Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The Role of Women Essay Example For Students

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The Role of Women Essay Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The Role of Women In the fourteenth century, chivalry was in decline due to drastic social and economic changes. Although feudalism-along with chivalry-would eventually fall for other reasons, including a decrease in cheap human resources due to a drop in population caused by plague epidemics and the emergence of a mercantile middle class, the Gawain author perceived a loss of religious values as the cause of its decline. Gawain and the The poem warns that a loss of the religious values behind chivalry would lead to its ultimate destruction. Although superficially Sir Gawain and the Green Knight appears to be a romantic celebration of chivalry, it contains wide-ranging serious criticism of the system. The poet is showing Gawains reliance on chivalrys outside form and substance at the expense of the original values of the Christian religion from which it sprang. The first knights were monastic ones, vowing chastity, poverty and service to God, and undertaking crusades for the good of their faith. The divergence between this early model and the fourteenth century knight came with the rise of courtly love in which the knights were led to their great deeds by devotion to a mistress rather than God. The discrepancy between this and the churchs mistrust of women and desires of the flesh is obvious, and the poet uses women in the story to deliver this message. In contrast to reality at the time, women in the story are given great power: Mary, when properly worshiped, gives Gawain his power, Lady Bertilak operates alone in the bedroom and singlehandedly taints the chevalier, and Morgan the Fay instigates the entire plot, wielding enough power. The author is using them as a metaphor for other anti-social forces and dangers outside the control of feudalism and chivalry, drawing upon biblical and classical examples in his audiences minds of where femininity is linked with subversiveness. Lady Bertilak is clearly seen in the Biblical role of the temptress, the Eve who led Adam astrayin Gawain, she represents the traditional female archetypes of courtly love, disobedience, lust and death. Eves antithesis is the Virgin Mary, who is the only women who achieves motherhood while maintaining her chastity; she represents spiritual love, obedience, chastity, and life That Gawain is Marys Knight is made clear as he is robed for battle; the pentangle represents the five joys of Mary, and he has that queens image / Etched on the inside of his armored shield (648-649). As long as he is solely focused on his quest for the Green Knight, he derives his prowess and courage from his special relationship with Mary. On his journey to look for the Green Knight he is beset by a number of hardships, and is finally brought to the point of despair. Alone and freezing in the forest, he prays to Mary for shelter and a place to say mass on Christmas Eve. She answers his prayers and leads him to Bertilaks castle; however, his arrival at Bertilaks court throws him into a totally different world. Here, Gawain impresses courtiers of Bertilaks castle with his prowess in the field of courtly love rather than the feats of daring or his upholding of his honor, traits that would draw compliments in Arthurs court. Camelot is portrayed in its youth, long before it too is tainted by Lancelot and courtly love; Arthur is young, child-like (86) and the fine fellowship of Camelot was in its fair prime. The analogy is obvious: Arthurs court embodies chivalrys pure roots, where martial exploits were the primary subject of interest, whereas Bertilaks castle represents the low point of the degeneration the poet perceives chivalry to have undergone. Photosynthesis EssayThe Ladys association with courtly love also ties .

