The Awakening Essay Example for Free

The Awakening Essay In Kate Chopins The Awakening, the author frames the notions of freedom and responsibility by contrasting them within an opposing dichotomy portrayed through the main character, Edna Pontellier, and through her subconscious denial of Creole responsibility while attaining freedom for her body, mind, and soul. Within this dichotomy the notions change inversely: the more freedom that is exercised by Edna because of unknown, and undisclosed, subconscious analysis deep in her mind, her sense of Creole responsibilities ebb proportionately. As these opposing forces ebb and flow, Chopin shows freedom in its basic and natural light—as being instinctive and as the normal state of a human being, evidenced by Edna Pontelliers actions flowing smoothly as proscribed deeds in spite of Creole social norms. Creole responsibility is shown as an unquestioning, requisite, often repressive duty, an iron mandate: that of the mother-woman, a steel parasol under which Edna must function. This is the cultural norm in the society in which Edna Pontellier is trapped, which translates for her into an abnormal state of being. Chopin uses Ednas growing subconscious self-awareness as the vehicle in which to portray the push-pull of these concepts of freedom and responsibility. As Edna is imbued with a nascent subconscious knowledge of personal freedom, her compliant response to her tormenting role of a staid, responsible Creole wife and mother-woman in a static society lessens as her freedom grows. Her apparent sense of responsibility wanes proportionately, encouraged by Chopins portrayal of Creole Society as the catalyst. The author shows Edna growing warmer to the idea of her own personal freedoms with a corresponding coolness toward her responsibilities as a wife and mother, concomitant with her increasingly physical self-awareness, need for personal space, and her longing for Robert. In keeping with the instinctual nature of acquiring her freedom, she does not actively seek Robert out in the beginning. The concept of Robert as a lover gradually grows in her from within, when, after Mademoiselle Reiszs spine-tingling piano performance, Chopin says, â€Å"Perhaps it was the first time she was ready, perhaps the first time her being was tempered to take an impress of the abiding truth† (Kindle location 491-505). The â€Å"abiding truth† was the onset of the knowledge and understanding of her personal freedom. Following Mademoiselle Reiszs piano recital, as the small audience was walking to the beach for a midnight swim, Robert willfully lagged behind. Chopin writes, â€Å"She missed him the days when some pretext served to take him away from her, just as one misses the sun on a cloudy day without having thought much about the sun when it was shining† (Kindle location 505-19). There is no conscious act to have Robert for her own; it happens as a consequence of her growing subconscious self-awareness, which takes place out of sight of the reader and makes itself known by Ednas deeds which just seem to flow from her naturally. Chopin contrasts this nascence of freedom through Ednas portrayal of a gradual release from within herself of her old persona, instead of the overt shedding of it through forced open rebellion. Indeed, at times Edna simply drifts into freedom as her natural state of being. Although hidden from the reader, one can safely assume her instincts of right and wrong, what is fair and unfair, grow in her subconscious mind to a point in which they overcome and displace the artificial, imbedded notions of Creole society and the Victorian world at large, as seen in the metaphorical exchange with Robert, â€Å"  Will you get my white shawl which I left on the window-sill over at the house? † â€Å" When he returned with the shawl she took it and kept it in her hand. She did not put it around her† (Kindle location 560-70). One possible metaphor here is that the white shawl represents her supra-marital chastity which she now holds in her hand, eschewing its use. Change will be inevitable. Freedom often comes through rebellion in some part, however, and Edna has a small share, albeit mostly she gains her freedom through the effects of her inner turmoil and subconscious awakening of her true self and acting on it. But oddly, Chopin does not present this contrast of rebellion as a juxtaposition of the concepts of responsibility versus irresponsibility; instead, she lets defiance take its place, as seen here when Leonce perceives Ednas violation of a social norm: â€Å"This is more than folly,† he blurted out. â€Å"I cant permit you to stay out here all night. You must come in the house instantly. † [Leonce](Kindle location 584-600). In the paragraph which follows, she turns the tables neatly: †With a writhing motion she settled herself more securely in the hammock. She perceived that her will had blazed up, stubborn and resistant. She could not at that moment have done other than denied and resisted. She wondered if her husband had ever spoken to her like that before, and if she had submitted to his command. Of course she had; she remembered that she had. But she could not realize why or how she could have yielded, feeling as she did then†(Kindle location 588). Immediately, she says, â€Å"Leonce, go to bed, I mean to stay out here. I dont wish to go in, and I dont intend to. Dont speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you† [Edna] (Kindle location 589). It is here that she anchors her freedom. Her role as an obedient Creole wife has ended. The totality of her transformation to a whole individual also involves a sexual counterpart with respect to her desire for Robert and a coming alive of her physical body in a sensual sense; however, her desire for Robert as a lover is not fulfilled by the end of the novel, thereby inferring an asexual nature to that part of her journey. Although Edna wishes for a tryst with Robert, it is not he who ushers in the springtime of her physical awakening; it is Alcee Arobin, showing for the most part the asexual nature of her quest and an objectivity in their consummation which gives the lie to calling it lovemaking. It is simply an event in her journey, one which does not cause the earth to move. Arobin is not a usurper; he is merely a sex object. In contrast, Chopin describes real love in no uncertain terms: â€Å"The lovers were just entering the grounds of the pension. They were leaning toward each other as the wateroaks bent from the sea. There was not a particle of earth beneath their feet. Their heads might have been turned upside-down, so absolutely did they tread upon blue ether† (Kindle location 407-21). Edna seeks complete freedom, including that of a sexual act, to validate becoming a confident, singular, and unified individual human being. She wishes to be in control and in possession of—her own body and actions, in spite of her repressive upbringing and learned puppet-dance of Creole society. Chopin frames this tryst as an expression of Ednas independence and as the ownership of her own body—to do with as she wishes. Although it is Robert whom she loves, it is Alcee with whom she shares herself, not with romantic passion but as a liberating release of the stultifying social morality which binds her. This takes place in an out-of-wedlock setting where she may express her love and curiosity freely and selfishly without the duty-bound responses she might have in her marriage bed with Leonce. Indeed, this craving for a lovers tryst is concurrent with a gradual and proportional shedding of her wifely responsibilities and ebbing of motherly duties as this liaison draws closer. It is significant to note that although Edna interacts less and less with her children, her love does not in any way decrease for them. Another dichotomy exists here, too, in that Edna is shielding them from her personal storm by placing them in the lee of anothers guardianship because of the instinctively felt but not-as-yet consciously perceived destruction to come. From a mothers standpoint, she was, in essence, instinctively giving them away—something a loving mother might feel she had to do to protect her children—but an act that contradicts being a responsible mother-woman in Creole society. The push-pull of freedom vis-a-vis Creole responsibility is shown dramatically, in the following: She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them. The year before, they had spent part of the summer with their grandmother Pontellier in Iberville. Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her† (Kindle location 369). Once again, Ednas subconscious is pulling her away from the responsibilities so incontrovertibly linked to the Creole way to allow her the freedom she yearns for—mind, body, and soul. Chopin confirms that child-rearing is not what Edna wants or is prepared for. Ednas end, when it comes, shows the dichotomy: Edna sheds her clothing, free at last, and defies her Creole responsibilities with one final swim, naked. On the one hand, she has fulfilled her quest for freedom of her mind, body and soul; on the other hand, Edna is eternally empty of all Creole responsibility.

