A Brief Overview of Feminism Essay example -- essays papers

A Brief Overview of Feminism Feminism can be roughly described as a movement that seeks to enhance the quality of women’s lives by impacting the norms and moves of a society based on male dominance and subsequent female subordination. Although feminist literary writings began to gain popularity in the 20th century, feminist characters have been around for ages. â€Å"Feminist criticism’s self transformations over the past several decades as it engages with both critiques from within and encounters from without- encounters with psychoanalysis, Marxism, Post-Structuralisms, ethnic studies, post-colonial theory, and lesbian and gay studies- have produced a complex proliferation of work not easily subsumed to a single description. (Rivkin 527)†. According to Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan in their essay â€Å"Feminist Paradigms†, feminist criticism includes several other ideas. Gayle Rubin, author of â€Å"The Traffic in Women: Notes on the ‘Political Economy’ of Sexà ¢â‚¬ , also adds: The literature on women- both feminist and anti-feminist- is a long rumination on the question of the nature and genesis of women’s oppression and social subordination.† Some of the earlier feminist characters include Kate, from The Taming of the Shrew and The Wife of Bath from the Canterbury Tales. Unfortunately, during their times these women were viewed as either crazy or troublesome. There was little respect for their opinions and ideas. Trailblazers such as Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Geo...

Appearance and Reality in the School for Scandal Essay

The School for Scandal is a dramatic play written by Richard Sheridan. In this essay i’m going to discussed Appearance and Reality . There’s a characters who represent the false appearances and the really appearances. The School for Scandal’s member are the trust appearance and they distant reality. There’s a dramatic element like the disguise of Sir Oliver in his trial test on Joseph and Charles. We have the two brothers, Joseph Surface and Charles Surface. The dramatic tool used to know the good brother. And also the dramatic irony in the scene screen (the culmination of the play). The School for Scandal is formed by hypocritical characters. On the one hand Lady Sneerwell (young widow. She is attracted to Charles Surface and plots with Joseph Surface to break up Charles and Maria) , Lady Teazle (Young wife of Sir Peter. She and her husband have their little spats), Joseph Surface (Who pretends to be an honorable gentlemen but It is the bad brother. ) and Mrs Candour (A professedly kindhearted woman who speaks well of everyone in such a way as to ruin their reputations in the process. ). They are the appearance. On another hand we have the real characters. Sir Peter (Husband of Lady Teazle)and Sir Oliver Surface (Charles and Joseph’s uncle) and Charles Surface (really the good brother). Mrs. Candour and her love of gossip make her one of the most scandalous pupils of all; her true sentiment is seen only through the false accounts of others which she delivers to any listening ear, often using metaphors of money. If a scandal were to take place, she could risk losing it all, whether reputation or wealth. This can be seen as foreshadowing the fate of Joseph; he took such care to secure his financial success, and one scandal ruined it all. The object of Joseph’s financial success, Maria, who possesses neither a â€Å"screen† nor an interest in spreading lies, is greatly affected by the change in Lady Teazle, as it consequently means that her unwilling role in the scheme is over. Charles Surface has a reputation as a scoundrel. But beneath his flawed veneer, he is a decent fellow. Joseph Surface has a reputation as an upright man. But beneath his flawless veneer, he is a villain. Joseph Surface is appearance and Charles Surface is reality. Joseph is the bad brother and Charles is the good brother. Joseph lies because he wants the fortune of Maria and he wants to marry Maria for economical interest. Sir Peter and Sir Oliver want to discover the truth about the two brother, Charles and Joseph. (the reality). There’s a dramatic tool here. The disguise. Sir Oliver disguises and he makes a trial to Charles (for he known as Mr. Premium) and Joseph (for he known as Mr. Stanley) to know who is the good brother. In the scene screen, Joseph seizes upon Lady Teazle’s discontent with Sir Peter to mount a subtle argument that seeks to rationalize and justify adultery. Once the deception of hiding Lady Teazle behind the screen is in place, Sheridan fully exploits its potential for ironic double meanings and double dealings. The School For Scandal draws a humorous picture of an unfortunate reality; that many people will do anything to further elevate their characters, even if it means hurting friends and family. The characters of the play are willing to construct elaborate â€Å"screens† of sentiment in order to deceive those around them and increase their own wealth.

