Published in 1792, twenty-one years before Pride and Prejudice, Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women is a radical argument for women's equality.
Roma Gandhi AP Literature and Composition Period 2 October 17, 2011 Class and Status of Women Central to any study of 18th century society is social class. At the top were the independently rich, next came the professionals, then the working class. At the bottom of the heap was and "underclass". It is commonly believed that all the wives were kept by husbands until the mid-20th century. It is true that women married to wealthy or professional men were usually supported by him, a symbol of status to which the 'upper' working class also aspired. Both Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft have resembling thoughts in the status of women in the eighteenth century. Both authors believed women were not equal to men and believed education is an important factor in that. One of the central themes in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the role of class in early nineteenth-century England. Austen is interested in how social class shapes individual experience as well as the interactions among people of different classes. To Jane Austen it is important to satirically acknowledge the social status of women so the gender differences are clear. While some feminist scholars openly blame society for women keeping quiet when men speak, Austen never challenges patriarchy for rendering women silent. However, from her novels we can infer that she lived in a society which rendered women
Translations and Things Fall Apart, examine how Friel and Achebe present the issue of linguistic imperialism and how successful they are.
"...a civilisation can be imprisoned in a linguistic contour which no longer matches the landscape of...fact." With reference to your independent research and critical opinion, examine how Friel and Achebe present the issue of linguistic imperialism and how successful they are. Linguistic imperialism can be defined as the enforcement or imposition of one language onto another; it tends to be a key tool of the colonialist seeking to mend the 'backward' societies that they find, generally to their own purpose. Thus, writers such as Friel and Achebe have sought to rectify the still ever present colonialist perceptions of the west by attacking the use of language in their societies, for example, Hiberno-English in Translations. Furthermore, it is necessary to analyse the form and structure of the primary texts, for instance, how Achebe and Friel both manage to structure their texts in such a way that it gives a distinctly 'foreign' aesthetic, whilst still creating a subtly intelligent and critical narrative. Also, it is important to look at the literary techniques and devices that are used within Translations and Things Fall Apart, for example, dramatic irony (e.g. the reference to the potato famine in Translations) or symbols like Mr. Brown in Things Fall Apart, who represent a could-have-been harmonious presence between two vastly different cultures. In addition, it is
Compare and Contrast the presentation on Edmund and Edgar in Sheakespeare's King Lear
Compare and Contrast Shakespeare's Presentation of Edmund and Edgar Throughout King Lear, Shakespeare uses language to create insight into a character and to portray their emotions. It is clear that Shakespeare's use of language forms a striking contrast between characters. Shakespeare begins King Lear with a subplot, involving Gloucester and his illegitimate son Edmund. Gloucester is having a conversation with Kent (one of Lear's advisors) concerning Gloucester's affair with Edmunds mother. Gloucester consistently compares Edmund to Edgar, his elder son, and appears to feel very disconnected to Edmund. This is revealed in the first scene when Gloucester speaks of Edmund as his mother's son, while he claims Edgar as his own. Edmund are Edgar are conflicting characters. Despite Edmund's malicious nature he is incredibly charismatic on stage, which creates a distinct contrast to his brother Edgar's bland goodness. This essay will explore how Shakespeare uses language and a variety of techniques he uses to present this contrast. One similarity that could be drawn between the two characters Edmund and Edgar is the respectful language they use when they speak to their father Gloucester. Edmund, at the start of the play addresses his father with titles such as " my lord", "your lordship." and "Sir". These expressions show Edmund disguising his true nature in his father's presence.
Romanticism was a movement in art and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Romanticism Romanticism was a movement in art and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Not only was this very different to the style of its predecessors, the Augustan poets (known as Neoclassicism), but also from any previous period of literature, in many important ways. Friedrich Schlegel, a German Poet, defined this literature as "literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form." He was the first person known to describe literature as romantic. The six Romantics were: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats The use of imagination and emotion are the key elements of romanticism and emphasise such characteristics as freedom; individualism; spontaneity; the beliefs that imagination is superior to logic; devotion to beauty; love and worship of nature (and pantheism- the belief that God is everywhere and in everything) and also the seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. Romanticism also often contained superstition; mortality and fascination with the past (the poets or others), especially Classical Mythology (often using mythical or biblical allusions). In addition it emphasised the need to change the language of poetry to make it meaningful to a much wider group of readers. As Keats, one of the romantics, says poetry to be 'A spontaneous outpouring of emotion'. This was practically
How does cat in the rain use and deviate from the traditional codes, functions, roles and structure of folk tale morphology?
