Brothers Grimms

German folk literature undoubtedly is of the nationalistic nature, but not in the negative sense that most people usually associate it with. The Brothers Grimms folk tales have been thought of to have greatly influenced the German nationalistic attitude of which was pertinently shown in the twentieth century. Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Karl Grimm (1786–1859) are German philologists and avid collector of folk tales. They are the brothers who were made famous by the hundreds of children stories they wrote. Their book contains a collection of what probably are still the most famous children’s stories.The Brothers Grimms started taking an interest in fairy tales in 1803. Since then, both began writing down the tales that have been handed down from generation to generation. Most of these were not German, but are in fact of French origin. The Brothers Grimms went to a large extent to modify these stories and add a German touch to each of them. Ther e were a lot of myths regarding how these stories were collected. Only until a few years back had it been known that these stories were collected from the bourgeoisie, instead of what was believed to be from uneducated German peasants.The results of these extensive studies on folklore lead to the publication of their book Kinder- und Hausmarchen (English: Children's and Household Tales) contain the most beloved folktales in the work today. They have been translated to numerous languages – evidence that indeed these stories have interest the world. The first volume of the first edition of the Brothers Grimms collection of Folk tales was published in 1812, which contained 86 stories. The second volume followed in 1814 and contained 70 tales. Much were added and subtracted from the original set of stories in the succeeding editions of the collection.By the seventh edition, the Grimms’ Fairy Tales totalled 211 tales. Among the most popular of these 211 tales are The Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin. It would be impossible to fully analyze each one of these stories as there are so many of them. Contrary to what the names suggest, these folktales are not so much about elves and fairies but more on foolish younger brothers, beautiful ladies, vain queens, mighty kings, wicked stepmothers, and anthropomorphized frogs and mice.Trickster figures are also rampant in Grimms’ stories, and most often than not, the heroes must trick these tricksters in order to fulfil their fortunes. The first edition of the Brothers Grimms stories received several criticisms. The book was entitled Children’s and Household Tales. However, critics feel that these stories are not suitable for children. The stories contain in-depth scholastic information that was regarded to be too heavy for children. They also had references to such subject matter such as sex and violence.The Brothers Grimms resolv ed to change some details of their fairy tales to fit suitability for children. Snow White and Hansel and Gretel used to have wicked mothers in the first edition. In the subsequent editions of the story, it was changed to wicked stepmothers. They also removed proofs of Rapunzel’s betrayal to the prince. She was not made pregnant in the later editions. Also, since these stories were not originally German, a lot of terms had to be changed. A fairy is an enchantress. A prince is a king’s son, while a princess should be a king’s daughter.Considerable attempts were also made to reconstruct the stories and make it more German. Many of the stories in Grimms’ fairy tales are considered to be coming-of-age stories. Young boys must prove their worth against the strong forces of nature or their domineering siblings. Young girls must leave their parents behind and learn to live with their husbands. The stories show how a lady or a gentleman should behave, with emphas is on decorum, responsibility and respect for superiors. The stories invoke obedience as reverence and love for the king. Great honor and glory is attributed with serving in the military.Loyalty also played a major part in the plot of the stories, which stress that anything beside a nationalistic spirit is unacceptable. Class separation is also very prominent in the stories. Generally, heroes are of low social status who turned out to be part of the royal family in the end. Heroes are depicted as gentle and compassionate to old women, poor peasants, and even to wounded animals. They are always rewarded with some treasure such as gold and silver, or are provided with a beautiful bride. On the other hand, a foolish character often finds himself a victim of some magic spell.The Brothers Grimms could not have stressed in their Fairy Tales the importance of the above mentioned values. With the over two hundred fairy tales in their collection, these values repeat themselves in all stories . Regardless if that story is about romantic love, filial love, adventure or heroism. These are the values which constantly show in each of the tales. Obviously, the brothers would want their readers to familiarize and apply these onto their daily lives. It is evident in the fairytales that the Grimms would want to teach about good values such as sympathy, kindness, loyalty and bravery.They want to