Things Fall Apart and A Dolls House Essays - 1597 Words

Women have frequently been viewed as inferior to men throughout human history. This theme can be explored through works of literature and examples can be found in cultures of the past and present. In fact, there are many seemingly different cultures that share that one major similarity: the oppression and subjugation of women. Upon reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, it becomes clear that the primary reason for the abuse of women is the common cultural belief that women are secondary to men. This conclusion is further justified after reading A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. Throughout history, many cultures have been heavily masculine based. There are countless examples of men wielding power over women.When women are no more than†¦show more content†¦Women are used as payment for the crimes of men, and like the innocent virgin who was murdered by the people of Umuofia, they suffer the consequences of uncaring men. In masculine based societies, men are under the misguided assumption that it’s acceptable to use women as a sort of perverse form of currency. In societies where men are perceived to be above women, women suffer many physical abuses, such as beatings. In such cultures, there is nothing the women can do about it, and men face no punishment. When Okonkwo blames one of his wives for killing a tree, although it remained alive,â€Å"Without further argument, Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping. Neither of the other wives dared to interfere beyond an occasional and tentative, ‘It is enough, Okonkwo,’ pleaded from a reasonable distance† (Achebe 38). Okonkwo is drunk with his own power, and instead of admitting he is wrong, beats his innocent wife. He rules over his household with fear, and his wives have no power over him. It’s a controlling and painful environment for the women. These horrible abuses occur in today’s world as well. According to Kenneth Ro th, executive director of Human Rights Watch in Afghanistan, â€Å"Even the most horrific abuses suffered by women seem to elicit nothing more than a shrug from prosecutors, despite laws criminalizingShow MoreRelatedA Dolls House and Things Fall Apart Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesHenrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, in the midst of difficult situations, gaining strength and support from family, friends, and religion, helps one to defeat challenges in life more efficiently than leaning on their own strength. Regardless of the distance between a vast majority of families, they come together to comfort one another in difficult times. A great example of this statement is the support Okonkwo, the main character within Things Fall Apart, who is proudRead MoreThings Fall Apart and A Dolls House on Gender Roles Essay1441 Words   |  6 Pagesidea that men are above women in society; this is evident in the novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Sometimes, there is a misconception of the phrase, gender roles. It is an expectation within each gender, society has always seen a gap between men and women and their individual roles, proving that men have always been more dominant (Blackstone). As played through the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe paints that the Igbo culture has hailed men as the dominantRead MoreThe Struggle with the Glass Ceiling Essay1167 Words   |  5 Pagesstill live in a patriarchal society. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart show us that the effects of the gender gap are still evident in current times and women are burdened by the glass ceiling. Women struggle to achieve high level positions. A glass ceiling exists that limits the speed in which women can be promoted in the workplace. It is very often that men advance positions much more quickly. In Things Fall Apart, the vast majority of people with prestigious titlesRead MoreGender Roles Of Women And Women1535 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout life. These postulations have commenced before we were even born. Men are expected to constantly be working and providing the home for the women and children; Women are assumed to be cleaning, cooking and taking care of the children in the house. There multitudinous assumptions made towards men and women affect the way we live. Expectations like these are why patriarchal societies are composed. Patriarchal society means that men over rule the women in many ways and are more dominant causingRead More Essay on Lies and Self-realization in A Dolls House1162 Words   |  5 PagesSelf-realization in A Dolls House    In Ibsens play,   A Dolls House,   the characters willingly exist in a situation of untruth or inadequate truth that conceals conflict.   Noras independent nature is in contradiction to the tyrannical authority of Torvald.   This conflict is concealed by the way they both hide their true selves from society, each other, and ultimately themselves.   