“the Awakening” from a Feminist Perspective Essay Example

â€Å"the Awakening† from a Feminist Perspective Essay Example â€Å"the Awakening† from a Feminist Perspective Essay â€Å"the Awakening† from a Feminist Perspective Essay Essay Topic: The Awakening Running Head: â€Å"THE AWAKENING† FROM A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE In Kate Chopin’s novel, â€Å"The Awakening†, Edna finds herself in a society where women were socially confined to be mothers and wives. This novel embodies the struggle of women in the society for independence along with the presence of women struggling to live up to the demands that their strict culture has placed upon them. A part of Edna wants to meet the standards of mother and wife that society has set, however her biggest desire is to be a woman free from the oppression of a society that is male dominant. Readers will find that the foundation of â€Å"The Awakening† the feminist perspective because of the passion that Edna has for gaining her own identity, and independence, which was not customary in the era of the 1800s. Kate Chopin reveals the social construction of the setting in the novel in subtle phrases placed throughout chapter one. Readers start to understand that a male is the dominate gender from the choice of word Chopin uses to describe how Leonce’s expression after Edna returned home from bathing, â€Å"looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage† (Chopin, 2005). This description of the husbands expression in chapter one a vital phrase when analyzing the novel from a Feminist Perspective. Leonce viewed Edna as a piece of property that he owned rather than his partner in life. Feminism, in general, is the idea that people regardless of gender, should not oppressed and devalued by being treated as property. Reading further it is evident that, Edna is quite aware of what society expects of her. Because of this awareness of social demands and her own personal desires, Edna begins to struggle with her identity creating an inner turmoil when confronted about the care of their children. Edna becomes so overwhelmed because she is struggle to decide whether she should conform to societies demands of serving her family, or breaking free of society to follow her desires of obtaining her independence from her husband and men in general. Edna, after understanding her oppression fully, starts to utilize the ocean as comfort and also as a means to practice being independent. In the novel, Chopin uses the ocean as a setting and also symbolism. Looking t how the ocean is used from feminist perspective, readers will understand that Edna find comfort in the ocean because since the ocean is not judgmental toward her. To Edna, the ocean is a safe zone where she can be herself. The ocean allows Edna to express her feel from site and the sounds that she hears and see, â€Å"and the everlasting voice of the sea, that was not uplifted at that soft hour. It broke like a mournful lullaby upon the night. The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontelliers eyes that the damp sleeve of her peigno ir no longer served to dry them† (Chopin, 2005). It Begins to become apparent to readers that the ocean reflect, and comfort to Edna as she is confronted with the emotions of how unhappy she was with her marriage. The personification of the ocean in this particular excerpt gives readers the sense that the ocean is serving as a manifestation if Edna’s thoughts and feelings. The ocean being said to voice a â€Å"mournful lullaby† is the reflection of what Edna is experiencing within. The ocean also gives Edna a chance to practice her independence when she decided to swim without guidance. Swimming is a symbolic element of Edna taking a small step to gaining her independence. Edna views the action of swimming without guidance as a chance to test whether she is, in fact, strong enough to break free of social oppression, â€Å"She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before† (Chopin, 2005). While venturing into the ocean, she turns and notices that she didn’t get far from the shore as she thought. This realization made Edna become frightened enough to head back to the shore. The fear that came over Edna was not just because she was swimming alone but also because she took this experience as a prediction of what would happen to her if she decided to free herself from the oppressive society she lived in, â€Å"She made no mention of her encounter with death and her flash of terror, except to say to her husband, I thought I should have perished out there alone† (Chopin, 2005). Although she was just attempting to swim alone, she saw this experience as a great failure because the fear or â€Å"encounter with death† prevented her from moving forward with the goal that she set for herself. The frustration that stemmed from this experience carried to that night where she asserted herself to her husband by defying his wishes. Her assertion was her first experience of freedom from oppression. â€Å"The Awakening† gives readers different view of feminism. The novel not only displays how Edna begin to gain independence from the role of an obedient wife but the novel also embodies of how Edna gains control of her body. The idea of Feminism rebukes people from being treated as property. This notion of feminism not only applies to independence but also freedom of making