educate by illustrating that heroes are richly rewarded while the villains are severely punished. The stories allow them to impart the values that are necessary for a nation to survive. The Germany we now know is different from what Germany was before 1800. It was only a group of people united together by one language, nothing more. With the publication of Grimms’ fairy tales, they combined fairytales that depicted real German culture and unified Germany. In fact, they have done their jobs perfectly well as Germans have a strong sense of nationalism.The Brothers Grimms, through the ir fairy tales are strong advocates of nationalism in Germany. However, what sets the Grimms’ fairy tales apart from the rest are the violence involved, especially in punishing the wicked. They contain more violence compared to other folk tales. This probably is the reason why the first edition received so much criticism on the stories as being children’s stories. The Brothers Grimms did not intend their stories solely for the children, however. As philologists, they sincerely hoped that their works can be used as resources in the studies of not only German literature but of German history, as well.Needless to say, the Brothers Grimms are granted as their collection of fairy tales have indeed made it to the cultural archives of German philology and are being used by scholars worldwide in understanding the German culture and language better. The Brothers Grimms were not only writers but are also active nationalists. They lived in an era when Germany was still a colony o f the French, and literature proved to be an outlet for them to do their share to preserve the German heritage. They wrote about princes and princesses, of magic and witches.But more than just being bedtime stories, these stories stirred the nationalistic character of their readers. They fought using their stories the promotion of a nationalistic Germany. The stories manage to bring back to life a time when knights were bold and the ladies were fair, when good always triumphed over evil, and when bravery and virtuosity were held in the highest esteem. Under Napoleon’s French rule, the Brothers Grimms strived to preserve what was German. That age was the age of Enlightenment. It was an age where traditional things are done in unconventional ways.France was probably the strongest advocate of the idealogies of Enlightenment at that time. Its ideals launched the infamous French Revolution which affected the whole of Europe. And France brought these Enlightenment ideas with them t o Germany. The brothers were two of those who encouraged their fellow Germans to reject the French ideologies, and instead take pride of their own culture. Through what may probably be thought of as cute bedtime stories nowadays, the brothers rallied to their people an intellectual backlash against the Germans which culminated the War of Liberation unifying the whole of Germany against Bismarck’s rule.This intellectual backlash further presented itself in other areas such as philosophy, science and politics. Other intellectuals resolved to reject the Enlightenment, and instead looked deeper into their culture for inspiration. This movement known as Romanticism spread far beyond Germany. And undoubtedly, our Brothers Grimms made a huge contribution to that development process. People started looking within themselves the attitude and abilities demonstrated in Brothers Grimms characters. People started to place much importance into their own cultural heritage.They were made awa re how important it is for a country to preserve its culture so it can also survive. In a way, whenever Grimms’ heroes fight the wicked spirits, the brothers are also fighting the French colonizers. In an impressive way they participated in motivating the rest of the German people to stand up and fight Napoleon’s rule. It was easy for the French to colonize a Germany that was not unified. Germany at that time don’t recognize themselves as one country. They do not have that sense of pride to be Germans.More so, they don’t as so much care regarding their cultural wealth. The Brothers Grimms changed that. The Brothers Grimms united the German people with the use of their popular collection of folklores. With the publication of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Germany now has something they can be proud of, something that was exclusively shared by the Germans. All a country needs to unite as one is to have something in common, and that’s what the Brothe rs Grimms provided. The brothers detailed in their folklores the ideals valued by each German.When the Germans read about these entertaining stories, they were not only entertained but their German pride has been strengthened and their nationalistic character has been awakened. The fairy tales hide in themselves the secret to overcoming the French dominion on Germany. The past was recaptured in entertaining stories of love and adventures. The brothers discovered that Germany had a charming and magical past. This belief helped keep up their enthusiasm to further write their folklores which eventually have affected and influenced the rest of Germany to instil nationalism into their hearts and minds.And the brother could not have chosen a better