Just like Nora and Torvald, every character in this play is trapped in a situation of untruth. A Dolls House, can beRead More A Dolls House: A Push To Freedom Essay examples1371 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sometime after the publication of quot;A Dolls Housequot;, Henrik Ibsen spoke at a meeting of the Norwegian Association for Womens Rights. He explained to the group, quot;I must decline the honor of being said to have worked for the Womens Rights movement. I am not even very sure what Womens Rights are. To me it has been a question of human rightsquot; ( ). quot;A Dolls Housequot; is often interpreted by readers, teachers, and critics alike as an attackRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1288 Words   |  6 Pages Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is based in the Victorian society of the 19th century. It assesses the many struggles and hardships that women faced because of marriage â€Å"laws† that were crucial during that time period. The society was male- dominated with no equality. Nora is the protagonist in A Doll’s House and the wife of a man named Torvald. This play is about Nora’s voyage to recognizing her self- determination and independence. She transforms from a traditional, reserved woman to a new, independentRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet And Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House1400 Words   |  6 Pagesdespair or hope. Looking at William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House it is clear that both possess certain tragic aspects. The protagonists of both pieces’ experience suffering due to a similar flaw and both plays inspire feelings of pity and fear. Yet the main aspect that separates the two is the defi ning feeling the audience takes away at the end. While Hamlet ends in despair and unhappiness, A Doll’s House possess a hint of hope for the future. Yet if a tragedy instills a feelingRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s A Doll s House1291 Words   |  6 Pages002322- 3 Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is based in the Victorian society of the 19th century. It assesses the many struggles and hardships that women faced because of marriage â€Å"laws† that were crucial during that time period. The society was male- dominated with no equality. Nora is the protagonist in A Doll’s House and the wife of a man named Torvald. This play is about Nora’s voyage to recognizing her self- determination and independence. She transforms from a traditional, reserved woman toRead MoreEssay on Themes and Symbols in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House1296 Words   |  6 Pages(Ibsen 1491). Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House tells a story of scandal and deceit set in the Victorian era. Nora Helmer is married to Torvald Helmer and she feels more like his toy than his wife. Nora had to have Torvald to be able to do anything, because of when she lived. Nora borrows money behind her husband’s back (which is illegal at this time ) and tries to cover up everything she has done. Ibsen employs the use of many themes and symbols in his A Doll House to show the reader just how Nora was

Analysis Of Richard Rodriguez s Piece `` Aria `` - 947 Words

Immigrants who come to the U.S. are faced with a culture that differs vastly from theirs. The process of cultural assimilation can be arduous, especially for the younger generation of immigrants. They often find themselves being pulled in two different directions by the expectations of their family and those of society. On one side, the family circle is urging them to remain loyal to their cultural traditions while society is pushing for a rapid transition into the dominant culture. In Richard Rodriguez’s piece â€Å"Aria† he states, â€Å"outside the house was public society; inside the house was private† (984). As portrayed by his quote, he suggests that there is a distinct separation between private and public culture. In his case, he realized that in order to be successful in America he must lose a sense of his â€Å"private individuality† (989) in order to gain â€Å"public individuality†. However, giving up a part of our individuality in order to be accepted into the mainstream culture does have its negative side. The article â€Å"Cultural Survival vs. Forced Assimilation: the renewed war on diversity†, explores how within Native American communities- particularly the Navajo tribe- the introduction of English is creating a language barrier between child and grandparent. Due to this, the younger generation won’t be able to pass on the stories of their people- since they are mostly transmitted through oral co mmunications in their native tongues. This example portrays how the introduction of

Modern Technology Has Made Our Lives More Complicated Free Essays

