The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1197 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Did you like this example? The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Stetson and Everyday Use by Alice Walker are two short stories that narrate the struggles of the main characters. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the main character, who describes the tale in the first person, is a woman in a repressive marriage who struggles with her mental state. In Everyday Use, mama, the lead character tells of the family struggles among herself and her two daughters in expressing their heritage. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use" essay for you Create order The essay aims to compare and contrast the two short stories. Self-expression is the central struggle that shapes the repressive environments in which both the main characters in The Yellow wallpaper and Everyday Use struggle to emancipate themselves from the situations. The lack of self-expression allows John and Jennie to stifle the woman in The Yellow wallpaper whereas Dee can intimidate Mama and Maggie in Everyday Use. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator tells the reader of the doubt in Johns diagnosis of her mental illness as or well as the prescribed treatment. The family moves to the house, which she describes as haunted for summer. John describes her condition as a state of nervousness whose primary treatment is rest. The narrator, on the other hand, feels that her ailment is more complicated than Johns assessment. However, the narrator does not voice her thoughts because John, as well as her brother both, agree on the diagnosis. It is also evident that the room of stay in the house is not her choice, but because John presents a better defense, arguably in his eyes, the narrator has to contend with the decision. The narrator feels that the wallpaper in the room is horrendous and spends hours on end trying to analyze it, but once she attempts to voice her concerns to John, he shuts her down. The narrator even tries to tell John, her husband that her presence in this place did not aid to her healing, but he disagrees (Stetson 652). He repeatedly argues that one must not engage in such fancies and must enforce self-restraint. The narrator also faces opposition from a fellow woman, Jennie who aids with the domestic work and looks after her baby since she is unwell. Jennie serves as Johns eyes when John is at work. This inability to express herself verbally leads her to keep a journal where she can freely express her thoughts. The struggle intensifies as the story nears the ending when the woman that the narrator sees in the wallpaper starts to make movements. The narrator thinks that the woman gets out in the daytime (Stetson 654). The idea might be symbolic of the freedom that the narrator experiences during the day when John is away at work. When the woman is alone, she can comfortably express individual thoughts and reasoning without fear of the society stifling her ideas. Eventually, the woman strips down the yellow wallpaper and throws away the keys from the room out of the window (Stetson 656). John comes back, and she tells him where to get the keys. Once inside the room John faints at the changed state of affairs and the woman walks over him symbolizing the new found state of emancipation for the narrator. The newfound confidence allows her to express herself and change the problematic environment that causes her struggles. Similarly, in Everyday Use, Mama struggles with self-expression when it comes to her daughter Dee. Mamas other daughter Maggie also appears to live in the shadow of her sister Dee. Severally in the story, Mama describes Maggie as shy and pushover who cowers in front of Dee. Similarly, Mama permits Dee to have things done as she pleases because of her level of education and money, which foster her domineering personality. The writer of the story gives an example of Dees self-expression when she speaks of Dee having her own fashion style by the age of sixteen. Dee then comes back with her boyfriend or husband, a relationship that is not clear to neither Mama nor Maggie because Dee does not bother explaining. Dee informs them of her name change to Wangero, which she argues is a result of her denouncement of foreign ways portrayed by the name Dee (Walker 1128). Mama attempts to explain that the name belonged to several women in their family over several generations but Wangero does not sound convinced. The differences in the perception of their heritage diverge even further when Wangero asks to take the churn. It is apparent that for Wangero, the churn is merely an object to connect her to her heritage born from superficial reasoning. On the other hand, Maggie, who is too timid to express her thoughts, understands the origin of the churn and its use. Wangero goes on to ask for the quilts that belong to her grandma. Mama has a difficult time explaining that she promised the quilts to Maggie once she got married. Maggie who presents a demeanor that suggests she lacks confidence and idolizes Dee agrees to let Dee keep the quilts. The look on Maggie finally pushes Mama to take a stand and to deny Dee the quilts. At this point, the struggle to own her ideas on heritage as well as the practicality of issues ends. Dee leaves claiming that both Mama and Maggie would never know their culture, a statement that lacks merit (Walker 1131). The ability to own self-expression finally changes the dimensions in the relationship between Mama and Dee. The different struggles that the protagonists in the two stories face form the main contrast between the two stories. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator is suffering from male oppression and societal constraints. The woman is in a marriage, which stifles her opinion on every issue. John has a problem with her writing to express herself, her change of the wallpaper, her choice of room, and her opinion on her state of health. Once John asks the narrators brother for a judgment of the diagnosis, the brother agrees with John. John suggests that if the narrator does not get better, he will send her to Weir Mitchell who the narrator claims would agree with both the brother and John (Stetson 650). The narrator shows a continued struggle for liberation from misogyny. On the other hand, in Everyday use, mama, the narrator illustrates the struggle in the expression of heritage. Mama represents a generation of black people who despite the lack of formal education had real ties and connections with their history. Dee represents a different generation that struggles with identity because they have influence from western culture but attempt to identify with black culture superficially through tangible items. The change of name from Dee to Wangero as well as the idea behind taking the churn and quilts illustrates the misconception (Walker 1128). Mama and Maggie struggle to express their beliefs because of Dees education level. In conclusion, The Yellow wallpaper and Everyday Use both illustrate two different struggles but with a similar goal for self-expression. Both stories represent two eras where the fight for female liberation began as well as a cultural identity for black people. The two stories have the narrations in the first person to express the individual thoughts and inner struggles.

