Mat English Essay on George Sand

The importance of cherishing the invaluable individuals in one’s life is apparent in Matthew Teague’s personal journey of his wife’s battle against cancer and a genuine friendship. “The Friend” depicts emotional appeal, comparisons, and vivid imagery to portray the significance of valuing loved ones. There is no single definition for a loved one. A spouse, children, family, friends, the reciprocated love can build everlasting bonds, but why is it so important to treasure the relationships we have? Just because they are family, it may not signify that we love them; just because they are acquaintances, it does not necessarily indicate that we have a type of love for them either. The pure love we possess for someone is rare and never chosen or obliged, so this valuable love should be nurtured, for people are bound within unpredictable time limits. Nichole’s, Teague’s wife’s, diagnosis of cancer was a realization for him that his days with her were numbered. Along the way, Dane Faucheux, the couple’s friend, was devoted to aiding the Teague family during their struggling time. Faucheux’s undisputed support for Teague and his family surprised him numerous times throughout their experience. This love in the sublime story is seeped with appreciation for those Teague values in his life. The realization and worth of his deep endearment for his family and friend is transferred to the reader, and he or she begins to realize the reality of the given time to value those who are most important.

Throughout history, our society has created gender norms that are followed consistently by members of communities. Though they differ from place to place, we recognize trends that seem almost prescribed to certain genders. Specifically, in the 1600s, men and women had explicit roles that were designated by people of stature. These expectations were followed loyally and people who failed to follow suit were shunned or sometimes even suffered seriously punishment including crude public beatings that were mot only pain inflicting but also status damaging (Rocke, Gender and Sexual Culture, 159). Looking deeper into the novel The Return of Martin Guerre, we identify from the start the expectations that are in place and how they play a role in the story. In comparison of Characters, taking into consideration the standard that had been set for men of this era, we notice that Pansette (Arnaud du Tilh) is an almost faultless example of what is expected for men and in contrast, Martin Guerre fails to meet these standards.

The heroine, Mrs. P, has some carries some characteristics parallel to Louise Mallard in “Hour.” The women of her time are limited by cultural convention. Yet, Mrs. P, (like Louise) begins to experience a new freedom of imagination, a zest for life , in the immediate absence of her husband. She realizes, through interior monologues, that she has been held back, that her station in life cannot and will not afford her the kind of freedom to explore freely and openly the emotions that are as much a part of her as they are not a part of Leonce. Here is a primary irony.

Masculinity is represented in various ways within The Lais of Marie de France. Masculinity is sometimes depicted in untraditional ways through animal representation, the dominance of women, and in negative a light through the prideful and selfish acts of the male characters. The qualities, which are often seen as manly, are quite apparent in an animalistic form of masculinity in the deer in “Guigemar,” in comparison to the female lover. The women in “Lanval” show a sense of manhood in their authority and power over the situations of the story. “Les Deus Amanz” tells a poignant story of two men, and how their over masculine traits of pride, jealousy, and possessiveness lead them to the exact places in which they were avoiding all along. All

In his novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Patrick Süskind chooses third person narration to tell the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. And though Grenouille is the character at which the story is based upon, we are also taken through the minds and actions of other characters through the unlimited knowledge of an omniscient narrative voice. By seeing and smelling the world through Grenouille’s eyes and nose while at the same time having it told through several characters instead of him alone, we are somewhat left detached from Grenouille from the very beginning, which only enhances the lack of sympathy and

Love waxes timeless. It is passionate and forbidden and a true head rush. Marriage, on the other hand, is practical, safe, a ride up the socioeconomic ladder. In "The Other Paris," Mavis Gallant weaves the tale of Carol and Howard, a fictional couple who stand on the verge of a loveless marriage, to symbolize the misguided actions of the men and women in the reality of the 1950s, the story's setting. By employing stereotypical, ignorant, and altogether uninteresting characters, Gallant highlights the distinction between reality and imagination and through the mishaps and lack of passion in their courtship mockingly comments on society?s views of love and marriage.

She realises her role as the wife of Martin Guerre, “she understood her position in the household, [a] part of [the] structure.” However, once Martin defects from the manor, she is subservient to the condemnation she receives from Monsier Guerre anger that “[his] son should become a thief is [his] greatest shame.” Bertrande’s plight mirrors the issue of a woman’s place in society and challenging the ideology of a restricted homemaker role with a lack of control over life choices and education. Lewis considers the strength needed in order to defy the constraints society places one into and the potential a woman has to independence. Lewis teaches her readers the tenacity one must have in adversity, disregarding the restrictions placed upon a person’s gender.

