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The role of women in English literature
The role of women in English literature
Portrayal of women in literature
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A Feminist Reading of A Woman on a Roof
The short story, "A Woman on a Roof," by Doris Lessing may seem to be about a few men who become annoyed with a woman because she suns herself out on her roof. The men feel that she is a distraction and are obviously bothered by her presence. They are not happy that this sunbather is out there on display and illustrate these feelings of discontent by constantly whistling and yelling at her. The men also make several rude and sexist comments to her throughout the story. In a time period such as the one this story takes place in, males were considered far superior to women, and comments such as the ones the men make would not be considered out of the ordinary. What is extremely surprising, and quite out of the ordinary, however, is the fact that this woman did not even seem bothered by their actions. When this is taken into consideration, it is revealed that the real source of the men’s anger toward the woman is not simply because she was sunning herself, but rather, was due to the fact that she showed indigence toward them in a time when women were expected to submit to men’s demands.
The men in this story obviously have strong feelings of superiority and power over the opposite sex, and expect that women will naturally give in to their demands. These feelings are illustrated as early as in the opening paragraph, when they see the woman for the first time. While working, "They made jokes about getting an egg from some woman in the flats under them, to poach it for dinner" (Lessing 856). Such a comment demonstrates the men’s beliefs about gender roles: that women will be home, not working, and eager to serve men. The comments continue; later on, when referring to the woman as ...
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...woman And, while she may not have earned women the right to vote or gained women admission into institutes of higher education, she stood up for herself in a normal everyday situation, and that’s a start. She is a woman who was one of the exceptions in her era; she was not just a woman on a roof, but rather a hero of her generation.
Works Cited
Allen, Orphia Jane. "Doris Lessing." Short Story Criticism, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990.
Atack, Margaret. "Doris Lessing." Short Story Criticism, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990.
Lessing, Doris. "A Woman on a Roof." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 856-862.
Works Consulted
Baron, Mary. "Doris Lessing." Critical Survey of Short Fiction, vol. 4. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993.
"Unit 2: Reading & Writing About Short Fiction." ENGL200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 49-219. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Stein, Karen F. "Amy Tan." Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition (2001): 1-3. Literary Reference Center Plus. EBSCO. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
(Sept. 1976): 35-39. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Carol T. Gaffke. Vol. 26. Detroit:
Pike, Gerald. “Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers.” Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Research International Limited, 1990. 90. Print.
Magill, Frank N., ed. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Revised ed. Vol. 2. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993. 7 vols.
...women’s roles in society and in the household are. It is quite interesting on how many biased readers and writers we have in this world. There are so many people so quick to label women and men based on very simplistic roles in society. Men believe women have something to prove or justify, but only in the household. Overall, I really enjoyed interpreting this short story and literary reviews by Ann Oakley and Karen Ford.
Evans, Robert C., Anne C. Little, and Barbara Wiedemann. Short Fiction: A Critical Companion. West Cornwall, CT: Locust Hill, 1997. 265-270.
Solomon, Barbara H., ed. Rediscoveries: American Short Stories by Women, 1832-1916. New York: Penguin Group, 1994.
Belasco, Susan, and Linck Johnson, eds. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature. Vol. 1, 2nd Ed., Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. 1190-1203. Print.
"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices." Top Documentary Films. Web. 8 Aug 2011. .
Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 8th ed. New York:
Walmart needed high levels of growth to continue to survive and saturation of domestic market. Global retail expansion has attracted many large-sized companies with targets to increase business profits and market share. Global expansion not only attracts large organizations but also small to medium-sized companies, companies new to international expansion, as well as those who are already expanding in the international arena. However, there are also well-known retailers who failed in their expansion in certain global markets due to regulatory, legal and cultural challenges, competition, and attempting to change local shopping behavior. The lower pricing strategy was their basic strategy to expand Walmart’s philosophy, “Every Day Low Price” to all parts of the world. The only challenge was the distribution system; the company had given in to union demands from the state-run. Walmart was not influenced. The marketing strategies still involved huge discounts and great values on all of their products, similar to strategies in their home country: maintaining low prices every day, especially middle-class customers, yet maintaining profits. They also suggested
Jane goes to work everyday at an animal-testing lab. She pours liquids used in eyeliner into the eyes of numerous albino rabbits. The rabbits' eyes are held open with clips so that for the 72 hour test period, the rabbits can't even blink. The rabbits' bodies are in a box so that only their head protrudes. Jane watches the rabbits and records how the rabbits’ eyes react. She observes as the rabbits’ eyes bleed intensely. Some eyes become extremely deteriorated, and some rabbits even become blind due to the toxicity of the liquid being tested. As she walks down the line writing down what each rabbit's reaction is, Jane notices many rabbits have broken their own necks trying to escape the horrendous pain ("Product...").
The cost of an “everyday low price” toy: $19.95. The cost of a Rolex watch: $2,465. A great paper explaining why corporations put these prices on products: priceless. Wal-Mart has become the leader in “everyday low price” pricing, and the number one retailer has brought many businesses to their demise because of their pricing strategy. Recently, Wal-Mart has expanded their sales niche to the toy department putting many specialty toy stores near or completely out of business. This paper will discuss how Wal-Mart priced their line of toys, why Wal-Mart used toys as “loss leaders” to attract customers, and two alternate methods of pricing marketers can use based on demand and reputation.
General Mills revealed that extending into other markets can prove profitable. When General Mills extended its corporation into the snack market by adding Milk n’ Cereal Bars and Morning Mid, they were very successful. General Mills found a way to change with the changing lifestyle of the typical “on the go” American; making their breakfast products portable. Not only did they unleash a new product onto the market, but they extended their “marketing loop” to people who are “on the go.” Nowadays, Americans are all about the fastest cars, quickest internet connection, and yes, even the quickest way to get through a meal. People today do not even want to stand in line at the bank that they came up with online banking; this is where the “on the go” breakfast bars come into play. General Mills also took care of the “nutritious on the go” Americans. In addition to being a good “on the go” breakfast, Chex Morning Mix also provides nutrition because it has 10 vitamins and minerals. The new “on the go” product is a good selling factor for busy people who do not want to lose nutritional value by eating on the go. The idea that one can actually eat their breakfast on the move appeals to not only the fast paced people of today, but also to the ones that want to acquire more sleep.