Thursday, January 30, 2020

“Cousin Kate” and “The Seduction” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Cousin Kate† and â€Å"The Seduction† Essay Both poems are written by female poets, who express their love by exploring physical and emotional aspects. Both poets imply that men are motivated by the physical side of love while women treasure the emotional side. The female characters in each poem to begin with are naà ¯ve, innocent and vulnerable. However each being mistreated left them both experienced before their time. The Seduction is set in the mid 1970’s when a teenage girl is at a party and is lured by a sleazy boy. Cousin Kate is about a young maiden who is taken advantage of by a lord ho then leaves her for her cousin Kate. Both are left with an experience and a child. The poems were written in very different periods and reflect love and marriage in different social manors through time. ‘Cousin Kate’ was written in the Victorian reign around the 1870s. Love and marriage in the 1870s was very different to present time, as the Victorian citizen’s approach and mind-set was to expect women to provide children especially sons to become an heir, ‘Your father would give lands for one, To wear his coronet.’ This shows that the father would be willing to pay a lot of money (land) to have a grandson. Birth out of marriage was considered wrong; ‘The neighbors call you good and pure, Call me an outcast thing’. Society saw Kate as a good person and a good marriage that they accepted into the community. Whilst they considered the cottage maiden as an outcast for having a child out of wedlock. They were also perceived to have a duty to marry and obey their husband; in the bible it says St.Paul in Ephesians 5:22: ‘Wives, be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Similarly in the Seduction although much more recent, societies view of birth outside marriage especially among teenage pregnancy is still frowned upon. ‘And better, now to turn away, move away, fade away, Than to have the neighbors whisper that ‘you always looked the type.’ The Seduction reflects a more modern attitude to love, where people frequently meet at social gatherings.’ She met him at the party and danced with him all night’. This shows that relationships can be started without knowing each other, when you are drinking. The poem also shows that men and women are now perceived as equal, in that both men and women are at the party and both are drinking alcohol. Messages of love have been interlinked with the environment to help you portray their attitudes towards one another. The setting in the Seduction has been created by using imagery and personification which helps the reader to envisage the scene. ‘Far from the blind windows of the tower blocks.’ This could imply that no one is there to see what could happen or that no one cares. An industrial dock yard is not a nice place to be and most probably not many people go there. ‘Towards the frightening scum on the water’, because this setting is so unromantic it implies that the sleazy boy is only after one thing. ‘She chattered on, and stared at the water, The Mersey, green as a septic wound.’ Here the author has used a simile to help explain nervousness of the girl. These words are effective because it emphasizes her innocents, although it seems to be dark and ery. The opening of ‘Cousin Kate’ tells us that she is just a simple country girl working to live. ‘I was a cottage maiden Hardened by sun and air, Contented with my cottage mates,’. Having this opening shows the emphasis of her innocents and it gives us a small idea of who she is. The author Christina Rossetti has pieced together a small picture of what her life was like but tells you enough for you to finish the scene in you mind. This all changes when later on it contrasts with the mention of her cousin Kate and the new lords. Both poets have used the environment help them create an image and an atmosphere which when added to the dramatic monologue is very effective. Also it transfers the feelings and emotions from the character to the reader. The poets have both used a range of techniques to help present the atmosphere and attitude to love. The atmosphere at the beginning of ‘The Seduction’ is quieting down after leaving a party with a random person who has got her drunk. It slowly turns into a dark and depressing mood but the girl is excited, naà ¯ve and unaware. The poet has used words like ‘she giggled’ and ‘he muttered’. This is successful as it shows the contrast between the innocent girl and the sinister boy. At the end of the poem the atmosphere has changed to a despaired attitude this shows how the poets view has changed. The emphasis of the change is described using poetic techniques like Connotation, Imagery, Oxymoron’s and alliteration. ‘And a bag filled with shimmering, sweet paint thinner.’ This implies that the boy was going off to get high when he is meant to be at school, I have chosen this quote also as an example of imagery and alliteration. Similarly the beginning of ‘Cousin Kate’ is peaceful, illustrated though words such as ‘contended’, ‘care’ and ‘flaxen’. However later on in the poem the narrators’ feelings are mixed; ‘Even so I sit and howl in the dust’ shows that she does feel sorrow and the reader can empathise with her. Also the poet has used dust to create a sad atmosphere. Whereas she perceives her cousin as wealthy and happy; ‘You sit in gold and sing’. This gives contrast from poor and rich, sorrow and joy. The narrator is also angry with the lord, ‘I would have spit in his face’. This illustrates her anger towards him, which creates tension and increases the reader’s knowledge of the narrator. Another way the poets express their attitudes to love and marriage is through the relationships between men and women. ‘Cousin Kate’ suggests the role of the men in the Victorian society were much more superior to women as they are the ‘hunters and gatherers’. By this I mean that the men are the leaders and are loved by women and the women should do as they are told. Conversely the male in the poem is not seen as likeable character, ‘He lured me to his palace home’. The word ‘lured’ projects an image of an ungentlemanly character which has falsely persuaded the victim. This is effective as he treats her as she is an object; ‘He changed me like a glove’. Equally ‘The Seduction’ the male character is perceived as someone who is not a pleasant person and a bad influence, ‘He spat into the river’. This is valuable as it illustrates how shocking and uncouth the boy is. Eileen McAuley has used verbs to convey the actions of the characters in ‘The Seduction’; for example the girl’s movements are submissive toward the strong minded boy. Although the same as ‘Cousin Kate’ the women in that period of time are meant to be submissive to their ‘master’. Consequently both poems are exploring the role of women in relationships and despite the fact that there is over a hundred years between the poems they both seem to be implying that society still criticise young mothers. Although the men are described as sleazy and sinister, this could be a miss conception as these may be the views from a women perspective. These descriptions of the male characters are portrayed as a stereotypical chauvinist male and could be offensive from a mans point of view. Finally the two poets have used the structure to help represent the theme of love. Both poems are written in stanzas and each tells another part of the story. ‘Cousin Kate’ is set out in a very traditional manner which help you to grasp the thoughts and emotions of the narrator. It repeats certain words in the first person like ‘I’, ‘he’ and ‘you’ this is done to show the difference between the characters but mostly cousin Kate and the narrator because ‘Kate’ has stolen the narrators ‘man’ (father); also because of the style it has created the piece of writing to be a dramatic monologue. Similarly ‘The Seduction’ also uses a lot of repetition of words in the third person like ‘she’ and ‘he’ this helps to show that it is a narrative. The poem is almost split into two sections; the fir half concentrates on the build up to when she discovers that she is pregnant and the second half only talks about if only it had not happened; also the first half is showing her innocents forming into an experience. This is successful because she is a young girl who still day dreams and wishes to be out with her friends; ‘Day trips to Blackpool, jumping all the rides?’ McAuley has also used a rhetorical question as if to say should she be out with her friends or does she get what she is deserved; but then it carries on to question what does the girl deserve? I believe that there is a subliminal message beyond the words and technical styles of writing, in both poems which can be related to the present time. The most obvious one is not to be naive and fall for boys tricks. However boy tricks are not always bad and good things may come of it. I consider the most successful technique is not a poetic technique, but more the structure the poets have written them in because it creates the mood, the speed and most of all in my eyes the tension and suspense.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