Hardy’s Mayor of Casterbridge is a novel that revolves around the concealment and divulging of secrets. Henchard, Susan, Newson and Lucetta all keep secrets, which are revealed throughout the course of the novel. Although Susan is a minor character, she plays a major role in the novel through the concealment of her secret. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Technology Has Made Our Lives More Complicated or any similar topic only for you Order Now She hides her daughter Elizabeth Jane’s true identity from Henchard, thus allowing him to think she is his daughter. She also keeps the information about her prior relationship with Henchard from Elizabeth Jane, as well as the fact that she had a half-sister that died. The lack of information strangles the relationship between Henchard and Elizabeth Jane. Although Susan keeps these secrets to protect her daughter, her lack of candor results in the consequences she fears most – her daughter’s emotional upheaval. While Susan herself does not reveal the secret, it is disclosed through a letter before the planned time, thus causing Elizabeth Jane’s alienation from Henchard. The reader is oblivious to Susan’s secret until it is revealed in her letter to Henchard. Susan chooses to keep Elizabeth Jane’s identity a secret because she is afraid of disappointing Henchard. A quiet, unassuming woman, Susan is scared of disappointing others and how they will react when she upsets them. She believes that in order to restore order between her and Henchard she must conceal the truth about Elizabeth Jane. It is hard enough for her to reunite with Henchard and when she is alone in the ring with him, she admits meekly, â€Å"I am quite in your hands, Michael†¦if you tell me to leave again to-morrow morning, and never come near you more, I am content to go† (63). Susan’s speech is reflective of her timid and submissive personality. In addition, when Henchard asks Susan if she forgives him, â€Å"she murmured something; but seemed to find it difficult to frame her answer† (64). Susan is unable to show her true feelings because she is afraid of Henchard’s reaction. Thus she finds it necessary to keep Elizabeth Jane’s birth a secret because she is scared of upsetting Henchard. At the same time that she conceals the identity of Elizabeth Jane’s father from Henchard, she hides her connection with Henchard from Elizabeth Jane. Although many times â€Å"she had been upon the point of telling her daughter Elizabeth-Jane the true story of her life† in the end she â€Å"had restrained† (20). Susan’s choice to leave her daughter in the dark allows Elizabeth Jane to enjoy an innocent childhood, and she is blissfully unaware of her mother’s troubles. Susan is afraid of disrupting Elizabeth Jane’s equilibrium and cannot bring herself to tell the truth. â€Å"The risk of endangering a child’s strong affection by disturbing ideas which had grown with her growth was to Mrs. Henchard too fearful a thing to contemplate† (20). The words â€Å"endangering† and â€Å"disturbing† highlight Susan’s main goal in hiding her secret from Elizabeth Jane and reflect her entire purpose in life. Because Susan is meek and easily controlled, she is afraid to cause a reaction that she cannot control. She is â€Å"fearful† of anything beyond the ordinary, including unexpected reactions. This character trait is evident when she first meets Henchard and is surprised by his appearance as mayor. â€Å"I don’t think I can ever meet Mr. Henchard,† she says in shock. â€Å"He is not how I thought he would be—he overpowers me! I don’t wish to see him any more† (29). The sentiments she expresses in this statement illustrate her fear of the unknown, and her easily manipulated nature. Susan uses the word â€Å"overpowers† to demonstrate the lack of control she feels in her life and her tendency to be dominated by a superior. In Elizabeth Jane’s case, as in her relationship with Henchard, she prefers secrecy over openness because of her fear of upsetting others. Susan’s secrets are unexpectedly disclosed to both parties, when she is no longer alive to view the reaction. Their revelation results in the opposite effect, harming both Henchard and Elizabeth Jane. Susan’s greatest desire is to shield her daughter from trouble, but her fear of dealing with the truth ends up bringing on what she dreads most. Susan is overly concerned with appearances and manners, and she fusses about what others will think and say. Susan’s letter exhibits her tendency to avoid disappointing and shocking others. Even in her writing one can sense her fright at revealing the news to her husband. She begins her letter by prefacing â€Å"I hope you will understand why† (108). Later on she begs, â€Å"Don’t curse me, Mike. † Although she is only writing and not speaking, she finds it hard to let out her secret, explaining â€Å"I can hardly write it. † However, despite all of Susan’s reservations and hesitations, and intentions to protect her daughter, she ends up harming her. Her worst fears are confirmed when Henchard begins to treat Elizabeth Jane coldly and Elizabeth Jane â€Å"lived on, a dumb, deep-feeling, great-eyed creature† (115). Instead of showering her with warmth and love, Henchard sharply reprimands her when she uses incorrect grammar. â€Å"Are you only fit to carry wash to a pig trough,† (114) he yells, degrading Elizabeth Jane and humiliating her. Susan’s secret keeping leaves Elizabeth Jane worse off. Her lack of confidence ends up bringing on what she fears most. Hardy uses secrets in The Mayor of Casterbridge to highlight Susan’s character flaw and demonstrate that the situations people fear most are those they ultimately bring upon themselves. While Susan acts out of a desire to help Elizabeth Jane and Henchard, she ends up harming both of them. The concealment of information from her daughter and husband is what destroys their relationship. Susan’s greatest concern is what people will think about her daughter and her top priority is conforming to societal standards. However, her meek personality and constant worrying eventually cause her worst fears to come true. Susan’s saga of secret-keeping serves as a warning to readers†¦ concealing the truth will come back to haunt you. How to cite Modern Technology Has Made Our Lives More Complicated, Essays