audience – German children. The children who were brought up with Grimms’ Fairy Tales grew to have a great sense of nationalism within them. The Grimms managed to incorporate into the child’s minds what is expected of him a s part of the Germany. Like the characters of the fairy tales he used to read, this child grew up to be virtuous, responsible, loyal and a great deal of nationalist pride. With all those characteristics, what more can a country need from its countrymen? The Grimm’s Fairy Tales have widespread influence. W. H.Austen regarded it as one of the founders of Western Literature. The Nazis patronizes it, especially among the children as it teaches them to be racist, especially in choosing their marriage partners. With this, the Allied Forces banned the stories as it promoted racial instincts. These tales were also referenced by Holocaust writers, i. e. Jane Yolen in her memoirs Briar Rose. It is simply amazing how a collection of children’s stories can have so much influence, not only in the authors’ hometown but to the rest of the world. Even up to this date, reading a Grimms’ Fairy Tale can still stir up the one’s patriotic side.One can’t help but sympathize with the major character’s plot to fight and defend what is rightfully his. The Brothers Grimms would have been proud to see how their works have affected so much. Nobody can contest the fact how much these cute stories have helped awaken the nationalistic Germans. We are fully aware that Germany is one country who really prided and regarded itself highly. The Brothers Grimms have indeed revolutionized Folk Literature. Folk stories do not only serve as bedtime stories for children but are also believed to inspire nationalists.Indeed, even a country’s fairy tales are reflective of that country’s ideologies. Brothers Grimms have found a most effective way of promoting the nationalistic attitude. They used entertaining fairy tales – subtle but sink deep in the youngest of hearts. References A. S. Byatt, â€Å"Introduction† p. xxx, Maria Tatar, ed. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. Haase, Donald, ed. 1993. The Reception of Grimms' Fairy Tales: Responses, Reactions, Revisions. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press. McGlathery, James, et al. 1988. The Brothers Grimm and Folktale.Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press. Peppard, Murray. 1971. Paths Through the Forest: A Biography of the Brothers Grimm. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Tatar, Maria. 1987. The Hard Facts of Grimms' Fairy Tales. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Tatar, Maria. 2004. The Annotated Brothers Grimm, W. W. Norton & Co. Ward, Donald. â€Å"New Misconceptions about Old Folktales† p 98 James M. McGlathery, ed. , The Brothers Grimm and Folktale. Zipes, Jack. 2002. The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World, Palgrave MacMillan.

“Trifles”

Angel Parrett Professor Muller English 106/ Drama Essay 15 May 2006 Drama Essay Trifles Trifles, Susan Glaspell’s play written in 1916, reveal concerns of women living in a male dominated society. Glaspell communicates the role that women were expected to play in late 19th century society and the harm that can come of it to women, as well as men. The feminist agenda of Trifles was made obvious, in order to portray the lives of all women who live oppressed under male domination. John and Minnie Wright are two main characters who are never seen; however provide the incident for the play.In this play women are against men, Minnie against her husband, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters against their husband’s, as well as men in general. The men are arrogant and insensitive, while the women are sympathetic, as well as understanding and forgive Minnie for the murder of her husband. Trifles clearly addresses gender issues, emphasizing the oppression of women who lose their identity aft er marriage. This is depicted in the interactions between Mrs. Hale, the male characters, and Mrs. Peters. The play takes place in Mr. and Mrs. Wright’s abandon farm house, which is located down a hollow out of view from the road (1006).The setting is lonely and cold, which signifies Minnie Wright’s feelings (lonely) and describes John Wright’s character (cold). Mrs. Hale, the Wright’s neighbor states, â€Å"I’ve never liked this place. Maybe because it’s down in a hollow and you don’t see the road† (1006). This leads the reader to believe that Minnie was lonely and isolated. Mrs. Hale also states, â€Å"†¦. he was a hard man, just to pass the time of day with him (shivers). Like a raw wind that gets to the bone. † This statement was describing a character trait of Mr. Wright; he was thought of as cold.Again Mrs. Hale makes another statement in regards to Mrs. Wright’s surroundings saying, â€Å"It never see med a very cheerful place† (1003). All of these statements speak of how unpleasant Minnie’s surroundings were and signify oppression. Mrs. Hale goes on throughout the play remembering Mrs. Wright as Minnie Foster, who she was before her marriage to John Wright. For example she states â€Å"I heard she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir. † (1004). Glaspell uses past tense when describing Minnie’s character