Slave to Man Essays -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Sonnet 143 by William Shakespeare creates a patriarchal ideology constructing gender and women’s role in society supported by feminist criticism, which implements patriarchal woman, traditional gender roles, biological essentialism, othering, and sexage. By forcing women to be seen as biological creatures and/or insignificant objects with specific characteristics, a social construction is made. Instantly the typical patriarchal woman in traditional gender roles of â€Å"housewife† and â€Å"mother† is cast upon the main character in Sonnet 143. She has â€Å"internalized the norms and values of patriarchy, which can be defined, in short, as any culture that privileges men† (Tyson 85). The dark lady/mother is given the task to stay home and care for her child. She is shown as a nice wife who â€Å"runs to catch / One of her feathered creatures broke away,† taking care to watch the family bird or chicken while she â€Å"Sets down her babe, and makes all swift dispatch† (Shakespeare 143.1-3). She is given the task to chase after a bird, which seems to be in their house, showcasing she must be poor and in a lower class, making the impression that while the man is away, she is less privileged and must stay home with the child in untidy conditions. Furthering this scene is the fact that she is described as the sole caregiver to the child. â€Å"Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive; they cast women as emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing and submissive† which are seen in the relationships and characters of Sonnet 143 (Tyson 85). The speaker or child tries to gain attention from his mother or the dark lady. He wishes she would â€Å"play the mother’s part, kiss me, be kind† (Shakespeare 143.12). The child is acting as a d... ...ats women, whatever their role, like objects† (Tyson 91). She is nothing of value, besides pleasuring the young man; she is not even fit to be a successful mother. So the mother, who is seen as biologically the better nurturer, is therefore a bad caregiver since she has other duties that come before that of her child. Overall, the woman is showcased as obviously living a less-fulfilling life as the man, she is forced to take care of the child, abide to the speaker’s cries, and chase after the â€Å"feathered creature,† all in poor conditions, whiles the man has patriarchal control (Shakespeare 143.2). When seen as the dark lady she is nothing be a sex object, fulfilling his desires and pleasures. The speaker already has the education to write the poetry. Using his schooling, he illustrates that even though the woman holds his desire, he has power over her actions.

To what extent do Contemporary Sociologists see the Modern Family as a Haven from the Outside World?

Until recently, sociological studies of the family have concentrated upon the role of the family within society. Contemporary sociologists however have shown an increasing interest in the emotional relationships within the family unit. This is an important issue in sociology when looking at the role of the family, as the family is the only institution in society providing affection and emotional support. There is no other specialised unit that does this. Most sociological perspectives view the family as a haven, compensating individuals for the harsh, cruel and potentially psychologically damaging reality of the outside world. The view that the family is a haven is mainly from a functionalist perspective. Marxists agree to a lesser extent whilst feminists certainly oppose such views. There are traditional views on the family like that of Talcott Parsons', and critics of this view who view the family as a prison, such as Morgan, and feminist Anne Oakley. Perhaps the most famous theory of the family is the view held by functionalist sociologist Talcott Parsons. He argues that the family performs two roles, the primary socialisation of children, and the stabilisation of adult personalities therefore agreeing with the idea that the family is a haven from the outside world. He states that people have an inborn need to be loved and cared for and now traditional communities and kinship networks of the early 20th Century have given way to isolated nuclear families, people are more dependent on the emotional support within that family unit. Other functionalists support this view. Goode, for example, saw the family as being a place where a person could be treated as an individual compensating for the stresses of a non-personal modern society. Fletcher argued that a conjugal family was important as it depended upon emotional factors such as intimacy, closeness and intensity. Although the marriage rate is descending, the number of people choosing instead to cohabitate has increased. Few Marxists view the family as being a haven. Those that do, make a similar argument to functionalists. Hunt and Hunt, in their study â€Å"panacea for Capitalism† constructed the argument that love, and family, provides a panacea, a cure-all, for the harsh realities of a capitalist society. The family, being an institution that changes in response to other sections of society, would change with the development of capitalism, thus the family becomes more important to its members as capitalism develops. Dorothy Smith, also a Marxist views the family as a haven in which to be free from surveillance, a place to organise our own lives without having to follow rules laid down by someone else. Marxists who view the family as a haven argue that this is a challenge to capitalist society. The family is also viewed as a prison. Functionalist sociologist Morgan concentrated upon the dysfunctions of the family and found that two factors prevented the family from being a haven: Class differences within society means those who are well off can enjoy and take full advantage of what society has to offer. Those further down the social scale often find society opposing their interests. Life ends up as a struggle, which in turn leads to stresses and strains within the family. Morgan also argued that even within the family inequalities exist. Family members have their own interests and aspirations. â€Å"For whom is the family functional? † asks Morgan. It is usually the male head of the household who is well served by the functions of the family. Marxists also state that the family should not have to be seen as a haven from a capitalist society, that capitalism takes creativity and affection out of society, and steals away opportunities for personal growth. Barrett and McIntosh studied this in their work â€Å"The Anti-social family†. They developed the concept of familialism, the ideology that the family is a small, isolated, conjugal unit where the husband is the breadwinner, the wife a domestic goddess and the children as happy, smiley and well behaved. What advertisers term â€Å"the cornflake family† has been put upon a pedestal and advocated as the normal and proper way to live. Barrett and McIntosh argued that this could make the family a prison in that any member who does not â€Å"fit in† will be repressed, and that individual can in turn become psychologically damaged. Likewise, families who do not fit this ideology are seen as deviant and troublesome. Feminism tends to oppose the view of the family as a haven, choosing instead to see the family as a prison. The family is where women are oppressed and repressed. Within the family the woman is seen primarily as the housewife and mother, and in this environment men are given the control over women's sexuality and fertility. Within the family, gender roles are taught at a very young age and this spills out into society as a whole, reinforcing gender inequalities. According to feminists, the family is where women are placed under the threat of physical and mental abuse. Anne Oakley conducted a study, The Housewife and Housework. She views the family as a prison because of the nature of housework and its lack of status. Housework is monotonous, repetitive and relentless. It's a job that goes un-rewarded, unpaid, unseen and unappreciated. Men are able to escape this routine, and children are able to escape also. Domestic labour is seen throughout society as the feminine role. Leonard looks more at the ideology of the family and how women are socialised to accept their role. Women's magazines and television programmes are all geared towards romance and domestic issues like cooking. Leonard argues that the family is a prison and completely unequal in that the husband offers the minimum level of support to his wife and children whilst she provides a lifetime of unpaid housework, years of child rearing and exclusive sexual services. Marriage therefore does not turn out anything like the romance promoted by the media. Feminism has helped highlight many issues facing women within society, but perhaps one of the biggest issues feminists have highlighted is that domestic abuse and violence. This puts more emphasis on the family being a prison because those people living within this environment are far from the safety of a haven. There has been much difficulty in researching this because many women are too afraid to speak out. In conclusion, to a large extent, functionalists view the family as a haven because it provides stabilisation of adult personalities in order to cope with day-to-day life. However, if a family is dysfunctional then this can make the family a prison. Marxists do not see why the family should be seen as a haven, but agrees that the family is a panacea from a capitalist society, and at best a challenge to capitalism. Feminists on the other hand do not view the family as a haven in any way. They see the family as a place in which there are inequalities that cause the oppression of women. Indeed the family is also an environment that can be far from safe, where women, and children are at risk from abuse. Sociologists do recognise that families do vary and what may be seen as a haven by some may be far from the reality for others.