Foils Of William Shakespeare s Hamlet Essay - 1130 Words

A foil is a character who acts as the opposite to another character and consequently highlights important features of that character’s personality . A foil character often contrasts with the features of another character. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet , there are obvious foils for the main character, Hamlet. These foils include Horatio, Fortinbras, Claudius, and Laertes. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a an excellent demonstration of character foils. A foil is also known as a literary device that reveals a character s true nature by comparing and contrasting him or her to other characters. A successful character foil consists of both similarities and differences with the foiled characters that are meaningful. The two most obvious foils in this play would be Laertes and Fortinbras. They each possess a multitude of similarities and differences. These similarities and differences serve to create contrast and parallels between the opposing character concepts of Hamlet, Fo rtinbras, and Laertes, ultimately revealing the true nature of Hamlet’s character. Fortinbras has many encounters that are in the same nature of the ones that Hamlet has in his life.. Fortinbras is the Norwegian prince. Hamlet’s father murdered Fortinbras’ father during battle years before. Fortinbras’ wait for the throne is prolonged when his uncle took the throne instead of him.This situation is similar to Hamlet’s, drawing attention to the fact that Fortinbras acts as a foil character to Hamlet. When the stateShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Foil Characters868 Words   |  4 Pagesdo so is by setting up a storyline involving one or more foil characters. A foil character is one who contrasts the main character so greatly that his/her actions point out opposite qualities in the main character. 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Political Thought Essay Example For Students

Political Thought Essay Political thought is only a surrogate or substitute for more genuine political action. This is one theory that has sparked much thought and when examined it may be seen quite differently. For one, an argument can be made that indeed this political thought may substitute political action. On the other hand, political thought can serve as a great inspiration or spark political action. Thirdly, political thought may not have anything to do with more genuine political action but instead it may be purely theoretical and hypothetical. Examples of these three arguments may be made out of the works of Locke, Plato, Machiavelli, as well as other historical aspects of both political thought and action. Political thought can indeed be a substitute for more genuine political action. Many writers and political thinkers offer many theories about politics that may not be intended to cause political action. Many theories are also offered but may not be implemented into the political arena directly or indirectly. For example, Machiavellis The Prince, has been viewed as a substitute for political action. Many feel that Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guidebook for his own prince Lorenzo de Medici, to promote himself into the political arena of Italy. Machiavelli dedicates this book to Medici, leader of the family who overthrew the government he worked for. One may argue that the book is a masterful act of political deception, filled with intentional bad advice he hoped Medici would follow. Machiavelli aimed to trip him up bad enough to make him lose power enabling a new republic to come in. Others feel that the dedication of the book and the use of flattery are used as a means of setting himself up to function as a political advisor. By using flattery, he thought Medici would be impressed enough with him to ask Machiavelli to work for him. Machiavelli hoped to ensure himself a position with the Medici government, a government that he hoped to carry out his main goal which was the elimination of the papacy and through the dedication suck Medici into Machiavellis unraveling plans for him. Nonetheless whatever Machiavellis intent was, his attempts to unravel the Medici government obviously did not pan out the way he thought it would. In fact, the book was not published until after his death in 1532. Even then the book provoked controversy and was quickly condemned by Pope Clement VIII. The book, with its various theories about its intent, goes to prove that Machiavelli was using it as a clear substitute for a more genuine political action such as raising a real attempt to take over and promote himself high up into Italys political arena. His theories and thought were just a substitute for something that he envisioned for himself. Aside from being a substitute political thought can serve an inspiration to more genuine political action. Works such as John Lockes Two Treatises of Government, as well as Machiavellis The Prince, have been proven to spark revolt and revolution among other types of political action. Lockes works have exercised enormous influence in bot h England and America. In his Two Treatises of Government Locke set forth the view that:The state exists to preserve the natural rights of its citizens. When governments fail in that task, citizens have the right and sometimes duty to withdraw their support and even to rebel. This view can clearly be seen in the act of the American Revolution against Britain and is a fundamental principal of many of societys constitutional democracies. Lockes views influenced many people especially Thomas Jefferson in Americas fight for freedom and its Declaration of Independence. Drafted by Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence contained the ideas of individual liberty that had been expressed by views of John Locke. Locke maintained that:the social contract preserved the preexistent natural rights of the individual to life, liberty, and property, and the enjoyment of private rights, the pursuit of happiness led, in civil society, to the common good. .