George Eliots Silas Marner: Analysis of Masculinity

George Eliots Silas Marner: Analysis of Masculinity Silas Marner, A Tale of Two Cities. Essay topic: Silas Marner and masculinity 1. Introduction. This essay is about the construction and representation of Silas’s masculinity (including some questions proposed in the essay topics on the virtual campus that I found interesting). I saw things that can make him appear more like a woman but it is not necessary or required to understand this matter in this way; I wanted to find his good-will not as a weakness or a woman issue but as strong way of showing tenderness, because I think there is nothing stronger that absolute tenderness and nothing more tender that true strength and I see Silas as a very strong person calm but strong. The main themes here are his isolation, the gender issue, and finally how viable or non-viable his manhood is. In the conclusion I have included some aspects more related to Silas’s life. 2. Silas’s isolation. About his family, it is only mentioned in the book that he had a mother and a little sister, both of them named Hepziba, but his sister was called Eppie, which is why he chooses this name for his adoptive daughter. His period of isolation starts in Raveloe when he sends their neighbours away with a growing irritation (It started when he helped Sally Oats and after that he became someone like the official herbal doctor of the neighbourhood). From this moment on he spends his days working sixteen hours a day and contemplating his gold every night. He is like a hermit only concentrated on earning money. It wasn’t always like this. At first when he lived in Lantern Yard he was a sociable man who interacted with society, he lived a normal life, and was engaged to marry a woman named Sarah. He also had a friend, William Dane, and then both of them betrayed him. But at the moment he is an entity separated from the community, self-sufficient. 3. Silas in gender terms. What’s wrong with Silas before the loss of his gold? This point has a connection with Silas’s isolation as discussed in the previous section. He is considered an outcast by the community: at first he is described like a â€Å"spider† or a â€Å"spinning-insect†. This has no relationship with the issue of masculinity but rather with the issue of humanity: through this description he is portrayed more as an insect than as a man, this is a way of dehumanizing him. When he loses his gold he is obligated to go and communicate it to the authorities. At first, when he arrived, people thought he was a ghost, is important to mention that Silas’s appearance is a bit strange, he shows a physical deterioration, he has signs of aging and illness, and he is described as an old man. And as I commented previously, he was an isolated hermit obsessed with his gold, admiring it every night, and his world is reduced to his work and his coins. This is the problematic that is established before the loss of his gold. Why not let him weave and enjoy his money until he’s too old to keep on weaving? Why draw this out for so long? In my opinion, the idea I get from the book is that Silas earned more money on Raveloe than in Lantern Yard (where he has to pay some money to the church) and he saw this fact, after which began his obsession and he lived like this for sixteen years. And he could have lived on this way until his death but when Eppie came to his home it brought about a change in his whole life. I think he draws it out because work and money becomes the centre of his life; he lives only for work and to admire his gold. 4. Silas’s masculinity in a viable way. Is this one kind of masculinity or masculinity in general? I think this is one kind of masculinity because not all men have a situation like Silas’s. Other male characters like the Cass brothers have a masculine role and are seen more like a men than Silas is. I see this as a viable way because I believe that Silas is completely masculine even if there are things that show him with a lack of manhood. I’ll start with the â€Å"negative† points against his masculinity. Starting with his occupation, it was established that spinning and weaving had a gender division and that it was a female task, in this point, I don’t think that this job defines his masculinity, he is a man and here the only important thing is that he has an occupation and he is working to support himself. In addition, Silas’s behaviour is interesting on a mental level. I see his capacity for self-control a masculine skill too; it is a characteristic of a great man. For example, when William and Sarah betrayed him, he knew it and acted quietly and did nothing; only go on with his life. Another way of showing self-control is in his isolation, and his high degree of rationality. He has been injured, accused of robbery, abandoned by his fiancà ©e, rejected by the community only because he did not want to be an ONG and after that he has the rationality to make a decision. After that it is normal that he wishes to be alone working and earning money. And finally, even if he is portrayed as an insect or a weak man, in an attempt to diminish his masculinity the capacity that he finds for being a father, a mother and a protector of little Eppie is highly admirable without question. By having enough knowledge for self-sufficiency, to me he is a secure man who knows what he wants and simply acquires and achieves it. In addition I’d like to say that making his home more comfortable for the child, decorating it, a â€Å"nest† for her-, is the sweetness way in which a man can show how capable of being tender is. Preparing his home for Eppie’s needs is something to be expected from a very masculine man. In his own way, he did what every man must do: work, support a household, have a family and protect his family (according to this nineteenth-century period, nowadays it is different, as women can do this alone too). And he did it; he is totally a man. 5. Conclusion. We have seen Silas’s journey, not a physical journey, but throughout his life. At first he has a normal life, he later becomes an outcast obsessed with gold and after Eppie’s arrival he undergoes a kind of social rehabilitation into an ordinary member of the community. After meeting the child he completely changes his role inside the neighbourhood, every place or home he visits for work he must sit and talk with people about the child. Through her his life changes and he becomes another man. We see his domestic, social and paternal side and how he achieves the role of masculinity in the nineteenth century; not exactly as it was imposed, but by in his own way. Through the adoption of the child we see Silas accomplishing both – a male and female role, because he is completely devoted to the little girl, and how he passes from a completely isolated life to finding meaning in all the things around him. In Eppie he finds a reason to live, a family that was denied him (his mother and little sister died, and we do not know about his father), the comfort of being love sincerely by someone, of being needed, and of being a father, and there is no moment, in my opinion, where his masculinity could be misunderstood. We can also see, through the adoption the morality and responsibility that Silas is prepared to assume fatherhood, which is too a masculine characteristic, it is necessary to emphasize that the duties that Silas accepts are those that Godfrey Cass, Eppie’s biological father has no morality or responsibility to assume. Throughout the book there is no moment when I feel Silas is not achieving the role of a man. I only felt adm iration even if didn’t have obvious masculine characteristics such as physical appearance of a strong and wealth man like Godfrey Cass. Even when he grows old he still has this powerful appearance that Silas, in contrast does not. Godfrey does not have to work because he was inherited from his father and Silas worked as an independent man. This was a prototype of industrial manhood and a new ideal for men. To finish, another point that I found interesting is that Silas didn’t want to achieve the ideals of the perfect man according to society but he ended up doing so, though his virtuous nature, his generous heart, his courage. By adopting the child he was not only taking on a responsibility but he was taking on the responsibility of another man. Bibliography. Silas Marner, A Tale of Two Cities. George Eliot. Silas Marner in Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. Silas Marner study guide and literature. Virtual Campus. Class hand-outs.