Acheulean technology Essay

The Oldowan technology is referred to as Mode 1, preceding the Mode 2 Acheulean technology. The latter implies that it is more advanced and more sophisticated than the former. Mode 1 technology only refers to simple hand tools which include choppers, scrapers, awls and woodworking tools. On the other hand, Mode 2 technology was the â€Å"retouched† and reworked Mode 1 tools. This ensures that their tools were more symmetrical making it effective and useful for its purpose It has been an argument on whether the ergaster was to be considered as a different taxon since some researchers claim that they feature â€Å"different† characteristics from other Homo taxons and also associates them as the direct ancestor of humans. KNM-ER 3733 and KNM-ER 992 are some ergaster specimen that were found. These specimens show no significant difference from other homo taxon to qualify it as a new species. Researchers still support Homo erectus as the closer ancestor of modern humans and that the ergaster are â€Å"H. erectus from Africa† The Turkana Boy was a significant find since it provides evidences of evolution of humans. By studying its morphology, scientists found out that the Turkana boy exhibits the possibility of having its own language and also how modern humans evolved traits from it. Bipedalism, brain volume, size of canines and inner ear bones are some features shared by Australopithecus and Homo sp. This suggests that they share a common ancestor. Works Cited http://www. archaeologyinfo. com/homoergaster. htm http://www. crystalinks. com/turkanaboy. html http://www. ecotao. com/holism/hu_austral. htm http://www. crystalinks. com/Oldowan. html

WWII on the Homefront essays

WWII on the Homefront essays Question: How were the majority of Americans affected on the Home Front? The majority of Americans were greatly affected on the Home Front. Almost every family lent out a father or brother to the army, and a mother or sister to the work force. Every one contributed all that that had and then some. Anything to bring the boys home. After the draft, the labor force in the United States was severely depleted. This was not a positive thing considering America was the furthest behind concerning war mobility. The government called on everybody who was able to contribute to the war effort. Women, minorities, immigrants, farmers, and other small-job holders took the place of the overseas men in the factories. By 1943 over 5 million women, and 40 million small-job holders had found themselves a new home in Americas war-time labor force. These people worked double time and under extreme conditions. Often seven days a week, three shifts a day with no breaks in between. But their hard-work paid off and soon America was out-producing any other Ally. However, these enormous sacrifices were not without consequences. With so many mothers working day-long shifts, many children were left unattended. Some roamed the streets. Others camped out inside local movie theaters for up to 10 hours a day until Mommy came and picked them up. The high-school drop out rate soared and juvenile delinquency was up by sixty percent. This forced the government to take action and provide day care and other social services. Although these times were increasingly difficult, especially after government rationing was enstated, Americans still seemed eager and willing to help. Children collected scraps of metal and rubber. People brought their grease to the butcher shop. Even Hollywood stars participated by encouraging people to purchase war bonds. One of the things that kept this fire burning within American homes was the occasional letter from Fa...

