Duty and desire in Jane Eyre

How is the conflict between duty and desire explored in these texts? Desire is a term conveying a longing for a certain object, person or outcome. It is an emotion from the heart and is unaffected by social opinion. Duty, in contrast, is a moral obligation to an act, which is perceived to be selfless. The decisions made regarding these emotions are significant throughout 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wide Sargasso Sea'. However, these definitions were more extreme during the time that Brontë and Rhy's texts were written. In the 19th century, it was considered a completely selfish act for women to show desire, it was a vulgar emotion that women were expected to control and conceal. The female role during the 1800's was limited; they were expected to be passive and were passed from father to husband, similar to a possession. To perform one's duty to society was regarded as an unspoken rule imposed on all women, therefore, women never truly had the chance to express their true identity or gain real independence. The 19th century conflict between duty and desire was a key topic written about by many authors, predominately women, who illustrated personal experiences and beliefs through the characters and their decisions. In both Bronte's and Rhy's novels the authors illustrate the limitations imposed on women, society's views and expectations concerning the conflict, and the importance of

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  • Word count: 1779
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Presenation of childhood in Jane Eyre and Once in a House On Fire

Presentation of childhood in Jane Eyre and "Once in a House on Fire" Charlotte Bronte writes about the past life of Jane Eyre as a child in the household of the Reed family, she describes how Jane Eyre was alienated and oppressed by the Reed family. However, Andrea Ashworth, even though she does endure bullying and misery, has more numerous happy moments such as when she plays with her sister when they were "hopping about in the cold" and imagined "bombs whistling out of the sky", however the reader is shown that it was a restricted fun as they "took care to keep their voices down" which shows how afraid they are of annoying their stepfather. The entire book of "Jane Eyre" begins by the use of pathetic fallacy to reflect the situation and mood of the protagonist, Bronte writes "The cold winter wind and "a rain so penetrating", this detailed description of the harsh weather could mean that the protagonist is in a dire situation. This is then followed by irony as Bronte writes that Jane Eyre was "glad of it" as it gave her an unexpected holiday from the walks with the Reed family, even though her description of the weather was made so harsh through the use of visual imagery. This is in contrast to "Once in a House on Fire" which at the beginning of the book presents the reader with a number of facts which are presented by Ashworth in such a way that we do not feel sympathy

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  • Word count: 1740
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Journeys End coursework

How does Sherriff's presentation of Stanhope convey the playwright's anti-war message? "Journey's End" was written by R.C.Sherriff, and was based on his experiences serving with the East Surrey Regiment during the First World War. The First World War ran from 1914 - 1918. The main sides in this conflict were the Allies and the Germans. On the Western Front, the Germans tried to break through the Allied lines using brute force. When this tactic failed, both sides were stuck in stalemate. This war was mainly fought using trench warfare tactics, whereby both sides were entrenched, and about 60 metres of "no mans land" existed between each sides' trenches. For many young soldiers, this experience in the trenches damaged them both physically and emotionally for life. This is because each soldier had to combat many different perils, as life in the trenches was simply a horror. Each day, the soldiers had to face disease, enemy fire, long periods of silence and boredom, which often lead to fear of when the next big attack would come, loss of comrades and friends, and most of all, on a day to day basis, each and every soldier had to face the mud of the trenches. This mud carried with it disease, lice, rats, and trench foot. These conditions are made even more vivid in "Journey's End" due to Sherriff's experiencing all of these horrors while serving in the war. Robert Cedric

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  • Word count: 1985
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Did the Suez Crisis hasten the end of the British Empire?