How does 'cat in the rain' use and deviate from the traditional codes, functions, roles and structure of folk tale morphology? Morphology means the study of forms, their component parts and their relationship to each other and the whole in 1928 Vladimir Propp wrote 'morphology of the folk tale'. This involved Propp studying a group of fairy tales and then breaking them down into functions, a function can be described by "function is understood as an act of a character, defined from the point of view of its significance for the course of the action" Propp then came up with seven characters these are: - Villain: harms the hero - Donor: provides hero with magical agent - Helper: aids hero in solving difficult tasks - Princess and Father: sought for person, assigns difficult tasks - Dispatcher: sends hero on his mission - Hero: searches for something/fights villain - False Hero: claims to be hero but is unmasked In Propp's functions it starts with an 'initial situation' this means the members of the family or hero are introduced. This happens at the start of 'cat in the rain'. "There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel". The readers are now introduced to the family or a potential hero. When it says "only two" this could mean they are hiding and alone. The story begins with a description of the surroundings. At first the text begins to seem positive,
Analysis of Dystopian Genre - Brave New World & Nineteen-Eighty-Four
Analysis of Dystopian Genre - Brave New World & Nineteen-Eighty-Four Dystopian novels are generally written by authors to convey their moral messages about society's flaws and the various ways they think the conditions of life will become miserable and people will be in a constant state of despair; induced by poverty, oppression, violence or any other terrible state of living. It is intrinsically important to dystopian novels that the futuristic setting is convincing and harrowing as the civilization, alien to the reader, is usually the catalyst for the events within the novel. In both Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and George Orwell's 'Nineteen-Eighty-Four' the setting is portrayed via literal description and through the thoughts of the key characters. The settings of both novels are very similar as they both intend to instil a feeling of dread and uneasiness created by the grim nature of the locations being described; It is important for the reader to feel these emotions so they can fully engage with the protagonists' hatred of the world they live in. An unwelcoming semantic field is conjured by both authors with phrases such as 'vile wind', 'harsh, thin light', 'bleakly shining' and 'gritty dust' setting the tone immediately, while also appealing to the senses with words such as 'smelt of boiled cabbage' and 'hands gloved with a pale corpse-coloured rubber'. Both
19th Century Mystery Stories Coursework
9th Century Mystery Stories Coursework The 19th century writers create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense by including some key factors such as; the inclusion of a good plot, the building up of suspense and tension, the setting, sometimes also the type of narrative can add to the feel of such a story. Using The Red Room, The Signalman and The Pit and the Pendulum as examples will give us a good idea of what it is that really makes a good mystery story. Firstly we can look at the The Red Room and look at the setting. The time of the day is a key thing to consider, and in the Red Room we know it is set at night, which is a time of crime and unnerving happenings, it is a time when shadows are formed and night is also usually associated with supernatural events. It's at night when everything is mysterious, scary and makes him unsure about himself. It also creates doubts in his mind and slowly but ultimately as we see it takes away his confidence, and he becomes completely unearthed by the happenings in the red room. We see a lot of repetition of words like "dark", "candle light", "fear". For example "Monstrous shadow of him crouched upon the wall..." "Moonlight" in horror, mystery and ghost stories has a great impact on scenes of the story because it is associated with werewolves especially, but also adds to the dim lighting conditions in a dark environment. This is used to
Examine how Forster and Dunant present melancholy through both George & the Painter in 'A Room with a View' and 'The Birth of Venus'
Examine how Forster and Dunant present melancholy through both George & the Painter in 'A Room with a View' and 'The Birth of Venus' The cult of melancholy has spread through history and consequently literature and art; its dark, romantic sentiment is closely associated with poets and artists. Thus, it is appropriately endured by both the Painter, an artist living in the Renaissance Italy, and George, who Forster constantly refers to as a Renaissance figure. Both characters, at one point, feel a faltering despair that life is not worth living. Both authors use explicit religious references, as George is living 'in Hell' and the Painter is '...abandoned by God'. However, where the Painter is frightened of his sorrow, George embraces it in order to change. It is Mr. Emerson who reveals the nature of George's melancholy, against the backdrop of Santa Croce. Forster's irony is evident as the Emerson's are firm atheists and by presenting them in a place of worship he creates a sense of inversion. Or what could be referred to as Mr. Emerson does: a 'muddle', which resonates throughout the Chapter. Similarly, this inversion is replicated when Alessandra discovers the Painter in his despair in Chapel. It had previously been bathed in 'sunlight...falling directly in a broad band of gold' but is now 'fallen in darkness'. The religious imagery here is clear. Dunant uses contrast
Analysis of the three short stories, The Hanged Man's Bride, written in 1860, The Trial For Murder, written in 1865 and Confession Found in a Prison, written in 1842.
Richard Tandy March 2004 Buile Hill High School Centre Number 33321 English Coursework Charles Dickens Assignment Introduction Based on my study of Charles Dickens, I have decided to focus upon three short stories to write about in detail. These are: The Hanged Man's Bride, written in 1860, The Trial For Murder, written in 1865 and Confession Found in a Prison, written in 1842. To enable me to understand the stories better and also Dicken's interests and motivations, I have carried out necessary research on historical, literacy contexts and other biographical details. Charles Dickens stories could be said to be a reflection of his own childhood because of the intensity in which he writes about the subject - his early years were full of upheaval and uncertainty. He was born in 1812 into a middle-class family, however, his father was declared bankrupt in 1824. His family was sent to the Marshalsea Prison for debtors in London. Charles, however, at the age of 12 was sent to work in a blacking factory, labeling bottles. He lived in lodgings in semi-squalor in an attic room. However, his father borrowed money and Dickens was then sent to a public school called Wellington House, but the masters were savage and academic standards were low. Dickens got a job at 15 as a clerk for a
Views on the penal System: The Dungeon and The Convict
How do Wordsworth and Coleridge present their views on the penal system in 'The Convict' and 'The Dungeon'? Consider point of view, form, structure and language. Both The Convict and The Dungeon present views on the penal system in different ways. Upon first glance there is a slight contradiction within The Convict. It is written in typical ballad form (as favoured by Wordsworth) - a light, jaunty rhythm. This may be appropriate for the first stanza but soon seems to contrasts with the subject matter - that of a forlorn convict in a prison cell. This is a problem with Wordsworth's insistence on a rigid form which may not always be suitable, however it may also present us with a hidden meaning on the penal system: if you are a convict, do not despair as you should realise that there is a 'jolly' life outside of the prison, as the salvation of nature awaits you. A key theme within The Convict is that of nature, and Wordsworth contrasts this greatly with the idea of imprisonment to air certain views on the penal system. Nature's beauty and glorious power is emphasised; "The glory of evening" highlights the difference between the joy of the free world and that of the convict. Further, there is sensory irony in "the joy that precedes the calm season of rest/Rang loud through the meadow and wood", as joy is an internal emotion but it is described as tangible by the senses. This
