Women authors as mirror of society paper an Example of the Topic All Posts by

Women authors as mirror of society paper Abstract The paper is aimed at discussing and analyzing the role women authors played in history and literature during the period of 1865-1912. The discussion is centered on the creative work of Louisa May Alcott, and her major work Little Women as one of the literary pieces, which provide the contemporary reader with insight into social and gender relations of the then society. Need essay sample on "Women authors as mirror of society paper" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Introduction As long as people write, writing will remain an effective instrument of expressing the authors views and opinions on the society in which he (she) lives. The works of literature created in the periods, when serious social and cultural changes take place, acquire additional historical value and frequently become the object of analysis in contemporary society. The period between 1865 and 1912 can be characterized as the time of difficult reconstruction and restoration; the need for restoring has not only been physically required after the war end the war has also revealed profound need to implement changes into all spheres of social and cultural life. Female writers of that time have not only become the mirrors of the then societal events, but they have also represented their own interpretations and analyses of the deep social changes affecting human relations and creating new strata of social conscience. Louisa May Alcott was one of those talented people, whose works are immortal and never lose their significance. Having become well-known for her work Little Women, she was also one of the brightest representatives of her time and has created the literary work which is constantly addressed by contemporary scholars for the research of the changing social status of women during the period of Alcotts life. The importance of Little Women is not in realistically depicting the role of women in the 1865-1912 society; Alcotts work is for through having displayed the process of the changing social status of women, and the womens attempts to expand the traditional boundaries of their gender roles. With several women being the protagonists of the book, Alcott has provided its reader with the vast opportunities to compare and contrast the roles of women traditionally held in the society of that time, and the roles they acquired through the ever lasting process of the gender and social development. Female socialization is depicted by Alcott as the combination of class and gender attributes. As belonging to a certain class remains crucial for any women during the period of Alcotts life, there are numerous signs of how women attempt at breaking the tradition to conform to the societal gender requirements. (Baym 1978, p. 94) The author recognizes the importance of class distinctions in the gendered society of her time, but she also gives her 'Little Women' some space to erase these requirements in order to remain individual and to be happy in their lives. In this aspect Alcott frequently steps away from conformity in terms of gender relations. It is possible to suggest, that she expresses her desire and dream about the status women should possess in the society gender structure. The major characteristics making Little Women stand out, is the description of how gender and financial status are mutually determining. The first pages of the book make us familiar with the fact that young girls clearly realize their societal status; moreover, it is not that the lack of finances makes them unhappy it is the fact that this lack of finances does not allow them looking like other young ladies at their age. This is the first sign of class stratification and the personal identification of class in the book. Moreover, the scenes of rage and envy usually displayed by girls within the family circle are replaced by public scenes of humiliation and class shame. (Foot 2005, p. 129) Women, already excluded from the growth of a professionalized white collar identity, are especially sensitive barometers of the injuries that accompany the emergence of middle class styles and sensibilities. Limited in terms of their economic production, [] middle-class women become the guardians of the difference between economic class and social status and they do so by knowing which feelings to have about which kinds of people. (Foot 2005, p. 130) Alcott describes Amy as the representative of traditional social and class attitudes, as well as the supporter of the opinion that women should learn to be agreeable, particularly poor ones (Alcott 1993, p. 263). Amy views the need to conform to gender roles as the compensation for belonging to the lower social class. Member of the nineteenth century society, she does not see any other pathway except for closely following the conventions of her social class and gender. The fact that all March girls work is another relation to the gender status of the society in which Alcott lived. Working for a woman meant the conflict of both gender and social attitudes, but Jo has become the only girl in the family to break those prejudices and to achieve the position of the successful New York author. Her life attitudes are briefly expressed in the response to the young boys commentary related to her style (or rather, absence of this style): A governess is as good, as a clerk. I hate ordinary people! (Alcott 1993, p. 300) But depicting Amy and Jo as the two contrasting characters of the nineteenth centurys society, Louisa May Alcott has not yet clearly identified what a woman in the society should be. Conclusion As long as the reader may perceive the equality with which Alcott treats her characters, it is difficult not to emphasize the social and financial rewards Amy obtains by conforming to the requirements of her social and gender status. Moreover, with Alcott frequently compared to her Jo character, she has implicitly viewed Amys behavior as more accepted within her societal environment. Jo has displayed solid abilities to sustain her independence and to erase the limits female gender determined during 1865-1912, but the society has not been ready to those changes. It is possible to assume that Jo has appeared ahead of her time, as well as Alcott has clearly predicted or even prepared her readers towards the gender status changes, which are accepted as a norm among contemporary people. References Alcott, Louisa May. (1993). Little women. New York: Signet. Baym. N. (1978). Womens fiction: A guide to novels by and about women in America, 1820- 1870. Itaca: Cornell University Press. Foot, S. (Winter, 2005). Resentful Little Women: Gender and class feeling in Louisa May Alcott. College Literature, 112-136.

