John SteinbeckS The Chrysanthemums Essays - The Chrysanthemums

John Steinbeck'S ?The Chrysanthemums? Elisa Allen, Confused? Like many short stories, John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums deceives most readers by appearing to be a simple short story. The Chrysanthemums, which only occupies about eight pages in textbooks, captures the emotional pain of a woman trying to live in the 1930s. As critic Stanley Renner wrote, The Chrysanthemums shows a strong capable woman kept from personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a womans role in a world dominated by men (Renner 306). Elisa Allen, the only female in The Chrysanthemums displays her sexual frustrations throughout the short story by slipping in and out of masculine and feminine characteristics. The Chrysanthemums begins by describing Elisas surroundings. The fog covers the valley like a closed pot (Steinbeck 220), which symbolizes Elisas isolation from the world. Because the Allens live away from town, Elisa rarely encounters other people besides her husband, Henry Allen. The work on Henry Allens foothill ranch, (220) as it is described, is scarce, leaving Elisa to work in her garden. Wearing a mans black hat, . . . clod-hopper shoes, and heavy leather gloves, Elisas appearance begins as very masculine (220). This masculine vision of Elisa is the first sign she is sexually frustrated. Elisa continuously glances at her husband, who is speaking with two men, almost adoringly. When first reading this image, the reader may pass it off as useless information, but after studying Elisas character, it is evident Elisa is envious of the male meeting. She asks her husband, curiously who the men were, and he answers her as short as possible. Henry avoids speaking about masculine busin ess with Elisa for too Whitaker 2 long. For instance, when Henry comments about Elisas chrysanthemums, he first uses the word strong which implies masculinity. Elisa then speaks about how she would be good at working in the orchards. Henry apparently feels Elisa has spoken too much about masculine subjects because he resorts back to calling the chrysanthemums simply flowers (221). This first scene between husband and wife sets the tone of the entire story. Elisas gestures and actions change as different words and topics are mentioned to her. She feels unimportant and inferior as a woman and strong enough to be a man. Soon after Henry leaves to finish he work, the tinker is introduced into the story. Here is where Elisas sexuality is tested. Elisas first reaction to the tinker is similar to that of a mans, for she resists giving him work (Marcus 56). She show strong qualities as she tells the tinker she as no work for him. The tinker begins to weaken Elisa, though, and eventually breaks her strong stance by using her pride and joy - her chrysanthemums. The tinker captures the beauty of the chrysanthemums in a poetic, feminine nature. He describes them as a quick puff of colored smoke, which appeals to Elisas feminine side. Suddenly, Elisa begins to unveil her womanliness. She tears off her hat and shakes out her dark pretty hair (Steinbeck 224). By being interested in Elisas feminine flowers, the tinker makes Elisa comfortable with her sexuality. Allowing her feminine nature to appear, Elisa becomes emotional vulnerable during the business transaction involving her chrysanthemums. This is feminine nature because men tend to be unemotional during business related activities (Sweet 213). After the tinker leaves, Elisa finally appears content with her sexuality. As she gets ready for her outing with Henry, Elisa shows complete femininity. She scrubs her Whitaker 3 body until her skin turns red, as if she is rinsing away the masculine way about her. Elisa then dries herself off, and studies her body in the mirror. She has become comfortable with being a woman just by receiving attention from a male who is interested in her life. After studying herself, Elisa applies her makeup and puts on her newest under-clothing. Henry then comes home and they leave to go to town. As the Allens are on their way to town, Elisa spots a dark speck in the road. She knows this speck is her prize chrysanthemums. As they pass the chrysanthemums lying in the road, Elisa cannot bear to look. The tinker appears in the road next. For this situation, Elisa has to