Direct Marketing Worldwide

Questions: 1. What are the main factors which determine whether an individual uses extended problem-solving or limited problem-solving? 2. What is the difference between direct marketing and junk mail and what have been the key drivers of the worldwide growth of direct marketing? Answers: 1. Main factors that determine behaviour of a consumer at the time of purchasing The decision making process is very important to every seller. The decision making process of a consumer can be defined by the process that the consumer undergoes while making any purchase of a product or service. This decision making process depends on various factors especially upon their past, current and future life situations. These factors influence what product or service the consumer will buy and in what amount. Therefore, it is very important for a seller to understand this decision making process of the consumers while making the product or service. Otherwise, it is impossible to satisfy the consumers requirement accurately. The decision making process of a consumer comprises of five steps viz. i) recognition of a product or service ,ii) information search about the product or service, iii)looking for and the evaluation of the perfectly substitute product, iv) purchase of the product, v) post-purchase analysis of the product(feedback about the product or service) (2012books .lardbucket.org, 2015). The decision making process or the buying behaviour of the consumer can be classified into different parts. These are 1) extended problem solving behaviour, 2) limited problem solving behaviour and 3) habitual problem solving behaviour. Among these three types behaviours, the first two behaviours are very important. In the following paragraph, the influencing factors behind these two behaviours will be discussed (Basic Reasons for the Growth of Direct Marketing, 2015). Extended problem solving behaviour: The situation of the problem solving behaviour arises when the consumer does not know anything about a product or service. The class, brand, main features of the product or service are not known to the potential customers and due to this unawareness, the consumer cannot be able to evaluate the product or the service. To know about this information, the consumers have to depend on the seller of the product. Limited problem solving behaviour: The situation of the limited problem solving behaviour occurs when the consumer knows the class of the product or service he /she wants to buy and also the major brands of the product or service and their attributes and features. But the consumer is not aware of some brand of the same product. This unawareness creates a lot of confusion in the consumers mind at the time of purchasing. In this situation, the purchase decision of the consumer solely depends on the information provided by the seller of the unfamiliar brand. This information in turn helps the consumer to make a comparison and evaluation between the known and unknown brands of the product or service (Belch and Belch, 2009). In case of extended problem solving behaviour (EPS), the consumer tries to gather as much as possible information about the product or service they want to purchase. In this situation, the decision of the consumer involves a high degree of risk. However, in limited problem solving (LPS) consumers have some idea before and, therefore, have to compare between little alternatives. Hence, this decision making process involves low risk. The factors that are affecting the buying decision making process are advertisement published, the physical situation of the consumer, the social situation, time situation, the reason behind the purchasing and the current mood of the consumer (Belch and Belch, 2009). The advertisement helps the consumer to know about different brands of a particular product and their respective features. The interior design, the location, the atmosphere of a store, the presence of customer care executives in store some time influences the consumers buying process. Also cro wding in a store is another significant situational factor that may define the buying process. The current social status and perceived future status of the consumer influences the consumer in making their purchase decision. The time of the shopping may affect the consumer either positively or negatively. The reasons behind the purchase i.e. whether the consumer has urgent need of the products or not also determines the decision making process and lastly the mood of the consumer while purchasing affects the consumers decision. Reference 1: 2012books.lardbucket.org, (2015).Consumer Behavior: How People Make Buying Decisions. [online] Available at: https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/marketing-principles-v1.0/s06-consumer-behavior-how-people-m.