"For all her energy and wit, Becky is selfish, destructive and ultimately evil". Discuss.
"For all her energy and wit, Becky is selfish, destructive and ultimately evil". Discuss. William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair initially gives a bad impression of Rebecca Sharp - amorality, apathy, avarice and "artfulness" are all part of the nasty picture. Indeed, a reader would be forgiven for simply saying "she's evil" or "she's nice" - the narrator's meaning seems so ambiguous, with Becky coming across as a simultaneously likeable but clearly ruthless character. This essay aims to form a more balanced view of Becky. Indeed, you would certainly be forgiven for forming this opinion of Becky based on a summary of the play. If at first the reader's view of Rebecca is softened slightly by her wit and charisma - especially when compared to the pathetic Amelia Sedley. However, as the book goes on, Rebecca appals the reader with her abandonment of her background, her friends and even her child for her goal of social climbing in Vanity Fair". The latter is possibly the turning point of the reader's view of Becky - the way she completely ignores her own son, Rawdy ("He is hidden upstairs in a garret somewhere or has crawled below into the kitchen for companionship"), ridicules her own husband for being so "soft" as to be bothered with him, and leaves all his care to a maid. Her own son bores her, and she destroys any innocence or good nature he originally had. "Seeing that
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies than truths than lies" (Nietzsche). If this is true, why is it that man has an insatiable thirst for truth?
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies than truths than lies" (Nietzsche). If this is true, why is it that man has an insatiable thirst for truth? Could it be that perhaps out own perceptions and opinions are casting shadows on the real validities , or simply that because everyone has a different way of interpreting things, there are an infinite amount of truths to be found.? The real question here is whether personal points of view hinder the search for raw truth or are assets in gaining the most complete forms of deeper understanding. It is our personal perspectives that motivate our innate thirst for knowledge in the first place. Without this disposition to quench out starving opinions, such passionate searches for knowledge and wisdom would never occur. Through examining three types of knowledge: factual knowledge that is considered to be ultimate truth (mathematics and science are often considered part of this group), religion or faith knowledge, and philosophical or contemplative knowledge, one can see the importance of perception as an asset and a creator for the specific knowledge pursuit. Personal perspectives create a never-ending search for truth because it gives every subject an infinite amount of truths; therefore, personal points of view are not only assets in the pursuit of knowledge, but the cause of it itself. Factually, people can perceive things
"Gender Roles are culturally rather than biologically produced" - Discuss and give examples from sociological studies.
Neville Borg Sociology A-level "Gender Roles are culturally rather than biologically produced" Discuss and give examples from sociological studies Societies have always placed great importance on differences between males and females, both in positive, as well as in negative manners. Some societies have used them as a justification to ostracize members of the other sex, whilst other societies have tried to exalt the both sexes. These differences are both biological and psychological. This is reflected in the difference between the terms 'Gender' and 'Sex'. 'Sex' refers to the biological, anatomical differences between males and females, whilst 'Gender' refers to the psychological, social and cultural differences between them. This is why sex is a biological construct and gender is a social construct. A person's sex is an innate quality, but a person acquires his/her gender through a process called gender socialization. This is the learning of a particular social role according to one's sex. Through this process, a person learns what is masculine and feminine and learns to act accordingly. The period in a person's life when this process begins and ends is debatable. In fact, some sociologists argue that it begins at infancy, whilst others state that it takes place later in a child's life. Amongst the various theories of gender learning, Sigmund Freud's stands out as
"Gendering of domestic work? Divisions of domestic work between brothers and sisters."
"GENDERING OF DOMESTIC WORK? DIVISIONS OF DOMESTIC WORK BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS" JANELE SHILLINGFORD AS SOCIOLOGY COURSWORK Sociology Coursework. Title "Gendering of domestic work? Divisions of domestic work between brothers and sisters." Aim The aim is to demonstrate whether there are divisions of domestic work between brothers and sister's. Using Feminist theory in a local study, I will explore Oakley's theory that "femininity is domesticity" and the concept of parental gender stereotypes. I have decided to emulate this aim because, although I have a brother of similar age and in my household domestic chores are shared, I tend to do more than my brother does. This influenced me as I chose this topic, to research for similarities in other households. (87 words) Context and Concepts Ann Oakley's research on "conjugal" roles conducted in the early 1970's, investigated women's attitudes towards housework, this was the influence for my piece. Although it may be considered timelocked, nevertheless, I believe that her findings are justified as they illustrate a researched feminist explanation of stereotypical gender roles. The study focuses on female's opinions on the divisions between husband and wife domesticity, this influenced me to research her concept that "femininity is domesticity" but concerning divisions between brothers and sister domesticity.
"How do you understand Chinese perception on human relationships based on your own experience? In what ways does the understanding enable you to start your career in Chinese society?"
"How do you understand Chinese perception on human relationships based on your own experience? In what ways does the understanding enable you to start your career in Chinese society?" As a Chinese, I think I have a good grasp of how Chinese perceive human relationship. I personally feel that Chinese people have a very strong sense of bond. In my own experience I can say that all the relatives I have, normally have a family gathering, the whole purpose being to maintain a good human relationship. Furthermore, unlike other countries where there may only be uncles and aunties, each relative has its own particular reference; this highlights the fact that each relative is unique and separate. Furthermore, in Chinese culture, we learn to have good manners, not only to our relatives but also to people outside the family circle. Most Chinese family would agree that it is a tradition to treat outside members a lot better then family members. This is a gesture of respect and courtesy. However this is not to say that we should treat people outside our family members any different from our own family members, instead we should treat them as well if not better. In my situation, I have a lot of friends in both Hong Kong and Canada, and to me, all I would treat all of these friends as a family member. Another important aspect of the Chinese perception is the idea of giving more then
"How important are kinship ties in industrial societies." Discuss.