Greek and Roman essay essays

Greek and Roman essay essays As the Greek and Roman empires arose vastly throughout Europe, new ideas that would change the way the Europe and the world would handle things were spread across the globe. Changes in governmental policies, art, and philosophy influenced European culture, inducing future cultures to model their ideas and policies after the Greeks and Romans. The expansion of these empires encouraged cultural diffusion, blending the culture of the two empires into the land it conquered. Ancient Greece passed on a new form of government and governmental policies to European culture. The most important of these governmental policies is democracy. Democracy gave an equal vote to every man, under certain circumstances, on issues concerning the welfare of Grecian city-states. These circumstances limited the number of men that were able to participate in debates, leaving mainly wealthy landowners to run the government. The citizens that made up the democracy would settle issues such as choosing most government officials from the citizenry through a lottery and developed the idea of placing limits on the officials term. This original form of government has had a lost lasting affect on the European world, providing a basis for the governments of future civilizations to come. The Ancient Romans also passed on a form of governmental policies to European culture, but these policies differed from that of Ancient Greece. Although the power was not entirely in the hands of the citizens of Rome, they still had some power and decision making rights that would help shape the government. As in the Grecian democracy, male citizens participated in the Assembly, which could pass laws, elect magistrates, and declare war. No free discussion took place at Roman assemblies, and citizens could only approve or reject proposals presented by a magistrate, rather then present their own. Although this was a limited form of a government run by the people, it was ...

Juvenile Crime in the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Juvenile Crime in the USA - Research Paper Example Its really sad to see youthful members of the society adopting violent behaviors and getting involved in criminal activities. There are many factors generate this problem; for examples: Media, Friends, and violent Video Game. However, many people agree that its start from home. Single Parenthood, Domestic violent and Child abuse, and bad parenting are some of major causes of juvenile crime and violence. "It is the tasks connected with the home that are the fundamental tasks of humanity ... if the mother does not do her duty, there will either be no next generation, or a next generation that is worse than none at all." (The 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt) Mother plays a crucial role in her child’s life. Mothers play the most part in raising the kids. Her role can be three quarters of parenting. Nevertheless, the role they play prior the birth. Nobody can substitute her. She bonded with her kids from the early days of pregnancy to a very late age. She teaches her kids the norms and right behaviors. Fathers role is complement to mothers role and yet very important. Father is the person whom the child admired and looks up to as an ideal. Fathers company gives the profound feeling of protection. Father is the one whom the son needs in life-school. From life experience, fathers usually want their sons and daughters to live better life than his. This research gives an overview of the history of family and home constrictions development in the last three centuries. It also includes statistics about the juvenile crime in the United States. This paper discusses how the violent behavior starts from home and the affects of Single parenthood, Domestic violent and child abuse, and Bad parenting. This research includes a survey among Miami Police Officers about this problem. Finally it concluded with some suggestions on how to prevent and protect the teens. Juvenile crimes started to catch the attention of the

Final Individual Share Performance Review Essay

Final Individual Share Performance Review - Essay Example The reason for choosing the company lies in the fact that it is one of the most well known financial companies in the UK. The report also recommends whether the nominal amount can be invested in Barclays for purchasing the shares and also sells it at the right time. Barclays Bank Plc. offers banking services to about 48 million customers and clients around the world by offering investing, lending and protecting their money. For more than 300 years it has worked as an expert in banking industry (Barclay, 2015b). Investing in Barclays is profitable as it aims at delivering return on equity to the customer, which is higher than the cost of equity (Barclay, 2015c). The future of the institution is based on the international banks, which has four core divisions such as Barclarcard, Personal and Corporate Banking, Investment Banking and Africa Banking (Barclay, 2015a). PEST analysis of banking industry in the UK is discussed henceforth, which helps in identifying the factors and may affect sustainability of Barclays Banks Plc. in the long run. The PEST analysis will help in determining whether the external environment will affect the business of Barclays, which will in turn reduce the rate of return on the investment of  £10,000. Political: The stability of UK government affects the business of Barclays to a great extent. Government interference is the key risk that can be encountered by the banking industry in the UK. Hence, like Barclays, other financial institutions such as HSBC and Morgan Stanley have the responsibility to abide by the rules that are formulated by the present government. Hence, the change in power has the ability to affect the business of the banks. Moreover, it is observed that the regulatory environment in the UK is unstable. The Basel rules based on the bank capital requires the banks to hold quality core tier capital equal to 10% of the assets, which is adjusted by risk (European Commission, 2015). Economic: The gross domestic