prior to marriage. Glaspell also compares Minnie to a bird, something that is carefree.This is stated by Mrs. Hale, â€Å"†¦. she was kind of like a bird herself – real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and –fluttery. How she did change. † (1006). This statement signifies Minnie’s character prior to her marriage and states that she did change after marriage. The description of Minnie’s character prior to her marriage is positive; the ch ange after marriage has a negative connotation. Again Glaspell uses past tense when describing Minnie in a positive light.Toward the end of the play Mrs. Hale is still remembering how happy Mrs. Wright was as Minnie Foster, prior to marriage. She states to Mrs. Peters, â€Å"I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang. † (1008). Glaspell uses vivid description such as the white dress and blue ribbons to paint a picture of how happy Mrs. Wright was before marriage. The color white signifies purity and brightness, it is a happy color. Both colors white and blue are used in our countries flag, which symbolizes freedom. The change in Minnie did not occur until she was married. She was no longer seen as bright and happy. Her happiness changed to loneliness. She lived in isolation on a farm down in a hollow out of site.It is obvious that Mrs. Hale was sensitive to Mrs. Wright’s character. Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright as Minnie Foster. Knowing Minnie before marriage made her transformation from Minnie Foster to Mrs. Wright very noticeable to Mrs. Hale. However the male characters in the play had no recognition of any change in Mrs. Wright’s character. The male’s arrogance and insensitive attitudes toward women hinder their ability to gather evidence that ties Mrs. Wright to the murder of her husband. At the beginning of the play Mr. Hale acknowledges the males attitudes toward women without knowing. For example he states, â€Å"†¦.I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John. † (1001). This clearly signifies the male’s insensitivity to women. This statement that Mr. Hale made referring to John and how he does not care what his wife wanted or did not want does not even trigger the question, how was Mrs. Wright treated by her husband? Women were clearly not has important as the men. The men disregard women’s opinions and don’t give a thought to women’s needs or wants. Mr. Hale was speaking of John, Mrs. Wright’s dead husband in the above example; however Mr. Hale also expresses his insensitivity and arrogant attitude toward women.Mr. Hale states, â€Å"Well women are used to worrying over trifles. † (1003). Trifles something that is small, of no consequence, this is how Mr. Hale thinks of women. The things women are concerned with are of no importance, they are petty. This is an obvious illustration of the men’s arrogant and insensitive attitudes toward women. Mr. Hale was not the only male character who demonstrated arrogance and insensitivity toward women. The Sheriff who was investigating Mr. Wright’s murder also demonstrated arrogance and insensitivity, hindering his ability to tie Mrs. Wright to the murder.The sheriff states, â€Å"Held for murder and worrying about preserves. † (1003). This signifies how he feels that women worry ov er trifles, as stated by Mr. Hale. He insinuates that even when a woman is put in a very hard situation, she only worries over little insignificant things that are of no importance. It does not occur to the sheriff that Mrs. Wright would be worrying about the outcome of her future. This demonstrates his arrogance as well as his insensitivity. The county attorney who is also investigating the murder of Mrs. Wright’s husband adds to the male’s arrogant and insensitive attitudes.Toward the end of the play the county attorney states, â€Å"For that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. †(1008). This statement contributes to the arrogant, insensitive male attitudes toward women. Again the men feel that they are the only ones of importance. This demonstrates male domination in the relation between husband and wife. Women no longer have their own identity after marriage; they are identified by their husband’s. Glaspell also uses the titles of the characters to portray this. All of the male characters in the play are identified by first and last name or career itle, (John Wright or Sheriff etc. ) which stresses importance. The women are identified by their husband’s last name only, except for Minnie (Minnie Foster) when Mrs. Hale is remembering her before marriage.Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife has accepted her identity loss and taken on her husband’s as her own. Throughout the play she only identifies with her husband, which demonstrates that she no longer has her own identity. During the scene when the men are going through Mrs. Wright’s kitchen cabinets and criticizing her domestic skills, Mrs. Hale defends Mrs. Wright. However Mrs. Peters agrees with the men. Mrs. Peters states, â€Å"Of course it’s no more than their duty. † This is one of the first scenes in which Mrs. Peters demonstrates that she has given up her own identity and taken on her husband’s, the sheriff. Th e men including, the sheriff, Mrs. Peters husband, are suppose to be investigating Mr. Wright’s murder, instead they are concerned with domestics. It is wrong for the men to be criticizing Mrs. Wright over things that don’t pertain to the investigation. The men are not doing their duty, which is to be investigating the murder; they are more concerned with the facts pertaining to Mrs. Wright being a good homemaker.Because of their insensitivity toward women, they do not even give a thought as to why the house was in disarray, which would have given them the evidence they needed to prove Mrs. Wright did murder her husband, because she was oppressed. Mrs. Hale acknowledges that the men are not doing their duty, however Mrs. Peters fails to see this. During the investigation Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find a half finished quilt that Mrs. Wright was making. This was a key piece of evidence due to the way she was piecing it together; she was knotting it, just like the knot in the rope that was used to choke the life out of Mr. Wright.However the sheriff just made a sarcastic comment toward the quilt, which all the men laughed at. Mrs. Hale was upset at the criticism, however Mrs. Peters stated, â€Å"Of course they’ve got awful important things on their minds. † (1005). Again Mrs. Peters defends her husband, the sheriff, not realizing if he were doing his job he would take everything in the home seriously. Due to his arrogant and insensitive attitude he passes up a crucial part of evidence. His doe s not even question that the quilt would link Mrs. Wright to the murder.His mentality when he sees Mrs. Hale and Peters looking at the quilt to see how Mrs. Wright was going to piece it together is that they are women worrying over trifles. Mrs. Peters has become so accepting of being less important than her husband, that she does not take any offense to how he views women. It is as if she views men thinking less of women, their duty. Toward the end of the play Mrs. Peters is brought to the realization that she has accepted her husband’s identity and no longer has her own. She describes Mrs. Wright’s life as stillness, subdued with no future advancement.In conversation with Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters states, â€Å"I know what stillness is. † (1008). Here she is recognizing that Mrs. Wright was oppressed, living dominated by Mr. Wright. However she goes on to say â€Å"I know what stillness is. The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale. † (1008). This demonstrates that she does acknowledge the life Mrs. Wright was living, however she still defends her husbands identity, rather than her own as an oppressed women living under male domination. Despite her feelings she still tries to reinforce the identity of her husband the sheriff, which society has cast on women. It does not occur to Mrs. Peters until the end of the play the she is only thought of as the sheriff’s wife, not a person with her o wn identity.The county attorney states â€Å"for that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Ever think of it that way, Mrs. Peters? † Mrs. Peters replies â€Å"Not – just that way. † (1008). She did not have much of a reply regarding the county attorney’s question. This signifies that the realization was just brought to her attention, she was so accepting of males arrogant and insensitive attitudes toward women, that she did not realize that her own identity had been lost. The title, Trifles reflects how men viewed women in the late 19th century. Women were viewed as something small, unimportant, and of no consequence.This arrogant and insensitive attitude caused the men of the play to be clueless in their investigation of Mr. Wright’s murder. The women discovered the clues of the murder among what the men looked at as insignificant, women’s work. The feminist strategy was not only used to portray women who live under male do mination and oppression, but also as a message from women to men. It is a call for women to use their perceived powerlessness as a tool to manipulate the system, and a warning to men that a system where one segment of the population dominates and oppresses another cannot and will not be tolerated forever (hongik).Glaspell successfully portrayed the message. We have come a long way since the late 19th century in regards to the way men view women. Gender roles have definitely under gone major transformations. Unlike Mrs. Wright women no longer have to lose their own identity after marriage. Women are accepted for their own identity and are expected to have their own identity even after marriage. These gender roles are becoming more and more encouraged with every generation. We are all now free like the bird Glaspell compares Minnie Foster to before her marriage; we can have opportunities that are adventurous and the boundaries are wide. â€Å"Trifles† Angel Parrett Professor Muller English 106/ Drama Essay 15 May 2006 Drama Essay Trifles Trifles, Susan Glaspell’s play written in 1916, reveal concerns of women living in a male dominated society. Glaspell communicates the role that women were expected to play in late 19th century society and the harm that can come of it to women, as well as men. The feminist agenda of Trifles was made obvious, in order to portray the lives of all women