Jane Eyre Essay

The novel Jane Eyre was originally published in London, England in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. The early editions of the novel were given the subtitle An Autobiography and named â€Å"Currer Bell† as the editor, not the author. The subtitle was dropped in subsequent editions of the novel. During the days when the novel was published, it was popularly believed that men and women had different duties and responsibilities. Women were encouraged to be devoted and submissive to their husbands. The ideal woman was passive, charming, self-sacrificing and pure. Jane Eyre and other works of the Charlotte and her sisters were centred around the lives of protagonists who did not conform to these societal ideals. Thus, in order to hide their true identities and genders, the three Bronte sisters published their works under pseudonyms. These were Acton Bell (Anne Bronte), Ellis Bell (Emily Bronte) and Currer Bell (Charlotte Bronte). Despite its immediate popularity, Jane Eyre was condemned by its earliest critics as anti-Christian. These negative reviews can be attributed to the generally rebellious tone of the novel. Through the description of the protagonist’s life, including those related to her social status and matters of the heart, the reader is presented with several social and political issues. The novel questions society’s view of women, the importance of the arts and the basis of a solid marriage. Based on the standards of the society in the days when the novel was first published, Jane Eyre as a character lead an immoral life. Jane fell in love and lusted after a married man, was proposed to by her cousin, and describes a clergymen as hypocritical and greedy. The novel is written in such a manner that the reader empathizes with Jane, and in doing so, leads the reader to question his or her beliefs. The novel is also explicitly anti-Christian in that Jane questions the existence and importance of God. During her days at Lowood, Jane’s close friend, Helen Burns contracts tuberculosis. On her deathbed, Helen calmly reassures Jane that by dying young, she is escaping great sufferings, and will go to God. Jane remains sceptical, and asks, â€Å"Where is God? What is God? † In the same conversation, Jane questions the existence of heaven and the ability of people to enter it. Using contemporary standards, these questions might be considered by some to be normal and even healthy. However, in the context of the society during the time when the novel was first published, such comments would have been considered as blasphemous and grossly immoral. Critics who believed that the novel was in fact an autobiography were correct. Although the life of the character Jane Eyre is not identical to that of the author Charlotte Bronte, there are obvious parallels. For example, while attending Lowood School, one of Jane’s closest friends dies of consumption. Similarly, while attending school at Cowan Bridge, Jane’s sisters died of the same illness. This coincidence drew comparisons between the fictional headmaster of Lowood whom Jane denounces as insincere and deceitful, and Charlotte’s own former headmaster who ran Cowan Bridge. Another parallel can be drawn between the character of John Reed and Charlotte’s brother Branwell, because both men suffered from alcoholism. Perhaps the most obvious similarity between the novel and the author’s life is the fact that both Jane and Charlotte were governesses. In accepting Jane Eyre as the true adventures of its heroine and by branding the novel as anti-Christian, early critics were correct. Due to similarities in the personal life of Charlotte Bronte and the experiences of Jane Eyre, it can be inferred that the novel is an autobiography. Based on the standards of society during the time it was first published, the rebellious tone and the manner in which the novel questioned respected social institutions, the novel can be considered as anti-Christian.

