Women in Edgar Allen Poes Literature

Women in Edgar Allen Poes Literature Poe Can Do It People dont know the mysteries behind Edgar Allen Poes writings. Many believe that Poe was a Gothic writer, but I believe he was more than that. Edgar Allen Poe was a realist, a person who was trying to deal with the trauma in his life by writing. Edgar Allan Poe is not a straight forward author, he is a read between the lines type of author. His writing is the mystery and his readers are the detectives, it is up to us to figure out the meaning for the stories. Poe wants the readers to break down his story and question everything. By using one form of Critical Approaches, I will solve the mystery behind one of Poes best stories, The Tell- Tale Heart. Many believe that the unknown narrator was a man, but I beg to differ. There are so many different elements in this story that shows that the narrator could indeed be a woman. By using feministic criticism, I will question the gender of the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His father, David Poe Jr., had left long before he was born, and his mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe died of tuberculosis when Poe was only three years old. Poe was an orphan until he was adopted by the Allan Family, which separated him from his biological siblings. John and Francis Allan took Poe into the family and expected him to take on the family business, selling tobacco. Edgar did not have intentions on being a part of the family business, because his dream was to become a writer. Edgar went to the University of Virginia in 1826, and soon after school moved back to his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Edgar was a writer and his greatest inspiration was the women in his life. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was young, his fiancà © got married to another man while he was at the University of Virginia, and his adopted mother died of tuberculosis in 1829. The women in his life always seemed to leave him and all he wanted was love, but there was one woman who truly grabbed at his heart, Virginia Eliza Clemm. He got married to his cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, when she was thirteen years old and he was twenty seven. Many said that the happily married couple had more of a brother- sister type of relationship. In fact, it is said that before Edgar even decided that he wanted to marry his beautiful young cousin she was arranged to have a fixed marriage, there was no evidence found to identify the man only sources that say that the man was much older than Poe at the time. Virginia Poe was diagnosed with an illness in 1842, and she died five years later after her illness became more severe. The Tell-Tale Heart was made in 1843, many see it is a story about a madman who is insane and fulfills his desires to kill by murdering the elderly man that he is caring for, but I see it as a dedication to his wife. Women were supposed to be seen and not heard, not to question the authority of the man in their families, and their goals is to live up to the standards that society has brainwashed you into believing. That was the way that women were supposed to behave during that period, at least until the Womens Revolution in the 1900s. Men did not see their women as individuals, but more like trophies or property. The men of that era would probably have a heart attack if he met a modern-day woman, many men with the exception of one, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe loved his wife and did anything, and everything to please his wife, he let her have complete control because in his eyes she was his queen until tragedy struck. In 1842 of January, Virginia Poe was diagnosed with tuberculosis and soon after went into a deep depression, Edgar did not know what to do so he created a story, The Tell-Tale Heart. The Tell-Tale Heart is a story about the insanity of a person who grows an obsession with an old mans eye, and the sound of his beating heart, but I believe that it is more than that. The Tell-Tale Heart was a story for Poes young love, Virginia. It is a story that puts her in a perspective where she is given control at a time where she is at her weakest. The gender of the narrator was never classified but people just predicted that the narrator was a male, because no one thought a female could commit such a crime because it was so vulgar. The use of the words conceived and passion are affiliated with a woman for they are very passionate, and are the only human beings in the whole entire world who can give birth. At the end of the story the narrator admits that they committed the crime, in a way it is saying that the reason why the narrator confessed at the end of the story is because she could not contain the guilt that she felt inside, because she is weak. If you truly think about the wife could have indeed been the narrator, and the elderly man, but the policemen were societies views of women. Society at the time would have laughed, and shamed a woman for even thinking that she could possess that type of power to be violent, especially towards a man. The elderly man is slowly dying; Virginia is also slowly dying. The narrator is insane; Virginia is upset that she it dying, The narrator is irritated with the eye of the elderly man; Virginia would rather avoid the truth of her health, and when the narrator becomes obsessed with the beating heart of the elderly man, it is really just Virginia who was depressed realizing that she is not dead yet, even though she is acting as if she is. Edgar Allan Poe was a man of mystery, but he was also a man full of love for his wife. He changed the way of literature by writing famous pieces without people even knowing the true meaning behind the story. The narrator could have easily been a woman forced into a loveless marriage who finally decided she was tired of him, or a nurse/maid who had to care for this creepy old man, who was sick of getting sexually harassed every day to the point of insanity. Either way it goes it could have been a man as much as it could have been a woman. But knowing the history behind Poe and the love that he had for his sweet Virginia, there is no way this narrator could have possibly been about anyone else, especially when the evidence is so obvious. He wrote this piece to try to give his ill wife happiness, it is not a random story about a crazy madman who is obsessed with the eye of an elderly man, it is so much more. Edgar Allan Poe is a man of mystery, but one secret that wasnt a mystery was th e love that he had for his darling wife. Work Cited Bloom, Harold, ed. The Tell-Tale Heart. Edgar Allan Poe, Blooms Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1998. Blooms Literature, Facts On File, Inc. www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54WID=99152SID=5iPin=BMSSEP17SingleRecord=True. Rajan, Gita. A Feminist Rereading of Poes The Tell-Tale Heart. The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories, New Edition. 24.3(1998): 283-300. Print. Werlock, Abby H. P. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Blooms Literature, Facts On File, Inc. www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54WID=99152SID=5iPin=CASS678SingleRecord=True.