Rules for Capitalization in Titles

Rules for Capitalization in Titles Rules for Capitalization in Titles Rules for Capitalization in Titles By Carla Lowe I used to think there were only two ways to use capitalization in a title: (1) Capitalize only the first word in the title (except for proper nouns), which I learned working for a local newspaper; and (2) Capitalize the principal and longer words and lowercase the minor, shorter words, which I learned was wrong. I also came to learn that the rules for capitalization in titles- like the rules for other areas of English grammar- are not set in stone; style guides and grammarians disagree on which words to capitalize in a title. In fact, there are really only two rules that are consistent across the board: Capitalize the first word of the title Capitalize all proper nouns Sentence case, or down style, is one method, preferred by many print and online publications and recommended by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The only two rules are the two rules mentioned above: Capitalize the first word and all proper nouns. Everything else is in lowercase. For example: Why it’s never too late to learn grammar (all words lowercased except â€Å"Why†- first word in title) Another method is to capitalize all words in a title. This one is considered simple because there’s no struggle trying to remember which words to capitalize and which ones to lowercase; they’re all capitalized. However, one could argue it’s the lazy man’s method or that it’s not very aesthetic. For example: Why It’s Never Too Late To Learn Grammar (all words capitalized) Title case, or up style, is another method. Whether or not you capitalize a word in a title depends on its part of speech. According to most style guides that use title case, the basic rules are as follows: Capitalize the first and last word in a title, regardless of part of speech Capitalize all nouns (baby, country, picture), pronouns (you, she, it), verbs (walk, think, dream), adjectives (sweet, large, perfect), adverbs (immediately, quietly), and subordinating conjunctions (as, because, although) Lowercase â€Å"to† as part of an infinitive Lowercase all articles (a, the), prepositions (to, at, in, with), and coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) For example: Why It’s Never Too Late to Learn Grammar (all words capitalized except â€Å"to,† a preposition) That last rule for title case is upheld by some style guides, but not all. The Chicago Manual of Style follows that rule (except in cases in which an article, preposition, or coordinating conjunction is the first or last word in a title). However, The Associated Press would have you capitalize prepositions and conjunctions if they are four or more letters long. For others, the magic number is five rather than four. So, according to some guides, you have to worry not only about the part of speech, but also about the length of the words. There is another common- but incorrect- â€Å"method† of using capitalization in titles. I used to follow it myself (see my first paragraph). Many writers mistakenly believe that in a title, you should capitalize the principal and longer words and lowercase the minor, shorter words. For example, writers often lowercase all two- or three-letter words in a title because they’re short, and many articles, prepositions, and conjunctions- most of which should be lowercased- are short, as well. However, short words can be nouns, pronouns, and verbs, etc., which should be capitalized. Part of speech is more important than length when it comes to determining capitalization in titles. For example: Why it’s Never too Late to Learn Grammar (wrong) â€Å"It’s† is a contraction of â€Å"it,† a pronoun, and â€Å"is,† a verb, both of which should be capitalized; â€Å"too† is an adverb, which should also be capitalized. Regardless of which convention you’d prefer to follow (except for the last example), you need to be consistent. Pick one (or follow the style guide of your employer, school, or clients) and stick with it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Probable vs. PossibleNominalized Verbs