Immoral or Unconstitutional Government Decrees :: Politics Political Essays

Immoral or Unconstitutional Government Decrees Imagine this scenario and let's do a thought experiment. I'm ordered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to perform, without compensation, cleaning services at a local senior citizen retirement home. I've not been found guilty in a court of law of a crime for which I'm being punished. I've simply been ordered by DHHS to work at the senior citizen home in the name of promoting the public welfare. Failure to comply means going to jail. I might seek a court injunction against DHHS's edit. But suppose the court ruled that DHHS had the authority to order me to perform cleaning services at senior citizen homes. I might take my complaint all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court only for the Court to rule: yes, under the U.S. Constitution's welfare clause, and the authority it gives Congress, I'm compelled as ordered by DHHS to perform cleaning services. My question to you is now that the courts have ruled, should I simply comply? You might rejoin by suggesting that the question cannot be answered unless additional information is supplied such as: Did Congress properly vote to authorize DHHS to order me to clean senior citizen homes? Did DHHS single me out or are other Americans assigned similar tasks? In other words, was there invidious discrimination? My response to your first set of questions is what does a vote have to do with the rightness or wrongness of the DHHS mandate? Would one determine the rightness or wrongness of rape, murder, theft and slavery by whether there was majority vote? To the second question, I would also ask does the rightness or wrongness of an act depend upon the number of people, a hundred people or millions of people, forcibly used to serve the purposes of another? Was slavery in our country okay because 4 million blacks were enslaved instead of just one? Does equality in servitude make servitude just? One might rejoin by saying, "All those arguments are neither here nor there; the law is the law and people should obey." I say balderdash! South Africa used to have apartheid laws that strictly controlled where blacks could live, work, and eat. Nazi Germany had anti-Semitic laws. In United States there was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Would you have obeyed those laws? Would you have approved of and sought prosecution of white employers who hired black workers in contravention of job reservation laws that were a part of South Africa's Civilized Labour Policy?