decisions, in Edna’s case, Decisions about her body and sexuality. Edna cared for her husband and appreciated how well he took care of their family. However, she didn’t love him, â€Å"she had married without love as an excuse† (Chopin, 2005). This being evident in the novel, it’s no surprise the Edna started to stray from her marriage to Leonce. The estrangement between the couple started earlier in the novel with Robert Lebrun. Although there were no indications of a physical encounter with Robert, Edna did develop an emotional relationship with Robert. Edna reaction of Robert leaving for Mexico shows the readers that she had already distanced herself emotionally from her husband and started an emotional relationship with Robert, â€Å"For the first time she recognized the symptoms of infatuation which she had felt incipiently as a child, as a girl in her earliest teens, and later as a young woman† (Chopin, 2005). The distance in Edna’s marriage grew when she came into contact with Alcee. Edna’s relationship with Alcee was first emotional because she became fonder of him the more time they spent together; â€Å"They became intimate and friendly by imperceptible degrees, and then by leaps† (Chopin, 2005). However the new relationship with Alcee was not abruptly ended like the relationship with Robert. Edna’s relationship with Alcee then turned physical, â€Å"When he leaned forward and kissed her, she clasped his head, holding his lips to hers† (Chopin, 2005). Slowly, throughout the novel readers can see that feminist idea of Edna having the freedom to have control over her body and sexuality. This control that only she possessed to make the decision on furthering her relationship with Alcee brought her great sorrow but it also shows how Edna had grown in obtaining her freedom from oppression. In light of Edna’s newfound freedom to control her body and sexuality, readers can connect two perspectives, Feminist and also Psychoanalytical. The Psychoanalytical Perspective enables readers to see deeper into the text and reveal deeper meanings to the story or novel. In â€Å"The Awakening†, readers can conclude that Edna’s encounters with both Robert and Alcee are both unconscious decisions that were a result from childhood experiences. Edna reflected briefly over her childhood in chapter seven where she question why she married a man that she was not in love with. When reading this reflection in a Psychoanalytical Perspective the readers can conclude that Edna married her husband Leonce out of fear of disappointment by her father. â€Å"Add to this the violent opposition of her father and her sister Margaret to her marriage with a Catholic, and we need seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsieur Pontellier. For her husband†(Chopin, 2005). Because of Edna’s fear of disappointment she looked no further for love and settled on marrying Leonce, whose religion and respectable personality would be accepted by her father. Her Father is shown to be a somewhat important force in Edna’s life by her servitude when he arrived for a visit â€Å"His coming was in the nature of a welcome disturbance; it seemed to furnish a new direction for her emotions† (Chopin, 2005). Given the fact that Edna only married her husband Leonce because of family expectation, readers can also conclude that this is why Edna was more susceptible to committing adultery both emotionally and physically. In light of the feminist perspective, there is also a trace of the historical perspective in the novel â€Å"The Awakening†. One dominates area where Historical evidence is found in when Edna commits suicide. Although this act does mirror the idea of feminism because this was the ultimate choice that Edna could decide to do to herself there is also evidence of that the time in which the events happen played a bigger part in her decision. In the time era of the 1800s the society was male dominated. The social construction of society left very little room for many females to seek independence from men. Edna’s passion to seek her independence from men left her secluded from the social world. The seclusion that Edna experienced made her feel like the outcast of the community. After slowly escaping the oppression that society demanded of women in the 1800s, she than found herself oppressed by her passionate personality, which distance her from her family. However, she does care about her family she thinks that if they did not think that they could posses things would have turned out differently She thought of Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul† (Chopin, 2005). â€Å"The Awakening†, is a novel about a women who struggled to find herself and freedom from the social construction in the late 1800s. The social construction that Kate Chopin chose for this novel mirrors the view of feminism for women both mentally and physically. However in this time era the character Edna was at a disadvantage since there were limited social outlets for women of her social standing. Because of these factors, Edna ultimately made the biggest decision, committing suicide. This bittersweet novel embodies elements of feminism, historical and psychoanalytical perspectives that gives the reader a deeper and more fulfilling understanding of the novel. Reference(s) Chopin, K. (2005). The awakening [VitalSource digital version]. Raleigh, NC: Hayes Barton Press.