Effects of computers on society :: Computer Science

Effects of computers on society Internet The internet was a major break-through in computing. It enabled people to communicate and transfer information. The internet has been around for about 30 years and is always changing. It has many different uses. It can be used for video and teleconferencing, finding information, buying products, downloading programmes and music and much more. I think that the internet has helped society a great deal. On the other hand, it does have its disadvantages as anything can be found on the internet, whether it is good or bad. If the internet is in the wrong hands it can be a very bad thing as it could be held responsible for things like rape etc. I am saying this because it is very easy for an adult to go into a chat room and pretend that they are a teenager. They could then arrange to meet up with someone, and this person would be thinking that they are a teenager. This is the disadvantage of the internet, but I feel that the good points over-power the bad. CCTV Without CCTV, crime rates would be higher and many criminals would go uncaught. Thanks to CCTV, this has changed. CCTV allows several cameras to film several different areas at the same time. If someone commits a crime and it is caught on camera, it is then taken to court and used as evidence against them. I think that this is another huge benefit to today's society. Credit Card Use/Fraud Computers allow people to use credit cards to pay for products that they buy in shops. This makes it much easier for people to buy something instead of having to pay with cash or a cheque, which takes a while to clear; they can just pay instantly with a card. Fraud is one major problem faced with credit cards. If the card it stolen, it would be relatively easy for someone to pay for products that they buy with the card, especially over the internet where no signature is required to make the payment. This is another disadvantage of the internet, that anyone's credit card can be used without consent. I think that, although fraud is an issue with credit cards, credit cards still benefit society greatly. Availability of Information This topic links in with the internet, as well as using programmes like encyclopaedias on the computer to find information. The internet has such a broad range of information on it that it would be almost impossible to not find what you are looking for. Almost any word can be typed into a search engine (e.g.

Business: Eating and Finagle A Bagel Essay

1. How has the business cycle affected Finagle A Bagel? * The business cycle has affected the Finagle A Bagel in a positive way. I say this because the business is spreading and opening up more restaurants, so the business cycle has had a successful impact on the business even though running the business is nonstop. 2. What is Finagle A Bagel doing to differentiate itself from competitors that want a share of consumers’ dining dollars? * The Finagle A Bagel restaurant uses high quality, fresh products, courteous and competent employees, clean, attractive and inviting restaurants to differentiate themselves from competitors. 3. Why would Finagle A Bagel donate bagels to local charities rather than give them away to customers or employees? * The Finagle A Bagel would donate bagels to local charities due to the fact of it raising awareness of the businesses name in the community and surrounding areas. By doing this, it will increase peoples interests to eat at the restaurant due to the good they served in the community. 4. If you wanted to open a bagel restaurant in Hong Kong, would you license the Finagle A Bagel brand? Why or why not? * Yes, I would open a business in Hong Kong and license the Finagle A Bagel brand. I would do this because it is a very popular business that has a good name out for them. It would be a great opportunity to spread the greatness of this business. If I opened a business in Hong Kong and licensed the Finagle A bagel brand, it would bring many opportunities into the area such as donated unused bagels in this area of the world.

