Breaking the Bonds of Oppression in Susan Glaspells A Jury of Her Peer

Breaking the Bonds of Oppression in A Jury of Her Peers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Susan Glaspell’s "A Jury of Her Peers" is a view into the lives of farmer’s wives in the Midwest at the turn of the century. These women live in a male dominated world, where the men consider them incompetent and frivolous. The only identity they have is that associated with their husbands. They stay at the farmhouse to complete their repetitive and exhausting chores. The wives have little or no contact with the other people because of the distances between farms. Glaspell uses her female characters to rebel against the inequalities that women face and to prove that women are competent and when pushed too far --strike back. The male dominant society that is condescending, controlling, denies individuality, demands submission, and is abusive toward women, is a society that punishes and deprives itself. It is a society that is harmful and hurtful, not only to the women, but to the men as well. Typical of the male dominant frame of mind, the men’s view of the women in "A Jury of Her Peers" is condescending from start to finish. Putting a slight twist on Shakespeare’s famous metaphor, "The world is a stage", the men are the puppeteers, and the women "merely" puppets, evidences the men’s beliefs (Act II, scene 7, lines 143-144). The men believe they are superior and more intelligent than the women are. The feeling of superiority is evident in Mr. Hale’s comment, "women are used to worrying over trifles" (Glaspell 186). Similarly, these feelings of superiority are shown in the county attorney’s musings over whether the women would "know a clue if they came upon it" (Glaspell 187). Glaspell uses this emotion to create the irony in the story. She shows how ... ...~journals~S~hyp.html&querydocid=1096142 @library_a&dtype=0~0&dinst=0> Sherman, Beth. "The Dirt on Men despite Liberation, Education, Maturation and Good Old Nagging, Women still can’t get their Men to Clean the House. Is it a Lost Cause or is there Some Way to Make Men Come Clean?" 26 Sept. 1992. SI., Newsday. 17 Feb. 1999. <http://www.elibrary.com/s/edumark/getdoc.cgi?id=125920539x0y20939w1& OIDS=0Q002D000&Form=RL&pubname=Newsday&puburl=http~C~~S~~S~ www.newsday.com&querydocid=213927@library_g&dtype=0~0&dinst=0> Walradth, Ellie. "Historian Says Farm Wives a Happy Lot." 21 Feb. 1997. University of Wisconsin. 17 Feb. 1999. <http://www.elibrary.com/s/edumark/getdoc.cgi?id=125920539x0y20939w1& OIDS=0Q002D000&Form=RL&pubname=Newsday&puburl=http~C~~S~~S~ www.newsday.com&querydocid=213927@library_g&dtype=0~0&dinst=0>     

