The Men of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Essays

The Men of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the reader is given a particular glimpse into Janie's life with reference to the men she has known.   Janie's three men are all very different, yet they were all Janie's husband at one point in her life.   Although they all behaved differently, in lifestyle as well as their relationship with Janie, they all shared certain similarities.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Janie's first husband was a poor old soul named Logan Killicks.   He was an ugly, dirty farmer whose prime concern for Janie was that she do her share of the work in order to keep the farm up and running.   Janie was simply another pair of hands to do some work.   When compared with Janie's second husband, Logan seems uncaring and rude.      When Janie first met her second husband, Joe, he was very caring and reassuring - an ideal husband.   Joe was an ambitious young man with many goals set out for him.   And like Janie, he was raised around a white background.   Joe strived to be and have the best at everything.   However, once Joe got Janie as his wife, he became a jealous and demanding man, just as Logan had been.   Joe saw himself as a god, his sentences began with " I god..." ... ...use he used it to help himself become mayor.   Tea Cake loved Janie for who she was as a woman.   All three had completely different things to offer Janie economically, socially, and emotionally.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two rich men loved a woman, the poor man loved Janie.    Works Cited and Consulted: Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Perennial Classics, 1990. Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Williams, Shirley Anne. Forward. Their Eyes Were Watching God. By Zora Neale Hurston. New York: Bantam-Dell, 1937. xv.