Government Funded Health Care in United States Essays

Government Funded Health Care in United States Essays Government Funded Health Care in United States Paper Government Funded Health Care in United States Paper Government Funded Health Care is an idea that has been around the United States for some time. The question as to whether or not the United States should adopt this idea as other countries have chosen to do has still yet to be decided. What is Government Funded Health Care? Why should the United States have a National Health Care Plan? Why do people that live in the United States have to make sure to have health insurance when it could be automatic upon United States citizenship? Other countries have succeeded in providing this type of service, why should the United States be any different? These are numerous questions that will be answered through the rest of this research. As citizens of the United States of America the government’s responsibility is to take care of the people of which can be done by a Government Funded Health Care Plan. What is Government Funded Health Care or National Insurance? Government Funded Health Care is a health insurance plan provided by the government at a Federal or State level that would give health insurance coverage to all people no matter how old, what race, or what gender; provided they are a United States Citizen. : This is an idea that may be appealing to some, and not so appealing to others, however it should be in effect. The United States should have a National Health Insurance Plan for one specific reason. Having such a plan would prevent those that do not have enough money to provide health insurance for themselves from not getting the care that they need and deserve. Numerous individuals within the United States have to do without proper health care because of either lack of money or not having a job that provides health insurance for them. As a man stated in Neil Rolde’s book, Your Money or Your Health, â€Å"In Canada, yes, we have to pay more for gas to put in our cars, but we don’t mind because we know that’s going to health care and to the security we have of knowing we won’t get wiped out if we happen to have an illness. † Why do people that live in the United States have to make sure to have health insurance when it could be automatic upon United States citizenship? The answer to this question is very simple; a person only has three choices. Either a person can choose to have a job that has health insurance provided, spend money out of pocket for health insurance (i. e. Sole-Proprietors), or do with out health insurance coverage. Most likely the first option would appeal to everyone that lives, works, and becomes ill from time to time, but National Health Care would be the better alternative. If an employer did not have to worry about spending money to provide health care insurance for the employees, then this would could lead to more wage increases, better wage increases, and an increase in bonuses and commissions. It is true; other countries have succeeded in providing this type of health coverage to their citizens. Two perfect examples of these countries are Canada, and Japan. Canada has succeeded in providing health care to the citizens that live within the country in a two-fold manner. As found on Health Canada, the federal government is responsible for: â€Å"setting and administering national principles or standards for the health care system (for example, through the Canada Health Act),† â€Å"assisting in the financing of provincial health care services through fiscal transfers,† â€Å"delivering direct health services to specific groups including veterans, native Canadians living on reserves, military personnel, inmates of federal penitentiaries and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,† and â€Å"fulfilling other health-related functions such as health protection, disease prevention, and health promotion. † The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for: â€Å"managing and delivering health services,† â€Å"planning, financing, and evaluating the provision of hospital care, physician and allied health care services,† and â€Å"managing some aspects of prescription care and public health. † Japan is another country that has succeeded in providing their citizens with a Government Funded National Health Care Plan. A web page titled Tips on National Health Insurance points out several key points with regards to Japan’s National Health Insurance Plan. Japan has two types of medical insurance. Worker’s Health Insurance and National Health Insurance. This web article states that â€Å"Anyone not enrolled in the Worker’s Health Insurance Plan is required to enroll in the National Health Insurance Plan. † It also states the following: â€Å"The personal expenses for medical fees is 30%. † â€Å"The head of the household is the person responsible for paying insurance premiums based on the number of people in the family enrolled in National Health Insurance and the yearly income of the family. † â€Å"When a member of the National Health Insurance Plan dies, the person in charge of the funeral arrangements will be paid a fixed funeral allowance. † These are just a few examples of how Japan’s Health Insurance Plan is set up.

