Is it possible to see Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine?
Is it possible to see Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine? Elizabeth Bennet is perhaps the least conventional of Austen's characters, and certainly does not conform to what her society expected of her in the way of being submissive. Austen herself admitted that 'pictures of perfection ... make me sick and wicked', and so our lovable protagonist Elizabeth is set apart from the traditional heroine with her independence of mind, and courage to challenge accepted role of women. To the modern day reader her refusal to be the demure, submissive ideal woman of the conduct books written by such a Hannah Moore, insisting 'girls ... should early acquire a submissive temper and a forbearing spirit' allows her to appear a feminist heroine. By refusing two offers of marriage Elizabeth exercises her only available method of choice, as Henry Tilney of Austen's Northanger Abbey points out 'Man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal'. This demonstration of control earns our respect for Elizabeth as a heroine, and it certainly challenges the society's insistence on the significance of class distinction, appealing to the modern reader. Feminist critics Gilbert and Gubar assert that 'Elizabeth stands out as a young woman who has no intention of following the prescription of restraint and submission for the achievement of happiness'. She demonstrates this with the manner
Civil Rights Coursework
Civil Rights Coursework Question 1. Source A is a description of attempts to follow through school segregtion after the Brown Decision. Source A suggests that the people in Little Rock were all racist and believed strongly in segregation, it suggests that the crowd were extremely angry that a black girl was being sent to their school. From Source A we can tell that the people in Little Rock hated the fact that a black girl was attending their school, we can tell this because alot of hostility is shown in Source A. The crowd seems to be mainly adults and they are being very hostile towards her, even though she is only a little girl, the guard at the front of the school even pointed his gun at her in a threatening manner, 'he raised his bayonet.' Source A suggests that there was a lot of tension at the school, people were shouting abuse at Elizabeth Eckford. She seems to be alone in the mob, she has no-one around her to support her, 'I tried to see a friendly face in the mob', this statement shows that she didn't know anyone there at all, she must have been very lonely. She would have felt very afraid because everyone around her shouted abuse at her, 'Lynch her! Lynch her!' and an old woman spat at her, this shows that people were very serious about the issue. Even though Elizabeth Eckford is clearly being verbally abused and treated unfairly she puts her head up high, she
Does the character of Paul D challenge the view that Morrison is a feminist writer
Does the character of Paul D challenge the view that Morrison is a feminist writer? Paul D is a character who has suffered tremendously at the hands of slavery. His brutal ordeals as part of the chain gang show how much this has affected him. This is designed to create pathos for the character and this pathos is heightened when he is portrayed as a strong yet kind character, a 'gentle giant.' He is also proud of his masculinity and values a sense of autonomy when he is allowed one. This suggests that his character does challenge the view that Morrison is a feminist writer. Alternatively, the character of Paul D could be viewed as a weak one. His strength at times is portrayed as negative and his "manly" thoughts mean that he cannot understand Sethe's love for her children. Also, he is seduced by Beloved and, for the majority of the novel; he is denied a sense of autonomy, suggesting a theme of masculine inferiority. This is a view that would support the idea that Morrison was a feminist writer. Paul D is displayed as a strong character, and this strength is positive towards men as a whole. When he enters Sethe's house, 124, for the first time, he holds Sethe's breasts to take the weight of her "but for a while." This is symbolic of his manly strength relieving Sethe of the weight if her past. This causes Sethe to wonder whether there actually was a way to "Trust things and
Readslowly readslowly Emma readslowly readslowly.