Free Narrative Essays - Canoeing :: Personal Narrative Essays

Canoeing: A to Z We were practicing methods of paddling Ruth Elvedt discusses in her book, Canoeing: A to Z. We did the side stroke, which pulls the canoe sideways. We did the back stroke, which makes the canoe reverse course. We also did the classic forward stroke to go forward. We became quite proficient in the art of spinning the canoe around in circles from combining the methods Ms. Elvedt discusses in her book. The numerous people who were floating close by laughed at us and called us idiots because of our unique practice of paddling. We interviewed Rich's uncle, Earl Keys, who claims to have floated The Current over a hundred times, prior to our departure for the river. He had warned us when we questioned him about his numerous float trips down Current River to be extremely careful when we came to a fast moving bend in the river called Wallace's Point. He said, "Wallace's Point is lined with so many root wads (root wads are clumps of tree stumps, roots, branches, leaves, and whatever else might float down the river) along the banks, and it has so many sunken canoes and sunken logs along it's main channel that safe passage through it is impossible - unless you stick to the right side of the bend." As we neared the end of a long straight away in the river, I noticed the speed of the water was increasing exponentially. A look farther down the river told me what I had been dreading this whole trip now lay before us, and we were going into Wallace's Point from the wrong side of the river! "Rich! Back-right stroke! Back-right stroke! Hurry! Don't you see that we're going in the wrong way? BACK-RIGHT STROKE!" I bellowed as a rush of excitement and worry hit me. "Hey, take it easy man. We can do this. We'll just paddle like crazy to the other side. Got it?" was Rich's unusually calm reply to my maniacal outburst. So we both put our backs into it and made it to the other side of the river; however, before we knew it we were moving faster than most people can run, and steering the canoe was becoming very