The novels Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence

The novels Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence and Orlando by Virginia Woolf make interesting comments on sexuality and the gender roles defined by society and the class system. Through Orlando and the other characters of that story, Woolf depicts androgynous characteristics of men and women, highlighting the similarities between the genders. Lawrence’s characters, too, show an interrelationship between the sexes that belies the societal norms. Classification and structure of the societies in both novels denote a separation that, like that of gender, seems superficial as the main characters are able to transcend class by experiencing aspects of different strata. Many of the problems regarding gender and sexuality, it is found, persist regardless of the class. In both stories, therefore, one finds the depiction of relations in which class and conventions dictate the role of women and men on the societal level, yet on the individual level, the relationships between men and women a re often odd and confusing in defiance of these dictates.Though Orlando starts out sarcastically mocking its own direction with the words â€Å"He—for there could be no doubt of his sex [†¦]† (Woolf, 3), the descriptions of the characters and especially of Orlando in the novel demonstrate a fundamental likeness between the two sexes that is often overlooked in a society that stresses the salient yet superficial differences. In fact, Woolf at first draws attention to his being in the middle of slicing a Moor’s head—an action not conventionally considered suited to females, but then she traces his image by defining body parts that are common to both sexes and hold very little gender-differentiating characteristics. She describes his red cheeks â€Å"covered with peach down† (4). Though this â€Å"down† might be in reference to a (very thin) mustache, the delicacy of the description lends a feminine flavor to the entire portrait. Other cha racters are described in this way too. The archduchess Harriet is a very tall woman—who turns out to be really a man, and when Orlando first sees Sasha he is unable to determine her sex as she appears to be straddling both.Sons and Lovers can be seen to portray a similar view of the masculine children of the Morel family. The sons William and Paul are introduced in their youth, which is the time when girls and boys share many characteristics that are differentiated in the future. As they grow up, their co-dependence on their mother further attributes to them an appearance of femininity as they (especially Paul) are unable to make decisions that leave her out. In the sister Annie, too, has an element of the hermaphrodite, as she is described as a tomboy to whom Paul looks up. These facts prepare the readers for the further confusing roles of the sexes and the strange ideas of class and sexuality that come with them.At the beginning of the novels both protagonists (Paul and Orl ando) are pictures of sexual purity. Queen Elizabeth considers Orlando to be a picture of innocence. Soon, however, Orlando encounters Sheba, expresses freedom with his sexuality, and has trouble finding love. It is interesting to note that though Woolf ostensibly portrays the two sexes as only superficially different, Orlando’s sexual freedom becomes tempered once he changes from man to woman, and it is in his female state that he finds love. Paul, on the other hand, exhibits an initial restraint toward sex during his more youthful and effeminate period. It is later in his maturity that he becomes passionate and pursues sexual relations with Miriam. Both Orlando and Paul are met with difficulty in finding what Orlando terms â€Å"life and a lover† (Woolf, 90). Orlando is, however, able to reconcile his differences with†¦ the opposite sex. Paul cannot, however, and remains alone.The roles of the men and women in these two stories are atypical when compared with th ose defined by the class and society in which they live. It is noteworthy first of all that though the class distinctions existed, they all regarded women as members of the softer sex who were in need of protection and guidance from the opposite sex. In Sons and Lovers, Mr. Morel is a poor provider for his family as he dissipates his earnings on drink and lives in a house provided by his mother. His wife directs the path of his sons, and he plays a very small role in his family. Alongside him, Mrs. Morel appears less like the fireside, knitting woman and more like the man who solicits work for her sons and advises them on relationships.Miriam’s reaction to Paul is also one in which the woman expresses the desire to perform in a role that is conventionally reserved for men. He thoughts are, â€Å"Then he was so ill, and she felt he would be weak. Then she would be stronger than he. Then she could love him. If she could be mistress of him in his weakness, take care of him, if he could depend on her, if she could, as it were, have him in her arms, how she would love him!† (Sons and Lovers, 137) The role of protector is given to man by Western society, and in all classes men are seen as the stronger sex that exist to take care of women. Here Miriam wishes to fill that role, take Paul in her arms, protect and love him. Paul’s character, in turn, appears to be one that would fit well into this portrait, as he is already in a subordinate position with his mother.In Orlando, something can be said along these lines as well. The title character weaves in and out of the roles of women and men as though they were only superficially differentiated. He admits that at core he is the same, though by society’s standards he performs adequately in each role. Researcher Ruth Gruber writes, â€Å"There is almost no perversion in Orlando's bi-sexuality. As a man, he has a strong predilection towards women, makes violent love to princesses and lies with ‘loose women’† (87). He is accepted by female prostitutes and male archdukes alike, their genders allowing them no knowledge regarding the truth of this woman who once was man.The fact that the prostitute as well as the arch duke accepts Orlando leads also to the idea that class barriers are as superficial as the ones that separates the sexes—which renders them complicated but superable. Orlando himself declares that he feels attached to the low born, but when he goes to live among the gypsies, he realizes he does share some of the appreciations of the higher classes. This gives the idea that just as human nature transcends gender, so it also transcends class.This idea is reflected too in Sons and Lovers. Paul is also akin to the common people and tells his mother this when she expresses the desire for him to rise to a higher class. This mother, who had accepted a lower position in marrying Mr. Morel, has found little happiness in the descent. Lawrence writ es this in a letter to a friend: â€Å"a woman of character and refinement goes into the lower class, and has no satisfaction in her own life† (â€Å"Letter,† 28). Still, judging from his mother’s desire and that of Miriam who â€Å"hated her position as a swine girl† (Sons and Lovers, 137), it is put forth that the luxuries of the higher class were still (perhaps naturally) desirable to humans.Remarkably, the authors hit upon similar themes in two vastly different types of novels. Orlando, a fantastic piece written by Virginia Woolf, presents theories about gender, class and sexuality that show them to be complex and therefore not as easily defined as convention would have it. D. H. Lawrence’s more realistic tale is able to touch upon these issues as well. The novels challenge both reality and belief by depicting the characters with plausible emotions in their situations. Even in the case of Orlando, the handling of relationships rings authentic i n both his period as a man and as a woman. The class situations and the expressions of sexuality also assist in demonstrating that the complicated nature of the human being transcends barriers of sex and class.Works CitedGruber, Ruth. Virginia Woolf: The Will to Create as a Woman. New York: Carroll and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Graf, 2005.Lawrence, D. H. â€Å"Letter to Edward Garnett, 19 November 1912.† D. H. Lawrence’s Sons    and Lovers: A Casebook. Eds. John Worthen and Andrew Harrison. Oxford:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oxford UP, 2005.Lawrence, D. H. Sons and Lovers. New York: Signet, 1985.Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth, 1995.