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .postImageUrl , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:hover , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:visited , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:active { border:0!important; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:active , .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5a9eda3f47986172c4d623aba7066a8a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Defending Liberal Arts EssayThis clearly influenced the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the United States. Lockes notion of government was a limited one and his views on government were also deeply reflected in the US Constitution:The checks and balances among government and true representation in the legislature would maintain limited government and individual liberties. Lockes ideas can be clearly seen in the beginnings of the US governmental policies namely in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Some of the ideas presented in Machiavellis Prince have also been used to spark revolution and other political actions. Lenin used Machiavellian tactics for a communist revolution, for these tactics were not only interested in the survival of a principality but the way a principality acquired its power. The communist revolution led by Lenin is a modern example of the destruction of an old principality to a new. Machiavelli outlines the unfailing process for a modern revolution in chapters VI-IX, stating that a leader guiding his fellow citizens as a citizen must stamp out the old principality, establish new government, appoint new officials, and instill respect and gradually fear for the new principal leadership. These seem to blue the blueprints for the Russian Revolution followed by Lenin. After Lenin became leader of the Bolsheviks, he led them in a successful revolution. With the communist ideals pushing them, the Bolsheviks threw out the provisional government at the Winter Palace, a symbol of the old principality. Once the complete destruction of the old principality was over, Lenin appointed a new hierarchic system. He established himself at the head of that system and developed a reputation of cruelty. It appears that Lenin followed many Machiavellian principles including the following:I conclude that since men love as they themselves determine but fear as their ruler determines, a wise prince must rely upon what he and not others control. It is evident in the above examples that political thought has sparked political action and it is clearly exemplified in Jefferson and Lenins close followings of the principles of Locke and Machiavelli respectively. Political thought can not only spark political action or be used as a substitute for political action but political thought could just be a theoretical or hypothetical thought as well. In Platos Statesman, Plato speaks seeks to find a true definition of a statesman and through arguments gives his theory of what a true ruler or statesman should be. According to Plato all constitutions of government are inferior to the only true government, that true government being the rule of the royal statesman. Plato states that there is no need for laws as long as there is a kingly ruler who knows the science of statesmanship. Out of the possible forms of government Plato lists monarchy as the best with aristocracy occupying an intermediate position and democracy last out of the other possible constitutions of government. In the statesman the knowledge and insight of the ruler remain the ultimate criterion of good government, although, at the same time, there is greater skepticism about the possibility of ever attaining a perfect ruler. Thus the rule of the kingly ruler who is the true statesman becomes the most desirable ideal, and a government of law is proposed as an inferior because it is a mere replica of the rule of the statesman. This ideal of the statesman may be the most desirable however it is probably unattainable. We can never expect that such a true ruler as the statesman will ever appear as is stated by Plato himself:We must take things as they are, however, and kings do not arise in cities in the natural course of things in the way the royal bee is born in a beehive-one individual obviously outstanding in body and mind. And therefore it seems men have to gather together and work out written codes, chasing to catch the tracks of the true constitution. .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .postImageUrl , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:hover , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:visited , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:active { border:0!important; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:active , .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96 .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6791cd861673940ecf11ea552398bd96:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music Therapy And Alzheimer'S Disease EssayTherefore Plato admits that there is a need for laws for whatever reason that may be, and that his arguments and definition of a true statesman is purely hypothetical and theoretical. Plato was not intending to implement this art form of the statesman nor did this type of rule ever exist. Yet Plato was just out to define what a true statesman was. Political thought is intended for various uses. For one it can definitely be a surrogate for more genuine political action as is shown through Machiavellis intent on writing the book, The Prince. Political thought can be used to as rationale and ways to spark a more genuine political action as well. This is shown through Thomas Jefferson and Americas use of Two Treatises of Government and the influence of The Prince on Lenin during the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. And finally, political thought may be purely hypothetical or theoretical as is demonstrated by looking at Platos Statesman. Thus political thought is used and has been used for various intent and ways of going about more genuine political action. Political Issues Essays