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2015]. HubPages, (2015).Principles of Marketing - Buyer Behavior. [online] Available at: https://hubpages.com/hub/Principles-of-Marketing-Part-2-Buyer-Behavior [Accessed 23 Aug. 2015]. Study.com, (2015).Understanding the Consumer Decision-Making Process: A Marketing Must - Video Lesson Transcript | Study.com. [online] Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/understanding-the-consumer-decision-making-process-a-marketing-must.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2015]. YourArticleLibrary.com: The Next Generation Library, (2013).5 Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour | Explained. [online] Available at: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/products/5-factors-influencing-consumer-behaviour-explained/22163/ [Accessed 23 Aug. 2015]. 2. Digital marketing is now viewed as a more effective marketing strategy to make the potential customer aware of a product of a company irrespective of the current location of the consumer and also at low cost. The digital marketing can be done either using the direct mail or using the junk mail. There is a clear difference between direct mail and junk mail. The latter mail is sent to the entire potential customer irrespective of their interest in the product mentioned in the email. However, the direct mail is those mail which is sent to only those consumers who are actually interested in the product and its all the relevant information like price, features, etc. This difference between these two types emails should be understood by the producer so that they can reach their targeted customer accurately (Hackley, 2010). Direct marketing through direct mailing enables both the customer and the producers to do one-to one communication and the producer can get an accurate response about its product that is not possible through junk mail. The consumer also on the other side can be able to place the entire query regarding the product or service. The main difference between the direct mail and the spam mail is the last one is sent to the automatically selected potential customers from some database. The sending of junk mail to the potential customer does not require any permission from them. However, the direct mail is sent to only customized consumers who are actually interested in the purchase of the product. In the promotion of a new product or in marketing campaigning, both mails are useful but the effectiveness of direct mail is much higher than the junk mails (HubPages, 2015). The key drivers of the worldwide growth of direct marketing Direct marketing can be defined as an interactive marketing system that uses different advertising medium to influence and also get responses from both the potential and actual customers. This direct marketing enables both the economic agents i.e. customers and producers to make an effective communication. This direct marketing helps the producers to deliver the information and the offer of the product. On the other hand, the consumers are also able to make a query regarding the product to the consumers directly through the direct marketing. The direct marketing can be done in various ways such as direct mail, campaigning programme in some departmental store, marketing programme in different television and radio channel, telephone calls. Among these various ways, the most effective means is direct mail. This direct mail helps the producers to reach the customers irrespective of their location. The cost of this type of market expanding strategy is very low and easy to access and contr ol. The direct marketing is growing tremendously than the traditional marketing over time. The key drivers of this tremendous growth in the worldwide direct marketing are increasing the growth of electronic media. Now media can significantly influence the customer to purchase any products. The other causes are increasing use of computer and electronic database. This electronic database enables the producers to store a large amount of customer information and use them within a second. The third driver is continuous improvement in the communication technology. This improvement helps the both party to make conversation if they require any time. The fourth factor is a continuous change in a type of the marketplace (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000). Lifestyle change and demographic change are other important factors of the growth in direct marketing. Economic development and the increasing international competition due to the globalization are also responsible for the worldwide growth of the d irect marketing. References 2: Basic Reasons for the Growth of Direct Marketing. (2015). [online] Available at: https://www.managementparadise.com/forums/principal-practice-direct-marketing/207429-basic-reasons-growth-direct-marketing.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2015]. Belch, G. and Belch, M. (2009).Advertising and promotion. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Hackley, C. (2010).Advertising and promotion. Los Angeles: SAGE. Schultz, D. and Kitchen, P. (2000).Communicating globally. Lincolnwood, Chicago, Ill.: NTC Business Books.