"How important are kinship ties in industrial societies." Discuss. In small pre-industrial societies people rely on kin to meet most of their everyday need. The functional significance of kinship tends to decline in industrial societies where people distinguish between close relations who interact regularly and typically live together, and distant relatives, among whom there is often little social contact. Each individual belongs to a family irrespective of the type. It occurs that with a change in society so culminates a deviation in the social relationship between members of the nuclear family and their kin. Here we will discuss the importance of kinship ties in an advanced industrial society which involves the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of such an association. We will also examine kinship ties in a pre-industrial society to show its uses back then thus illustrating its usefulness or lack thereof in an advanced industrial society. The family and kinship relations generally existed to organize principals of social life. This association between family members of common ancestry or a type of kinship group known as a lineage and also those in an extended family, they produced goods and services together, the profits being shared among them. Many behaviors are shaped by our status as kin for example uncles take up the responsibility of caring for kin in the
"In 'Boule de Suif' Guy de Maupassant plants a time bomb ticking under the seats of 'the moneyed class, self assured and solid, respected and dictatorial, pillars of the Church and morality'" How do you feel about this reading of the novella?
"In 'Boule de Suif' Guy de Maupassant plants a time bomb ticking under the seats of 'the moneyed class, self assured and solid, respected and dictatorial, pillars of the Church and morality'" How do you feel about this reading of the novella? A story of ten passengers travelling across France during the Franco-Prussian war sets the scene for a tale of corruption, betrayal and the division between social classes. Each of the passengers on the coach has dubious pasts, morals and intentions, which poses the question of whether or not they are worthy enough to criticise the main character, Boule de Suif. M. and Mme. Loiseau are portrayed as two very different personalities, he as a "crafty scoundrel" and a practical joker and she as a cold frigid woman. M. Carrie-Lamadon is a corrupt businessman, who uses his political status to make his profit, and his wife, "considerably younger then her husband", gets her financial support from her husband and her sexual satisfaction elsewhere. The Comte and Comtesse Hubert de Breville, possessing one of the most honored names in Normandy, gained their title through their ambiguous sexual history with the royal family. These three couples are all leaving their hometown to protect their finances and carry on trading. Sitting next to the Comtesse are two nuns, on their way to help at a military hospital. Cornudet, supposedly a democratic man
"In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world.". Discuss and evaluate.
Noah 3IBC 02/12-03 "In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world." .Discuss and evaluate. My whole life I have been travelling over the world with either my family or hockey, and I have seen many places and people. I am still no more than an 18 year old boy, but I have learnt quite a deal about humans. One thing is that all desire the basic wishes, as having a family, a house, food on the table and happiness in general. This way all people are the same, but at the same time all are different. Humans are different only indirectly because of what society or religion they have grown up with, but because of the way they perceive the world. There are as many worlds as there are human beings. The role of perception for humans has fascinated me and I want to increase my understanding of it, this is why I have chosen to write this essay. I want to talk about perception, how it works, its role for humans, and what its limitations are. Perception is the process of gathering information through your senses. It is through perception that each person creates his own mental image of the world. Perception is an attribute that all humans have, but the fundamental point or important thing about it, is how people perceive things. All humans have their unique way of perceiving, it depends upon matters such as their past
"Gangsta's Paradise"By Coolio
"Gangsta's Paradise" By Coolio (Paper #1) Elizabeth Sandoval February 20, 2006 English 103 Eiland Coolio's song "Gangsta's Paradise" is a testimonial of what life is like for an African-American male growing up in the ghetto. Such problems were real life issues for Coolio himself being born and raised in Compton, California. By looking at his lyrics from a historical and biographical perspective it is a lot easier to understand what he is trying to get across to his audience. This song was made to give people who don't live in the inner cities a glance of what goes on there. As for those who live that life everyday it gives them a chance to know they are not alone. A big problem that Coolio brings to our attention is inner city violence. This is an ongoing problem for those who live in the ghetto. "Cause I've been blasting and laughing so long, that even my momma thinks that my mind is gone" (Coolio, 4-5). In other words he has l been involved in so much violence that everyone including his mother believes he is out of his mind. "According to a study teens involved or around a lot of violence show signs of serious mental disorders including drug or alcohol abuse, conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress, depression and suicidal tendencies" (Everding). In the Ghetto making the wrong move can cost a person his or her life. "You betta watch how ya talking, and where ya
"Is there really a drugs problem today, or is it merely an invention of the Media?"
Ozair Yaqub Year 11k "Is there really a drugs problem today, or is it merely an invention of the Media?" The drugs problem is a topic of major concern amongst the public. It is raised time and time again, which usually leads to general outcry. The media usually exaggerates the issue, which causes public concern to rise. It would be naïve to think that there is no drugs problem and it is purely an invention of the media. As recent statistics show that the use of Heroin itself has trebled over 3 years in the USA alone; in reality raises concern on how serious the drugs problem is world-wide. This clearly proves that there is a genuine drugs problem in society today. One of the main problems which society faces is the problem of tobacco. Tobacco in itself is the most lethal of drugs due to its deadly effects; such as lung cancer, emphysema, addiction to nicotine and bronchial disorders. An estimated of 15 billion cigarettes are smoked everyday world-wide. The high demand and availability of cigarettes allow more and more people to get addicted to smoking, especially our youth. In addition, tobacco advertising billboards have a mild reminder "smoking cause's lung cancer" written below them. The government receive tax from the tobacco companies, and advertise for them knowing full well the long-term effects of smoking, and yet are hypocritical in their approach of