Aquinas †Wealth and Power Essay

In Question II, Thomas Aquinas breaks down the complex question of where or in what man’s happiness consists, mainly by emphasizing wealth and power. While people dream of obtaining both wealth and power in their life, Aquinas emphasizes that both are neither good nor bad, and both make up a means to an end. Aquinas argues that happiness does not consist in â€Å"wealth† or â€Å"power†, yet presents another argument where he states that happiness can, indeed, be associated with wealth and power. Aquinas begins his second question and first article by pondering the question of whether happiness consists in wealth. He breaks down the two types of wealth into artificial and natural. He describes natural wealth as something that â€Å"relieves man’s natural needs, such as food, drink, clothing, travel, shelter and so on.† In other words, natural wealth fulfills the needs of humans to live and â€Å"cannot be man’s ultimate end.† On the other hand, artificial wealth is â€Å"sought only for the sake of natural wealth.† Augustine argues that a man would have no artificial wealth unless he had natural wealth to begin with. With natural wealth, there is a finite amount of objects one needs in order to survive. For example, a person doesn’t not need to buy several large pizzas to satisfy their hunger, just a few slices to get some food in their stomach and go on with their day. On the other hand, artificial wealth revolves around objects for which people have endless desires for, such as money. There are some people in society who feel that the only thing that matters in life is the amount of money you can earn before you die, just a dollar sign. However, money cannot buy happiness, wisdom, strong relationships, or virtue. Augustine backs up this point by quoting Proverbs 17:16 â€Å"What does it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom?† Aquinas takes into account the arguments that say that happiness can, in fact, consist of riches by offering examples such as â€Å"all things obey money† (Ecclesiastes 10:19). Although he covers both possible sides, he offers his own stance on the question in his response where he covers the differences between artificial and natural wealth. In Aquinas’ fourth article, he discusses the question of whether happiness consists in power. He argues that it is impossible to have happiness in power for two reasons. The first is that â€Å"power has the nature of a principle, whereas happiness has the nature of an ultimate end,† emphasizing that power is a means to an end. Second, he states that power is both good and evil and â€Å"happiness is the proper and perfect good of man.† Although the hook for a popular song, the quote â€Å"no one man should have all that power† uniquely resonates in Aquinas’ argument against happiness consisting of power. People may believe that if they have a greater sense of power, then they feel more important and â€Å"happier.† The more powerful someone grows, the greater their fear grows of losing the very power they obsess over. A classic example from history is Joseph Stalin’s command over Russia. He was given so much power on behalf of the communist USSR that he let his sense of power overcome him. When he had caught word that there was someone planning a revolution in his cabinet, he had every single one of his high commanding officers killed. Very simply, power makes people do very abnormal things to remain in their high position. However, Aquinas argues that power can’t solve every problem in a person’s life. To quote Og Mandino, â€Å"All the gold in the world cannot buy a dying man one more breath– so what does that make today worth?† This quote accurately depicts that no matter how much power and wealth someone has, it all means nothing when you are facing death. Although one may seem highly satisfied with the power he possess, it is easily revocable and those with power fear they will lose it. Aquinas presents that questions of whether happiness consists of â€Å"wealth† and â€Å"power† and presents firm arguments against each. Although he may find faults with each idea, especially the warnings of the abundant use of wealth and power, his idea still remains that both â€Å"wealth† and â€Å"power† are neither good nor bad things. For example, if a man is making enough money to feed his family and make a living for himself, that is a fine example of using wealth for good. However, Aquinas reminds us of the arguments against having â€Å"wealth† and â€Å"power† makes up a person’s overall happiness. Using both of these values for happiness is simply a means to an end, Thomas Aquinas emphasizes that these things do not lead to everlasting happiness, an argument that I agree with.