Feminism During the 50’s Essay

The book Revolutionary Road, written by Richard Yates, tells the reader a story about the life of Frank and April Wheeler. The Wheelers are a married couple with children who live in a 1950’s suburb. This essay shows the reader how characters in the book do not conform to typical gender roles during this time period and how these gender roles are switched between men and women. The story gives us a lot of insight in to gender roles during the 1950’s. However, Frank and April Wheeler do not abide to the typical gender roles of men and women during this time period in American society. The idea of this analysis is to show the reader how Feminism and Masculinity are tested in Revolutionary Road. Richard Yates switches gender roles in this novel and does a good job of showing us a different perspective from what was most common during the 1950’s. Revolutionary Road is about Frank and April Wheeler who live in a suburb called Revolutionary Estates with their two children Jennifer and Michael. They are viewed by their neighbors as your ideal husband and wife. They have a nosy real estate agent named Mrs. Giving’s who randomly shows up throughout the story and has a deranged son named John who ends up having some conflict with the Wheelers. Mrs. Giving’s also has a husband named Howard who seems not to care what she has to say most of the time because she is always gossiping or talking too much. There is also a couple, Milly and Shep Campbell who are family friends of the Wheelers and often hang out and drink together. Frank ends up having an affair with Maureen, a woman who works at Knox with him. He ends up feeling guilty about it because April does something special for him. She stops the argument they are in and has a surprise birthday plan for him and tells him about her plans of moving their family to Europe. Plans fail however when April realizes she is pregnant and Frank is satisfied that they won’t have to move. April ends up having an affair with Shep Campbell who is in love with her secretly. The story ends up with April killing herself attempting to do her own abortion from home. Frank lives on in distraught and agony. Richard Yates uses Feminism in the story to show the reader how Frank fits in with typical feminine role of this time and April fits in with the  typical masculine role. Frank is constantly emasculated throughout the story by April. When they realize April is pregnant, she wants to have an abortion. Frank is upset but he can’t do much about it because he doesn’t have any say in what she does. He tries to say, â€Å"Listen. Listen to me. You do this – you do this and I swear to God I’ll –† and she cuts him off and says, â€Å"Oh, you’ll what? You’ll leave me? What’s that supposed to be – a threat or a promise?† (Yates 52) testing his masculinity once again. April is not the typical woman of the 50’s and that’s why conflicting gender roles play such an important theme in this novel. Frank thrives off of the need to prove himself to April. He wants her to believe he is in control of every situat ion and is the man of the house. He tries to put off this image to April that he is a real man and leads their household. Frank has a lot of conflict throughout the book because of his constant need to prove his manhood and prove his masculinity to April. Richard Yates uses Frank Wheeler to show us just how this novel conflicts the typical gender roles during the 1950’s. Yates says about Frank, â€Å"Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from that point on had been a succession of things he hadn’t really wanted to do? Taking a dull job to prove he could be as responsible as any other man†¦ Having another child to prove that the first one hadn’t been a mistake†¦ Proving, proving; and for no other reason than that he was married to a woman who put him forever on the defensive† (Yates 51). Yates shows the reader the true tenacity of Frank’s need to prove himself to April day after day. Having a job, having a family, and doing everything to provide for your family were all things men were expected to do during that time in America. Frank has an obsession with needing April to believe he is in control and fully providing for her and their children. He feels she will leave him or step up and provide for them herself is he cannot do it. Frank is trying to prove he is the man and holds the masculine gender role over April. April says in one scene to Frank, â€Å"Me. Me. Me. Oh, you poor, self-deluded – Look at you, Look at you, and tell me how by any stretch of imagination you can call yourself a man† ( Yates 28) which really test Franks masculinity. He is without a doubt upset about April’s actions and words. By receiving her approval, he feels his masculinity and feels he has accomplished what is important. Throughout the  story however, we see that Frank never truly gets the approval from April he is looking for. Yates intends for Frank to be weaker and less masculine than April. This is how Richard Yates uses conflicting gender roles in his characters. April is a very independent woman and she will take care of what she feels is necessary. She doesn’t look to Frank for guidance and leadership. The narrator points this out when April is mowing the lawn and Frank is watching her wishing he was doing it. The narrator states that Frank had â€Å"planned as soon as he’d had some coffee to go out there and take the lawnmower away from April, by force if it was necessary, so the he could restore as much balance to the morning as possible. But he was still in his bathrobe† (Yates 40). Frank cannot stand the fact that April is mowing the yard and not letting him do it. Yates gives us a description of April in the yard, he says, â€Å"It was April herself, stolidly pushing and hauling the old machine, wearing a man’s shirt and a pair of loss, flapping slacks† (Yates 35) This description of April really gives the reader a simple understanding that April doesn’t need Frank to mow the yard because she is capable and willing to do it herself. These are the things that really bother Frank because he wants a woman who needs him to do everything for her. That’s what Frank feels he is supposed to do; he wants to be the sole provider and â€Å"alpha† of his household. Another way we see Frank being emasculated is when April plans the move to Europe. She tells Frank about the plans to move at his surprise birthday get together, he had just got home from having an affair with Maureen from his office. The narrator gives us a good understanding of Frank’s inability to take control. He ends up agreeing with the plans even though he is not fully sure and confident that is what he wants. Frank says, â€Å"Darling? We are really going to do it, aren’t we? I mean it hasn’t just been a lot of talk or anything, has it?† (Yates 116) and they agree the move to Europe is a sure thing. Then they fall asleep and the chapter ends with April saying I love you to Frank. Frank is finally feeling a sense of assurance at this point because things are getting better between him and April. He is finally feeling that sense of satisfaction he thrives for. He and April are getting  along and things â€Å"seem† to be good. However, April ends up letting Frank in on some startling news. She is pregnant and when Frank finds out he is actually happy about the news because he has had a promotion offered to him at work and knows that having a baby will keep them from moving. When April realizes Frank is satisfied with not moving she threatens to abort the baby herself after Frank finds her abortion tools and she test Franks masculinity again by saying, â€Å"And what are you going to do? Do you think you’re going to stop me?† (Yates 209) when he questions her on what she is going to do with the tools. Frank has no control over any situations throughout this book. Especially in this situation because April has had her mind set on moving and she was not going to take no for an answer. She eventually kills herself trying to proceed in doing an abortion herself at their home. April had control of the situation the whole time. Furthermore, â€Å"Revolutionary Road† gives the reader a wide and detailed interpretation of very unusual gender roles for the 1950’s. The author’s use of feminism helps him to show how Frank is a man who feeds of his wife for satisfaction. Everything Frank does is mainly to get the approval and acceptance of his wife April. Feminism also helps us to take a look at how April Wheeler is portrayed. She is a very independent woman and for this time period that is very rare. Women typically depended on men and did not step up as leaders and sole providers of their family. However, April is much different. She wants Frank to know that she can take care of herself and her family without the help of a man. She is portrayed as being much more masculine and superior than her husband. She is in control of their relationship and she is in control of Frank’s life. Everything Frank does is based on what April thinks and getting her to notice and her to approve is what makes him feel like a man. Richard Yates did an amazing job in â€Å"Revolutionary Road† by showing the reader the conflicting gender roles of April and Frank Wheeler. Works Cited Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. 2nd. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 2000. Print.