Facts and Figures on Christians of the Middle East

Facts and Figures on Christians of the Middle East The Christian presence in the Middle East dates back, of course, to Jesus Christ during the Roman Empire. That 2,000-year presence has gone uninterrupted since, especially in the countries of the Levant: Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, Syria- and Egypt. But its been far from a unified presence. The Eastern and Western Church dont quite see eye to eyehavent for about 1,500 years. Lebanons Maronites split off from the Vatican centuries ago, then agreed to return to the fold, preserving to themselves rites, ​dogmas, and customs of their choice (dont tell a Maronite priest he cant marry!) Much of the region either forcibly or voluntarily converted to Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the Middle Ages, the European Crusades attempted, brutally, repeatedly but ultimately unsuccessfully, to restore Christian hegemony over the region. Since then, only Lebanon has maintained a Christian population approaching anything like a plurality, although Egypt maintains the single-largest Christian population in the Middle East. Here’s a country-by-country breakdown of Christian denominations and populations in the Middle East: Lebanon Lebanon last conducted an official census in 1932, during the French Mandate. So all figures, including total population, are estimates based on various media, government and non-government organizations’ numbers. Total population, including non-Christians: 4 millionPercent Christian: 34-41%Maronite: 700,000Greek-Orthodox: 200,000Melkite: 150,000 Syria Like Lebanon, Syria has not conducted a reliable census since French Mandate times. Its Christian traditions date back to the time when Antioch, in present-day Turkey, was early Christianity’s center. Total population, including non-Christians: 18.1 millionPercent Christian: 5-9%Greek-Orthodox: 400,000Melkite: 120,000Armenian-Orthodox: 100,000Small numbers of Maronites and Protestants. Occupied Palestine/Gaza the West Bank According to the Catholic News Agency, â€Å"In the last 40 years, the Christian population in the West Bank has slumped from about 20 percent of the total to less than two percent today.† Most Christians then and now are Palestinians. The drop is a result of the combined effect of Israeli occupation and repression and a rise in Islamic militancy among Palestinians. Total population, including non-Christians: 4 millionGreek Orthodox: 35,000Melkite: 30,000Latin (Catholic): 25,000Some Copts and a small number of Protestants. Israel Israel’s Christians are a mixture of native-born Arabs and immigrants, including some Christian Zionists. The Israeli government claims 144,000 Israelis are Christians, including 117,000 Palestinian Arabs and several thousand Ethiopian and Russian Christians who migrated to Israel, with Ethiopian and Russian Jews, during the 1990s. The World Christian Database puts the figure at 194,000. Total population, including non-Christians: 6.8 millionGreek Orthodox: 115,000Latin (Catholic): 20,000Armenian Orthodox: 4,000Anglicans: 3,000Syrian Orthodox: 2,000 Egypt About 9% of Egypt’s population of 83 million are Christians, and most of them are Copts- descendants of Ancient Egyptians, adherents to the early Christian Church, and, since the 6th century, dissidents from Rome. For more details about Egypt’s Copts, read â€Å"Who Are Egypts Copts and Coptic Christians?† Total population, including non-Christians: 83 millionCopts: 7.5 millionGreek Orthodox: 350,000Coptic Catholic: 200,000Protestant: 200,000Small numbers of Armenian Orthodox, Melkites, Maronites and Syrian Catholics. Iraq Christians have been in Iraq since the 2nd century- mostly Chaldeans, whose Catholicism remains deeply influenced by ancient, eastern rites, and Assyrians, who are not Catholic. The war in Iraq since 2003 has ravaged all communities, Christians included. A rise in Islamism diminished Christians’ security, but attacks on Christians appear to be receding. Nevertheless, the irony, for Iraqs Christians, is that on balance they were far better off under Saddam Hussein than since his downfall. As Andrew Lee Butters writes in Time, About 5 or 6 percent of Iraqs population in the 1970s were Christian, and some of Saddam Husseins most prominent officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz were Christians. But since the American invasion of Iraq, Christians have fled in droves, and constitute less than one percent of the population. Total population, including non-Christians: 27 millionChaldean: 350,000 – 500,000Armenian Orthodox: 32,000 – 50,000Assyrian: 30,000Several thousand Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Protestant. Jordan As elsewhere in the Middle East, the number of Jordan’s Christians has been declining. Jordan’s attitude toward Christians had been relatively tolerant. That changed in 2008 with the expulsion of 30 Christian religious workers and an increase in religious persecutions overall. Total population, including non-Christians: 5.5 millionGreek Orthodox: 100,000Latin: 30,000Melkite: 10,000Protestant Evangelical: 12,000

Hamlet by Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hamlet by Shakespeare - Essay Example From this study it is clear that Hamlet seems to be seduced, as well as repelled by the notion of suicid. In the gravedigger scene, in Act 5, Hamlet seems captivated by the reality of death. Although Hamlet’s fascination with death is intensely entrenched in his character, such fascination could also be a result of his grief following his father’s untimely death. In a sense, Hamlet is an extended dialogue between Hamlet and the element of death. This paper will examine how death permeates Hamlet from the opening scene to the end of the play. Death, in Hamlet, comes with a set of consequences that ultimately affect all characters and the nation, as well.As the essay stresses  death permeates Hamlet from the opening scene when Hamlet’s dead father appears to Hamlet and introduces the aspect of death and its consequences. The ghost of Hamlet’s father signifies a disruption to the conventional social order. This form of disruption emanates from the unnatural death of the country’s (Denmark) figurehead and which is soon followed by a wave of revenge, suicide and accidental deaths. Perhaps Hamlet’s most powerful reflection on death comes in Act 4. Here, Hamlet refuses to tell Claudius where he hid Polonius body. The theme of death is perhaps the main theme of Hamlet especially considering that the plot of the play is set in motion by the unnatural death of Hamlet’s father. Throughout the play, we encounter a number of deaths, either from suicide or murder.  ... Death emerges in the play once again as Hamlet arranges to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed. However, the notion of spiritual terror keeps characters such as Hamlet from committing suicide despite their despair. Such terror emerges as Hamlet finds himself in a difficult position of desiring his death, but also fearing death intensely. This form of double pressure provides the play most of its drama and thrill. However, the aspect of death that Hamlet finds most intriguing is its bodily reality as he argues that mankind is ultimately made of meat and bone, but no matter how much humans value their bodies, they are innately decomposing machines (Act 5). In the scene at the graveyard, Hamlet’s fascination with death emerges as he ponders over Yorick’s skull asking whether a piece of the skull or dead earth has any personality or connection to a being. Hamlet ponders the spiritual aftermath of death as embodied in the form of a ghost and physical aftermath embodied in physical remainders such as the decaying corpses and Yorick’s skull. Moreover, the theme of suicide serves to augment the element of death in Hamlet. Just like the theme of madness, the theme of suicide links characters such as Ophelia and Hamlet and typically shapes the concerns of the play on a larger scale. This is because Ophelia perhaps commits suicide although the act is shrouded in mystery. Hamlet, on the other hand, merely contemplates suicide but is too scared by the notion of death and the spiritual ramifications of suicide to commit it. In both Hamlet and Ophelia’s cases, the most significant outcome of suicide is its religious ramifications. Within Hamlet’s two suicide soliloquies, he reflects on religious mysteries and laws that argue that the