Goethe’s Faust Essay

Scene vii of Faust ii act v takes place in a steep, rocky side of an unspecified mountain. The scene is dominated by female characters and takes place on earth. It starts with a chorus of nature spirits, in which the nature is describes the mutually interdependent processes taking place. The idyllic conditions described by the chorus of nature are the celebration of processes like plant and animal life, earth and water. Then enter the four â€Å"anchorite fathers,† who seem to represent progressively increasing degrees of spiritual attainment. First there is Pater Ecstaticus who is hovering up and down in the air. Then there is Pater Profundus who apparently lives in the depth of the earth. He marvels at the creative processes of nature and describes lightning, trees which strive to reach heaven and water flowing from heaven to earth. His heart is however is not at peace and he asks for a divine illumination from the Lord â€Å"Oh, God! Calm my thoughts, pacify us/ And bring light to my needy heart! † The third father is Pater Seraphicus. He lives in the middle regions, (probably between the air and earth). He invites the spirits of young boys who died at birth and had not thus experienced earthly life to come and experience the world through his body. Then a group of angels pass by carrying the soul of Faust and relate why they rescued Faust’s soul. We learn that Faust soul was saved because he struggled so much in developing his projects (â€Å"Whoever strives, in his endeavor, we can rescue from the devil. †). In this instance we are also told of the other reason why Faust’s soul was saved which is that Gretchen was interceding for him to Mother of God. The Younger Angels say of how they distracted the Mephistopheles by using roses of holy love. The More Perfect Angels also say that even though the heart of Faust has â€Å"escaped the flames† it is still impure and that the bond between the soul and body is left for â€Å"Eternal Love† to unwind. The angels then take Faust’s soul to the blessed boys above who â€Å"Joyfully receive Him as a chrysalis† after all the ‘threads that surround him’ disappear since ‘divine love has found him. ’ Then we meet the fourth anchorite father, Doctor Marianus who resides in ‘the purest cell’. When he sees â€Å"womanly shapes† floating around he starts praising Mater Gloriosa and together with the choir of penitent women, Magna Peccatrix, (the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet), the Samaritan woman who met Christ at the well and Mary of Egypt together plead to Mater Gloriosa not to begrudge the true soul of Gretchen. They plead that she transgressed without knowledge of her fall. The Gretchen herself goes to Mater Gloriosa and pleads on behalf of Faust asking Mater Gloriosa to allow her, Gretchen, to teach him the new ways there since he is still blinded by the bright light. She says that Faust is a completely new person having â€Å"thrown off every bond/ Of his old earthbound integument,† The scene ends when Mater Gloriosa accepts Faust’s soul and beckons Gretchen and all the others to follow her into the higher sphere. This scene takes place by the Aegean Sea where the Sirens are addressing the Moon. The Nereids and Tritons are also swimming around and even swim to the Greek mythological island of Samothrace, ‘the domain of the mighty Cabiri’ in an effort to show that they are more than fish. Meanwhile, Thales and Homunculus have gone to visit the sea god, Nereus for advice on how Homunculus can be reborn completely. Thale tells Homunculus that though Nereus is stubborn and a grumbler, people respect him because of his wisdom. They then meet Nereus, who is angry and wants to send them away, he tells them of how men can never heed advice and tells them of how Paris laughed at him when he told him of the future he saw, he also tell them of how he warned Ulysses of ‘Cyclops’ horrors and of Circe’s wiles’ but the advice brought Ulysses no gain. He tells them finally to go to Proteus, the shape changer since he is waiting for Dorides and Galatea. Nereids and Triton arrive then carrying Cabiri in a turtle-shell and Thales and Homunculus watch the procession. Proteus, who is hovering near is so attracted by the light that that homunculus emits. He draws near and Thales asks for advice on Homunculus’ behalf. Proteus suggests that homunculus can repeat the human birth process by starting in the sea and then develop to a full being. They then all (Thales, Proteus and Homunculus) leave together to go and watch the sea festival. In the procession, the Telchines, the nine dog-headed Children of the Sea, pass by and boast that they were the first to shape gods in the image of man. Galatea finally arrives and Nereus, the Sirens and Thales comment on the doves of Paphos which accompany Galatea. Galatea comes closer to her father. And in the process Homunculus drawn near and smashes the glass that holds him at the feet of Galatea and all marvels as the light of Homunculus mixes with the waves in a symbolic marriage with the sea. Analysis of the acts In both these two acts there is a strong reference to the female presence. The female presence in act v is represented by Mater Glorioso, Gretchen, Choir of Female Penitents, Magna Peccatrix, The Woman of Samaria, Mary of Egypt and the female forms that hover in the sky which Dr. Marianus. The strong women influence in this act, as in the rest of the drama, shows the empathetic face of women. The three repentant women plead for Gretchen while Gretchen pleads for Faust. The women are a strong symbolism to life givers. Mater Glorioso gives Faust soul another life by uttering few words. In this act we also know that the soul Faust is received by the young boys in a ‘pupal’ stage. This is so like Homunculus, who is a half being and only survives in a bottle. The rebirth of Homunculus takes place when he joins with the Galatea in a sea wedding. This is what completes Homunculus. Faust soul is also completed by the love of Gretchen. It is Gretchen’s love that finds him and is to lead him in the new place since ‘The new light still blinds him. ’ In act ii, there is also an overwhelming female presence. The sirens, Nereids and Tritons, Galatea, Dorides are all representative of female personalities. Generally this act is one in which the three, Homunculus, Faust and Mephistopheles are on a search of what completes them, which in the three cases happen to be the female personality. References Wolfgang, Johann von Goethe. Faust. Berlin: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1867.