The War of 18121 essays

The War of 18121 essays The War of 1812 was a conflict between the nations of Great Britain and The United States. This was a war fought over the rights of non-combatant, neutral nations. Issues of this conflict included impressment, rights to limit the navigation of soverign nations, and how a nation could cope if these rights were violated. In the late 1700s and early 1800s there were a series of conflicts between Great Britain and France. Both of these countries trampled the rights of non-combatants during the conflict. For example, Britain forbade any American ship to sail to a port in the Napolianic Empire. Likewise, the French government reciprocated with similar laws against ports within the British Empire. Due to very harsh conditions on those serving in the British Naval Service, many men deserted. This forced the British to turn to the practice of impressment. This is a process by which the British effectively abducted servicemen to fill their ranks. The British argument was that many of their men deserted and began serving in the American Merchant Marine. This, in their opinion, justified them in boarding American ships, and abducting their crew. At one point, British impressment led to the Chesepeak Incident. During this incident, when the American frigate refused to be boarded, it was In order to deal with these maters, the American authorities tried several peaceful interventions. In order to prevent confrontations, the Embargo and Non-Intercourse Acts were passed. These acts were in accordence with both British and French wishes. However through all of these steps, the disrespect of American soverignty continued. After exhusting all peacful options, the Americans entered the War of 1812 with great hopes for a successful ...

Major Issues and The Place of Traditional Religion Essay

Major Issues and The Place of Traditional Religion - Essay Example n has mostly been undertaken by foreign observers who unfortunately have been less analytical due to their lack of knowledge of African languages, which are normally rich in cultural expression and linguistic (Olupona, 1991). Olupona examines the reasons that made the study of African religion study to suffer serious setbacks in the initial efforts by scholars to get a unit of study from it. According to Olupona, the impact of Christianity and particularly its emphasis of particularity did much damage to the overall study of the African traditional religion and the rightful recognition of its experience. This is essentially what has contributed to the many difficulties bedeviling the study of Africa religion to date, among them being the problem of sources and what could be referred as the goal of Africa religion study. Other problems that have been besetting this study that Olupona has pointed is the size of the Africa as a continent and derogatory appellations like â€Å"dark continent, not to mention the multitude and complexity of each and every quality of Africa’s various language, climate, culture and such like. Another issue that Olupona has examined in depth in this chapter is the problem of the consequences of the European settlements that have wiped out whole cultures and obliterated lots and lots of racial memories, consequently establishing what has been referred to as â€Å"a bit of whiteness† syndrome in the African continent. He also explores the unrepairable blow that has been caused to the Africa traditional religion by the western education, mercantile or civil services crisscrossing the Africa continent (Olupona, 1991). In this chapter Olupona look at the effect of traditional religion to today’s South Africa. According to him it is difficult to talk of a single world view in Africa because of the cultural heterogeneity that predominate Africa. He proceeds to interrogate the issue of whether worldview can be differentiated in the late 20th