Overview of Sociobiology Theory

While the term sociobiology can be traced to the 1940s, the concept of sociobiology first gained major recognition with Edward O. Wilson’s 1975 publication Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. In it, he introduced the concept of sociobiology as the application of evolutionary theory to social behavior. Overview Sociobiology is based on the premise that some behaviors are at least partly inherited and can be affected by natural selection. It begins with the idea that behaviors have evolved over time, similar to the way that physical traits are thought to have evolved. Animals will, therefore, act in ways that have proven to be evolutionarily successful over time, which can result in the formation of complex social processes, among other things.​ According to sociobiologists, many social behaviors have been shaped by natural selection. Sociobiology investigates social behaviors such as mating patterns, territorial fights, and pack hunting. It argues that just as selection pressure led to animals evolving useful ways of interacting with the natural environment, it also led to the genetic evolution of advantageous social behavior. Behavior is therefore seen as an effort to preserve one’s genes in the population and certain genes or gene combinations are thought to influence particular behavioral traits from generation to generation. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection explains that traits less adapted to particular conditions of life will not endure in a population because organisms with those traits tend to have lower rates of survival and reproduction. Sociobiologists model the evolution of human behaviors in much the same way, using various behaviors as the relevant traits. In addition, they add several other theoretical components to their theory. Sociobiologists believe that evolution includes not just genes, but also psychological, social, and cultural features. When humans reproduce, offspring inherit the genes of their parents, and when parents and children share genetic, developmental, physical, and social environments, the children inherit the gene-effects of their parents. Sociobiologists also believe that the different rates of reproductive success are related to different levels of wealth, social status, and power within that culture. Example of Sociobiology in Practice One example of how sociobiologists use their theory in practice is through the study of sex-role stereotypes. Traditional social science assumes that humans are born with no innate predispositions or mental contents and that sex differences in children’s behavior is explained by the differential treatment of parents who hold sex-role stereotypes. For example, giving girls baby dolls to play with while giving boys toy trucks, or dressing little girls in only pink and purple while dressing boys in blue and red. Sociobiologists, however, argue that babies do have innate behavioral differences, which trigger the reaction by parents to treat boys one way and girls another way. Further, females with low status and less access to resources tend to have more female offspring while females with high status and more access to resources tend to have more male offspring. This is because a woman’s physiology adjusts to her social status in a way that affects both the sex of her child and her parenting style. That is, socially dominant women tend to have higher testosterone levels than others and their chemistry makes them more active, assertive, and independent than other women. This makes them more likely to have male children and also to have a more assertive, dominant parenting style. Critiques of Sociobiology Like any theory, sociobiology has its critics. One critique of the theory is that it is inadequate to account for human behavior because it ignores the contributions of the mind and culture. The second critique of sociobiology is that it relies on genetic determinism, which implies approval of the status quo. For example, if male aggression is genetically fixed and reproductively advantageous, critics argue, then male aggression seems to be a biologic reality in which we have little control.