William Edward Burghardt s The Souls Of Black Folk

William Edward Burghardt, also known as W. E. B. Du Bois, was a civil rights activist, journalist, educator, and an American sociologist among many other things. In addition, Du Bois was an author of an extremely influential book, â€Å"The Souls of Black Folk.† Published in 1903, the Civil Rights Movement was merely at its peak when this occurred. Not only molding a form of sociology, Du Bois acted and performed in the movement inevitably. W.E.B. Du Bois lived from February 23rd, 1868 to August 27th, 1963 which is when he passed away in Accra, Ghana. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a European-American town. Due to this type of environment, Du Bois identified himself as a â€Å"mulatto† and surprisingly enough, attended schools with whites and was supported by his white teachers. In 1885, he and his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee where Du Bois attended Fisk University and earned his bachelor’s degree, along with attending Harvard and receiving a master’s degree. Ten years after the move to Nashville, Du Bois was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. During his attendance at Harvard, Du Bois studied abroad at the University of Berlin. The year of 1897 was the same year that Du Bois became a professor at Atlanta University. In 1899, which was only two years later, Du Bois published the first case study of an African American community, â€Å"The Ph iladelphia Negro: A Social Study.† Coincidentally, DuBois publicly opposed Booker T.Show MoreRelatedBiography Of William Edward Burghardt Dubois1247 Words   |  5 Pages William Edward Burghardt DuBois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868 to his Dutch and African descent mother, Mary Silvina Burghardt and father Alfred Dubois born to Bahamian mulatto slaves. Mary Silvina was left to raise young William with only the help of her extended Burghardt family after Alfred Dubois abandoned his family. Although, this was a hardship in Du Bois s early life he was fortunate enough to be born and live as a free black man in a small town of Massachusetts whereRead MoreHarlem Renaissance: W.E.B. Du Bois.1617 Words   |  7 PagesHarlem Renaissance: W.E.B. Du Bois. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was a major sociologist historian, writer, editor, political activist, and cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During the Harlem renaissance and through his editorship of crisis magazine, he actively sought and presented the literary genius of black writers for the entire world to acknowledge and honor (Gale schools, 2004). Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in great BarringtonRead MoreJean Booker T. Washington. B. Dubois1358 Words   |  6 PagesChloe Thompson Ms. Webster English III H 5B 5 May 2015 W.E.B DuBois One of the late 19th century and early 20th century’s most prominent black empowerment leaders was W.E.B DuBois. In research it is clear that DuBois was not subtle to one job or career choice. As a civil rights activist, educator, sociologist, historian, writer, editor, scholar, and poet, DuBois contributed to changing American society today. DuBois is mostly remember for his work with the NAACP and his notorious feud with civilRead MoreEssay about W.e.b Du Bois1004 Words   |  5 PagesDu Bois nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;quot;One ever feels his two-ness. An American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two warring ideals in one dark body whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.quot; This was how William E. B. Du Bois described how it felt to be a Negro in the beginning of the twentieth century in his book The Souls of Black Folk. W.E.B. Du Bois, was a black editor, historian, sociologist, and a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States. HeRead MoreWilliam Edward Burghardt Du Bois Essay1333 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Edward Burghardt Du Bois, born in 1868, was a scholar, activist, and philosopher, born into the era of Reconstruction and lynching. Though he accomplished much in his life, Du Bois is largely known for helping found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and writing one of the most prominent works in American critical race theory, The Souls of Black Folk. Du Bois made it his life’s work to contest racism through self-assertion, humanize black people acrossRead MoreA Color Problem in a Post Racial Nation Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesIt appears that the color of your skin whether it be black, white, brown, red, or yellow doesn’t matter in America anymore. One might assume that this statement is a plausible one, given the fact that we have a male â€Å"African American† president, and A merica is now considered to be a â€Å"Post-Racial Nation† (Rush Limbaugh, 2010), where skin color is no longer an inhibiting factor. The truth of the matter is that race has most certainly played a significant factor in America’s history since the earlyRead MoreWilliam Edward Burghardt Du Bois1020 Words   |  5 PagesMalik Hart August 20, 2015 Research Paper William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was one of the most important activist in the early 20th century. He was born February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 1885 Du Bois came across his first encounter with the Jim Crow laws. He went to Harvard to receive his masters and before completing his masters he was offered an opportunity to study abroad in Berlin. Du Bois is known for many of his accomplishments such as being one of the most importantRead MoreWilliam Edward Burghardt (. B. ) Du Bois1085 Words   |  5 Pages William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois was a successful author of many books and an accomplished student. He supported women s rights and the equality of African-American people. He had a pretty ordinary childhood, but his adult life was full of many accomplishments. He began to show a love and talent for reading and writing at a young age and this continued throughout his life. W.E.B. was born February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a mostly European American townRead MoreWilliam Edward Burghardt Du Bois1252 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born to Alfred and Mary Silvina Du Bois on February 23rd, 1868 in Great Barrington Massachusetts. While he grew up an African-American in a mostly white community, he attended an integrated school and excelled there. When he was old enough, his neighbors and church raised enough money for him to attend Fisk University in Nashville from 1885 to 1888. Because he had never been south before, this is where he first experienced racial prejudice and Jim Crow laws.Read MoreDouble Consciousness and the Stranger Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. For Du Bois however, the seventh son is seen more as a burden on society, or something to look down upon. The idea of double consciousness was first conceptualized by W.E.B. Du Bois. In his writing â€Å"The Souls of Black Folk† Du Bois reflects on the subjective consequences of being black in America. On the concept, Du Bois says: â€Å"After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in