Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Importance of the Sea in Chopin’s The Awakening Essay

The Importance of the Sea in Chopin’s The Awakening Unlike Marà ­a Eugenia, Edna in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening chooses not to fill her family’s expectations. As she takes her final steps into the sea she thinks to herself: â€Å"they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul† (655). Edna treasures her autonomy and chooses death over familial subjugation. However her transformational journey, alluded to by the title of the novel leads to more than the rejection of her self-sacrificing familial roles as wife and mother and her death. We first meet Edna on her way back from a swim with Robert Lebrun, as Chopin begins to establish Edna’s burgeoning transformation in the context of her relationship with Robert and to†¦show more content†¦She can find no happy medium between being the model wife and mother that her friend, Madame Ratignolle represents and the independent artist that Madame Reisz represents, while pursuing her relationship with Robert and staying true to herself. From the beginning of the story, the reader is alerted to the fact that Edna is experiencing an inner struggle to reconcile her relationships with Mr. Pontellier, Robert, and herself. When Edna comes back from her swim with Robert, Mr. Pontellier criticizes her; â€Å"What folly! to bathe at such an hour in such heat!† (Chopin 522). From the outset, Mr. Pontellier is opposed to the engagement with the water that Robert and Edna share. He is neither cognizant of the fact that Edna and Robert are falling in love, nor is he supportive of Edna’s transformation. Later on in the story after Edna has taken up painting and refuses to receive callers, Mr. Pontellier calls up his friend, Dr. Mandelet to evaluate Edna’s mental state. Mr. Pontellier’s action is indicative of the women artist’s position in society at the time, what Virginia Woolf refers to as the â€Å"crazy woman in the attic.† During the late 1800’s, women that pursued their lives independently were thought of as insane. Madame Reisz represents this stereotype in the novel as the single, eccentric, piano-playing, abrasive old woman who encourages Edna to pursue her art. In contrast, Madame Ratignolle represents the ideal woman in society, a dedicated wife andShow MoreRelatedEssay about Importance of the Ocean in Chopins Awakening874 Words   |  4 PagesImportance of the Ocean in Chopins Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Kate Chopins novel, The Awakening, Chopin uses the motif of the ocean to signify the awakening of Edna Pontellier. Chopin compares the life of Edna to the dangers and beauty of a seductive ocean. Ednas fascinations with the unknown wonders of the sea help influence the reader to understand the similarities between Ednas life and her relationship with the ocean. Starting with fear and danger of the water then moving to a huge symbolicRead MoreEssay on The Awakening1610 Words   |  7 Pages In their analytical papers on The Awakening by Kate Chopin, both Elaine Showalter and Elizabeth Le Blanc speak to the importance of homosocial relationship to Edna’s awakenings. They also share the viewpoint that Edna’s return to the sea in the final scene of the book represents Edna being one with her female lover and finding the fulfillment she has been seeking. We see evidence of this idea of the sea as a feminine from Showalter when she tells us that â₠¬Å"As the female body is prone to wetness,Read MoreThe Importance of Setting and Symbols in The Awakening by Kate Chopin1014 Words   |  5 Pagesthe meadow in Kentucky, symbols and settings in The Awakening are prominent and provide a deeper meaning than the text does alone. Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, symbols and setting recur representing Edna’s current progress in her awakening. The reader can interpret these and see a timeline of Edna’s changes and turmoil as she undergoes her changes and awakening. The setting Edna is in directly affects her temperament and awakening: Grand Isle provides her with a sense of freedom; NewRead More Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Chopins The Awakening is full of symbolism.   Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.   Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.   I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.   Art itself is a symbol of both freedomRead MoreResearch Paper on Kate Chopin and Her Works2380 Words   |  10 Pages Kate Chopin is best known for her novel, The Awakening, published in 1899. After its publication, The Awakening created such uproar that its author was alienated from certain social circles in St. Louis. The novel also contributed to rejections of Chopins later stories including, The Story of An Hour and The Storm. The heavy criticism that she endured for the novel hindered her writing. The male dominated world was simply not ready for such an honest exploration of female independence, a frankRead MoreFemale Empowerment in Kate Chopins The Awakening7915 Words   |  32 PagesHeinrich-Heine-Università ¤t Wintersemester 2010/11 Vertiefungsmodul Kurs: American Realism and Naturalism - Short Stories Seminarleiter: Georg Schiller Datum der Abgabe: 16.04.2011 Female Empowerment in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Awakening† Anjana Dhir BA Englisch KF, Geschichte NF 3. Semester Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The FrenchRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin And The House On Mango Street1732 Words   |  7 Pagesthe endeavors those authors sought to accomplish. Two particular works, The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, spearheaded movements for freedom by tackling the prejudice of gender roles, expressing through their novels’ characters and experiences the arguments for individual freedom and the challenges that must be conquered to achieve those goals for future generations. The Awakening by Kate Chopin was written at the end of the nineteenth century in a time whereRead More The Importance of Setting in The Awakening Essay2206 Words   |  9 PagesThe Importance of Setting in The Awakening  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Setting is a key element in Chopins novel, The Awakening  Ã‚   To the novels main character, Edna Pontellier, house is not home. Edna was not herself when enclosed behind the walls of the Pontellier mansion. Instead, she was another person entirely-- someone she would like to forget. Similarly, Edna takes on a different identity in her vacation setting in Grand Isle, in her independent home in New Orleans, and in just about every otherRead More Choosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopins The Awakening2309 Words   |  10 PagesChoosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopins The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins The Awakening focuses on a womans struggle to become an individual while still being a mother and wife. In the process of this journey, the female heroine discovers that establishing her own identity means losing a mothers identity. Edna looks to be the brave soul, a soul that dares and defies (Chopin 61). Ednas society looked down upon females who seek anything other than attending toRead More Importance of Water in The Awakening Essay1475 Words   |  6 PagesImportance of Water in The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins The Awakening begins set in Grande Isle which is the summer get-away for a few families of New Orleans upper-class. It is a community of cottages owned by the Lebrun family. Edna Pontellier and her husband Leonce summer there with there two children. This is the setting where Edna also develops a close relationship with Robert Lebrun. He is one of Madame Lebruns sons who helps her run the cottages for the Pontelliers and the

Monday, December 9, 2019

Causes of Climate Change free essay sample

Causes of Climate Change Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events. The earths climate is naturally variable on all time scales. However, its long-term state and average temperature are regulated by the balance between incoming and outgoing energy, which determines the Earths energy balance. Learn more about the Earths climate system here Any factor that causes a sustained change to the amount of incoming energy or the amount of outgoing energy can lead to climate change. As these factors are external to the climate system, they are referred to as climate forcers, invoking the idea that they force or push the climate towards a new long-term state either warmer or cooler depending on the cause of change. Different factors operate on different time scales, and n ot all of those factors that have been responsible for changes in earths climate in the distant past are relevant to contemporary climate change. Factors that cause climate change can be divided into two categories those related to natural processes and those related to human activity. In addition to natural causes of climate change, changes internal to the climate system, such as variations in ocean currents or atmospheric circulation, can also influence the climate for short periods of time. This natural internal climate variability is superimposed on the long-term forced climate change. * Natural Causes * Human Causes * Short lived and long lived climate forcers Natural Causes The Earths climate can be affected by natural factors that are external to the climate system, such as changes in volcanic activity, solar output, and the Earths orbit around the Sun. Of these, the two factors relevant on timescales of contemporary climate change are changes in volcanic activity and changes in solar radiation. In terms of the Earths energy balance, these factors primarily influence the amount of incoming energy. Volcanic eruptions are episodic and have relatively short-term effects on climate. Changes in solar irradiance have contributed to climate trends over the past century but since the Industrial Revolution, the effect of additions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere has been about ten times that of changes in the Suns output. Human Causes Climate change can also be caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and the conversion of land for forestry and agriculture. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, these human influences on the climate system have increased substantially. In addition to other environmental impacts, these activities change the land surface and emit various substances to the atmosphere. These in turn can influence both the amount of incoming energy and the amount of outgoing energy and can have both warming and cooling effects on the climate. The dominant product of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The overall effect of human activities since the Industrial Revolution has been a warming effect, driven primarily by emissions of carbon dioxide and enhanced by emissions of other greenhouse gases. The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has led to an enhancement of the natural greenhouse effect. It is this human-induced enhancement of the greenhouse effect that is of concern because ongoing emissions of greenhouse gases have the potential to warm the planet to levels that have never been experienced in the history of human civilization. Such climate change could have far-reaching and/or unpredictable environmental, social, and economic consequences. Short-lived and long-lived climate forcers Carbon dioxide is the main cause of human-induced climate change. It has been emitted in vast quantities from the burning of fossil fuels and it is a very long-lived gas, which means it continues to affect the climate system during its long residence time in the atmosphere. However, fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, agriculture, and forestry-related activities emit other substances that also act as climate forcers. Some, such as nitrous oxide, are long-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and so contribute to long-term climate change. Other substances have shorter atmospheric lifetimes because they are removed fairly quickly from the atmosphere. Therefore, their effect on the climate system is similarly short-lived. Together, these short-lived climate forcers are responsible for a significant amount of current climate forcing from anthropogenic substances. Some short-lived climate forcers have a climate warming effect (positive climate forcers) while others have a cooling effect (negative climate forcers). If atmospheric levels of short-lived climate forcers are continually replenished by ongoing emissions, these continue to exert a climate forcing. However, reducing emissions will quite quickly lead to reduced atmospheric levels of such substances. A number of short-lived climate forcers have climate warming effects and together are the most important contributors to the human enhancement of the greenhouse effect after carbon dioxide. This includes methane and tropospheric ozone both greenhouse gases and black carbon, a small solid particle formed from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels (coal, oil and wood for example). Other short-lived climate forcers have climate cooling effects, most notably sulphate aerosols. Fossil fuel combustion emits sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere (in addition to carbon dioxide) which then combines with water vapour to form tiny droplets (aerosols) which reflect sunlight. Sulphate aerosols remain in the atmosphere for only a few days (washing out in what is referred to as acid rain), and so do not have the same long-term effect as greenhouse gases. The cooling from sulphate aerosols in the atmosphere has, however, offset some of the warming from other substances. That is, the warming we have experienced to date would have been even larger had it not been for elevated levels of sulphate aerosols in the atmosphere.

Monday, December 2, 2019

What Are You free essay sample

â€Å"What are you?† I’m bombarded with this somewhat intrusive question wherever I go. In response I love to toy with askers’ minds. Typically I say I’m black and white, but if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll say, â€Å"I’m half Dominican† or â€Å"I’m from the Philippines.† I rarely say, â€Å"I don’t know.† I hate to admit that I have no idea what I am. But every once in a while, I share the story of my origin with wide-eyed inquisitors. The plan was for me to be half my mother and half my father. No one planned for the event that created me. No one thought that a virtually-unheard-of mix-up in an artificial insemination procedure would cause a white couple to conceive triplets who clearly were not white. When I say this, I’m immediately and inconveniently bombarded with a litany of questions: â€Å"How did your parents not know?† â€Å"Who’s your real dad then?† â€Å"What does that make you?† When my sisters and I were born, we looked like every other new baby: red and wrinkly. We will write a custom essay sample on What Are You? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our tired mother and terrified father were too relieved that their precious baby girls had arrived safely to wonder whether we were biologically theirs. As we grew and our gurgles turned into half-formed words, our father’s Italian heritage became a more and more dubious explanation for our explosion of curly hair and increasingly dark skin. A few years after our birth, my parents received a call from the hospital and were faced with a shocking reality: their three girls were biologically half from a stranger. When I look in the mirror, my mother’s bright blue eyes stare back at me, but no trace of my father is there – no features of that surly yet clever man with unruly hair reminiscent of an Italian Einstein. Instead I see brown skin, kinky hair, and African features – characteristics from my biological father. But who is my real father? My dad is. He is the one who raised me. My dad taught me how to ride a bike, assembled bookshelves when I filled up my first few, and let me vent to him when life was tough. Though we are not genetically related, my dad will always be more of a parent to me than my mysterious biological father. Who am I? Do I call myself Italian? I was raised in a rambunctious family in which everyone speaks at once. When the front door flies open, my dad’s yell of â€Å"Chiudere la porta!† (â€Å"Close the door!†) immediately follows. â€Å"Andiamo!† (â€Å"Let’s go!†) rushes us out the door and into the minivan when we’re running late. Or do I call myself something else that better fits the way I look and act? I blend in with black and Latina cultures more seamlessly than I do with my own family. When I’m nestled in those circles, no one looks at me sideways for being different. I may never know where I come from. But because I cannot define myself racially, I bridge the gap between races. I realize that I am more than the color of my skin, where I come from, and the story that explains why I am half a mystery. I am a friend and an avid reader. I hate the color pink and love the word â€Å"plethora.† I am crazy about soccer and find peace on long runs at the crack of dawn. These things are what make me Denise – more than my ethnicity ever will.