readslowly readslowly Emma readslowly readslowly Emma is described as being "handsome, clever and rich" in the first sentence of the novel but her character could be perceived in many ways. Emma could be seen as being very kind, perfect, and acting like a lady of her time but she could also be viewed as a quite self-obsessed, stuck-up person who clings to social stAtus when it suits her, For example: She makes Harriet reject Mr Martin because Emma thinks she should aim for someone higher but is then upset when she likes Mr Knightley later on in the novel. I agree with the latter point of view because throughout the novel she never seems to see past herself and isn't concerned with other people's point of views. In the first chapter it says "The real evils of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself. Which is true because she thinks her opinion is the only one that matters. Although, as this is a "coming-of-age" novel she does change throughout the course of the story and becomes a nicer person. Emma may not have been so likeable in Jane Austen's time because society was so different. Women were supposed to marry for money & status and were expected to obey the men. Emma is portrayed as being too independent for that time and more like women of today. Although she lives with her
Katherine Mansfield's Presentation of Happiness 'Bliss' and 'The Little Governess' are two short stories written by Katherine Mansfield at the time of World War 1 (1914-18)
Katherine Mansfield's Presentation of Happiness 'Bliss' and 'The Little Governess' are two short stories written by Katherine Mansfield at the time of World War 1 (1914-18). They were taken from the book 'Bliss And Other Stories' and both depict young woman, one single and one married, who are victims of deception. Both characters in these two stories believe themselves to be safe. In Bliss Bertha accounts her happiness to the fact that she 'doesn't have to worry about money'; she believes that being financially stable is happiness. She has 'modern, thrilling friends' but she treats them as material possessions. In this way Katherine Mansfield presents happiness as superficial. Bertha believes that having a cosy family life, and being respected in social circles promotes a sense of security. She has the protection of a good husband, and a 'satisfactory house and garden'. However, this is all self-deception, as it does not make her safe. On the contrary, her happiness blinds her, and makes her naïve. She has no inkling of the fact that her husband is having an affair. In 'The Little Governess' she feels safe with the old man, and with this security she feels 'frightfully happy'. But her perception of happiness is different to what the reader sees. 'A flush licked the old man's cheeks; the old man's perception of her is very different to hers of him. Her happiness makes her
An Eerie Object.
An Eerie Object Gemma, Sam and Emma were three friends destined to have a good time. Emma was the daring one, who was never frightened to try anything and always spoke her mind, where as Gemma was shy and was a bit reluctant to try daring and exciting things. Sam; she was a bit of both, anything suited her. On this particular night, the three friends had decided to go on to the beach for a walk. Knowing it was cold and foggy outside they wore their scarves tight around their necks and their gloves covering every inch of their hands. They had decided to meet at the fair, so they could head straight for the beach and begin to have a good time. As Sam walked alone, to the designated meeting place, the sky darkened, the breeze sent shivers down her spine but the thought of meeting up with her friends gave Sam a secure feeling. The Wind howled viciously, as Sam spotted her friends at the fair gates, behind the hazy mist. "Hey Girls! Is that you?" Sam shouted in hesitation. Sam kept on walking in the direction of her friends, until they seen her. "Hi Sam, what took you so long?" questioned Emma, with a shiver in her voice. "What do you mean 'What took you so long' I'm early, like usual" Sam argued to her friends. "Oh well, we must be even earlier, Emma" Gemma turned and said to her friend. Without saying another word, they began to walk through the fair, arm in arm, to
'How Effective Is Elizabeth Gaskell In Creating A Sense Of Foreboding And Danger In 'The Old Nurse's Story' For A Modern Audience?'