History and Geography of Germany

History and Geography of Germany Population: 81,471,834 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: BerlinArea: 137,847 square miles (357,022 sq km)Coastline: 2,250 miles (3,621 km)Highest Point: Zugspitze at 9,721 feet (2,963 m)Lowest Point: Neuendorf bei Wilster at -11 feet (-3.5 m)Germany is a country located in Western and Central Europe. Its capital and largest city is Berlin but other large cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt. Germany is one of the most populous countries of the European Union and it has one of the largest economies in Europe. It is known for its history, high standard of living and cultural heritage. History of Germany: Weimar Republic to Today According to the U.S. Department of State, in 1919 the Weimar Republic was formed as a democratic state but Germany gradually began to experience economic and social problems. By 1929 the government had lost much of its stability as the world entered a depression and the presence of dozens of political parties in Germanys government hampered its ability to create a unified system. By 1932 the National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) led by Adolf Hitler was growing in power and in 1933 the Weimar Republic was mostly gone. In 1934 President Paul von Hindenburg died and Hitler, who had been named Reich Chancellor in 1933, became Germanys leader.Once the Nazi Party took power in Germany nearly all democratic institutions in the country were abolished. In addition, Germanys Jewish peoples were jailed as were any members of opposing parties. Shortly thereafter the Nazis began a policy of genocide against the countrys Jewish population. This later became known as the Holocaust and around six m illion Jewish people in both Germany and other Nazi occupied areas were killed. In addition to the Holocaust, Nazi governmental policies and expansionist practices eventually led to World War II. This later destroyed Germanys political structure, economy and many of its cities.On May 8, 1945 Germany surrendered and the United States, United Kingdom, USSR and France took control under what was called Four Power Control. Initially Germany was to be controlled as a single unit, but eastern Germany soon became dominated by Soviet policies. In 1948 the USSR blockaded Berlin and by 1949 East and West Germany were created. West Germany, or the Federal Republic of Germany, followed principles set forth by the U.S. and U.K., while East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union and its communist policies. As a result, there was severe political and social unrest in Germany throughout most of the mid-1900s and in the 1950s millions of East Germans fled to the west. In 1961 the Berlin Wall was constructed, officially dividing the two.By the 1980 pressure for political ref orm and German unification was growing and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and in 1990 the Four Power Control ended. As a result, Germany began to unify itself and on December 2, 1990 it held the first all German elections since 1933. Since the 1990s, Germany has continued to regain its political, economic and social stability and today it is known for having a high standard of living and a strong economy. Government of Germany Today Germanys government is considered a federal republic. It has an executive branch of government with a chief of state who is the countrys president and a head of government who is known as the chancellor. Germany also has a bicameral legislature made up of the Federal Council and the Federal Diet. Germanys judicial branch consists of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Administrative Court. The country is divided into 16 states for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Germany Germany has a very strong, modern economy that is considered the fifth largest in the world. In addition, according to the CIA World Factbook, it is one of the worlds most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal cement and chemicals. Other industries in Germany include machinery production, motor vehicle manufacture, electronics, shipbuilding and textiles. Agriculture also plays a role in Germanys economy and the main products are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, cabbage, fruit, cattle pigs and dairy products. Geography and Climate of Germany Germany is located in Central Europe along the Baltic and North Seas. It also shares borders with nine different countries - some of which include France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. Germany has a varied topography with lowlands in the north, the Bavarian Alps in the south and uplands in the central part of the country. The highest point in Germany is Zugspitze at 9,721 feet (2,963 m), while the lowest is Neuendorf bei Wilster at -11 feet (-3.5 m).The climate of Germany is considered temperate and marine. It has cool, wet winters and mild summers. The average January low temperature for Berlin, the capital of Germany, is 28.6ËšF (-1.9ËšC) and the average July high temperature the city is 74.7ËšF (23.7ËšC).To learn more about Germany, visit the Geography and Maps section on Germany on this website. Source:Central Intelligence Agency. (17 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Germany. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html ï » ¿Infoplease.com. (n.d.).Germany: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107568.html United States Department of State. (10 November 2010). Germany. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm Wikipedia.com. (20 June 2011). Germany - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany

Litigation public relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Litigation public relations - Essay Example One should remember that litigations against companies are only brought about when there is a strong suspicion of wrong-doing, and the litigation is raised usually by competing companies or the general public. While lawyers can argue that every company has the right to defend itse is lf, PR managers on the other hand usually act out of loyalty as well as their own investments in the company. In this sense, one can see that ethics are not the primary motivation for LPR exercises. As opposed to publishing and reporting the truth as it exists, LPR efforts attempt to color this truth and make it favorable to the company's cause. This might ultimately prove beneficial to the company by reducing negative publicity and consequently not affecting its bottom line, but the general public and the broader industry might suffer due to the misinformation being generated. To be fair to the defendants, one has to concede that media coverage generally tends to be hostile to them. For example, most la w-suits are covered from the viewpoint of the plaintiff or the prosecutor and their case gets presented in greater detail. There is a slight negative bias toward the defendant, for they are deemed as wrong-doers until proven otherwise.