Boston Beer Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Boston Beer Company - Essay Example The trend all these ratios have over time is analyzed to check if they are deteriorating or improving (Steffy, Zearley & Strunk, 1974). Comparative valuations of different companies belonging to the same sector are also carried out in order to see how they stack up, and also to get an idea of their comparative performance (Sen, 2008). Ratio analysis is a very important factor of fundamental analysis (Johri, 2010). Although there is abundance of financial ratios, investors are mostly familiar with a few key ratios, especially the ones that are comparatively easy to calculate. A few of these ratios are the current ratio, the debt-equity ratio, return on equity, the price/earnings ratio and the dividend payout ratio. (Muhammad Arif Ghani, 2007) Most companies have some values, for a specific ratio, that have a certain range. A company may be assumed to be grossly overvalued or undervalued depending on the ratio figured out provided the ratio does not fall in that range. Keeping in view the fact that a ratio which is acceptable for one industry may be considered as much more high in another, therefore the ratios are generally compared for those companies which are in operations in the same sector. A good example may be; companies in utilities sectors typically have high debt-equity ratios, but the same ratio may be considered as unsustainably high for a technology company (Palepu, Bernard & Healy, 1996). Ratio analysis can be very useful in providing an early warning of a potential deterioration or improvement in the financial performance or situation of a company. To find for any such hints, the experts and analysts does engage in extensive ratio calculations of the financial data in quarterly financial reports of a company (Cadle, Paul & Yeates, 2010). Generally, successful companies show solid ratios in all the areas, and a small hint of weakness in a single area may

Self Esteem, Self Confidence and Self Motivation with Respect to Goals Essay

Self Esteem, Self Confidence and Self Motivation with Respect to Goals and Objectives - Essay Example It is a sort of competent feeling that a person contains within himself as he tries to overcome the hurdles that life throws his way with a matter of confidence. Self confidence again is a dependent factor on a person having a certain amount of esteem for himself. It is the characteristic by which a person is able to regain and perceive the environment around him in a way better than others; in other words having confidence helps a person to come out of the fear of doing something or trying something new. Confidence helps to take initiatives and take control of situations. It thus goes hand in hand with self esteem greatly because unless a person contains a certain amount of belief in his own self with respect to any task that he might want to carry out, he will not be able to do so unless he possesses an ounce of zeal and esteem. Self motivation is yet another characteristic that every person has within himself but only few are able to tap and exploit as mentioned above. Motivation is the power by which one can induce himself or someone else to carry out a task or an activity with utmost confidence. Self motivation is when a person has the power and belief in his own self to do something and thus becomes his own personal driving factor towards the chalet of desire. In order to understand the same, one can easily witness how self esteem and self confidence are again required in order for a person to be motivated by his own self. If one does not possess enough courage or confidence, he will not be able to motivate himself in the long run. All these qualities take some time for people to tap into and bring out. They all require certain factors from the outside environment of a human being as well in order to be touched upon. For example, self esteem is an aspect that rises and increases every time a person is praised by others for doing a certain something. People usually tend to think higher of them once others begin to respect them, listen to them and take their advice. When people get attention and achieve success in copious amounts, their levels of self esteem automatically increase. (Dubrin, A) Much the same way, in the same process, a person also tends to increase his personal amounts of confidence once others begin to praise or compliment h im on something. For example, taking any business enterprise into account, an entrepreneur would only be able to increase his sales and take his venture to a higher level if he was praised from the outside world. Only when he receives adulation from society will he become aware of whatever he is worth. One must try and tap this confidence and esteem on his own self, however, too much of the same, on the lines of an overdose can become a problem as people usually think that they are too good for anybody else and thus end up hurting and harming the environment around them. This usually leads to them losing out on their friends and family and they turn out to be aggressive and far too overconfident. Thus, these qualities must be tapped in proper balanced

