Road To Mecca

The author agrees with the idea of women as victims through the characterisation of women in the short story. The women are portrayed as helpless to the torment inflicted upon them by the boy in the story. This positions readers to feel sympathy for the women but also think of the world outside the text in which women are also seen as inferior to men. “Each season provided him new ways of frightening the little girls who sat in front of him or behind him”. This statement shows that the boy’s primary target were the girls who sat next to him. This supports the tradition idea of women as the victims and compels readers to see that the women in the text are treated more or less the same as the women in the outside world. Characterisation has been used by the author to reinforce the traditional idea of women as the helpless victims.

“Araby,” is a story of emotional passion carefully articulated by the author, James Joyce, to mark the end of childhood and the start of adolescence. It is told from the perspective of a young boy who is filled with lust for his friend, Mangan’s, sister. He lives in a cheerless town on a street hosting simply complacent families who own brown faced houses that stare vacantly into one another. The boy temporarily detaches himself from this gloomy atmosphere and dwells on the keeper of his affection. Only when he journeys to a festival titled Araby, does he realize that his attempt at winning the heart of Mangan’s sister has been done in an act of vanity. Joyce takes advantage of literary elements such as diction and imagery to convey an at times dreary and foolishly optimistic tone.

Alexandra Bergman’s lack of self awareness allows others to forget that she is a woman and, at times, even human, which continuously builds the wall of isolation that surrounds her. As a result, when she reacts to situations as a woman would, rather than as “she” should, those around her don’t know what to make of it. Because she has been such a steady influence for so many years, those around her do not understand that perhaps she did have another dream besides working the land that she seems to care so deeply about. Her brothers in particular are unable to comprehend that Alexandra is a woman and was forced into the life she has lead by their father’s fantasy

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.

For five weeks in 1964 Malcolm X completed the Hajj, a mandatory Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. When he returned from this trip, Malcolm had a different outlook and preached not to just African-Americans but to muslims of all races. It changed Malcolm’s world view and gave him hope for a better future.

By analyzing the construction of gender roles and transformation within the poetic retelling of Snow White by Anne Sexton, we are able to think about these topics in a more honest way that reveals their troublesome nature. First, by connecting presents themes and elements in this modern day version that don’t appear in more classical versions, we are immediately given a more vivid depiction of how characters function. Descriptions of cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper, dwarfs being described as little hot dogs and czars, and the queen eating the boar's heart like a piece of cube steak, are just a few examples of the vivid descriptions that lace this poem. These descriptions pull meaning from more modern day topics, they objectify characters,

William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House are both deemed tragedies, and thus in nature share many similarities. While common knowledge of what characteristics distinguish tragedy from other genres can lead readers and audiences alike to determine that Shakespeare’s Ophelia is a tragic character, it is much more difficult to determine whether or not Ibsen’s female lead character, Nora, is a tragic figure. In order to determine Nora’s status as a tragic figure, she will be compared to Ophelia, and there will be a thorough examination of her Greek tragedy traits. When examining the treatment of these two women, it is easy to recognize resemblances between them, but there are also strong contrasts. While these women face similar situations, their reactions set them apart and differentiate them from one another. Nora resembles Ophelia because she is unable to find a place in society where she can be respected and treated as an equal to a man, instead of being treated like property that is traded and owned. Partially due to the fact that she does not understand how society works, Nora has a weak sense of self. Above all, Nora is a tragic figure because she has a fatal flaw, or hamartia, which is her tendency to be manipulative and secretive. When Nora is compared with Ophelia she is most certainly

According to Amin Maalouf, “It seems clear that the Arab East still sees the West as a natural enemy. Against that enemy, any hostile action-be it political, military, or based on oil-is considered no more than legitimate vengeance. And there can be no doubt that the schism between these two worlds dates from the Crusades, deeply felt by the Arabs, even today, as an act of rape” (Amin Maalouf). When reflecting on The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, this quote always sticks out as the most powerful piece of Maalouf’s work. As a growing college student this quote brings harsh reality to the world I live in. I believe as you grow through life, you become more and more aware of the world around you through education. In order to be aware you must

Torvald would never have thought she were capable of it, since during that era it was unrealistic of women to leave their houses but rather put up with the difficulties they faced. Ibsen highlights society's domineering outlooks of marriage and the interactions of two people naïvely pretending to be in love. Throughout the play Ibsen reveals the fragile attributes of his characters to help enhance the play-like nature of their relationship, the role of women, and Nora's course of self-discovery.

As a proponent of the woman as an individual, Ibsen used symbolism, amplification, and motifs to express his views. In addition he utilized metaphors as he compared Torvald’s view of Nora to a parent’s view of a child, or even to a “doll” (Ibsen 126). Ibsen also had Torvald refer to Nora as an

The mind and mental processes can affect and shape human behavior. Some of the subtlest actions are outcomes of a person’s emotion, treatment, and provide underlying messages unknowingly exhibited and communicated. This occurs internally and is exposed through accidental or unintentional conduct. Hedda Gabler is an affluent European woman living a life of nobility and service. Pampered and easily neglected by her companions, she is unfulfilled by the amount of praise she receives in her household. Her strange and awkward behavior reveals the lack of foundation in her marriage. In Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen uses stage directions to portray Hedda as a furtively vexatious, manipulative, and discontented woman trapped in marriage and in doing

In “A Doll’s House,” Ibsen presents us with the drama of Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife who have been married for eight years and whose lives are controlled by the society in which they live. Their relationship, although seemingly happy, is marred by the constraints of social attitudes around them and their perceived gender roles. Creating even more conflict is the thin veil of deceit between them, which inevitably breaks them apart.

In Ibsen’s work, a second and sometimes third captor also enslaves the character in increasing levels of captivity. The deep oppression of an imprisoned identity forces these characters to make decisions for life or death. The theme of captivity has several applications in the areas of literature and performance. Through an understanding of the literary theme of captivity, the reader will be able to more profoundly connect with the struggles of Ibsen’s female protagonists, and unite this theme of non-physical captivity to the realm of human nature. The actor can also benefit from an increased understanding of the textual theme of captivity in Ibsen’s plays, and portray the character’s mental and emotional bondage through a realistic acting style. The literary idea of non-physical captivity is integral to a significant understanding of Ibsen’s characters, and a meaningful representation of these characters. The theme of captivity begins as a literary tool in the development of the female protagonist through the genius of playwright, Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen’s Life and Times The theme of captivity as a literary tool in the development of the female protagonist comes from a life of bleak circumstances and paramount curiosity: the life of

The character of Nora goes through the dramatic transformation of a kind and loving housewife, to a desperate and bewildered woman, whom will ultimately leave her husband and everything she has known. Ibsen uses both the characters of Torvald and Nora to represent the tones and beliefs of 19th century society. By doing this, Ibsen effectively creates a dramatic argument that continues to this day; that of feminism.

The story “Araby” as told by James Joyce is about a young boy that is fascinated with the girl across the street. But deeper down the story is about a very lonely boy lusting for her love and affection. Throughout the story, we see how the frustration of first love, isolation and high expectations breaks the main character emotionally and physically. James Joyce uses the first-person viewpoint to tell this story which helps influence the plot, characterization, themes, and understanding of the main character.