The Rise of the Boston Tea Party - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 518 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Boston Tea Party Essay Did you like this example? Although acts such as the quartering acts, stamp act, and so on, led to the rise of the Boston Tea Party, the Tea Act was the last straw for the colonist. The Tea Act of 1773, allowed the British Indian Company to sell its tea directly to the colonies, underminding colonia tea merchants. Inspite of the consenquences, the Intolerable acts, that the colonist had to deal with, the Boston Tea Party played a mayor role in the start of the American Revolution. In the 1760s, a countless number of acts were being imposed on the American Colonies so Britain could pay their debt after the 7 years war. For more than 9 years, the colonist tolerated theses new laws. These acts were known as the Sugar Act of 1764, taxing sugar, cofffee, and wine; the Stamp Act of 176, which taxed irems such as newspapers and envelopes; and the Townshend act of 1767, taxing galss, lead, paint, and so on. It wasnt until December 16, 1773 in Boston Massachusetts that they decided to finally take a huge action. Colonist were angry that Britain was imposing taxation without representation. John Hancock decided to organize a boycott against tea, which was subject to an import tax. No matter how much the colonist rejected the East Indian Company tea, Britain forced the tea ashore. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Rise of the Boston Tea Party" essay for you Create order A memoir writen from George Hewes, a Boston shoemaker, allows us to learn about the Boston Tea party from the colonist perspective. On a cold December 16th, Hewes says he along with other colonist and the Sons of Libery dressed up as Indians, tomahawks to be specific. They marched to Griffins Wharf, where the ships containing the tea were located, and split into 3 parties. Once every party aborded each ship, they were ordered to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard (Hewes). After 4 to 5 hours, more than 300 chest of tea were dumped in the Boston Harbor. They were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt was made to resist [them] (Hewes). Once every chest of tea was throw out of the ship, everybody retreated back to their homes with abosoloutely no questions being asked outloud. Regardless of the silence, one thing was clear there appeared to be an understanding that each individual should volunteer his services, keep his own secret, an d risk the consequences for himself (Hewes). Although other events lead up to the Revolutionary War, the Boston Tea Party was a silent and peacful protest. There were no deaths or major violences towards each other during this time. Before the colonist could take action into their own hands, they came together at the South Meetinh House before heading to the wharf. Rumors spread that Sam Adams organized force behind the protest. The sons of libery and colinist dressed as Indias not to mock nor appear scary but because they wanted to blend in and hide their real indentities. During the Boston Tea Party, stealing or any other illegal acitivity was prohibited becasue the colonist did not want to be criminals, they wanted to make a stance against the unfair rules and make a political statement.

The French And American Revolutions - 2117 Words

The French and American Revolutions were pivotal in setting up new societies. Economic, social, and political tensions leading up to the revolutions caused citizens to want change in the way their government worked and functioned within society. Those who wanted the most change within the government were called the radicals; those who wanted the least amount of change were called the conservatives (Baradat 19; 24). The amount of change in their government was a part of the political spectrum which grouped events and people into five groups according to how much change they wanted. Both of the changes resulting from the two revolutions can be classified within this political spectrum as well. While the changes in government resulting from†¦show more content†¦The British government did not have a formal constitution, but the government was run by two sections: the monarch, and the parliament. Neither had absolute control as the parliament was able to curb the power of the mon arch and the parliament could not pass any bills or taxes without the agreement from the monarch. Therefore, the British government had created some checks and balances so that no one group of government would become omnipotent. An example of this can be seen in the English Bill of Rights written in 1698 which states, â€Å"the raising or keeping of a standing army within time of peace, unless it be with the consent of Parliament, is against the law,† (English Parliament). This shows the Parliament had some power over the monarch. Later on, this idea of checks and balances would be put into the American government. While the Americans did not create this idea themselves, they believed in its’ value to society. Due to tensions between the American colonists and the British, the colonists wanted to break away and form a government where their ideas were heard. The primary tension was caused by the problems in the economy. Britain was left with a lot of debt after the Seven Years’ War. The colonists were blamed for this because they were clashing with the Native Americans and the French who had other settlements further inland--a space the American settlers wanted to occupy. Fighting the Natives and the French cost the

