Life of a Sensuous Woman and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Essay

Ihara Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman written in the 17th century and Mary Woolstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman written in the 18th century are powerful literary works that advocated feminism during the time when women were oppressed members of our societies. These two works have a century old age difference and the authors of both works have made a distinctive attempt to shed a light towards the issues that nobody considered significant during that time. Despite these differences between the two texts, they both skillfully manage to present revolutionary ways women can liberate themselves from oppression laden upon them by the society since the beginning of humanity. In Saikaku’s story Life of a Sensuous Woman, he uses his main character an Old Woman’s story to show how women can be as competent as men if they use their knowledge and experience in a right way. The two men who came to hear the old woman’s story and ask her to help them understand more about life indicates that women do possess the ability to be intellectual and use their knowledge to guide others (Saikaku 594). It is clear that how valuable the old woman’s opinion was to those two men that they came to seek her guidance instead of going to a man. The whole idea of men seeking guidance from a woman during the 17th century is revolutionary. One can comprehend that women are capable of using their knowledge and experience to lead the way to others including men thus becoming a vital member of society. Empowering women continues as the Old Women’s story progresses where Saikaku articulately shows how women can fulfill their own desire and not give into what men expect of them. Old Woman’s young self choosing the exceptional letter writer samu... ...together as equal members of society. Even though the progress has been massive in developed nations, there are still parts of the world that are centuries behind when it comes to women liberation. Therefore, now it is in the hands of liberated ones to pull those who are still living under the cave of oppression and show them the light of liberation. Works Cited Puchner, Martin. Mary Wollstonecraft. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd Ed. Volume D. Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton, 2013. 133. Print. Saikaku, Ihara. Life of a Sensuous Woman. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd Ed. Volume D. Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton, 2013. 591-611. Print. Woolstoncraft, Mary. A Vindication of The Rights of Woman. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd Ed. Volume D. Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton, 2013. 134-136. Print.

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay

One of the most basic principles of American philosophy is the belief that all people are equal. Equal, where every individual is treated fairly and with respect and that all people have equal opportunities in life. Education plays a key role in the future of every individual. For this reason, the American education system was established. The American education system bases its principles on the philosophies and beliefs of all Americans. The USA consists of many regions and states. It is therefore understandable that in every region, a different culture is practiced. However, as in everything in this world, there are good sides and bad sides to the system. Numerous issues have risen throughout the development of American education. The most popular issues would be those related to gender and nationality. The stereotyping of males and females has been the topic of most gender related issues regarding a student’s ability in attaining good education. This issue so far has not yet reached a conclusion. On the other hand, nationality issues are as complex as gender issues. Foreign students contribute a large sum to the nation’s budget every year. Loss of foreign enrollees therefore would mean lower budgets. Therefore, the number of foreign enrollees per year must be increased if not maintained so as to support the ever financial burdens of the country. Some universities have already taken steps to promote the enrollment of foreign students in the country. Another issue is the availability of good American education to people of all statures in life. To answer the problem, American education has developed policies and other beneficial programs for people with different statures to be able to have access to a good education. Education is important for every individual. It should therefore be taken with sufficient planning as it has great effects to one’s own future. References: Kotok, A. (2007). Foreign Students Return to U. S. Colleges †¦ That’s the Good News. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. publicdiplomacy. org/73. htm Sadker, D. Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. american. edu/sadker/stillknocking. htm

Marx Theory of Alienation

ive, rich people use the poor as commodities. He also explained that the profit that owners earn is not justly distributed to the nation as a whole. Marx’s Estranged Labor and Private Property and Communism explain the alienation of the laborer caused by private property and how it will bring the downfall of capitalism. Marx believed in communism which is a perfect life for all the individuals.In ancient times, people would live in caves and depended on nature to survive and fulfill their everyday needs. However, with time world modernized, people moved on and money became the main aspect of everyone’s life. In order to stay in power, money is very important. People give more value to money than themselves because money is what makes a person’s value. Money can buy happiness even though people spend most of their lives working for others.People’s need changed overtime, they found happiness in new things as the world modernized, unlike before their needs we re satisfied by nature. In Marx’s work he briefly pointed out what a man should really be by differentiating between animals and human beings. What makes human beings different from animals is that animals can’t think like humans as Marx said, for it â€Å"produces only what it immediately needs for itself and its young† (Estranged Labor, pg. 275).Unlike animals, humans have conscious and ability to produce many things by themselves as Marx explained, â€Å"he makes his life activity itself the object of his will and of his consciousness† (Estranged Labor, pg. 276). Humans are creative. Therefore, human life has a purpose for man and in this intellect he is free and universal. Marx argued that human nature is nor good nor evil but dialectical because humans external objects which were plant, animal and air became into food, clothes and heating.Marx illustrated that alienated man is the opposite of the productive man because a man's soul is to produce and create. Therefore, an alienated man is the man whose soul and existence are split, which describes that he works not for producing but for money and others. Money is a very important aspect in both the worker and the capitalist’s life. According to Marx, the real foundation of alienation is private property. The affiliation between the worker and the capitalist is defined in the capitalist society. A worker has not