Virtue Ethics and Mattel's Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtue Ethics and Mattel's Case - Essay Example Truthfulness also means reporting regularly to the board of directors and top management, who at the beginning of GMP, were dedicated to realizing the virtues of their program. They wanted business ethics that had clear standards and measures, and Sethi et al. (2011) helped provide those necessities. The main concern with GMP is the clash between the truthfulness principle and actual reporting practices. After finding problems with one of Mexico’s Mattel plants, operational level managers greatly pressured MIMCO to change its draft report, and suggested that the council overreacted to â€Å"isolated instances† (Sethi et al., 2011, p. 497). MIMCO received a â€Å"list of changes in language† and were asked to include them in the draft report (Sethi et al., 2011, p. 497). This challenge shows the difference between operational managers’ and top management’s commitment to GMP. Apparently, commitment discrepancy exists between the top and operational ma nagers, which undermine the truthfulness of GMP. Courage is another virtue that does not depend sacrificing people’s lives, but on moral courage, where people are not afraid to know and to accept the truth, as well as to use the truth to do what is right (Harper, 2008, p. 197). Solomon (1993) argued that moral courage concerns a process of understanding the big picture, the mission and goals of the organization, and how the organization can attain the best intentions (p. 48). It refers to sticking to the best intentions, however difficult it might be. Being courageous can then be related to truthfulness, because the brave does not fear the truth. When Mattel asked Sethi to lead the...Justice is fundamental to Mattel because it affects GMP’s policies, procedures, and outcomes. Justice concerns being fair to others and responding to unjust policies, procedures, and outcomes. In business, justice refers to the rules and procedures that people use to attain justice, when m aking decisions . Justice concentrates on giving people what is due to them, by respecting their rights and fairly rewarding perceived performance in the workplace. To evaluate the fairness of ethical decisions, three kinds of justice are often used. Distributive justice is the first form of justice, and it pertains to evaluating the outcomes of business decisions and transactions. For Mattel, it seeks to promote distributive justice because it is concerned about the equity of its decision outcomes. The company promotes fair hiring and workplace conditions, for instance, that served workers’ interests. On the contrary, Mattel cannot attain distributive justice, when its licensees are concerned. GMP applied only to companies owned and/or managed by Mattel, which does not include licensees. Justice for all employees cannot be attained through selective auditing policies.

Men and Women in Nontraditional Sports as Portrayed in Film Essay

Men and Women in Nontraditional Sports as Portrayed in Film Women and men play various sports because they as Americans want to experience the excitement of playing for fun, and doing something they love. The idea of what men and women can do for fun in sports has been shaped by the American society in many different ways through the media, schooling and education, and professional sports organizations. America portrays women playing field hockey and doing synchronized swimming while men do boxing, and body building. If a woman chooses to do boxing because to her it is fun and if a man chooses synchronized swimming because he likes it, they face many cultural costs and benefits of choosing this sport. Society does not like change and holds female athletes up to ideals such as being beautiful, graceful, and healthy. Male athletes are held to ideals such as strong, aggressive, and powerful. People who choose to play non-traditional sports risk being judged by society as unnatural and homosexual, instead of being viewed as an athlete who is spec ial and unique, they are often subjected to unwanted sexual advances and assumptions. The benefit of doing an untraditional sport is that you are able to do something you love. As a result of people who do non-traditional sports, they open the doors for future generations of women and men who might want do play an non-traditional sport. The movie, "Pumping Iron II" is an example of women doing bodybuilding which is considered a non-traditional sport. Images of muscular women are viewed by some people as threatening and imitating. The benefit of this non-traditional sport is that it forces us to question our thoughts about women and what they are. We must ask, what is a woman? Bodybuildi... ...ach step in athletics for women is a fight. Title IX did not solve all the problems as colleges and schools across the country have an equal number of sports for men and women. Over time women's athletics have acquired this image that is negative and often times drives women away from playing sports at all. We need to change this negative image so more women will be conformable doing the sports they love. Women playing un-traditional sports are a start in this process. Along with the cost of playing non-traditional sports that are sometimes harmful, there will be a benefit no matter the consequences. The benefit of women playing freely, without the fear of being judged or hurt by other people is a benefit that is superior than all the obstacle women go through. It is my hope that someday women will be able to play freely, and in hopes in having fun playing the game.