Abraham The Origin Of Islam And Christianity Religion Essay

Abraham The Origin Of Islam And Christianity Religion Essay Abrahams story is one of the complicated texts in both the Quran and the holy bible (Froese 12). Shosh (526) notes that its image is variably presented in the two contexts. While many scholars in religion have concentrated on understanding Abrahams sons: Ishmael and Isaac (Murray 298) and their roles in the origin of Muslim and Christian communities, Abraham is a very influential figure in the origin of both religions (Shosh 527). This essay gets out of the way and argues that Abraham is the sole father of the two religions. The argument will isolate Abrahams character from his sons at the specific case of sacrifice of his son to God (Genesis 22: 1-9 Q 37:105). Sons roles in his life may be mentioned; their characters in origin of the two religions are insignificant in this essay. The Quran and holy Bible give a contradictory story about this topic. Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 11-12 Q 2-3). The bible in Genesis presents Ishmael as son born by a slave, Hagar; while Isaac as the true son of Abraham (Murray 309). Quran presents both as biological sons of Abraham. Which of the two sons did God ask for a sacrifice from Abraham? This is a difficult question to answer at our generation. According to the bible, Isaac was the only son of Abraham (Genesis 21) who was born under the power of God; Ishmael and Isaac were both the sons of Abraham (Q 2). Quran stipulates that Ishmael, the first born of Abraham, was the sacrifice God asked from Abraham (Q 37:105) whereas on contrary, the holy bible states that Isaac, the only child of Abraham, was the sacrifice God wanted from Abraham. Which text is right to follow? Anyway it does not matter for this argument. The fact is Abraham offered to sacrifice his son to God (Fischer 173). According to Shosh (527), Abrahams character has been viewed in different perspectives. Abraham is a profound character in matters of faith and religion; he cannot be overlooked in the study of both Islam and Christianity. In the story of sacrifice of his son, Abraham appears the first and last, both in the bible and Quran, to be posed such a difficult task by God. As Murray (300) notes Abraham heeded to this call. From this story the essay will justify why Abraham is the father of Islam and Christianity. Christianity calls for absolute obedience to God. Christians should obey all the ten commandments of God. When Abraham was called by God to offer the sacrifice of his son, he did not question. He obeyed. Abraham took his son, Isaac, the following morning and headed for the place of sacrifice (Genesis 22:3). Abraham was determined to offer the sacrifice of his only son to God. He is revealed as the father of obedience which Christians must look up to. On the other hand, Quran states that Abraham offered to sacrifice Ishmael to God (OKane 500). Ishmael was his older son and indeed closer to him; in fact they preached together in Arabia while Isaac preached in Palestine and Syria. To the amazement of many Abraham admitted to the call of God to sacrifice him. This was a sign of great obedience. Muslims have a call to abide to the rules of Allah as the only God. Abraham is the beacon of obedience. Abraham was the first to believe in both body and spirit to the one God. He was against the worship of idols which was practiced by his forefathers (Q 21:60). He preached believe in one God (Q 6:76 Froese 15). Indeed, Abraham believed in God in heaven. Accepting to offer his son to God was a sign of deep believe and trust in Him. To believe in God is to accept unconditionally to His call; heed to His laws. Abraham demonstrated believe in God which is what religion is all about. Muslims are therefore called to believe strongly to Allah as the only God. As Fischer (174) argued, Gods call to Abraham to make human sacrifice was an indication to both the Christians and Muslims that He is not interested in human sacrifice. When Abraham had just laid his son, Isaac, down to slay him the angel of God appeared to him and stopped him from doing that (Fischer, 176 Genesis 22:9). This is an indication that God is not interested in human sacrifice. Throughout the Christian history human sacrifices have never been advocated for. In the Quran context it is stated that God warned Abraham not to lay the knife to his son, Ishmael. Islamic religion does not offer human sacrifices as well. In my own opinion God used Abraham to send a message to the whole nations: God does not need human sacrifice. He is a sign of anti-human sacrifice. Why did God ask for human sacrifice from Abraham when He never needed it? This is the interesting question we need to answer in analyzing this story. Fisher (176) thinks that God wanted to expose the human nature through Abraham. Fisher further argues that God expected Abraham to bring a controversial discussion in the matter. I do not agree with Fisher. God is the creator of man; He knows his personality. There was no way God could test the nature of man. In my own view God wanted to use Abraham to reveal to the world the ideal nature of those who will inherit His kingdom. In natural sense, death especially for ones child is not as light as Abraham took it. God had inspired him first before putting him into this test. And because Abraham would be celebrated as the father of religion all over the world God made him act the way he did. In this story God wanted to clarify that religion is not contradicting. As Fisher (176) notes, God did not want to contradict himself by allowing Abraham to slaughter a son whom He had asked from Him for more than ninety years (Genesis 22). Christianity today should learn from the father, Abraham that God laws are clear and do not change. It should be clear that God remained faithful to Abraham. If God allowed Abraham to slaughter his son it would be a contradiction of a promise that Abraham would become the father of all nations. On the other hand, God would not let Ishmael be slaughtered as a sacrifice; Ishmael had been assisting Abraham in preaching in Arabia. In this argument therefore Abraham laid the foundation of religion; no contradiction. What could have happened if Abraham objected to the call of God? The religion today would not have the same meaning. God would have expelled Abraham out of His kingdom. This what the religion today holds: excommunication to the victims of r eligious contradiction. God appeared to Abraham when he had almost slaughtered his son (Genesis 22). In Qurans view Abraham had fulfilled the vision and kept His word. God wanted to use this chance to tell the Islamic religion that there is a vision in this life. Adhering to the word of Allah is the only thing to bring the vision into realization; this would be at the end of time. In Biblical view, God provided an alternative to Abraham to offer sacrifice, a lamb. This has a meaning for the Christian community: God is the solution to all the problems. It is in the same context that God sent Jesus Christ to save the world. Vision and hope are the basis of these religions. CONCLUSION The story of sacrifice by Abraham has been differently interpreted by the two texts as earlier mentioned. In both Islam and Christianity; however, Abraham plays one role-The father of religion. He represents an ideal of holy mosque and church. His character has been put in the religious history to define the way for religion. By demonstrating strong believe and faith in God, Abraham revealed to the world that there is one supreme God who should be worshipped and obeyed. Islam emphasizes on one God who should be worshipped: Only Allah Should be worshipped. Where did they derive this from? The immediate answer is Abraham. Christians believe in one God who is the father and almighty. They are indeed descendants of Abraham. Abraham is therefore the father of Islam and Christianity.

