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Women in The Importance of being earnest
Women in The Importance of being earnest
Women in The Importance of being earnest
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Comparing the Roles of Women in Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Look Back in Anger In Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Look Back in Anger, the women characters play distinct roles in the dramas. However, the type of roles, the type of characters portrayed, and the purpose the women’s roles have in developing the plot and themes vary in each play. As demonstrated by The Importance of Being Earnest and Look Back in Anger, the majority of women’s roles ultimately reflect that women in British society were viewed to be unequal to men in love and in relationships and generally the weaker sex, emotionally, physically and intellectually. However, I have found an exception to this standard in the play Arcadia, in which Thomasina Coverly plays the role of a young genius. In Oscar Wilde’s drama The Importance of Being Earnest, he uses light-hearted tones and humor to poke fun at British high society while handling the serious theme of truth and the true identity of who is really “Earnest.” Truth as theme is most significantly portrayed through the women characters, Gwendolen and Cecily but to present serious themes comically, Wilde portrays women to be the weaker sex of society, despite the seriousness of the subject—the identity of the men they want to marry. Gwendolen and Cecily act like air-heads and are easily won over by the men they plan to marry. Gwendolen simply wants to marry a man named Earnest. She tells Jack “my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest” (I.381-82). The mere idea of marrying a man for his name shows how easily Gwendolen can attach herself to a man. Marriage is the most serious of all relationships and Gwendolen is foolish to deter... ... middle of paper ... ..., Stoppard’s creation of Thomasina opens the door of opportunity in the world of drama for more women characters to be created with the same intelligence and respect in regards to love as well as academics. Works Cited Fleming, John. Stoppard’s Theater: Finding Order amid Chaos. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2001. Nadel, Ira. Tom Stoppard: A Life. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Osborne, John. Look Back in Anger. New York: Penguin, 1982. Stoppard, Tom. Arcadia. London: Faber and Faber, 1993. Thompson, Doreen. “Stoppard’s Idea of Woman: ‘Good, Bad, or Indifferent?’.” Ed. Anthony Jenkins. Critical Essays on Tom Stoppard. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1990. 194-203. Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. Peter Raby, ed. Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays. London: Oxford University Press, 1995. 247-307.
Prior to Richard Nixon’s inauguration in January of 1969 there were a plethora of issues on the table, but in foreign policy the most pressing issue was the American involvement in Vietnam. In an attempt to predict the main goals, current realities of the war and possible options for a “victory” in Vietnam a committee was commissioned, named RAND, to layout those predictions. At the head of this RAND committee was Dr. Henry Kissinger, President Nixon’s national security advisor and later Secretary of State. Dr. Kissinger led this study to predetermine Nixon’s foreign policy plan towards Vietnam, and at t the heart of this committee were a series of studies that broke down Vietnam War policies of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. This corporation allowed for they’re to be a stronghold for Nixon with his anticipated struggles, and major problems in foreign policy. The number one problem was clearly American involvement in Vietnam 1969. This also allowed President Nixon to get a jumpstart creating solutions to these struggles when he would actually take office. Also discussed in the study were alternatives and outcomes to policies towards the war. Defining the word “victory” for the Unites States in Vietnam was one of the major struggles and stresses of Nixon in 1969 and something that would stay with him throughout his presidency. With this came to what was attainable for the United States to accomplish “victory”, which was the major objective of the RAND committee. What was found for attainable victories ranged from the Government of Vietnam (GVN) having independent control of the South, to mere territorial accommodations in the South for the GNV. Though all of this the RAND study was an attempt to have an idea how to see...
Throughout the plays, the reader can visualize how men dismiss women as trivial and treat them like property, even though the lifestyles they are living in are very much in contrast. The playwrights, each in their own way, are addressing the issues that have negatively impacted the identity of women in society.
“I’ve now realized for the first time in my life, the vital importance of being Earnest. (713.521-523) Jack’s final line demonstrates his understanding of the secret meaning behind “The Importance of Being Earnest”, by Oscar Wilde. That human beings have the capacity to be both good and evil. This is shown through the character of Jack, other character’s relation to Jack, and even in the theatrical elements of the show.
"Information systems are vulnerable and it is possible for terrorists to utilize the vulnerabilities of information systems to attack their adversaries" (Hua & Bapna 2013). Since the events of 9/11 the world has watched as terrorism has slowly began to escalate not only in severity but frequency however, until recently nations including the United States have been more focused on traditional methods of terrorism and paid little effort to the growing concern of cyberterrorism. Hua and Bapta (2013) define cyberterrorism as:
...show us that the choices for women in marriage were both limited and limiting in their scope and consequences. As can be seen, it came down to a choice between honoring the private will of the self, versus, honoring the traditions and requirements of society as a whole. Women were subject to the conditions set down by the man of the house and because of the social inequality of women as a gender class; few fought the rope that tied them down to house, hearth, and husband, despite these dysfunctions. They simply resigned themselves to not having a choice.