Comparison of Barbara Ehrenreich"Bright-Sided" and " Essay

Comparison of Barbara Ehrenreich"Bright-Sided" and " Mariah Burton Nelson, " I Won. I'm sorry." - Essay Example It does this by looking at how these articles are in a dialogue about identified aspects of popular US culture discussed by these scholars. In I Won. Im sorry, Nelson presents a candid and insightful discussion on the gender stereotyping in athletics as one of the popular cultures in USA. As a former basketball player, Nelson alludes to her own experiences because she happened to have actively engaged in her favorite game at a time when US culture was quite skeptical ob the involvement of women in certain sporting activities. With her first-hand experiences, Nelson acknowledges that indeed, gender inequality is quite evident in athletics in the country. Due to the patriarchal nature of the society, men have been brought up to believe that there are certain games that should not only be reserved for them. To them, the womenfolk should only concentrate on skating, gymnastics and tennis. The other prominent feature that appears in Nelson’s discussion is the issue of feminism. Even if the society is slowly transforming and giving room to the women to be active in athletics, a lot of concern is raised about how their involvement in athletics can make them to behave. Unlike their male counterparts, women are supposed to be careful not to be viewed as masculine. She says ‘Women want to be tall enough to feel elegant and attractive, like models. They want to feel respected and looked up to. But they don’t want to be so tall that their height threatens men. They want to win — to achieve, to reach new heights — but without exceeding male heights’ (P 570). Meaning, they are still viewed as a weaker sex who should apologize for appearing masculine and at times have to feature in nude adverts so as to prove to the society that they are still elegant and have the beauty that qualified them as feminine creatures who must be dominated by the male

Discussion on rolls of translators in localiczation and translation Term Paper

Discussion on rolls of translators in localiczation and translation memory environment - Term Paper Example Like the rest of the ‘knowledge sector,’ translators are obliged to work on computer screens and do their research using the web. Unlike their colleagues however, they have been propagating this new work environment and fomenting change precisely by their role in translating it. The most significant tool used until now by translators in the digital work environment is Translation Memory software, or TM. By putting the developments of the last 20 years in historical perspective and with particular attention to events over the last two, this article argues that TM is reaching its use-by date. It also examines the strong re-emergence of Machine Translation (MT) in response to TM's inability to cope with the increasing translating needs of today’s digital age. (p. ... For example physicians, public servants, theologians, writers and poets translated the work of their respective fields. (p. 200) The grooming of translation as a profession is based on a century’s time period but shaping translation into a new form of business is a story of recent times, as this paper looks at the work of some of the modern authors, Brian Mossop (2006) is no exception. According to him, â€Å"most changes over the past 20 years have been changes in translation as a business†. (p. 788) Further more, he has written that now days, there are now translations companies provide services internationally and deal with remotely located translators worldwide. He also gave his point of view on localization and wrote: Translation is starting to become a big business, increasingly integrating as suppliers the traditional cottage industry of freelances. The activity known as ‘localization’ has been added to existing translation business sectors, and it i s also one of several sectors where practitioners are in the process of acquiring distinct professional status (along with court and community interpreters). That said, it nay be noted in passing that ‘localization’ of Web page textual content is often just a new label for an old activity, namely free translation / adaptation. (p.788-789) According to Brian Mossop (2006), â€Å"some of the changes under way in the world of translation are not related to information technology at all†. He has used English translation as a global auxiliary language example. He also regarded this development as a new chapter in the history of lingua francas. (p. 788-792) As this paper looks into the work of modern writers and authors, one can not ignore Anthony Pym’s work on globalization and contribution to translation as