Courage of Atticus Finch free essay sample

Atticus Finch, a dedicated lawyer and compassionate father of two, shows many instances of great courage as he fights against racism to ensure justice when an innocent black man is accused of rape in a small southern town. His actions through out the trial, as well as his personal life, each one displaying compassion, courage, and dedication idolized him in many peoples eyes and eventually won him the title of fims number one hero of all time. Buddha defined compassion as that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. † The book of Leviticus expresses it more simply as â€Å"love thy neighbor†. In To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus Finch shows compassion in every aspect of his life; in the upholding of his career, the raising of his children, and his determination to follow his own conscience while facing critique, slander, and threats. Atticus’ compassion for Tom Robinson earned him the hatred of many racist citizens in his small, southern town. We will write a custom essay sample on Courage of Atticus Finch or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He was insulted, threatened physically, at one point even approached by a mob of angry, poteentially violent men, but Atticus took all of this undeserved abuse with grace and the assurance that he was right in his decisions. When even the children began to hear of Atticus new reputation as a n***** defender Scout asked her father how he could possibly be doing the right thing if it it made everybody so angry. Atticus replied ; â€Å"The one thing that doesnt abide by majority rule is a persons conscience. † Atticus, though an extremely dedicated lawyer, loves nothing more than his children; Jem and Scout Finch. He treats them as equals, allowing them to call him by his first name, and uses reason and compassion, rather than punishment, to help them mature and see their faults. One of his most important lessons was teaching Scout the concepts of compassion and empathy. When she came home angry with her new teacher he asked her to envision life from the teacher’s perspective. â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. This is a lesson that stuck through Scout all the way through the novel’s conclusion when she faces the neighborhood from Boo Radley’s porch. Winston Churchill has said that â€Å"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. † Through out the course of The Robinson Trials Atticus displays both forms of these courage; taking on James Wright’s role of the ‘accusing finger’ in the face of his town, and holding on to a remarkable belief in peacefulness and pacifism while facing both verbal and physical attacks. The witnesses for the State, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption the evil assumption that all Negroes lie, all Negroes are basically immoral beings, all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women. An assumption that one associates with minds of their caliber, and which is, in itself, gentlemen, a lie, which I do not need to point out to you. Atticus Finch’s closing statement on behalf of Tom Robinson. As a white man, standing in front of a jury and an audience of white, southern men Atticus accused the entire town of ign orance and racism, putting his reputation, his life, and, unknowingly, even his children at risk in his desire to speak the truth. â€Å"Dedication is not what others expect of you, it is what you can give to others. † Atticus showed true dedication to his work, not in the pursuit of money, but in the true desire to help his friends and neighors, and bring justice and peace to his small town. Atticus remained faithful to his client, with no concern for his personal reputation or the opinions of his peers. He had dedicated his life to the law, and refused to lose that dedication to appease the ignorance of others. In 2003 Atticus Finch was declared the number one literary and screen hero of all time by The American Film Institutes CBS special. Though Atticus does nothing nearly as dramtic or spectatular as the heroes following him on the list, Indiana Jones and James Bond, his personality is marked by dedication, compassion, and the quiet, everyday courage we all yearn to have.

Integrating Care And Justice Moral Development Essays - Morality

Integrating Care and Justice: Moral Development Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! Integrating Care and Justice: Moral Development Part One: The criticisms of Kohlberg's moral development stages seem to center around three major points, his research methods, the "regression" of stage four, and finally his goals. The first criticism that I would like to address is that of his research methods. Kohlberg is often criticized for not only his subject selection, but also the methods by which he tries to extricate data from those subjects. His initial study consisted of school boys from a private institution in Chicago. The problem with this is fairly obvious, that this does not represent a significant portion of the population to allow for generalized conclusions. In other words, how can we test some boys from Chicago and ascertain that this is how all people develop worldwide? I believe that the answer to this criticism comes from the theory that it relates to. Kohlberg's moral development schema is highly dependent upon the idea that there are fundamental truths that cannot be dismissed. These ideas are "in the ether", wound into the very fabric that constructs human nature. Granted, his descriptions of the various stages also seem very dependent upon the surroundings and social institutions that an individual would be subjected to. Yet these institutions would be have to be built upon people, all of whom would share these ideological truths. It seems fairly obvious that all people have undeniable needs, survival and some group membership. Kohlberg's stages are merely methods by which one could fulfill these needs. For instance, Spartan societies were adamant about maintaining the purity and strength of the civilization. Citizens saw no wrong in exposing a sick or lame baby to the elements so that it might die. Surely an act of cruelty today, but in that society, a necessary evil The prosperity and wealth of the whole was of greater importance than that of the individual. In addition to these justifications, additional research substantiated Kohlberg's claims. Different subjects were tested, from all ages and regions, and the same conclusions were drawn from the data. Assuming that these conclusions are correct, and the data leads to the same interpretation, is there any other possibility? This argument seems most impressive, especially considering the differences between people that are evident in everyday life. Similarities on such an abstract level must be supportive of Kohlberg's claims. Another criticism of Kohlberg assumes that his subjects are biased, but proposes that his methods are even worse. To get the perspective of another person, he confronts them with seemingly impossible, unrealistic, and confrontational dilemmas. I, myself, had trouble with the Heinz dilemma because of my inability to believe that it was something that could take place in the real world. Even more so, the situation was something that was very foreign, and very hard to relate to. Anyone who has contemplated something very life changing, like a death in the family, then experienced it, understands how different it is to actually be faced with the dilemma. When theorizing, it is hard to maintain the intimate connection needed to truly react to a moral dilemma. My defense of this situation comes from a lack of a suitable alternative. True moral dilemmas are not only rare, but extremely hard to document. When faced with a situation that demands not only one's complete attention, but emotional vigor, it is really hard to find time to document or discuss feelings (let alone the motivation to do so!). For example, looking at the Heinz dilemma, it would be very hard to explain why one was chasing a man around while he tried to find a cure for his dying wife. An even less enticing alternative would be trying to sit him down and discuss how he was feeling. So, the only proper and effective way to get a response is to propose a hypothetical situation, and document replies. It may not elicit the pure data that one desires, but according to the Heisenberg principle, it is impossible to measure anything without influencing it. Some research methods indicate that it is more important to follow one's thoughts through the reasoning process, rather than just asking for possible solutions. However, I have to believe, and justify from personal experience, that people have incredibly low attention spans. Asking someone to explain how they think through a decision is almost as likely to yield useful data as asking them to volunteer their PIN numbers. It seems as though people are able not only to be influenced, but to influence themselves into making different decisions. This can

MA in Directed Writing - 6 Things You Should Not Do

MA in Directed Writing - 6 Things You Should Not DoThe most successful students, in writing, will always look for an MA in Directed Writing on the internet, but that does not mean that the quality of the subject matter and the writing skills should also be the same. One needs to write very differently to someone else in order to achieve a better outcome. In this article I want to cover some of the more common mistakes made when reading MA in Directed Writing samples, as well as why these mistakes are often made.First of all, when looking at an essay, you should always read it from the point of view of the reader. When you read the MA in Directed Writing sample for example, you should always be focused on the opinion of the writer, not just the opinions of the professor. A student may claim to be a professional writer, but what they actually are is an opinion writer. Their words will reflect their opinions and not those of the reader.Second, when reading an essay, you should always se ek out a deeper meaning. When a student claims to have a deep understanding of their topic, they are actually just delivering their opinion, not speaking from a real situation or point of view. You have to read the piece from their perspective, rather than the viewpoint of the student. Students will often state that their opinions are deeply held, but only those that they are willing to speak from a very real situation or position will experience it. The opinions of others, and those that simply describe the writer's position, are often more shallow than the deep-rooted beliefs of the author.Third, there should always be a deep understanding of the main point of the essay. When writing an essay, students should strive to understand the main concept behind the thesis statement, and then build their argument around that idea. This will allow the reader to feel as though they are actually part of the essay, rather than an observer.Fourth, the main points of an essay should be researche d carefully. If the essay is heavily based upon factual errors, it is important that you seek out the original sources in order to provide your reader with the best possible reading experience.Fifth, it is important that the students provide their readers with a feeling of a personal experience. While you are writing a speech, an essay, or a report, the goal is to tell the reader what you personally felt at the time. The essay should not be completely detached and provide no personal experiences that you were able to relate to.Sixth, even essays and reports, when they are written with a sense of humor, should always be able to be labeled as a true story. While all writers are aware that writing an essay is difficult, and indeed, writing a report can be a challenge, there are many different styles and tones that should be considered. The same rules should be applied to these essays, even if they are categorized as true stories.These six tips will help you when writing an essay and gi ve you the ability to write an essay that will be more successful. It will also make you realize that all essays are not created equal and should be treated as such.