Did the Suez Crisis hasten the end of the British Empire? The Suez crisis did not hasten the end of the British Empire; it was more of an effect rather than cause of decline. Carlton argues that since Britain only had an average sized population and the corresponding economic strength her overseas territories had caused her to overstretch and over-commit herself from the end of the First World War. Hence one can argue that retreat from empire and fall from her position as a global superpower to that of a medium global power by the 1980s was inevitable and unavoidable. 'Suez, on this view, was a rather dramatic hiccup in a generally well managed transition.'1 This is the point of view that I would agree with when considering the affect of the Suez crisis. However, one must also acknowledge that for some Suez did hasten the end of the British Empire and it was a watershed marking a significant change in direction in Britain's imperial foreign policy. This viewpoint must also be discussed and evaluated. Moving away from just focusing on the effects of Suez one must also discuss the other factors and causes of decolonisation, including the established nationalist, international and metropolitan explanations and how they were represented in the Suez crisis. Firstly I will look at the arguments supporting the opinion that Suez did hasten the end of the British Empire to which

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  • Word count: 2710
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Plan: The effect of the end product, phosphate, on the enzyme phosphatase

The effect of the end product, phosphate, on the enzyme phosphatase . Plan Phosphatase enzymes release phosphates from a variety of substrates for synthesis of nucleotides, phospholipids, etc. They are found in both plant and animal tissues and can be classified as acid or alkaline depending on their optimum pH. In this experiment an acid phosphatase from potato was used. Hypothesis Since phosphate is a product of phosphatase activity, it may act as an end product inhibitor of the phosphatase enzyme, therefore slowing down the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Background knowledge Enzymes are biological catalysts which speed up the metabolic reaction inside the cells. Enzymes are proteins and therefore can function because of their specific 3D shape. The active site is part of the molecule which allows the substrate to enter and form enzyme-substrate complex. If the shape of the active site changed, the substrate will not fit in, therefore the enzyme cannot function properly. The activity of enzyme is not only affected by temperature, pH, but also by enzyme inhibitors. These are the substances which can reduce the activity of enzymes. There are two types of enzyme inhibitors which refer to competitive and non-competitive inhibitor. Competitive inhibitor is a molecule which has a similar shape to the substrate, competing with the substrate for the active site of the enzyme and

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  • Word count: 4551
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Science
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A Person has the Choice to end their Life when they Wish - Discuss

'A person has the right to end their life when they wish' - Discuss By Luke Warner Throughout history, the act of committing suicide has been punished in almost every country in the world; however in modern society it is becoming more and more acceptable. According to the online dictionary, suicide is "Intentionally taking one's own life"1. While this definition is in almost all situations correct, many disagree with the ethics of suicide, and therefore it is a controversial topic. However an equally hot subject is the fact that in Britain, Suicide is legal under legislation, while euthanasia or assisting somebody else's suicide is not, and as a result fierce debating has raged on over these questionable laws 2. The following paragraphs will discuss various cases to do with suicide and euthanasia, present the arguments for and against suicide, and attempt to decide whether it is one's right to end their life whenever they want. As in the majority of nations, Euthanasia is illegal, and in this country punishable by 14 years imprisonment. Unlike suicide, Euthanasia is the act putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful disease, or condition3. However slightly bizarrely, suicide is not a criminal offence under the Suicide Act 1961. And even more unusually, it is

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Explain the purpose of Advance Care Planning in relation to end of life care

Outcome 3 . Describe the benefits to an individual of having as much control as possible over their end of life care. By discussing the care that an individual wishes with the care home you gain a more personalised approach to caring. The individual also feels that they are more empowered and have more responsibility on how there care will be managed towards their end of life. It allows carers to know how the individual sees their end of life needs and reduces the risk of distress and upset to the individual. 2. Explain the purpose of Advance Care Planning in relation to end of life care Advance care planning is to develop a better understanding and recording of their priorities, needs and preferences for the individual and those of their families/carers. This should support planning and provision of care and enable better planning ahead to best meet these needs. This philosophy of ‘hoping for the best but preparing for the worst’ enables a more proactive approach, and ensures that it is more likely that the right thing happens at the right time. It allows for a detailed recording system that ensures that all parties that are involved in supporting the individual are aware of what they can do to comfort and understand the requests of the individual. It is there for the individual to add additional information to which can be used to review other

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Health and Social Care
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Compare the presentation of the psychological effects of war on the individual in 'Regeneration' and 'Journey's End'.