crime and media :: essays research papers

Abstract Crime in today’s society is very drastic. Even though crime has drop within the last 30 years, I still believe that there is a large variety of criminals out there waiting to be caught and punished for the crimes committed. On a large part, some of the crimes that are committed daily have a lot to do with the television programs that can be watched every night by every single individual. Some of the most famous or favorite television shows have an impact on our not so good society. In the following paper I will summarize the findings on the types gender, race, age, and types of crime that criminals and victims go through. Crime and the Media 3 Crime and the Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America’s Most Wanted is one of the most popular show nationwide. The types of individuals that are featured in this shows are among the most wanted by the FBI, depending on the crimes committed. I do want to mention that basically all of the individuals that where featured in this show tonight are African Americans. To be exact about 75% where blacks, and the other 15% where white, and the last 10% where from Hispanic backgrounds. To me that was very surprising because most of these shows have at least a variety of race and or ethnicity involved somehow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also noticed that most of these individuals where African American Males. These individuals range between the ages of 18 to about 30 years old. There was a very old male probably around his late 50’s charged with sexual assault on a minor. This was the criminal case that involved an older White male. According to my findings I did see that the young black males where involved in different crimes. These crimes ranged between Theft, Homicide, Sexual Assault.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can honestly say that for some reason African Americans commit more criminal offenses, according to the show, â€Å" America’s Most Wanted†. This is one of the crimes that really makes me very upset. This black individual stabs a 14-year-old, female to death, while she was on her way to school. At a different time and day, this individual strikes again, attempting to kill another 14 year old, female. â€Å" Americas Most Wanted†, (Television Series, 2005) Fox. Crime and Media 4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was trying to realize why all this individuals commit all this horrible crimes, the only reason that I can come up with is that for some reason the childhood these individuals had scared them for life.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Mbuti Culture Essay