The Alchemist Summary Part One

Mabel Medina July 1, 2012 English 513 Kelly Understand The Alchemist Summary In â€Å"Part One† of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, is so far about a boy named Santiago starting out his quest in the search of his Personal Legend. Santiago is a shepherd who likes to travel and enjoys being around his sheep. Although he travels all over, there was a certain village the shepherd boy enjoyed going to sell his sheep’s wool because he liked the merchant’s daughter.The author describes Santiago recall why he decided to become a shepherd and how his father helped him by giving him three gold coins to buy his flock of sheep. The boy was happy being a shepherd; he had his sheep, a jacket and book. One day, Santiago went to a Gypsy where he tells her about a recurrent dream he has had about finding treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. The Gypsy does not give him a lot of information about his dream, but does tell him that if he finds the treasure, to give her one-tenth.Later on that day, the boy is reading his book, when an old man came by him and tried to start a conversation. When the old man finally got the boy’s attention, he tells him he is the King of Salem, and how he can find the hidden treasure, but wants one-tenth of his sheep in return. The old man also tells the boy to not give up and to go forth and search for the treasure before it is too late and he gives up. The next day, Santiago met up with the old man and gives him one-tenth of his sheep.In return, the old man gave the boy advice that would be helpful throughout his journey, and two rocks, Urim and Thummim (one black meaning yes, and the other white, meaning no), to help him read omens better. Santiago began his journey and went to Africa. While in Africa, as the author describes, the boy feels insecure because of the language barrier, but quickly entrusts in a boy who speaks the same language as he and invites him along his journey. The two boys go into the plaza, and Santiagoâ €™s new friend is suddenly out of sight, with all of his money, and he later realizes that his â€Å"friend† has robbed him.The following day, the boy observes a candy seller, and as he is doing so, he realizes that he needs to have patience on his journey. A crystal merchant notices Santiago in the plaza and watches him. Santiago offers to clean his glass windows in exchange for food. As Santiago was working, two customers went in the shop, and the crystal merchant offers him a job, taking the customers as a good omen. The boy accepts, telling him that he will work for him until he has enough money to buy some sheep.

A Semiotic Analysis Of A Hotel Advertisement - 990 Words

Suit Up, Drink Up: A Semiotic Analysis of a Hotel Advertisement Imagine being surrounded by thousands of lights and advertising endorsements. People on the streets trying to make a living with part-time jobs handing out flyers to quickly passing strangers. There’s cars honking and people screaming in joy. Unknown laws are being broken every minute when the only care in the world is to have fun. Everywhere one looks, there are people laughing and having fun. People are bumping into each other in the crowded streets as they walk quickly to get to the nearest casino and bar. They want to keep the party and excitement going. Dopamine and adrenaline rushes through sweaty bodies in the desert heat. In this moment of pure bliss and happiness†¦show more content†¦The lounge chairs are placed in the shallow end of a pool under the sun. The sun portrays the heat of the exhaustion socially-active men feel constantly working. The pool is portrayed as a cool location is escape the sun that represents their exhaustion. Located in the pool, the models are able to relax from outside workload. The poolside is empty representing a sense of calmness for those constantly working to stop and recharge. This perfect setting in the advertisement will allow an image of relaxation to be seen. Additionally, the ideal images of masculine and feminine beauty illustrate the Cosmopolitan Hotel as a place where such beauty exists. The male model’s eyes are looking straight into the camera, at his audience. He is directing the message of the entire advertisement to men like himself. He is very clean, well-shaven, and has a great face structure and jawline. This attracts other men who are socially-active to stay at the Hotel because they would like to be seen as successful and handsome as he does. On his legs is a beautiful female model portrayed as a poolside attendant, spread out on her back. She’s arching her back to serve him a drink. This shows that she is someone who is willing toâ€Å"bend backwards† to serve her customer. This shows the customer service The Cosmopolitan Hotel is offering. The model is not dressed in proper uniform. Instead, she is wearing a revealing swimsuit that is not appropriate for work. Her arm behind her head, elbowsShow MoreRelatedCase on the Disney Brand14200 Words   |  57 PagesKey Words: Brand Extension, Expansion into New Geographies. Brand Culture, Brand Symbols, Semiotics Analysis. Study of ‘Disney’: Strategies and factors that helped build the iconic brand. Group 7 Archana Menon 2008 09 A Chandan Pansari 2008 12 A Ranjani Mani 2008 43 A Sumita Das 2008 55 A INDEX Introduction ..........................................................................................................................4 Licensing ..............................................Read MoreProject Report on Nescafe Bangladesh8671 Words   |  35 Pagessources: Secondary information was collected from the local company ‘Nestle Bangladesh’ and web site of the parent company. 3. Analysis techniques: Statistical techniques were used to analyze the collected information. Simple Mean and Frequency Distribution has been used for analysis. 4. Presentation of information: Collected information and findings of the analysis are presented in both descriptive and graphical form. 1.5 Limitations Several problems were arises to complete this study. TheyRead MoreShortening of Words and Their Features9064 Words   |  37 PagesRussian and Uzbek lexicologists as A.I. Smirnitsky, B.A. Ilyish, N. Buranov, V.V. Vinogradov, O. Jespersen and some others. If we say about the methods of scientific approaches used in our work we can mention that the method of typological analysis was used. The novelty of the work is concluded in including the language of charts to one of the chapter of the course paper. The general structure of our course paper looks as follows: The work is composed onto three major parts: