Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature

Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature The Relationship between Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature In twenty first century pop culture, relationships between women are portrayed as being tightly knit and balanced as displayed by characters from the book The Friday Night Knitting Club or the television show Sex and the City. While women in twenty first century media very often have a female antagonist, there are the female friends to whom she can turn to when in need of support. However, when comparing early twenty first century media to early twentieth century equivalents, there is a marked difference in the interaction between women. Literature written in the early twentieth century by women takes a significantly different look at relationships between women. When comparing and contrasting the relationships between women in Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Awakening by Kate Chopin as well as Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar there lies the subtle indication that only in a utopian world can a healthy, non-antagonistic relationship between women exist. The very basic relationships or the ones that are initially formed are within the family unit, between parent and child. The women of Herland are essentially one large family unit, one in which motherhood is the primary goal to be achieved, and the relationship between mother and child, no matter the biological connection, is a healthy one. The mothers of Herland are entirely available for their children at every waking moment ready and willing to provide comfort, guidance, understanding, and a helping hand. In contrast, however, Esther Greenwoods relationship with her own mother in The Bell Jar hardly strikes the same chords as the women of Herland. During Esthers hospitalization instead of offering comfort and understanding Mrs. Greenwood assails her daughter with guilt, mentioning that Esther had used up almost all her money and that she should be appreciative of Mrs. Guineas financial aid otherwise she would be in a big state hospital (Plath 185). I hate her (Plath 203) Esther te lls her therapist Doctor Nolan when talking about Mrs. Greenwood and serves to be the culminating statement of their relationship. Whether or not the assertion of hate made by Esther is indeed sincere or stems from her mental state is unclear, however, by merely making such a profound statement and in the context in which it is made displays the troubled relationship between mother and daughter. While it is easy to draw conclusions from Herland and The Bell Jar in regard to the relationship between mother and daughter, in The Awakening it is slightly more difficult given the fact that there is little to draw upon in reference. The Awakenings protagonist, Edna Pontellier, lost her mother at a very early age and very little is mentioned in regard to any influence her mother may have had in her life. However, still within the familial relationship, Edna briefly mentions a sister, Janet, and it can be assumed based on Ednas refusal to attend her sisters wedding in chapter twenty three t hat the two are not close. The very basic unit of female companionship in The Bell Jar and The Awakening create a polar opposite to what is witnessed in Herland in the familial sense. The distinctions between female relationships become further removed between the societies of The Awakening and The Bell Jar from Herland as friendships are explored. In the all female nation of Herland, the women work and live together not only as one large extended family but also as friends, a relationship best reflected by the characters Ellador, Celis, and Alima. These three young women mark the quintessential twenty-first century friendship. While the audience does not witness the friendship between them directly, it is safe to assume that Ellador, Celis, and Alima find one another companionable enough to spend the amount of time they do around each other. Further evidence suggests that they trust one another enough to confide the darkest truths to each other as the narrator Van suggests when he notes that he got a pretty clear account of [Alimas rape by Terry] from Ellador (Gilman 132). In contrast, Edna in The Awakening confides a good part of her troubles to Madame Ratignoll e, she does not reveal so much (Chopin 25) of it as to completely expose herself. On a very superficial level, Edna and Madam Ratignolle might, by Victorian standards, be considered friends; however, the reader senses more antagonism and completion between them. Edna shows element of scorn toward Madam Ratignolle as she describes her as the mother-woman in chapter four sewing a babys garment designed for winter wear, when treacherous drafts came down chimneys and insidious currents of deadly cold found their way through key-holes (Chopin 11). The Bell Jars Esther Greenwood also shares the same type of superficial friendship with Doreen as Edna does with Madam Ratignolle. While Esther and Doreen spend time with one another, there lacks the intimate quality on which real, solid friendships, like Celis, Ellador, and Alima share, are built. It is further shown that Esther cares no more deeply for Doreen than she would any stranger she would meet with on the streets of New York City, whe n Esther decides to dump [a drunk Doreen] on the carpet and shut and lock [her] door and go back to bed (Plath 22). Ironically, all three novels feature environments in which the primary inhabitants are female, and yet still only Herland is capable of sustaining an ideal coexistence.