The Mbuti or Bambuti are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their language belongs to the Central Sudanic subgroup of the Nilo-Saharan phylum.1 After researching the Mbuti culture, I think we will see that their government, traditions, and culture is slowly and sadly melting into the surrounding, changing world. Mbuti’s primary mode of subsistence is Foraging. They hunt and gather food from the forest, and they trade as well for survival. The Foragers, or hunter-gatherers, in modern-day Zaire have survived with a subsistence lifestyle in small-scale societies. Political organization-Bambuti societies have no ruling group or lineage, no overlying political organization, and little social structure. The Bambuti are an egalitarian society in which the band is the highest form of social organization. Leadership may be displayed for example on hunting treks. Men and women basically have equal power. Issues are discussed and decisions are made by consensus at fire camps; men and women engage in the conversations equivalently. If there is a disagreement, infraction, or offense, then the offender may be banished, beaten or scorned. No chief or formal council has imposed rules. Kinship of the Bambuti tend to follow a patrilineal descent system, and their residences after marriage are patrilocal. However, the system is rather loose. The only type of group seen amongst the Bambuti is the nuclear family. Kinship also provides allies for each group of people. One of the Mbuti’s social problems is interclan disputes, over children and women. Women migrate to villages, losing close to one out of five of their female population. An uneven number of women lead to the inevitable transfer of women from one family, to another. This leads to great conflict between the men, over the disposition of their female siblings. â€Å"Divorce is common. The women often initiate divorce simply by packing their things (including small children) and moving back to their family’s camp. If they have boys, they return to their father when they are old enough to hunt. The typical marriage is monogamous because women are scarce.† Beliefs and Values – Prior to independence, tropical forest foragers remained outside the mainstream of society and politics. However, post independence wars and nation-building drives have changed customary ways. Landscapes are eroding due to the cutting of timber, the building of roads and mining. Commerce has also further isolated the Mbuti peoples. They are in a state of social flux affecting their beliefs, values, and traditional culture. Everything in the Bambuti life is centered on the forest. They consider the forest to be their great protector and provider and believe that it is a sacred place. They sometimes call the forest â€Å"mother† or â€Å"father.† An important ritual that impacts the Bambuti’s life is referred to as molimo. After events such as death of an important person in the tribe, molimo is noisily celebrated to wake the forest, in the belief that if bad things are happening to its children, it must be asleep. As for many Bambuti rituals, the time it takes to complete a molimo is not rigidly set; instead, it is determined by the mood of the group. Food is collected from each hut to feed the molimo, and in the evening the ritual is accompanied by the men dancing and singing around the fire. Women and children must remain in their huts with the doors closed. These practices were studied thoroughly by British anthropologist Colin Turnbull, known primarily for his work with the tribe. â€Å"Molimo† is also the name of a trumpet the men play during the ritual. Traditionally, it was made of wood or sometimes bamboo, but Turnbull also reported the use of metal drainpipes. The sound produced by a molimo is considered more important than the material it is made out of. When not in use, the trumpet is stored in the trees of the forest. During a celebration, the trumpet is retrieved by the youth of the village and carried back to the fire. The Mbuti people are in great cultural transition, being influenced more and more by the surrounding dominate encroaching culture. As the outside word encroaches on these indigenous people, their beliefs, traditions and practices, they are slowly losing their original uniqueness in an ever shrinking world that seems to be losing boundaries. As of recent, they are even given to the accumulation of outside currencies for use in their day to day lives.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Thomas Mores Utopia Essay - 1115 Words

Thomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. However, evidence throughout the novel suggests that More did intend Utopia to be the â€Å"best state of the commonwealth.† The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflicting ideals of communism and liberalism. In essence, Utopia is a written manifestation of More’s humanist beliefs. Many of these views are vicariously present in the character of Raphael Hythloday. For example, Hythloday comments on the unwillingness†¦show more content†¦More seems to specifically highlight this when describing his Utopian society. For example, More describes Utopians spending idle time participating in scholarly activities, such as attending public lectures and their natural enjoyment of learning. However, More clearly asserts the significance of reason when describing the religions of Utopia. In Utopia, each religion is fundamentally the same, each guided of nature and what is natural. Doing what nature intends, which is established through reason, is the true way of worshipping God, according to the Utopians (More, 2011, p. 2011). This is consistent with the humanist theory of a higher, absolute natural law created by God and thus must be followed by man. In order discover this natural la w, one must use reason. With this in consideration, it apparent that More intentionally created Utopia to represent a society of humanists, one that is adheres to all aspects of Renaissance humanism without fault. However, one may argue that More’s pious Christian background seems to oppose the pagan ideas found in Utopia and the humanistic view of natural law in general. Yet More addresses this concern by implicitly stating that a religion guided by reason is essentially identical to Christianity: â€Å"after they had heard from us the name of Christ†¦you would not believe how eagerly the assented to it†¦because Christianity seemed very like the religion prevailing among them† (More, 2011, p. 85). More attempts to combine theShow MoreRelated Thomas Mores Utopia Essays1404 Words   |  6 PagesThomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. 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