Implications of Modernist Thought in Tender Is the Night Essay

Implications of Modernist Thought in Tender Is the Night      Ã‚   The implications of modernist thought in F. Scott Fitzgeralds' Tender Is the Night, become apparent when conceptualizing crime and punishment. Besides the murder of the Negro in the Parisian hotel, the idea of crime is plastic; adultery, deceit, moral depravity barely have consequences. Actions committed with good intentions often end in despair, such as the marriage of Dick and Nicole Diver. Similarly, seduction and dissimulation are not often met with ensuing punishment. Actions, whether they be morally right or wrong, tend to remain in a staid state without the traditional response. The modernists place characters in various moments and situations that do not necessarily conclude in the set conception of "punishment."    Nicole and Dick Diver both commit "crimes" of infidelity during their marriage. While Dick's tryst with Rosemary ceases without any succinct culmination, Nicole sleeps with Tommy and ends her marriage to elope with him. Neither crime however, is met with a punishment. While Dick slowly loses his manner of attraction and wiles with women, he sinks into apathy and alcoholism. Fitzgerald does not seem to be punishing Dick in any way for his fleeting romance with Rosemary; rather, his empty life is almost an inevitability, another set of moments without weighty cause or effect. Nicole's actual instant of infidelity is described as a "moment" - not as a crime, a moral dilemma or anything deserving traditional punishment. She drifts into her affair in the same way she tends to her garden or glances at her children. Her love for Tommy Barban is simply situational; Dick was no longer fulfilling her in the manner she expect... ...s vision of Rosemary and his undying need for her body in his arms, he calls Nicole and demands that they have dinner and see a play in the evening. The crime is masked completely by the conventions that surround their lives. The punishment, therefore, remains unclear. They both continue a farce of a relationship while lying to themselves and negating any concept of criminality in their own actions. The moments come and go, the crimes and punishments are vague and ephemeral. The crimes of each of all the characters eventually effect their own psyches - their lives are damaged by their apparent neglect of reality. Living in each moment without bearing the consequences has a acute effect on Dick, but mostly leaves Nicole, Tommy and Rosemary unbroken.    Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Tender is the Night" Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1933.