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting Reaction Paper Essay

The Narcotics Anonymous meeting which I attended was named 7 Days of NA which was located on 1212 North Wolfe Street at an organization called Dee’s Place. Just as the Alcoholic Anonymous meeting previously attended, the location appeared to be in a covert and quiet place to hold a support group. We entered through the rear entrance, which seemed to be staged that way to secure participants identity. As before at the last support group I attended, I searched around the room to see again, a 12 steps guide posted on the wall, a relatively thick NA ‘Basic Text’ textbook on the desk of the facilitator and this time there were more participants in attendance. There were approximately 20 woman and men in attendance, predominantly African Americans and two Caucasian women, however a majority of the attendees were women. All of which we either their due to being court ordered or there for the regular daily attendance. Before I was able to sit in my chair I was approached by a group of women, who appeared to be regular attendees, who greeted me with hugs and welcomed me to the meeting. After attending the AA support group, I felt as though I already knew what to expect and how to effectively receive the stories of how some of the individuals overcame substance abuse addiction. The meeting began with the facilitator reciting the Serenity Prayer, then she asked if anyone was new to the meeting. Again I was nervous and uncertain how to respond so I looked around but did not stand up because I did not want to be acknowledged. They then made announcements, where I then witnessed three people receive key chains for being 1 week clean. Though to some being one week clean may not pose much significance, however to the individual who sustained their sobriety for that period of time, it was proven that it was an enormous step for the individual. To me I believe the use of the key chain is a great aspect in motivating the individual to continue making progress towards their goals.  I observed that when each person who had the floor recounted their stories of addiction, ever yone appeared to have much admiration for the person sharing their story. I observed that before sharing their story they started with an introductory statement saying â€Å"Hi, my name is Janet, and I am an addict† and much like AA after each individual recounted their stories they thanked the group for having them while the grouped responded â€Å"Thanks for sharing†. This group, like AA appeared as though they were a unified family. Everyone listened to what each other had to say with no interruptions, no biases, and all appeared to be in support of one another. After listening to several stories of individuals suffering from addiction of various illicit substances to include mainly heroin, crack-cocaine and benzodiazepines, I was in awe as to how early some individuals began abusing drugs. Some of the participants started using drugs as young as 12 years old while some have been abusing drugs for as long as 20 years. However many participants identified as being clean for several years to include one woman who was clean for 15 + years, wh ich made me reflect on how strong these individuals must be to overcome such a powerful disease such as addiction. I noticed that though they have been clean for so long, they still dedicate themselves to attend NA meetings to assist in maintaining their sobriety. According to Gossop, Steward and Marsden (2007), it has been proven that attendance in 12 step self help groups including AA and NA meetings shows increased abstinence, improved psychological health outcomes and improved substance use outcomes. Expressing their stories of addiction to the group, for myself may appear to be seemingly hard and embarrassing but with a group of such empathetic and supportive members, recanting their stories came with ease. Once again I was asked if I would like to share my story, however this time I was more prepared and quickly and respectfully declined the opportunity to share a story with the group. Many participants engaged the group with stories of overcoming addiction or being sexually molested by family members as reasons behind their addiction. However all of their stories were compelling and empowering to the group of individuals who have seemed to endure some of the same sentiments as their fellow group mate. It appeared as if the individuals in the group even though that were court ordered appeared to be extremely engaged and very involved during the meetings. It seemed as though most who attended found peace and solice from  the group during the NA meetings. As it stated by Krentzman, Robinson, Moore, et.al (2010), client’s state that their top two reasons for attending NA meetings were to promote recovery/ sobriety and to find support acceptance and friendships. One thing that I learned from the NA group that just as in AA, family support deems to be an important function on the perseverance of an addict and that the participation and involvement of family is detrimental in the treatment process for the addicts. In several of our readings many of the passages discussed the effects of family systems support as it pertains to substance abusers chemical addiction. The passages described the family system as being a detrimental part of the treatment process as well as for the trea tment of the family as well. According to past studies, family involvement has aided clients in sustaining abstinence from drugs/alcohol and studies also show that those individuals with extensive family involvement in therapy reported higher numbers of clients being abstinent after six months as well as a much better family relationship (Crnkovic & Delcampo, 1998). After listening to all the stories of both feelings of defeat and success, the environment felt so warm and opened. Everyone made each other feel like no matter how long someone has been addicted or whether someone has fallen victim to relapse, they were still a part of the family and they were there to aid that individual in getting through their demise. Everyone motivated and supported each other to succeed. At the close of the meeting, everyone stood in a circle while everyone embraced and recited the Serenity prayer again. I believe that NA is an extremely important aspect of the treatment and intervention process of addiction, because it allows the individual to open up to those who have similar issues and who can emphathize and relate to what that person may be going through because they have or are in the same predicament. Longitudinal studies has proven that having an affiliation with NA has a greater likelihood of sustaining abstinence, improved social functioning and self efficiacy (Humphreys, Wings, McCarty , et al., 2004). As it relates to social work, advocating for self help groups such as Narcotics Anonymous are detrimental to the treatment process of addiction. These groups provide, advocacy, support and education to their clients which are all essential in supporting addicts in their treatment recovery. Working with these individuals requires empathy, understanding and comprehension of the disease  model of addiction, to be an advocate for not only clients facing addiction, but for the surrounding urban communities which are consumed with the drug abuse epidemic daily. References Crnkovic, A., & DelCampo, R.L. (1998). A systems approach to the treatment of chemical addiction. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 20(1), 25-36. Gossop, M., Stewart, D., & Marsden, J. (2008). Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5†year follow†up study. Addiction, 103(1), 119-125. Humphreys, K., Wing, S., McCarty, D., Chappel, J., Gallant, L., Haberle, B., †¦ & Weiss, R. (2004). Self- help organizations for alcohol and drug problems: Toward evidence-based practice and policy. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 26(3), 151-158. Krentzman, A. R., Robinson, E. A., Moore, B. C., Kelly, J. F., Laudet, A. B., White, W. L., †¦ & Strobbe, S. (2011). How alcoholics anonymous (AA) and narcotics anonymous (NA) work: Cross- disciplinary perspectives. Alcoholism treatment quarterly, 29(1), 75-84.

Summarise Entitlement for Early Years Education

1. 1)There are different types of childcare options for children in the early years 0-5 these are: The first one is an organisation called Surestart this helps families from the birth of their child, providing help and support when the parents really need it the most. This organisation works with the parent’s right from when the child is born helping the child with educational needs.They provide full day care, short term care; health and family support if the family is having complications at home such as financial needs then Surestart will do their best to provide the family with links of people and organisations that can help them. They also provide parenting advice, this is essential for some new families that have never experienced parenting before. They also provide training and employment advice to fund the new families which is desperately needed especially when the family contains young parents.The next one is nursery schools; usually nursery schools provide this type of education for children between three and five years old. Most of the time these type of nurseries are based at the surestart centres but they can also often be linked to local primary schools. The next childcare option is pre schools and playgroups, most of the time playgroups are run by voluntary organisations for children three and four years old. This means that children can have 15 hours of their free education at these organisations.The next type of childcare provision is day nurseries these are consistently placed in workplaces as people going to work can place their child in that provision complete a day’s work and then take their child home. These can be run by both the business they are placed at or they can be voluntary, this might be free but sometimes the businesses can charge. A different type of childcare provision is one used at the carers home these are called childminders. These are often used after school is finished and people still need to place their c hildren in childcare.In childminders they are only allowed to look after six children under the age of eight but only three children are allowed at a time under the age of five. The last and most unlikely child care provision is a nanny these provide childcare in the parents’ home and are usually paid for by the parents and usually used over a long period of time. These are often used if the parents are on a ‘work trip’ or got a complete a set amount of work over a period of time.

Planned Parenthood - Argumentative Essay - 1253 Words

Argumentative Essay Planned Parenthood Millions of women across America will struggle to receive the medical attention they need if the federal government stops funding to Planned Parenthood. Every year 363 million dollars goes into the funding â€Å"pot† collectively at Planned Parenthood’s nationwide (Clark 5). This money is used predominantly by women; for six in ten women, Planned Parenthood acts as their main source of health care (Clark 4). Many individuals with low incomes depend on these clinics to maintain or help better their health. Recently, the federal government is trying to pass the Pence Amendment, which would eliminate funding to these institutions. The federal government needs to realize how important Planned Parenthood†¦show more content†¦In addition to taking away the availability of health provisions, this amendment will be taking away millions of jobs nationwide. Within each of these clinics are multiple employees ranging from customer service attendants to doctors. There are more than 880 health centers nationwide and several administrative offices across the country (Planned Parenthood 2). Are not we supposed to be focusing on making jobs available within our nation? Taking away countless jobs will damage this nation instead of benefit it. It will cause more suffering, which is what Planned Parenthood is trying to eliminate. The eliminating of funds to clinics will cause many to go without preventative care such as contraception. If people no longer have access to birth control, the population rate will continue to rise. When the government takes away funding, and therefore, birth control, unplanned births will happen and with that additional fees that the government will have to cough up. Sure, you save money up front when defunding Planned Parenthood but in the long run you are causing a bigger problem. As Groff states, â€Å"Family planning is a regular part of women’s health, every $1 spent on family planning saves $4. It is fiscal ly responsible† (1). With unwanted pregnancies, come unwanted children or children for whom we are not prepared for which go into foster care as well asShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Abortion1304 Words   |  6 PagesIn this argumentative essay I would like you, the reader to consider a public issue from my perspective and my belief system on the matter. I’ll be supporting my view on a common and overlooked procedure conducted by women and medical doctors within a walk in clinic and home. This procedure is known as an Abortion, also known as a voluntary abortion. The definition provided by Dictionary.com is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.† There have been manyRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesown conclusion, then its your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. Lets examine that last remark. A conclusion backed up by one or more reasons in any order is called an argument, even when the reasoner is not being argumentative or disagreeable. The word â€Å"argument† is a technical term we will be using frequently in this course. Being logical means, among other things, that you should give an argument to support your conclusion if you expect other people to accept it

Galileo Galileis Contributions to Scientific Advancements

Galileo was probably the most appreciable astronomer, mathematician and scientist of his time. In fact his work has been very essential in many scientific advances, even to this day. With things like improving the telescope and the discovery of the heliocentric orbit of Earth. Galileo had many other substantial discoveries that also had a great effect on astronomy. In the early seventeenth century,Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, mathemitician, astronomer, and philosopher, is known for improving the telescope and his support in Copernicanism. He was known as Galileo. He has many different names for his brilliant work and observations in astronomy. Some of his many names are â€Å"father of observational astronomy†, the â€Å"father of physics†. His main two achievements were improving the telescope and observations to support Copercanicusm. Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 to Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia degli Ammannati in Pisa, Italy. His father, Vincenzo, was a musician. His family was not rich but they were of nobility.Galileo never married but he did have a brief relationship with Marina Gamba. He met her on one of his trips to Venice. She lived with Galileo and they had three children. In 1610 he moved to Florence, where he took a position at The Court of the Medici family. In 1581 Galileo went to study at the University of Pisa. His father hoped he would study medicine there, but Galileo studied physics. He mainly studied at school and he soonShow MoreRelatedHistorical Characters Of The Astell, Galileo, And Florence Nightingale1753 Words   |  8 Pagesimagination, but then he suggested me to choose three people from the past who I would like to meet and he would prove me that by bringing them into our time. I chose Mary Astell, Galileo Galilei, and Florence Nightingale. He asked why I picked these historical characters. My answer was obvious. The people like Mary Astell, Galileo Galilei, and Florence Nightingale left their enormous marks on the history by their outstanding works, ideas, and intellections. For me to meet them, to have chance to talk to

SOPHOCLESS ANTIGONE A FEMINIST REPRESENTATION - 2101 Words

A woman who rebelled against a distinctively patriarchal, male-dominated Greek society. A woman who defied the orders of the King to follow her heart. A woman who acted in accordance with her sense of right and wrong. A woman with great reverence for relationships and an even greater allegiance towards family values. Such a woman deserves applause. A rebel. A legend. An example. A woman. Antigone. Sophocles’ Antigone has as its backdrop a very rigid and conservative Greek society and Greek culture when it was certainly against the norm of a typical ancient Greek woman to rebel against a male authority. And therein lies the reason to believe that Sophocles’ protagonist in Antigone showed signs of early feminism. Antigone dared to raise†¦show more content†¦Even in today’s world, such conflicts are manifested, particularly in poor countries, without a resolution in such a long and drawn out social dilemma. The treatment of women has been an issue for hundreds of years. In ancient civilizations, women were seen as inferior beings. In Ancient Greece, women had no social, political, or economic importance. Socially, women were considered to be secondary to men, who were respected and honored. According to ancient Greek culture, women could not be independent, and relied entirely on the men in their lives. A woman’s role in ancient Greek society was to bear children, prepare meals, and watch after the household. A man however, fulfilled the â€Å"important† duties in Greek society. These duties included political advocacy fighting battles, protecting his family. In Ancient Greece, feminism was unheard of. Women lived in fear of speaking out against men, and would not dare contradict the ways of society. Women feared facing physical abuse, angering the gods, and sometimes death. So, this was Greek society and Greek culture. Rigid, conservative. It was a society when it was certainly against the norm of a typical ancient Greek woman to rebel against a male authority. And this is reason to believe that Sophocles’ namesake in Antigone may have shown signs of early feminism. Antigone