Effect of Ph on Green Pea Germination free essay sample

Effect of pH on Green Pea Germination Objective: To determine how pH affects the germination of green peas and to examine the degree of germination within each pH level. We will do this by using various buffer solutions (along with distilled water) to grow green peas. Hypothesis: We expected that the group of peas that encountered a pH of 7 to have the most and highest degree of germination. Materials: tap water buffer solutions pH 3,5, 7, 1 distilled water 50 greens peas trays paper towels beakers Procedure: Wrap 25 peas (25 peas = 1 group) in paper towels. Place each group in 2. Pour 10 mL of tap water and 30 mL of distilled water or buffer solution onto each group of peas 3. 4. Add tap water accordingly to keep peas moist After one week, add another 20mL of distilled water or buffer solution onto each group of peas. 5. Observe amount of germination and degree of germination (length of the shoots) PH3 PH5 Distilled Water PH7 PH9 PHII Number Germinated 17 24 Number not Germinated Number of peas with shoots that were at least 1 inch long 14

Spinal Cord Injuries Essays - Neurotrauma, Spinal Cord, Tetraplegia

Spinal Cord Injuries As an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), when someone has a spinal injury, additional movement may cause further damage to the spine. EMT's must always immobilize the patient's head and torso in the position found. The purpose of an EMT is to prevent further harm to the patient until more professional medical help can be obtained. If in doubt about whether a person has received a spinal injury, always assume he or she has. A spinal cord injury (SCI) is very serious because it can mean the loss of sensation and function in the parts of the body below the site of the injury. SCI's are caused in many different ways. Some of the most common ways a person may obtain a SCI are- motor vehicle accidents, bullet or stab wound, diving accidents, electric shock, awkward positioning of the body, falls, sports injuries (such as football or diving), industrial accidents, assault and gunshot wounds. Polio, Spina Bifida and Friedreich's Ataxia are some of the frequent diseases that cause SCI. SCI may also be know in other names such as spinal cord compression (SCC) and spinal cord trauma (SCT). According to an article in , SCI's occur in approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people per year in the U.S. About 10,000 of these people are permanently paralyzed, and many of the rest die as a result of their injuries. Most spinal cord trauma occurs to young, healthy individuals. Males between the ages of 15 and 35 are most commonly affected. The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and extends from the base of the brain, down the middle of the back, to about the waist. It is composed of 33 bones called vertebrae, 31 pairs of nerves, 40 muscles and numerous connecting tendons and ligaments running from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Between the vertebrae are fibrous, elastic cartilage called discs. These absorb shock and keep your spine flexible and cushion the hard vertebrae as it moves. The nerves that lie within the spinal cord are upper motor neurons (UMN's) and their function is to carry the messages back and forth from the brain to the spinal nerves along the spinal tract. The spinal nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body are called lower motor neurons (LMN's). These spinal nerves exit and enter at each vertebral level and communicate with specific areas of the body. The sensory portions of the LMN carry messages about sensation from the skin and other body parts and organs to the brain. The motor portions of the LMN send messages from the brain to the various body parts to begin actions such as muscle movement. The brain and the spinal cord both make up the Central Nervous System. Motor and sensory nerves outside the central nervous system make up the Peripheral Nervous System and another diffuse system of nerves that control involuntary functions such as blood pressure and temperature regulation are the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. Rings of bone called vertebra surround the spinal cord, and these bones make up the spinal column or backbones. Most often, the higher in the spinal column the injury occurs, the more dysfunction a person will experience. The vertebras are named according to their location. The 8 vertebra in the neck are called the Cervical Vertebra. The top vertebra is called C-1; the next is C-2, and etc. Cervical SCI's usually cause loss of function in the arms and legs, resulting in quadriplegia. The 12 vertebra in the chest are called the Thoracic Vertebra. The first is called the T-1 and it's where the top rib attaches. Injuries to this region usually affect the chest and the legs and result in paraplegia. The vertebra in the lower back between the thoracic and the pelvis, are called the Lumbar Vertebra. The sacral vertebras run from the pelvis to the end of the spinal column. Injuries to the 5 Lumbar vertebra and similarly to the 5 sacral vertebra generally result in some loss of functioning in the hips and legs. The effects of SCI depend on the type of injury and the level of the injury. SCI can be divided into two types of injury- complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury, no sensation and no voluntary movement. Both sides of the body are equally affected. An incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the primary level