A Critical Review of Erikson’sTheory Essay

The Psychosocial Stages of Development is Erik Erikson’s major contribution to personality formation. According to his theory, an individual passes through eight stages of development. Each stage has its own unique characteristics. This paper will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of Erikson’s Theory as well as its application to adult learning and in real life. A Critical Review of Erikson’sTheory Erik Erikson’s Theory Explained Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development holds a significant place as far as studying and understanding human development is concerned. His place in psychology cannot be discounted because of the contribution he gave to the field. Although Erikson’s theory is similar in some aspects with other personality development theories, there are some unique distinctions as well(Marshall, n.d). His theory is comparable with Freud’s theory in a sense that both of them believed that the development of an individual passes through various stages. The difference between the two theories is that while Freud’s development stages focus on the libido or sexual drives, Erikson’s psychosocial stages focuses on the evolution of social traits(Marshall, n.d). According to Erikson’s theory, an individual passes through eight critical stages throughout his life. Each of these stages have their own unique attributes and time period. As the individual goes through each development stage, their ultimate goal is to successfully complete each stage before they can proceed to the next. Failure to complete a stage may have unfavorable outcomes to the individual(Chapman, n.d). For instance, in Erikson’s sixth stage of development which is Intimacy vs. Isolation, the failure of the child to develop socialization skills or the ability to form relationships may cause him to become a loner, individualistic, uncomfortable with other people, and others(Chapman, n.d). Erikson’s theory indicates that throughout the life of an individual, they will experience a certain crisis. In the development stage mentioned above, the conflict they experience is their inability to develop social skills(Chapman, n.d). Application to Adult Education The psychosocial stages of Erik Erikson is an implication that the formation of individual personality does not stop in childhood but is a lifelong process. The negative consequences of incomplete stages may manifest themselves during the later stages of life which is why it is important to as much as possible succeed in each stage(Chapman, n.d). For individuals who successfully completed each stage, they will have an idea of what to do when they are faced with a similar situation. Most of the time, these individuals tend to be stronger amidst the adversities of life(Chapman, n.d). Another implication of Erikson’s Psychosocial stages of development is that the person will have a better understanding of themselves, their strengths, weaknesses, their skills, abilities, and others(Chapman, n.d). Critical Analysis of the Theory An in-depth criticism of Erikson’s theory is presented by Professor George Boree of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. He raised the following points concerning the psychosocial stages of Erikson(Boeree, n.d): Things happen in a certain sequence and not because of biological programming. For example, one cannot have the ability to love unless they have developed sexual maturity. The timing for each stage may vary from one culture to another. For instance, a baby can start talking earlier or much later than what is indicated. Nowadays, people get married even before reaching 18 or 21 years old. Erikson’s theory is applicable and useful to various cultures and in any period. It is applicable to current and future generations. Conclusion   Understanding of the self is a life-long process. It does not stop at Stage Eight of Erikson’s Psychosocial Development. Likewise, identity crisis can take place at any point of life. The most important thing is that parents play a major influence in the successful formation of their child’s personality. References Boeree, G(n.d). Erik Erikson. Shippensburg University. Retrieved July 2 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/perscontents.html Chapman, A(n.d). Erikson’s Psychosocial   Ã‚  Ã‚   Development Theory. Businessballs.com. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   July 2 2008 from http://www.businessballs.com/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm#freud’s_psychosexual_stages Marshall, J(n.d). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. Kid’s Development. Retrieved July   Ã‚   2 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.kidsdevelopment.co.uk/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   EriksonsPsychosocialDevelopmentTheory.html