Amy Best English Literature - Comparative Coursework Compare the presentation of the psychological effects of war on the individual in 'Regeneration' and 'Journey's End'. Journey's End by R.C. Sherriff, and Pat Barker's Regeneration show many interpretations of the psychological effects of war on the individual. The different genres of literature, the time the texts were written and the diverse styles created by each writer together provide a contrast, helping to show many different presentations of the effects of the First World War. Barker includes the disturbing nightmares that soldiers often had, recounting the horror of death so common in the war and shows how soldiers could even become psychosomatic, becoming paralysed through mental illness. She concentrates on Rivers' attempts to help soldiers psychologically, and through this shows many different characters, both real and imagined, suffering and coping with their own individual psychological effects of war. Sherriff portrays the alcoholism that effected many soldiers involved in the war, and the ways in which men 'coped' psychologically, focusing on trivial things to escape the reality of death. I will study the ways in which the two writers present these effects and how their styles and intentions differ or show similarities. Throughout Journey's End, Sherriff shows the different methods used by the soldiers in

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  • Word count: 2659
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Drama Coursework - The Women In Black Analysis

Based on Susan Hill's best selling novel, The Women in Black is an extremely successful theatre production that is renowned for its gripping and terrifying plot. In his adaptation, Steven Mallatratt has combined the power and intensity of live theatre with a dark ghostly tale to fashion a spine-chilling production which re-lives the hauntings of the eerie Eel Marsh House. The play itself is actually a play within a play, somewhat merging the borders of fantasy and reality. Meet Kips, a Lawyer from London entangled in the dark secrets of the secluded Yorkshire Village of Crythn Griffin. Obsessed with a curse that has been put upon him and his family, Mr. Kipps wishes to lay his horrific memories to rest. For this he has employed the services of an actor, whom he expects to help him re-enact his tale and in doing so allow him to overcome his fears. But will the malevolent spectre of Jennet Humphrey oblige? Or will Mr. Kipps' sinister secret lead him and those close to him into further peril? The venue for the production of the play my classmates and I were taken to see was the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. As it was a professional production, I was constantly studying the play as it unfolded to determine how different types of drama medium had been incorporated to enhance the performance. Although the Women in Black consists of many characters, the company had employed just two

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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HOW DOES WILLY RUSSEL BUILD UP DRAMATIC TENSION AT THE END OF THE PLAY 'BLOOD BROTHERS'

HOW DOES WILLY RUSSEL BUILD UP DRAMATIC TENSION AT THE END OF THE PLAY 'BLOOD BROTHERS'? The play Blood Brothers was set in Liverpool in 1950's. There was a huge difference between rich and poor on those days. Most people were facing poverty in those days. This play is all about a women called Mrs Johnstone and her children. She had twins. She couldn't afford to look after both of them so she gave one away to her employer Mrs Lyons. The play shows the lives of the boys when they grow up and the consequences of the mother's actions. In this essay we will be focusing and analysing 'how tension is created at the end of the play which ends in tragedy. The narrator gives us clues about what is going to happen, which increases tension for the audience. The tension is stretched to the limit when Mrs Lyons shows Edward and Linda to Mickey. This event spurs Mickey on to seek revenge against Edward because he feels betrayed by him and Linda. Mickey reacted by ''comb the town, breaking through groups of people, looking, searching........ going to do''. It shows that he is out of control and he is counting to kill Edward. This is evident when the writer uses the words like searching, looking, desperate.....''. He doesn't even know that what is he looking for or what to do further. The words that the writer uses to show Mickey's agitated mood, heightens tension to the

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  • Word count: 880
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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