Summary and Background on The Vagina Monologues

Summary and Background on The Vagina Monologues A night of theater can be much more than getting dressed up to watch a Rodgers and Hammerstein revival for the umpteenth time. Theater can be a voice for change. It can be a call to action. Case in point: Eve Enslers The Vagina Monologues. Playwright and performance artist Eve Ensler interviewed over 200 women from a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds. Many of them bared their proverbial souls and responded to questions such as: What would your vagina say if it could talk? And If you could dress your vagina, what would it wear? Origins of the Vagina Monologues In 1996, The Vagina Monologues began as a one-woman show, a series of character-driven pieces, almost like poetry, each revealing a different womans experience with topics such as  sex, love, tenderness, embarrassment, cruelty, pain, and pleasure. As the show increased in popularity, it began to be performed by an ensemble of actresses. Politically active theaters and college campuses began producing the Monologues, all of which helped to launch a global movement known as  V-Day. What Is V-Day? According to the official V-Day website: V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls. Are The  Vagina  Monologues Anti-Male? When college students are asked Raise your hand if you are a feminist, often  only one or two students raise their hands. The female students without their hands raised often explain that they dont hate men. Although many would define feminism as equality for the sexes, or the empowerment of women, it seems, sadly, that many people believe feminism is anti-male. With that in mind, it is easy to see why many assume that The Vagina Monologue is an angry rant of naughty words and feverish male-bashing. But Ensler is clearly raging against violence and oppression, not the male species. For further proof that Enslers work is man-friendly, visit the V-Men Page, a section of the V-Day website in which male writers and activists speak out against misogynist violence. Powerful Moments From The Vagina Monologues Below are descriptions of some of the most powerful scenes from the play. The Flood: This monologue, based upon a conversation with a 72-year old woman, combines humorously erotic dream imagery with the pragmatic, worldly views of a tough, outspoken old gal. Picture your elderly great Aunt talking about down there, and youll get an idea of this monologues potential. (During her HBO special, Ensler has great fun with this character.) My Village Was My Vagina: Absolutely the most haunting of the monologues. This piece is in honor of the thousands of victims from rape camps in Bosnia and Kosovo. The monologue alternates between peaceful, rural memories and images of torture and sexual abuse. Powerful, sad, and all-too-relevant. I Was in the Room: This monologue was based upon Enslers personal experience as she watched the birth of her grandchild. Arguably the most touching and optimistic of the monologues, this scene captures the joy and mystery of labor, in all its glorious (and graphic) detail. The Controversial Monologue Sure, the whole show is controversial. Theres shock value simply in the title. However, one particular monologue involves two accounts of molestation. The first incident occurs when the character is 10. In that account, she is raped by an adult male. Later on in the monologue, the character describes a sexual experience with an adult woman, when  the character/narrator is only 16. (In an earlier version of this monologue, the lesbian encounter took place at the age of 13, but Ensler decided to adjust the age). This monologue upsets many viewers and critics because it presents a double standard. The first case of molestation is accurately nightmarish, whereas the second case is portrayed as a positive experience. On the one hand, Ensler generated her monologues from real-life interviews, so it makes sense to display what she learned from her subject. However, considering the mission statement of V-Day, its hard to fault directors or performers for omitting (or perhaps revising) that particular monologue. Other Eve Ensler Plays Although The Vagina Monologues is her most famous work, Ensler has penned other powerful works for the stage. Here are a few worth checking out: Necessary Targets: A gripping drama about two American women who journey to Europe in order to help Bosnian women share their tragic stories with the world. The Treatment: Her most recent work delves into the moral questions or torture, power, and the politics of modern warfare.