The bond between child and a caregiver is based on the child's need for safety, security and protection, which is paramount in infancy and childhood (Bretherton, 1992). One’s ability to form emotional bonds in early stages of infant development is the fundamental component of emotional development and predictor of later interpersonal functioning (Hutchinson, 2013). John Bowlby, who initially began his study on attachment by observing animals, proposed that children attach to caregivers instinctively. Evolutionary speaking, those who are able to remain close and attached to their caregivers were more likely to survive through to the reproductive stages and develop healthy attachments in their adult hood (Fraley, 2004; Hutchinson, 2013). He concluded that the infant initiates the bonding sequence but it is the mother’s behaviors which strengthens their bonding (Hutchinson, 32013). Mary Ainsworth was Bowlby’s most famous collaborator in regards to explaining human attachment and conducted experiments that demonstrated that affectional bonds between infants and caregivers are persistent and not transitory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall 1978).
Gender roles have withstood the test of time and equality throughout the world, and only recently has society made advancements towards gender equality. Undoubtedly, this modern progression in equality can be partially attributed to canon literature which broadens a reader’s perspective and challenges them to think critically. Such as the plays “Trifles”, written by Susan Glaspell, and “M. Butterfly”, written by David Henry Hwang, which address gender inequality through dramatic portrayals. Moreover, when compared and contrasted, “Trifles” and “M. Butterfly”, share the universal themes of femininity and masculinity as well as cultural stereotypes.
Female characters in literature became more prominent at the turn of the last century as women's role in society changed. At the beginning of the 20th century, men were at the front lines fighting prolonged wars, while women were left to fulfill traditionally masculine roles back home. Women were performing the essential duties at the home front, without which everyday life would not have been sustainable. In Fifth Business, Davies employs an unorthodox approach creating anomalous female characters attemptin...
Throughout history, women’s place and role in society has changed. Women are often seen as a lower status and have a need to be taken care of by men. There are conflicts with the idealization of women as they are often overlooked and viewed as secondary characters. This idealization is well established in the characters of Desdemona in Othello and Daisy in The Great Gatsby. In F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and Shakespeare‘s play Othello, Desdemona and Daisy are both responsible for their tragedies due to the manipulation and impact of the outsiders, their loss of innocence, and their vulnerability as women.
For a baby to have healthy development they must have healthy relationships. These relationships change as the baby grows and will affect them through their entire lifespan. (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000) The first of these relationships is the bond between the baby and their primary caregiver, usually the mother. We call this bond attachment. The quality of this attachment may affect the baby’s entire life. If a baby develops a secure attachment they are likely to grow into healthy adults. Attachment becomes secure when the parent responds to the baby in a warm and consistent manner. (The Baby Human: To Belong, 2003)
Throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde plays around with the standard expectations along with the absence of compassion of a Victorian society in the 1890’s, he demonstrates this through several genres of comedy such as Melodrama, Comedy of Manners, Farce, dark humour and Irony, as well as portraying the themes, death and illness, in this play in a brilliance of unusual amount of references.
Lindo Jong provides the reader with a summary of her difficulty in passing along the Chinese culture to her daughter: “I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things do not mix? I taught her how American circumstances work. If you are born poor here, it's no lasting shame . . . You do not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head . . . In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you. . . . but I couldn't teach her about Chinese character . . . How to know your own worth and polish it, never flashing it around like a cheap ring. Why Chinese thinking is best”(Tan 289).
The Nixon Doctrine was immediately applied to the latter half of the Vietnam War after the Nixon Administration moved into the White House. The doctrine’s main purpose was to address the methods of how the United States would extricate its military forces from Vietnam while at the same time aiding South Vietnam in defending itself against Chinese-supported North Vietnam. According to the Encyclopedia of the New American Nation regarding the Nixon Doctrine:
...ve been suffering mental abuse by their husband. This play presents the voice of feminism and tries to illustrate that the power of women is slightly different, but can be strong enough to influence the male dominated society. Although all women are being oppressed in the patriarchal society at that time, Glaspell uses this play as a feminist glory in a witty way to win over men. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters solve the crime by reflecting on Minnie Wright’s unhappy marriage that leads her to murdering. Using the relationship between female and male characters throughout the play, Glaspell speaks up to emphasize how the patriarchal society underestimated women’s rights and restricted women’s desires.
Attachment occurs in stages. The first stage is pre-attachment, which occurs from birth to 6 weeks. During this stage newborns get an adult’s attention through smiling, crying, babbling, and making eye (Divecha, 2017). Although, they are not attached to their mother yet, they feel soothed and calm when they are carried by her or feel her presence (Divecha 2017). The second stage occurs between 6 weeks and eight months. The infant begins to develop trust in his or her mother and relies on her all of the time. When the child is comforted by the mother, they begin to smile because they feel trust (Divecha, 2017). The infant loves the company of their parent or caregiver and gets distressed when attention is not given to them (McLeod,