Americas Great War Review Essay - 1803 Words

In the book, Americas Great War: World War I and the American Experience, Robert H. Zieger discusses the events between 1914 through 1920 forever defined the United States in the Twentieth Century. When conflict broke out in Europe in 1914, the President, Woodrow Wilson, along with the American people wished to remain neutral. In the beginning of the Twentieth Century United States politics was still based on the isolationism ideals of the previous century. The United States did not wish to be involved in European politics or world matters. The U.S. goal was to expand trade and commerce throughout the world and protect the borders of North America. The American belief at the beginning of the war was that it would be short conflict†¦show more content†¦At the same time they attempted to sway Mexico into a alliance with them in case the United States declared war on Germany. The Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted by Allied forces and given to President Wilson. Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany on April 2, 1917. While Germany had done nothing to threaten our U.S. security, Wilson said in his speech that we would enter the war to make the world safe for democracy. (Zieger, 53) A point that later spurn the effectiveness of Wilsons influence over peace was that America entered the war as an associated power rather than a true Ally. Zieger points out a great question concerning this vague reason for going to war: If the pathological character of the German state was truly the reason for American entry, why did Wilson take so long to recognize its irredeemable evil? (Zieger, 54) Other would question Wilsons motives and influences for going to war or not going to war earlier for decades to come. Wilsons vision of neutrality and facilitating as peace maker for the warring nations as Roosevelt did in 1906 (Davidson, 647) came to questionable end. Wilsons next vision would be to facilitate peace as a member of the Allies and secure the world from another such war. From the beginning of the war women were more active in government social affairs. As they protested for both peace and preparedness theirShow MoreRelatedThe Great War Of 1914974 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Great War of 1914. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States during World War one. The outbreak of the Great War of 1914, also known as World War I, started with the assassination of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was shot to death by Gavrilo Princip (Columbia Southern University, (CSU), n.d.). The Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Great War was David George Lloyd (CSU, n.d.). World War1 was the very first modern and trench war, as well as, the last war governedRead MoreTo What Extent Did World War Two Help The United States Of America Recover From The Effects Of The Great Depression1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Depression To what extent did World War Two help the United States of America recover from the effects of the Great Depression? Nirbhay Bondili Historical investigation Mr. Lissina May, 1, 2017 Question: To what extent did World War Two help the United States of America recover from the effects of the Great Depression? Evaluation of sources Source 1: Steindl, Frank G. What Ended the Great Depression? It Was Not World War II. Independent Review 12, noRead MoreEssay on Boss713 Words   |  3 PagesUSSO Development of the US and People Professor Kareen Williams MID-TERM amp; FINAL REVIEW PART I Study aid for the Essay’s on the Midterm Exam. 1. Discuss colonization in general, and explain why was England slow to begin colonization, and what factors finally enabled the English to establish successful colonies? 2. What was the relationship between early Virginia settlers and the Powhatan Indians, and how did Indian policies in the southern colonies eventually laid the basis for forcedRead MoreRevolutionary Mothers Review Essay756 Words   |  4 PagesStruggle for Americas Independence. Vintage Books. Book Review #1 By Tawnya Pluid Carol Berkin’s Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence is an excellent book that I immensely enjoyed. When many people think of the Revolutionary War, they might imagine George Washington gallantly leading his men through the winters at Valley Forge or the like. Berkin begins her masterpiece by giving a general overview of the roll that women played in our countries war for independenceRead MoreRetribution : The Battle For Japan1591 Words   |  7 Pagesfor Japan 1944-1945 written by former British journalist and military historian, Max Hastings tells a story about one of the most brutal and horrifying wars in history, the Pacific War between United States of America and Japan. Through a very detailed style of writing, Hastings was able to clearly narrate the happenings in the last stages of World War II, especially the fall of Japan at the hands of America. Through some stories and interviews from the people who were directly involved, Hastings wasRead MoreEssay on The Killer Angels by Michael Sharra1446 Words   |  6 Pagesbloodiest battle fought between the North and the South during the Civil War. Initially intended as a TV mini series, Gettysburg was produced as a full-length feature film. The film glorifies Union and Confederate soldiers in the historic bloodbath of Gettysburg. The film enables viewers to experience a first hand account of the spirit and battleground of the four-day battle. This permits for a more personalized account of the war. As viewers, we must keep in mind that the film is based off a fictitiousRead MoreModern Democratic Governments 920 Words   |  4 Pagesthe political system in which authority is divided among the central government and separate, lower governments, such as America’s individual states. However, the system of checks and balances which the founders placed into the constitution to form a separation of power among the government has not been so readily duplicated by other democratic nations. According to America’s founding fathers, it was vital that the newly established government be separated into equal divisions, to ensure that noRead MoreGermany s Early Success During The Second World War1745 Words   |  7 Pagesattributed to Germany’s early success during the Second World War. While some factors were more significant to the German’s success, there is no debating that all of them contributed to the German’s attacking and conquering of Europe. It took quite a while for the Germans to begin to have trouble winning battles. The early success of Germany from 1939 to 1941 was due to Western Europe being afraid to have another World War, America’s lack of initial intervention, the Blitzkrieg, and Adolf Hitler’sRead MoreAmericas Foreign Policy: Rise to Globalism by Stephen E. Ambrose1166 Words   |  5 PagesRise to Globalism is a fascinating summary of Americas foreign policy from World War II to the Gulf War. Stephen E. Ambrose, earned his history Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and he is a very talented author. Rise to Globalism was published by Penguin Books Inc. in 1993 in New York. The book gives the readers an idea of why America and the rest of the world were communicating, ordered in consecutive order and by U.S. presidents. In this novel, Stephen E. Ambrose and Douglas G. BrinkleyRead MoreThe Vietnam War: A Brief Analysis1396 Words   |  6 Pages Still, even though the Cold War is over, there are many reasons why the history of the Vietnam War should remain fresh and the effort to grasp both the war and the antiwar opposition remain essential. The Vietnam War is, of course, an episode in military history. The episode’s setting is during the Cold War in Vietnam and the central t heme of the episode was to pit capitalism and or democracy against communism. In light of this, the movement against the Vietnam War could be said as one of the greatest