Free Essays on A Good Man Is Hard to Find

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND The setting of the story, †A Good Man is Hard to Find,† shows us how much tragedy can change a person. The Grandmother thinks of herself as a very upright lady, yet she is a racist and snotty woman who changes completely during the last minutes of her life. The reader can sense that transition at the end of the story. In the beginning of the story, the Grandmother tries to change her son’s mind about going to Florida because she wants to go to Tennessee, and that gives us a sign of how persuasive she can be. She compares herself to her daughter-in-law, insinuating that the daughter-in-law is not a lady like her. She judges â€Å"the children’s mother’s† clothes and judges many others who are socially challenged or less fortunate than she is. Note that when she mentions the Misfit criminal who escaped from prison, the â€Å"pickaninny,† and when she mentions the two cents in Red Sammy’s cash register with a tone of irony on her voice. Her attitude changes compl! etely when the family’s car flips over on the way to the house with the six white columns. First, she is afraid to tell her son that she was mistaken because of her fear of his anger, and later, because they are under the mercy of the Misfit who finds them. The Grandmother’s soul fills with fear when she finds out who the Misfit really is, and that their situation is worsening by the minute. She is now worried about her family. All of the racist comments, all comparisons, and the idea of being better than the less fortunate become fear of death. I agree that any human being would do and say the same things she did to try and save her family, but in her case the change significant. As the Misfit orders his friend to kill her family, the Grandmother realizes how powerless and insignificant she is. but the most intresting part comes with the scens contaning just the misfit and the grand mother. the grand mother is tring ti use every card in ... Free Essays on A Good Man Is Hard to Find Free Essays on A Good Man Is Hard to Find A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND The setting of the story, †A Good Man is Hard to Find,† shows us how much tragedy can change a person. The Grandmother thinks of herself as a very upright lady, yet she is a racist and snotty woman who changes completely during the last minutes of her life. The reader can sense that transition at the end of the story. In the beginning of the story, the Grandmother tries to change her son’s mind about going to Florida because she wants to go to Tennessee, and that gives us a sign of how persuasive she can be. She compares herself to her daughter-in-law, insinuating that the daughter-in-law is not a lady like her. She judges â€Å"the children’s mother’s† clothes and judges many others who are socially challenged or less fortunate than she is. Note that when she mentions the Misfit criminal who escaped from prison, the â€Å"pickaninny,† and when she mentions the two cents in Red Sammy’s cash register with a tone of irony on her voice. Her attitude changes compl! etely when the family’s car flips over on the way to the house with the six white columns. First, she is afraid to tell her son that she was mistaken because of her fear of his anger, and later, because they are under the mercy of the Misfit who finds them. The Grandmother’s soul fills with fear when she finds out who the Misfit really is, and that their situation is worsening by the minute. She is now worried about her family. All of the racist comments, all comparisons, and the idea of being better than the less fortunate become fear of death. I agree that any human being would do and say the same things she did to try and save her family, but in her case the change significant. As the Misfit orders his friend to kill her family, the Grandmother realizes how powerless and insignificant she is. but the most intresting part comes with the scens contaning just the misfit and the grand mother. the grand mother is tring ti use every card in ...