9th November 2002 Laurence Everitt English GCSE Coursework Essay In Response To The Question 'How Effective Is Elizabeth Gaskell In Creating A Sense Of Foreboding And Danger In 'The Old Nurse's Story' For A Modern Audience?' It is my belief that, for a modern audience, the author is effective in creating a sense of foreboding and danger in 'The Old Nurse's Story'. This is done by: * The grandiosity and size of the estate in relation to Hestor and Miss Rosamond and their background; also, their youth and difference in society in relation to the residents of the manor (excluding the servants). * The withholding of information by the servants and reluctance to divulge into past happenings. * Writing through Hestor's point of view- therefore exaggeration of key points. * Hestor and Miss Rosamond viewing experiences at the manor from the outside looking in due to the lack of time spent at the manor, and the descriptions of Mrs Stark and Miss Furnivall. * The Vulnerability of both Miss Rosamond and Hestor. The size, grandiosity and history to the manor create an image that Hestor is out of place at the manor due to her background in a lower class. This is illustrated in "Then, at one end of the hall, was a great fireplace, as large as the sides of houses where I come from." This indicates a wide difference in class, as rich people have larger and more grand houses
Madame Bovary and Techniques in Fiction
Madame Bovary and Techniques in Fiction . Conceptions: The Origin of a Story Gustave Flaubert in all probability got the idea for Madame Bovary when he and Louise Colet became lovers, in which the novel was written at the time of the affair. When Flaubert and his mistress first started to have the affair, they wrote love letters to each other as any other lover would. The letters that Flaubert would write were similar to the journals the authors use to help stimulate ideas for their novel. (TIF, 10) Flaubert in all wanted to expose the whole aspect of having affairs and encompassing mistresses. Putting the setting at his birthplace made him more comfortable with the area allowing him to have the full coverage of the city such as knowing all the streets and the back roads that Madame Bovary uses. (Flaubert, 261) The more familiar the area is the more realistic it would seem, such as where the houses were located. The whole aspect of the city is not imaginative but more practical. The characters in Madame Bovary resemble Flaubert and his family in many ways, for instance the elder Mrs. Bovary as Flaubert's mother. They both have are widows in their future life, and they have the sense of protectiveness of their children. Since Flaubert's father is a doctor, he had to incorporate that characteristic in Charles Bovary. However, I think the greatest resemblance
A practical criticism of Chapter 20 of Captain Corelli's Mandolin
A practical criticism of Chapter 20 of Captain Corelli's Mandolin Louis de bernières wrote this chapter in the third person narrative, nonetheless, the narrator does not indicate to us who this 'wild man of the ice' actually is. We assume that he indeed does know who this man is. The opening of the chapter is quite an idyllic picture created by Pelagia with her mention of seeing, 'Her first butterfly of the year,' which gives the reader a sense of bliss as well as Pelagia. However, this idyllic picture is shattered in the second chapter as she saw, 'There was a stranger seated at the kitchen table,' she described the man as, 'A most horrible and wild stranger who looked worse than the brigands of childhood tales.' This particular sentence indicates to the reader a sense of foreboding. Although, we later find out that this man is Mandras, now neither Pelagia nor we have any idea. This then proves a scenario than many people dread and some can even relate to, coming home and finding a strange in your home. This is a nightmare situation, and although we do not have a detailed description of Pelagia's feelings, the reader would have a good idea of how she felt at that moment. In a way, this is clever by de bernières as he is leaving the reader to become Pelagia and feel the feelings she is feeling. Although, this is only one interpretation of this section, it does seem like an
An essay on Jack the Ripper's first victim - Polly Nicholls
An essay on Jack the Ripper's first victim: Polly Nicholls Prostitution was a precarious business at the best of times, and in Whitechapel there were many risks. In the spring and summer of 1888, there were several attacks on prostitutes in Whitechapel. On 2 April 1888, at about 7.00 pm, Emma Smith, a forty-five year old prostitute was attacked and robbed. Her face and head were badly injured by several men. No one was brought to justice for the crime. Almost exactly four months later, on 6 August 1888, another prostitute, Martha Tabram, was found dead in George Yard, only a hundred yards or so from the spot where Emma Smith was attacked. The post mortem report stated that she had been stabbed thirty-nine times on the 'body, neck and private parts with a knife or dagger'. Most of the wounds had been inflicted with something like a penknife, but one had been caused by a long blade. The time of death was estimated at 2.30 am Another prostitute Mary Ann Connelly claimed to have been with Martha Tabram and two soldiers just a few hours before she was killed. A police constable also stated that he had a soldier in the area of George Yard that night. Mary Ann Connelly was taken by the police to the Tower of London, where there was a garrison of soldiers. She identified two, but they were both cleared of the murder. The attacks on Emma Smith and Martha Tabram created an air of