Is Your Job Exempt From Overtime Pay

Is Your Job Exempt From Overtime Pay Are you wondering if you’re exempt from overtime pay? Thanks to the U.S. Labor Department and President Obama, there is a new overtime pay threshold for people working more than 40 hours per week.  By the current rule,   you would only be eligible for guaranteed time-and-a-half overtime pay if you made less than $23,660 per year. The new threshold is much higher: $47, 476 per year. This is part of a planned Fair Labor Standards Act update, the details of which have been in the works since 2014. Previous regulations made most white collar workers making a set salary, even a low one, ineligible for overtime pay.To quote the President, â€Å"It doesn’t make sense that in some cases this rule actually makes it possible for salaried workers to be paid less than the minimum wage†¦ If you’re working hard, you’re barely making ends meet, you should be paid for overtime. Period.†The only catch is that your employer might be reluctant to shell out. B e on the lookout for a pay raise that puts you at, say, $47,477 per year. Or a pay cut to compensate for the amount of overtime you would be making. As long as you’re making the state-regulated minimum wage, there’s nothing legally you can do to counter that sort of sneaky move.But, look on the bright side! Starting December 1 of this year, if you make less than $913 a week before tax, your employer is legally required to start paying you time-and-a-half overtime for any hour you work above 40. This rule will be due for an update again in 2020.Here’s hoping for more overtime protection for more workers, this year and in the future.

Academic Journal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academic Journal - Article Example On the other hand, the US Commercial Services identifies Saudi Arabia as the country with the fastest growing market in terms of security equipment and technology, especially surveillance cameras, consequently accounting for 12% of the world’s security equipments sales (qtd. in Alhadar and McCahill 317). With a look into the operations of surveillance camera system in Crescent Mall in Riyadh, this article addresses fundamental questions arising from the use of this technology in Riyadh and largely in Saudi Arabia. As noted by Marx, current surveillance â€Å"monitors not individual suspects, but geographical places, time periods and entire categories of persons† (qtd. in Alhadar and McCahill 325). However, this new surveillance takes a different perspective once religion and social morals take centre stage as proved Crescent Mall in Riyadh. In this regard, the main target of surveillance becomes men suspected of courting women instead of drug users and other social deviants in a western-like surveillance set-up. In addition, there is a theocratic approach when the surveillance targets those who do not attend prayers. Cultural norms and traditions shaped the response of the security systems in the mall. Case in point, a patrol security officer once directed by the surveillance operator to two elderly women sitting on the floor failed to take action on them since as Alhadar and McCahill noted, â€Å"Saudi cultural norms dictate that elderly people should be treated with respect and consideration† (322). In this case, traditional beliefs played an integral role regarding carrying out of surveillance. On the other hand, the attitudes of the observers played a crucial role in monitoring visitors at the mall especially the women who wore veils. The attitudes are of crucial importance since wearing veils did not prevent women from talking and interacting with men who were not their kin as the Saudi traditions and values

Complex Interdependence According To Nye and Keohane Assignment

Complex Interdependence According To Nye and Keohane - Assignment Example The two authors argued that bilateral relationships between French vs. German and U.S vs. Canadian determined the three hypothetical characteristics of complex interdependence. Nye and Keohane argued that the concept of complex interdependence in the 1970s emanated from international monetary relations. In this context, the significance of international organizations would therefore change. According to them, the concept of complex interdependence would change global politics. This would derive from the assertion that state policies and processes would have different objectives and instruments. Indeed, under complex interdependence, global politics would be universal where economic, environmental, and social globalism levels would increase as military globalism reduces. Keohane and Nye think that the concept of complex interdependence will lead to a reduction of military globalism since powerful nations with reliable expectations will not use force to solve global differences. More so, the politics of complex interdependence would be universal and hence limited chances of military globalism. Regional powers with reliable needs will desist from using force to solve global conflicts. In addition, world powers like the U.S facilitated and funded the establishment of postwar international institutions like IMF, UN, World Bank, and NATO that safeguarded and promoted the concept of complex interdependence. Moreover, the rise in economic, environmental, and social globalism levels would motivate world leaders in pluralist democracies to solve territorial disputes out of fear of economic and social development distractions that would deny such democracies significant investment capital.