About Pit Bulls free essay sample

There are no Bad Pit Bulls, just Bad Owners Misty Heier COM215 January 12, 2012 Rachel Grant There are no Bad Pit Bulls, just Bad Owners Thesis: Because of bad press, myths, and distorted facts, this breed has missed many privileges other breeds enjoy. â€Å"There are no bad dogs, just bad owners. † (unknown) This is a mantra for any rescue society, but it seems to hold true the most for the â€Å"vicious† dog breeds. The breed of Pit Bulls appears to receive the lion’s share of bad press, myth and distorted facts. To sort the truth from myths, the information on the breed would be a good place to start. A perspective owner would have to decide if they could properly handle the breed, they decide on. Information on the Breed Despite the negativity surrounding this breed of dogs, Pit Bulls are one of the most popular breeds in America. They come in several combinations of coats. The breeds originally bred for blood sports, such as bear baiting and bull baiting. It was not until later in their history dog fighting appeared. In the early days of dogfighting, before it became outlawed, dogfighting was an organized sport. Handlers had to be able to jump in the ring and separate the fighters, and then treat the wounded dogs after the fights were over. Dogs that showed aggression toward humans, even in the middle of a fight, were usually killed and never bred. † (Pitbulls. org,  © 2010). This breed has a high prey drive, perhaps from coming from terrier (example Scotland terriers) lineage. Generally, Pit bullsâ€Å"were used for herding, hunting or guardian purposes, but most were bred and kept primarily as companions† (Pitbulls. org,  © 2010). Many dogs from this breed are famous. Some examples are Petey from The Little Rascals, Grunt from the movie â€Å"Flashdance†, Tige from Buster Brown shoe advertisements and the dog in the film â€Å"Snatch†. This breed represented America on WWI propaganda posters, and the only breed to have graced the cover of Life Magazine three times. â€Å"Pit bulls were the dog of choice for famous personages such as Helen Keller, Laura Ingalls Wilder (of Little House on the Prairie fame), and President Theodore Roosevelt. † † The first dog decorated with medals by the armed forces was one Sgt. Stubby was another Pit bull. (Pitbulls. org,  © 2010). Distortions, Myths and Bad Press in need of Counters It is true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on. But what they most often grab and refuse to let go of is your heart, not your arm†. (Vicki Hearne, unknown). For someone who does not know the breed, he or she may only hear the first part of this persuasion by Vicki Hearne and think that this breed is vicious. Since about the 1970s, the press this breed receives tends to be negative. No matter how much good press there is, there will be myths floating around any breed of dog. Myth 1 about Pit Bulls: â€Å"Arent Pit Bulls mean and vicious? † The answer is not more mean and vicious than any other popular breed. Myth 2 about Pit Bulls: â€Å"Dont Pit Bulls eventually turn on their owners? † Again, the answer is no because a Pit Bull with a good temperament. The animals that turn on their owners tend to have troubles Dogs could suffer from many different problems (such as bad training, reckless owners, or just a dog that needs to be put down). Myth 3 about Pit Bulls: â€Å"Dont Pit Bulls have locking jaws? After research, Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, University of Georgia concluded, We found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws. There were no mechanical or morphological differences Myth 4 about Pit Bulls: â€Å"Dont Pit Bulls have to be trained to fight? † All terriers (including Pit Bulls), are naturally scrappy with other animals, unless they recieve socialization with the types of other animals. A responsible owner should ensure their dog is properly socialized, with a wide array of common situations at a young age for their dog (a young age, for a dog would be from birth to the age of two). Myth 5 about Pit Bulls: If a dog uses a treadmill (or has scars and cropped ears), mean they are part of a fighting ring or have been used as bait? Some apartment dwellers do not have a yard for properly exercise their dog so they would turn to a treadmill to exercise their dog. Pits tend to be an energetic breed and exercise would help keep their energy needs in check. With the case of cropped ears and scars, the answers have a wide range of possibilities and do not always point towards dog fighting. There are wide ranges of myths to explore and find the answers to if a person is considering owning a particular breed of dog. It is highly suggested for a perspective owner do their â€Å"homework† before acquiring a particular breed. â€Å"Pit Bulls are not your average pet. Due to the perceived dangerousness of the breed, it is the duty of every pit bull owner to ensure that they are always responsible, and that their dogs are never out of control. By being a responsible pit bull owner, you can prove that this breed is as good of a dog as any other†. (Pitbulls. org,  © 2010). Because of the myths, bad press and distortions about the breed, these dogs have lost the privileges other dogs enjoy. Find the information on the breed, to see the truth about them. The conclusion the reader should find is that this breed is just ordinary dogs looking for love and compassion that other breeds find.