The eNotes Blog Why I Keep Rereading JaneEyre

Why I Keep Rereading JaneEyre Booklovers all have stories we return to over and over again. One of mine is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà «- but I don’t just reread it, I revisit it like a friend. I read my favorite chapters when I’m lonely, consult it when I need advice, turn to it when I feel lost or need comfort. Though it’s over 150 years old, I still find something new and relevant in it each time. Gothic Elements I first read Jane Eyre when I was fifteen, and it’s remained my favorite novel since then. I love it for the characters and atmosphere- Jane’s fierce independence, her romance with Rochester, the gothic allure of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s writing- but also for the way those things have challenged me. One of the first things that struck me about the novel is the fantastical and gothic elements and how they’re included in the story. From the ghostly red room to Jane and Rochester’s eerie, moonlit meeting to Rochester’s frequent teasings that Jane is one of the fairy folk, fantasy is part of the everyday in Jane Eyre. Victorian Conventions This isn’t entirely unusual for a novel from the Victorian era: Victorians loved fairy tales. Andrew Lang’s fairy tale collections, Christina Rossetti’s poem â€Å"Goblin Market,† and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are all products of the Victorian fascination with fantasy. But the way Brontà « portrays the fantastic elements goes deeper than surface level. Jane and Rochester’s relationship contains elements of mysticism- from Rochester’s humorous impersonation of a fortune teller to the way Jane and Rochester, agonizing over losing each other, each hear the other’s voice calling to them during their separation. These things are eerie and beautiful; they render the love story impossible to contain in earthly bonds. In this way and others, the novel depicts romance quite differently from the Victorian norm. This is one reason the novel was so popular (and criticized by some) after it was published. Jane and Rochester’s relationship is powerful and intense from the start, and Brontà « wrote it with a fiery passion woven into the words on the page. It’s partly the restraint and tension that make it so intense, but I still marvel at how moving it is even to modern-day readers who aren’t used to the same censors on romantic and sexual content that Victorian readers were. Romance and Subverted Power Dynamics I especially love how Jane and Rochester develop feelings for each other not because of shallow physical attraction but because of a much deeper kind. I’ll call it an understanding: At their cores, they understand each other in an almost mystical way. Their relationship is based in intellect, in challenging each other to think differently and in talking about issues and philosophical ideas that matter to them. At fifteen, this kind of basis for love was foreign to me; at almost twenty-eight, I’ve still never read another love story quite like it. It represents a bond that transcends the normal human experience, and I think it’s utterly beautiful. I also appreciate the frank, unflinching way Brontà « explored power dynamics in Jane and Rochester’s relationship, including the initial imbalance of power between them. One scene that stands out is when Rochester threatens sexual violence when Jane announces she’s leaving him. (The movie adaptations usually gloss over this scene.) Rochester is both a hero and a villain in the novel, and I love that Brontà « depicted the more troublesome aspects of his character and built a relationship between him and Jane that is complex, layered, and utterly imperfect. Some readers see Rochester’s maiming and blinding as a way to â€Å"lower† him to Jane’s level- the level of a woman in Victorian society- and look upon this choice by Brontà « unfavorably, but I have a different take. I see it as Rochester being cleansed (literally in fire, even) for his sins, having to shed his controlling nature and toxic masculinity in order to deserve Jane as his equal and partner. His wounds are his battle scars, his reminder of what he has learned and overcome. While there are problematic elements to the way Brontà « refers to Rochester’s disabilities, there is also something powerful in this message. In Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s time, a man of Rochester’s wealth and social standing would have been considered far too good to marry a servant like Jane, and this cultural aspect is explored in the novel. However, Brontà « subverts this norm when she shows readers that it was actually Rochester who had to prove his worth to Jane. The main aspect of the novel I turn to during times of sadness or stress is Jane’s determination to live by her own moral code. Though she is influenced by her religious beliefs and the norms of the time, she also makes her own decisions. She chooses not to marry St. John because she doesn’t love him romantically. She chooses to return to Rochester not knowing he no longer has a wife. Her strength and strong will have always been reminders to me to live my life according to my own moral code: to trust in myself and to find strength in my own independence. Feeling like rereading  Jane Eyre? Check out the  complete annotated text  of Jane Eyre  on !

The Many Personalities of Midaq Alley essays

The Many Personalities of Midaq Alley essays The setting of the novel Midaq Alley, by Naguib Mahfouz, may seem like an ordinary and lifeless place at first, with its main street, Sandiqiya Street, consisting of a shop, a caf, and a bakery, another shop...[and] two adjoining houses, each of three stories,(p.1) but this alley is anything but dull. Midaq Alley is a distinctive and personal [place with a] life of its own (p.1) and this unique personality created quite a different array of emotions amongst its characters in the book. Three of the characters in the novel, Hussain Kirsha, Abbas, and Hamida all have distinctly different views of the alley; Hussain Kirsha has a somewhat wavering feeling towards the alley that can be simplistically described as neutral. There is also Abbas, a tranquil and religiously devout Muslim who loves the alley and everything it represents, who, ironically, falls in love with Hamida, a young woman who exceedingly resents the alley. Hussain Kirsha is unimpressed by the alley and wants to and is able to, at first, move on to a more luxurious life. After working in a bicycle store as a younger boy making three piasters...his daily wages were now thirty piasters, (p.32) working in a British army camp. Hussain Kirsha has a bitter resentment towards those of the ally, finding himself full of hostility for the alley and its inhabitants.(p.112) And even though after a fight with his parents, he leaves the alley, by the end of the book, he returns to the alley. While he may not be fully satisfied with his situation, i.e. living in the alley, it is something that he accepts. While Hussain Kirsha made futile attempts to leave the alley, Abbas, on the other hand, if he were left to himself...would make no choice other than the alley. If he spent the rest of his life there, he would be quite happy. The truth was, he loved it.(p.36) Compared to what was going ...