My Family - A Perfect Portrayal of becoming un Americano essays

My Family - A Perfect Portrayal of becoming un Americano essays The 1995 film Mi Familia (My Family), was one of the first and most positive representations of real Mexican-American life. Director, Gregory Nava, created such a true to life chronicle of the Mexican-American experience through three generations (1920s, 1950s, and 1980s). I still remember the pride that I felt when this film was released to theatres. I remember speaking to my family and friends about it. All of us agreed that it had been a long time coming, when we Americanos would be well represented on the Big Screen. While in the past, many Latinos appeared in motion pictures of various types, most of the roles where negative and stereotypical. Along with the unusually realistic depiction of a Mexican-American family, came a connection that most of the 26,921,000 Hispanics , living in the US at the time of release, could have easily made. I know my husband, a first-generation Mexican-American, made a special link with this film and the Sanchez family. The movie was filled with so much of the Mexican-American family reality that it was almost scary how much of ourselves and our families we found in this film. I strongly feel that life is all about Nuestra Familia. It is about tradition. Familia breeds cultural ethics and traditions shared by all of the barrios in the United States. The Mexican-American family is strong, it will hold together through adversity, poverty, illness, separation and death. This film was a perfect interpretation of all of these importances. ...

Ethics in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethics in Business - Essay Example It sets out the fundamental principles that the company values and that employees should apply in their daily work. Supporting the Code of Conduct policy is a range of corporate policies providing specific guidance in areas such as competition law, marketing practices, non-discrimination, share dealing, and conflicts of interest. It is the responsibility of each employee to implement the code and follow the employee guide to sustain the trust and confidence as well as to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies, and to foster a positive, ethical work environment for all employees. In an article by Scott Shifrel on 10 August 2008 entitled, â€Å"Worst of times unveiled in Lawsuit,† a case involving ethical considerations is brought to court. In this article it is stated that, â€Å"a lawsuit by a New York Times employee paints a disturbing portrait of a workplace rife with sexual harassment - including an alleged incident of office cubicle masturbation - and age discrimination. Charles Cretella, 57, who has worked for decades creating summaries of Times stories, is fighting back after he says he was falsely charged with sexually harassing a 33-year-old male co-worker.† Though there are mixed reactions in this article, it is very unethical for one employee to sexually harass another work mate by virtue of seniority in the organisation. Each employee is entitled to his or her own freedom in the conduct of her daily duties. In another article which appeared in an online periodical entitled, â€Å"Mixing Politics, Religion and money,† the author condemns the use of money especially by religious leaders to buy votes during the period preceding the presidential elections in America. â€Å"The involvement of popular and religious figures in swaying the outcome of elections is clearly growing. While most of us are understandably shocked at the inflated importance given to the opinions of

Organisational behavior Case Study and Analysis Essay

Organisational behavior Case Study and Analysis - Essay Example Aiken, equipped with a 30 years experience of working in management culture, disapproved the former CEO’s loose organizational structure as he replaced him and began to quantify every aspect of employees’ performance. The employees got irritated. Within 3 years, Aiken was fired because of dangerously high employee turnout rate. Meryl Francoli, the third CEO introduced the Output Matters Environment (OME) touchy feely system that provides employees with all the flexibility they have been longing to get for 3 years, though Francoli initially decides to implement the system in just 3 units, namely the Extended Warranty unit, logistics unit and a store in Victoria. This has raised controversies among various employees. A vast majority of employees disapprove the new CEO’s idea, and expose Franklin to new challenges of gaining employee satisfaction. Franklin needs to defend her decision, estimate its long term effects on the organizational culture, assess ways to impl ement it widely and make the process effective. Problem: Problem is the identification of nail head to hit upon. Aiken and Francoli have been sincere in their efforts of modifying the organizational culture. ... On the other hand, Francoli has been criticized heavily for her decision of implementing the OME system in just three units. Taking into consideration the number of employees and managers who have criticized her, it can be estimated that her decision is going to create more tension than ease, though the true picture can only be defined with time. Aiken directed his efforts at increasing workers’ productivity but ended up increasing their turnover rate whereas Francoli directed her efforts at decreasing workers’ turnover rate but is quite like to end up decreasing their productivity. Something needs to be done that would increase their productivity while decreasing the employee turnover rate. That is the nail head that Francoli needs to find and hit upon to solve the problem. This is exactly the problem, which, if solved, will make the other issues go away. Analysis: CEOs are not identifying employees’ needs. They need to understand that they need to mould their p olicies according to the demands of employees. They can not expect employees to act according to their decisions without winning their confidence. The problem is fundamentally occurring because the CEOs have been implementing their decisions without checking their suitability to the needs of employees who have remained part of the organization for a long time and have been following different policies in different times. There are certain factors that are fundamentally the drivers of employees’ performance that include but are not limited to money, reward, appreciation, security and health benefits. All of these factors mutually function to develop job satisfaction in