate extension of herself. She is thus dependent upon her own resources to rescue herself from problems and conflicts - something she does remarkably well. On the other hand, the principal characters in The Wind in the Willows, Rat, Mole, Badger and Toad, all exist together in a community of mutually supportive friends. They have some individual autonomy, but when it comes down to it, there are rules that must be followed, and that are enforced. However, in return for this, the members of the community gain the security of an utterly reliable community of friends to help them out when need be."
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"Half-Breed", 2008.
An analysis of the struggles of the female protagonist in maria Campbell's novel, "Half-Breed."
1,091 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
The author of this paper relates that in studying women's lives in the intersection of multiple identities and communities, she has found that the the most vivid presentation of these issues comes from novels. The paper specifically focuses on Maria Campbell's novel, "Half-Breed." It describes the plot of the story and the way that Campbell portrays the struggles of the female protagonist in the plot.
From the Paper
"It seems to me that with the intersection of multiple identities and communities that many women must juggle in their daily lives, it is important that each woman award herself the importance of her own identity, as a work in progress. It is not enough to react to a static or changing environment. In some ways, Margaret in Harriet's Daughter is an inspiration with regards to this issue, because she is always dreaming and planning the change that would be right for her. Of course, she is young and did not have to face the pressures of a violent spouse or motherhood, or even poverty. As a child, her problems were considerably less acute than Maria's. And yet it seems important to recognise that if a woman envisions herself with new standards and new expectations, then she has a better chance to see her future unfold favourably."
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Rebels, Their Causes and Society, 2008.
A look at how the rebel and how society perceives the rebel is determined by a range of social, economic, political and cultural factors.
1,346 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that the rebel exists within a constant state of tension within society. The paper explains that in one sense rebels are seen as innovators that move society forward, and in another sense they are seen as a direct threat to the stability of a society. The paper explores how the dominant depiction of rebels depends on whether the society is in a state of advancement or trying to stabilize itself and uses two works to examine this argument. These works are "Hackers and the Battle for Cyberspace" by Helen Nissenbaum and "From Hell's Angel" by Ralph "Sonny" Barger. The paper also looks at how rebels occupy a precarious place in society. In conclusion, the paper shows that sometimes rebels are seen as a positive force of creativity, however when they threaten dominant institutions too much they are transformed into criminals that society attempts to destroy.
From the Paper
"This statement seems to indicate that although hackers largely did not play by the rules they did provide a valuable social and economic function. They were the creative individuals who really made the Internet into the highly functional technology that it is today. For this reason their rebellious nature was accepted by society as a whole.Many writers and researchers have noted that rebels play vital social, cultural, economic and political functions within society. For example, in "The Praise Folly" Desiderius Erasmus has Folly (the pinnacle of rebelliousness) explains her importance to society."
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First Nations Literature, 2008.
A review of First Nations Literature including two plays by Marie Clements: "Burning Vision" and "The Unnatural and Accidental Women", and a poetry book "Exercises in Lip Pointing" by Annharte.
1,315 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses of some of the ways in which First Nations literature makes a criticism of North American society and culture. the paper explains that in "Burning Vision", Clements makes it clear that the First World is pathologically sick in terms of its attitude to the world and its people and resources. The paper then examines the theme of resistance and struggle and decolonization in three of the texts. The writer believes that if First Nations' existence is defined by their status as having been colonized by people of a different race, then their salvation lies in resistance and struggle. The writer concludes that if First Nations cannot decolonize their countries, they can at least decolonize their minds, and that is what many of the best First Nations writers strive to do, which accounts for the central importance of this theme in much of their literature.
From the Paper
"Clements also seems to imply that the ultimate expression of this rape is nuclear destruction - the ultimate assertion of power, delivered in phallic-shaped bombs by phallic-shaped jets. In this regard, it is important to remember that FAT MAN was the name of one of the atomic bombs. Moreover, the other atomic bomb was code named LITTLE BOY. This was unintentional irony, given that it is Western male aggression that propelled colonization, as well as the kind of destruction meted out by the atomic bombs. In The Unnatural and Accidental Women, Clements seems to be on a totally different track, focusing on poor women living in Vancouver's Eastside in the 1980s."
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Urban Life and Poetry, 2008.
A look at the portrayal of urban life as portrayed in William Blake's "London," T.S Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and "Ode to Frank Silvera" by Bill Bissett.
1,165 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This essay discusses how urban life is portrayed in three poems: "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "London," and "Ode to Frank Silvera." It looks at how all three of these poems portray urban life as utterly alienating and depressing; places where people find horrible jobs, diseases, superficial social interchanges, poverty, and on and on with a depressing litany.
From the Paper
"T.S. Eliot wrote "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" just before the outbreak of World War I. It was an anxious time for urbanites such as the lonely J. Alfred Prufrock portrayed in the poem. Prufrock belittles himself, as for example in lines like "Almost, at times, the Fool" (Eliot 119). Yet despite this, the poem seems to be primarily a serious poem about the isolation of modern humanity. Eliot paints a depressing picture of an isolated man in a city, lonely, neurotic, anxious, depressed and pathetic. This paints the city as a contradictory setting in which even though population is dense, each person may be isolated completely from her neighbours. "
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Absent Fathers in Two Novels, 2008.
An analysis of the theme of the absent father in E. Nesbit's "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" and Brian Doyle's "Uncle Ronald".
2,653 words (approx. 10.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 79.95
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Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts E. Nesbit's "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" and Brian Doyle's "Uncle Ronald", particularly with regards to the theme of the absent father. The paper points out that, on the surface, the books seem to have little in common. The paper adds that the former is a hard-hitting, realistic tale that most parents would have to think long and hard about, before reading it to their children, while the latter is a delightful tale where the unpleasant realities of life are merely hinted at. However, the paper asserts that the stories are similar in that they both deal at length with the issue of the absent father and that these largely absent fathers are crucial to the development of the protagonists of the books. The paper concludes that the main difference between the stories lies in the resolution of the problem of the absent father.
From the Paper
"We thus come to the first clear commonality of the books. Young Mickey lacks a father because even though he is in the house, he does not play the role of a father. He is not a father to be loved and respected, but a pathetic tyrant to be feared and hated. Thus, although Mickey appears to have a father, to all intents and purposes he does not. His father is present in the sense of being physically there, but has no useful communication with his son, and plays no positive role in his life. Exactly the same could be said about Mr. Bastable. Although he is physically there, he has no useful communication with his children, and plays no positive role in their lives."
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