During the medieval times, Marie de France, unlike the male writers of her time, wrote courtly stories that depicted women who were predominantly featured in the primary roles with empathy and questioned the sexist predicaments women were often subjected to. Women often times struggled to find their voice, but her stories told the perseverance and progress within those constraints. Instead, she wrote of men idealizing wealthy, powerful, independent, beautiful women. She inserts the thoughts and feelings from a woman’s perspective. In a sense, giving women the voice they strived to have heard in a male dominated time period. As Damon stated in the article “Marie de France: Psychologist of Courtly Love,” “Contemporary readers might have noted that the characters departed occasionally from the established laws of courtly conduct; none the less, as all such departures were towards reality, they were welcomed.” She opened the door for women’s self-expression and individual achievement. Marie de France’s popular adulterous love stories bring about many fascinating ethical questions.

Madame Reisz is the representation of the social consequences of insisting on a developed self. Though she is a talented artist, she is also depicted as disagreeable and rude. Unsurprisingly, she is often alone. By contrast, the Ratignolles are a prime example of the Victorian family. Adele is a living bourgeois picture of a woman and, along with her husband, represents the expected patriarchal family: “The Ratignolles understood each other perfectly. If ever the fusion of two human beings into one has been accomplished on this sphere it was surely in their union”. Madames Reisz and Ratignolle “not only represent important alternative roles and influences, but they suggest different plots and conclusions.” Although Edna can embrace neither of these extremes, she does not. The narrator’s point of view is not explicitly judgmental, but Edna lies between the two extremes and one seems to be portrayed in a much more positive way than the other, as we notice by the descriptions granted to both female characters. Reisz is the antithesis of Adele Ratignolle, who is the “embodiment of every womanly grace and

The two main women in Edna’s life serve as foils of each other and static characters to which Edna can compare. Adele Ratignole presents the ideal, socially-accepted woman figure. She exemplifies all that is perfect: devoted wife seeking only to please her spouse, loving mother, knowledgeable, conventional, “mother-woman,” elegant, charming, simple, and servant to both her family and society. Completely opposite of the dependent woman is Mademoiselle Reisz who personifies all that Adele would disgust. Reisz remains isolated from society, shunned as a recluse for her passion of music. She is unpopular, solitary, unmarried, childless, but also courageous, passionate, independent, inspired, and free. The two figures rest on polar ends of a societal spectrum. This distance creates a horrific gap within which Edna finds herself. Edna identifies with both women, having qualities and tendencies of each. This dual connection complicates Edna’s identity; she cannot fully embody either woman type while she possesses qualities of the other. Edna remains in a situation in which success cannot be achieved.

Arnaud du Tihl’s sudden arrival at the village of Artigat originally took Bertrande by surprise. By talking to her about the moments that they had shared, Arnaud gains his new found love’s trust and she warms up to him. Bertrande’s past reveals that she was not interested in taking on the role of wife and mother but this all seems to change when she invites Arnaud into her bed. This uncovers that she is not only to fulfill the gender roles of marriage but has developed a deep love for the new Martin. Davis illustrates this love for the reader by stating that “the new Martin certainly had more to discuss with Bertrande than the crops, the sheep, and the children. Among other things, so one must surmise, they decided to make the invented marriage last” (Davis, 46). It is this developed passion that causes the two to desire to keep their marriage going; they both are happy. All throughout the trial of Arnaud du Tihl, the compassion they share does not falter and they continue expressing the love they had fashioned. Davis stresses how, even with Arnaud waiting on death row, Bertrande risks her social status and her family’s prestige by continuing to care for Arnaud. Her continuing support is demonstrated by Davis when she tells of when “[Bertrande] gives him a white shirt,

In the short story, The Old Chevalier by Isak Dinsen, the male protagonist, Baron von Brackel reflects on his past sexual encounters with two women whose personalities are extremely different from one another. In many novels, short stories and comics authors would create two women as “polar opposites” for a man’s sexual and/or possessive gaze, which is evident in the text. In order to understand, why a man may be attracted to different character traits in women, I will examine The Baron’s attraction to Nathalie and The Mistress by looking at how literary works men portray women, what they find attractive and the fulfilment that men seek from a woman.

Literature includes characters that share common ground but differ for specific reasons. Two characters that are comparable yet distinguished from one another are Madame Loisel and Della Young. These characters are illustrated along with their similar concerns and unique traits and values. Madame Loisel from “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and Della from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry are both emotional, however, their dispositions and values contrast.

In The Sand Child, Tahar Ben Jelloun composes a multi-layered tale about Ahmed, a woman socialized as a man, who struggles to reclaim her sexuality. Ben Jelloun contrasts gender and sexual orientation to suggest that a person’s characteristics can be shaped and changed by will, but his sexuality is predisposed and will be the deciding factor of how he will act and identify himself within his community.

Marianne’s display of responsibility is not consistent, and is very different than her sister’s; unlike Elinor, Marianne lives a