10 Fascinating Facts About Fleas

10 Fascinating Facts About Fleas Fleas?! Theyve (literally) plagued humankind for centuries, but how much do you know about these common insects? Lets start with these 10 fascinating facts about fleas. Fleas Are Infamous for Their Role in Transmitting the Black Death During the Middle Ages, tens of millions of people died of the plague, or Black Death, as it spread across Asia and Europe. Cities were particularly hard hit. London lost 20% of its population to the plague in just two years during the mid-1600s. It wasnt until the dawn of the 20th century, however, that we identified the cause of the plague – a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. What does this have to do with fleas? Fleas carry the plague bacteria and transmit it to humans. An outbreak of the plague often kills a large number of rodents, particularly rats, and those bloodthirsty, plague-infected fleas are forced to find a new food source – humans. And the plague isnt a disease of the past, either. Were fortunate to live in an age when antibiotics and good sanitation practices keep plague deaths to a minimum. Fleas Lay Their Eggs on Other Animals, Not in Your Carpet A common misunderstanding about fleas is that they lay their eggs in your carpeting and furniture. Fleas actually lay their eggs on their animal host, meaning if your dog Fido has adult fleas living in his fur, those adult fleas are doing their best to keep him infested with their offspring. Flea eggs, however, arent particularly sticky or well suited for staying put, so they mostly roll off your pet and land in his dog bed or on the carpet. Fleas Lay a Lot of Eggs Without intervention, a few fleas on Fido can quickly become a maddening flea infestation that feels impossible to defeat. Thats because fleas, like bed bugs and other bloodsucking pests, will multiply quickly once theyve found a good host animal. A single adult flea can lay 50 eggs per day if its well fed on Fidos blood, and in its short lifespan can produce 2,000 eggs. Adult Fleas Poop Blood Fleas feed exclusively on blood, using their piercing, sucking mouthparts to siphon it from their hosts. An adult flea may take as many as 15 blood meals in a single day. And like any animal, a flea produces waste at the end of the digestion process. Flea feces are essentially dried blood residue. When they hatch, flea larvae feed on this dried blood waste, which is usually left in the host animals bedding. Fleas Are Skinny Fleas typically inhabit the fur or feathers of host animals. If they were built like most bugs, they would quickly become entangled. Flea bodies are quite thin and smooth, making it easy for a flea to move freely between pieces of fur or feathers on their hosts. A fleas proboscis, the straw-shaped beak that enables it to pierce skin and siphon blood from its host, remains tucked under its belly and between its legs when not in use. Most Flea Infestations in Homes Are Cat Fleas, Even in Homes Without Cats Remarkably, scientists estimate there are over 2,500 species of fleas on the planet. Within the lower 48 U.S. states, flea species number approximately 325. But when fleas infest a human habitation, theyre almost always cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis. Dont blame kitties for this annoyance, though, because despite their common name, cat fleas are just as likely to feed on dogs as they are on cats. Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) can also be a pest problem but are mainly found on dogs that spend all or most of their time outdoors. Giant Fleas Plagued Dinosaurs as Early as 165 Million Years Ago Compression fossils from Inner Mongolia and China suggest that fleas pestered the dinosaurs, too. Two species, dubbed Pseudopulex jurassicus  and  Pseudopulex magnus, lived in the Mesozoic era.  The larger of the two dino flea species, Pseudopulex magnus, was an impressive 0.8 inches long, with equally impressive mouthparts capable of piercing dinosaur skin. These ancestors of todays fleas lacked the ability to jump, however. Fleas Prefer Humid Environments Fleas dont thrive in low humidity, which is why they arent as much of a pest problem in arid areas like the Southwest. Dry air prolongs the flea life cycle, and when the relative humidity falls below 60 or 70%, flea larvae may not survive. Conversely, the flea life cycle accelerates when the humidity is high, so keep that in mind when trying to control a flea infestation. Anything you can do to dry out the air in your home will help you win the battle against these bloodthirsty pests. Fleas Are Skilled Jumpers Fleas dont fly, and they would never be able to catch your dog in a foot race (despite having six legs to Fidos four). So how are these tiny insects able to get around? Fleas are amazingly adept at flinging themselves into the air. Cat fleas, our most common flea pest, can propel themselves a full 12 inches forward or upward. Thats a jumping distance equal to roughly 150 times its own height. Some sources compare this to a human landing a long jump of nearly 1,000 feet. Fleas Aren't Picky About Whose Blood They'll Drink In 1895, the Los Angeles Herald offered some facts about fleas to its readers. The flea, the Herald writer declared, shows a preference for women, children, and persons with thin skins. Thick-skinned men may have been offered a false sense of security by this column because fleas will gladly drink whatever blood is available to them. Fleas are sensitive to the vibrations that travel through the floor as people and pets walk through the house. They can also detect the presence of carbon dioxide we exhale. Should a sound or scent suggest a potential blood host is nearby, the hungry flea will jump in its direction, without considering first whether the host is a man, woman, or child. Sources: Plague: The Black Death, National Geographic website. Accessed online October 18, 2016.Plague: Ecology and Transmission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Accessed online October 18, 2016.Ridding Your Home of Fleas, by Mike Potter, University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, fact sheet #602. Accessed online October 18, 2016.Some Facts About Fleas, Los Angeles Herald, Volume 44, Number 73, 23 June 1895, page 21.Physicians Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, 6th edition, by Jerome Goddard.Fleas, Purdue University Department of Entomology. Accessed online October 18, 2016.Giant Bloodsuckers! Oldest Fleas Discovered, by Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience website, February 29, 2012. Accessed online October 18, 2016.Monster Fleas Put the Bite on Dinosaurs, by Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience website, May 2, 2012. Accessed online October 18, 2016.