Differentiating Brands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differentiating Brands - Essay Example However, they are the ones trying to keep up with the large brand nowadays, and it is through different strategies that they aim to realize their lost glory. Some individuals may say that Google is at a place where losing its market to some of its competition is next to impossible (Scott, 2008). This paper will examine three of Google’s main competitors, and find out if any of the strategies being implemented can work to topple the giant. Google, with regards to its competition, may have a difficult time trying to maintain the top position in terms of market share. Microsoft, Yahoo, and Facebook, as the three top contenders for the number one spot, are bringing in new ideas, innovations, and attitude to the IT world. They are trying to be the best at what they do, and to be the best, one has to beat the best. This is what they aim at achieving. They are now offering various products and services to their brand users across the globe, and their reward is the growing number of c onsumers they can boast of in the past year. The competition from all corners may make Google sweat a little as they work hard to maintain the strong grip on the ever-expanding market (Duthel, 2008). Google’s main competitors Microsoft In the IT world, Microsoft can be likened to no other. At this point in time, it is fair to assume that Google’s main competition comes from this dominant force that has ruled the technological world since time immemorial. Google reigns as champion when it comes down search engines. Microsoft’s differentiation strategy when it comes to search engines has led to the creation of image searches, mapping, and the rising Bing. This leads to a discovery that the success of one company leads to the determination and rise of another. This means that, Google is paving the way for more innovation and more competition from the other forces present in the business market (Hill & Jones, 2012). Yahoo A series of changes is being made to this we b phenomenon. This search engine, over the years, has helped millions across the world to access some of the many things that need addressing. Presently, users can now perform searches while getting educated on how to get the relevant and much needed results. A lot of other innovations are coming up, for example; Flickr integration and embedded video are some of the different products Yahoo is hoping will gain them their foothold in the market (Hill & Jones, 2012). Facebook Google and Facebook have been known to complement each other when it comes to the business and IT side (Hill & Jones, 2012). In truth, Facebook has helped Google attract a large share of consumers over the past two years, and due to this, both companies are growing at a particularly rapid pace. During the launch of a feature that could assist individuals find places and each other, Facebook is likely to create a huge challenge to Google. People can do this while on the social network so everything may be done whi le people are still connecting. This is a major product launch, which may see Facebook’s consumer base increase. How Google integrates differentiation into its marketing communication vehicles In terms of Google’s communication vehicles, there are different channels which are being utilized. Being a giant in the IT world, Google has millions of pages that have some of the products and services they offer. During the day, a lot of people in various organizations and institutions use the internet to carry out their

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 26

Discussion - Assignment Example It is unfortunate that judges and other top government officials have personal immunity, which comes by professional courtesy and law. After one going through several blogs, one realizes that tyranny is greatly used as a strategy and the best example to illustrate this is the fact that Hamilton had tactics that worked with regard to tyranny. It is obvious that words are not sufficient and there must be true change in the United States of America when it comes to industrial espionage since the threat is not overblown. The main reason behind the US changing is the intelligent activity that the United States gathers foreign intelligence similar to that gathered by all nations globally. Being the superpower country, there must be some data protection, which can only happen with the help of changing the industrial espionage. Having data protection will be beneficial to almost every American citizen but mostly the leaders. Claims that America spies on other nations mean that the threat is not overblown but true change in industrial espionage will cover up

Construction contract Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction contract - Assignment Example Engineers are opting for NEC because it is more flexible and can suit the whole construction industry. It is also highly adaptable, provides a range of options for risk allocation. Compared to other construction contract forms, it is the simplest using understandable language where the roots of many disputes have been left out. The use of flow charts also makes it more clear and easy to use. In this paper, the core clauses of NEC and FIDIC are compared with particular emphasis to the core risks and insurance. NEC assigns risks cover according to contemporary principles. Nevertheless unlike FICID, it defines the contractors’ risks in reference to those risks not listed under the employers’ risks. Under NEC conditions, the responsibility of care of the contractor goes beyond the completion of a contract. In the clause 80.1of NEC 3, the employers risks are articulated. They are categorized into six broad groups which include: one, risks involving the site or works and the legal and general liabilities and defaults that may arise from his design. In cases of risks that may crop up from the employer design fault can be insured against through a professional indemnity policy. If it is the employer own design or covered by NEC professional service contract where an outside contractor is involved. In dealing with unexpected situation, NEC has a range of provisions offering compensation for the events or occurrences that are at the employer’s risk. This goes a long way in assisting the project manager and contractor to man the construction projects without being obscured by these events. In the sub-clause 60.1 provision for variations are made where the contractor may request for extension of time for completion and even addition of payment. In such cases, the contractor only articulates his desire for time extension or rising of payment in a quotation. In sub-clause 61.6, affirms that in instances where the results of compensation of an event are