Reaction paper on the documentary called The corporation Essay

Reaction paper on the documentary called The corporation - Essay Example These are just a few of the mind games businesses use as bait to catch the big fish in a sea of high-potential buying power of consumers today. With this said, understanding what goes into the process of the â€Å"prey-predator† in the business kingdom & how the predator uses temptation to blur the lines between â€Å"needs† and â€Å"wants† is crucial for everyone as consumers to know when to take a bite and when to commit to a non-indulgent fast. The Corporation documentary written by Joel Bakan and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott shows they are up to one thing in producing this material – to breach into the politics of the pursuit of power and profit of businesses today. First of the points this documentary has tackled that is worthy of notice would be the difference in the business environment before and today. In the past, all that a business would pursue would be to breakeven from the cost of operating the business and earning beyond that was considered a bonus. However, contemporary businesses today, I believe spend half the time minding their own business and the other half monitoring their competitors’ moves and constantly on the lookout for events that they could use to benefit them. Just like dirty politics as we call it, there are a lot of hidden secrets to the success and downfall of business tycoons. Some of the well-kept secrets that have been revealed by this documentary would be the reality of the bargaining activities of corporations to fight for their rights that human beings alike enjoy, the business hoax against the United States President Franklin Roosevelt, the suppression of a news-worthy story of a television station so they could protect certain parties affiliated to them, and the most trivial among all would be the alleged involvement of IBM in the historical Nazi holocaust that destroyed so many lives (Bakan, J.). Indeed, what can be a matter of just being provided quality products and s ervices for consumers like us could come from controversial undertakings waiting to be avenged. The second point that awakened my cognizance was when the writer of the documentary tagged corporations today as either being a person or a psychopath (Bakan, J.). It was for me automatic to comprehend how corporations are so much like people. They have rights to intellectual property, tangible properties, properties that are backed up by contracts and trusts which a company could always fight for to propel a peaceful and at the same time speedy development of their business. Aside from that, just like people, corporations have certain needs that would smoothly fit Maslow’s hierarchy – Physiological needs that pertains to legal documents, capital, manpower, & goods needed before they could start operating the business; Safety from market-reach-devouring competitors; The need for belongingness in a certain business category, being fully equipped for competition; Achieving utm ost self-esteem by being top of mind of not only one’s chosen target market but including those that are not; And lastly, the highest would be self-actualization where competitors’ moves does not directly affect one’s business performance anymore. However, what is naked to consumers’ eyes would be when corporations start being a psychopath. This could be

Strategic Management of DL Limited Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategic Management of DL Limited - Assignment Example The researcher states that the term ‘strategy’ is defined as the plan or the action of the organisations designed to achieve the vission of an organisation. It is performed with the help of all available organisational resources at efficient and effective manner so as to attain the objectives of the organisation. Strategies are developed or planned in order to enhance the strength of an organisation thereby reducing the potencies of the competiting firms. Thus, strategies might be of varied types such as corporate, businessunit and operational approaches among others. Strategy facilitates in augmentation of the sustianability and corporate image of an organisation in the long run among other competitors. Therefore, proper examination, selection and execution of a strategy are basic constitents of strategic management. Strategic management is odten referred as a term that deals with projected and evolving initiatives taken to augment the performance of ï ¬ rms in the ma rkets. It involves identification of the organisation's mission, vision and goals, policies and plans, intended to accomplish the future objectives thereby utilising the avalilable resources in an efficient manner. Strategic management is a continuous procedure of developement of strategies and policies that facilitates to compete with the existing rivals in the market thereby ensuring the market share and the brand distinctiveness among others in the market. ... This is a report highlighting the preparation of a strategic plan for ‘DL Limited’, thereby utilising varied ideas and knoweledges of strategic management so as to make the plan more proficient and effective. Discussion Strategic management refers a collection of decisions and operations which is accepted so as to improve the performance of an organisation.. The strategies are formulated after taking a descriptive knowledge and understanding about the environmental conditions of the market. This can be attained after conducting a SWOT analysis so as to acquire a detailed idea about the strengths and weaknesses thereby maximising the opportunities and minimising the threaths. Thus, strategic management includes planning for both present and future prospects of an organisation. Strategic management includes strategic analysis, planning and implementation so as to enhance the profitability and the marketshare among others. This can be possible only through proper decision m aking process and proper analysis of the market along with the rival competitors’ approaches and product lines so as to ensure positive future prospects for the organisation (Wells, n.d.). In this era of globalisation and industrialisation, it is essential to implement strategic planning process in order to enhance the business and its market identity among other competiting brands. Strategic planning is referred to as an organisation's procedure of defining its policies, or trends necessary for decision making so as to utilise its resources to attain the future strategies. In order to determine the future courses of an organisation, it is essential to realise the existing position and financial condition which would facilitate the