What are the problem with the Aral sea Research Paper

What are the problem with the Aral sea - Research Paper Example Aral is translated in Kazakh to mean â€Å"island†. These islands form one important highway referred as the Silk Road, which lead all the way from Asia to Europe (STONE, 1999). In the recent years, Aral has attracted the world attention following its great degradation, a factor that has been termed one of the worst man-made disasters of this age. Currently, this sea is ranked the eighth largest after dropping four steps down from its previous fourth position. The problems experienced today are traced back to moves made in the past that saw water from rivers Syrdarya and Amudarya diverted for use in irrigation. Consequently, the sea underwent serious shrinkage that altered the climate and thus livelihood of many people whom once dependent on these sea. General Problem Background The period marking 1960s experience a robust increase in irrigation activities, this in turn posed serious implications on Aral ecosystem. Such is the case that the Amudarya delta that is situated on t he southern side of the sea formed a significant irrigation area approximated to cover about 28,000 sq. km. This area was used in the production of cotton and rice considered the most lucrative crops in the region. Following the onset of cold war, this region was set apart by former U.S.S.R to serve as a land that would offer freedom from the west. Although considered less productive, the planners never considered the possible desertification occurrence. Today, the Aral Sea faces a risk of vanishing after it retreated more than 100 km from its initial boundaries. People visiting this place will come across fishing boats abandoned and other marine equipment scattered all over the place. In addition, the area is marked by dusty plains that were once covered with water (Pala, 2005). The area began experiencing the negative effects after the water quantity diminished significantly to cause a rise in salinity. Consequently, the highly saline environment proved toxic to fishes and other w ildlife living in the sea. The first case of this drastic rise in salinity was reported between 1970 and 1974, when it was insinuated to have risen from 12 – 14 percent. By early 1980s, the salinity level stroked a 23 percent mark, a factor that left close to 60, 0000 people jobless due to reduction in fish. This period marked the end of commercial fishing and many other related businesses. Further reports insinuate that 200 species of the known 500 species of birds existing in the region have perished in the last four decades. As it is now, waters from Syrdarya in the north and Amudarya in the south hardly reach the sea, thanks to the heavy diversions to cater for the many irrigation activities in the region. The period between 1960 and 1995 realized a great decrease in the sea’s surface area following a loss of about three quarters of the total water volume (Pala, 2006).This also marked a significant reduction in the water depth which is placed at 19 meters. Another significant damage relates to NE winds that are said to blow off salty dust from the sea to area close and far. This process has been linked to transfer of millions of tons of salt dust every year. Such is the case that aerosols are blown into higher layers forming the atmosphere, which later spread across the globe (Glantz, 1999).This is true, as evidence gathered from Antarctic penguin showed traces of pesticides used in the Aral region. This dust forms from mixtures of agricultural chemicals and the frequently used fertilizer considered toxic to both humans and animals. In this region, the salt and pesticide used find its way deep into the ground water, a

Roth Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roth Response - Essay Example It was explained that Zuckerman’s interest in Coleman’s life is triggered by the latter’s death when he discovered that his friend is actually African-American while all the while his identity has always been that of a white man. Silk was a professor of classics in a community college in New England when the story took place. His life harbors one secret - that of his black ancestry - as his stature in the community was carefully cultivated. The world thinks that Coleman Silk is Jewish and even his family – his wife and children - didn’t know that he was African-American. This choice was influenced by a rejection he experienced when he was young. The story revolved around the lives of Silk, his coworkers in the college, his love affair with Faunia – a woman half his age and a utility worker to boot- and the issues that they have to deal with such as racism, gender, relationship and contemporary American life as a whole. The Human Stain tackled two different kinds of passing. First is the one that concerns crossing the race line and second is that of the class line. The story effectively captured the scenarios that illustrated the arguments in answering the question: Which is more difficult of these two? Forgetting your past involves cruelty, cowardice and the anguish that come with betraying yourself and your roots. In crossing the class lines, people have to contend with the absence of common references, education, social background, manners, tastes, behaviors and attitudes including what the society has to say about the discrepancies. The Human Stain is a philosophical novel that gives us valuable insights about the contemporary American life. It highlighted, for instance, the fact that today most of us find it difficult to deal in depth with someone from another class than someone from another race. It was different about a hundred years ago. The Human Stain in Roth’s opus referred not exactly to the human color or race per se.