who live oppressed under male domination. John and Minnie Wright are two main characters who are never seen; however provide the incident for the play.In this play women are against men, Minnie against her husband, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters against their husband’s, as well as men in general. The men are arrogant and insensitive, while the women are sympathetic, as well as understanding and forgive Minnie for the murder of her husband. Trifles clearly addresses gender issues, emphasizing the oppression of women who lose their identity aft er marriage. This is depicted in the interactions between Mrs. Hale, the male characters, and Mrs. Peters. The play takes place in Mr. and Mrs. Wright’s abandon farm house, which is located down a hollow out of view from the road (1006).The setting is lonely and cold, which signifies Minnie Wright’s feelings (lonely) and describes John Wright’s character (cold). Mrs. Hale, the Wright’s neighbor states, â€Å"I’ve never liked this place. Maybe because it’s down in a hollow and you don’t see the road† (1006). This leads the reader to believe that Minnie was lonely and isolated. Mrs. Hale also states, â€Å"†¦. he was a hard man, just to pass the time of day with him (shivers). Like a raw wind that gets to the bone. † This statement was describing a character trait of Mr. Wright; he was thought of as cold.Again Mrs. Hale makes another statement in regards to Mrs. Wright’s surroundings saying, â€Å"It never see med a very cheerful place† (1003). All of these statements speak of how unpleasant Minnie’s surroundings were and signify oppression. Mrs. Hale goes on throughout the play remembering Mrs. Wright as Minnie Foster, who she was before her marriage to John Wright. For example she states â€Å"I heard she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir. † (1004). Glaspell uses past tense when describing Minnie’s character prior to marriage. Glaspell also compares Minnie to a bird, something that is carefree.This is stated by Mrs. Hale, â€Å"†¦. she was kind of like a bird herself – real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and –fluttery. How she did change. † (1006). This statement signifies Minnie’s character prior to her marriage and states that she did change after marriage. The description of Minnie’s character prior to her marriage is positive; the ch ange after marriage has a negative connotation. Again Glaspell uses past tense when describing Minnie in a positive light.Toward the end of the play Mrs. Hale is still remembering how happy Mrs. Wright was as Minnie Foster, prior to marriage. She states to Mrs. Peters, â€Å"I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang. † (1008). Glaspell uses vivid description such as the white dress and blue ribbons to paint a picture of how happy Mrs. Wright was before marriage. The color white signifies purity and brightness, it is a happy color. Both colors white and blue are used in our countries flag, which symbolizes freedom. The change in Minnie did not occur until she was married. She was no longer seen as bright and happy. Her happiness changed to loneliness. She lived in isolation on a farm down in a hollow out of site.It is obvious that Mrs. Hale was sensitive to Mrs. Wright’s character. Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright as Minnie Foster. Knowing Minnie before marriage made her transformation from Minnie Foster to Mrs. Wright very noticeable to Mrs. Hale. However the male characters in the play had no recognition of any change in Mrs. Wright’s character. The male’s arrogance and insensitive attitudes toward women hinder their ability to gather evidence that ties Mrs. Wright to the murder of her husband. At the beginning of the play Mr. Hale acknowledges the males attitudes toward women without knowing. For example he states, â€Å"†¦.I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John. † (1001). This clearly signifies the male’s insensitivity to women. This statement that Mr. Hale made referring to John and how he does not care what his wife wanted or did not want does not even trigger the question, how was Mrs. Wright treated by her husband? Women were clearly not has important as the men. The men disregard women’s opinions and don’t give a thought to women’s needs or wants. Mr. Hale was speaking of John, Mrs. Wright’s dead husband in the above example; however Mr. Hale also expresses his insensitivity and arrogant attitude toward women.Mr. Hale states, â€Å"Well women are used to worrying over trifles. † (1003). Trifles something that is small, of no consequence, this is how Mr. Hale thinks of women. The things women are concerned with are of no importance, they are petty. This is an obvious illustration of the men’s arrogant and insensitive attitudes toward women. Mr. Hale was not the only male character who demonstrated arrogance and insensitivity toward women. The Sheriff who was investigating Mr. Wright’s murder also demonstrated arrogance and insensitivity, hindering his ability to tie Mrs. Wright to the murder.The sheriff states, â€Å"Held for murder and worrying about preserves. † (1003). This signifies how he feels that women worry ov er trifles, as stated by Mr. Hale. He insinuates that even when a woman is put in a very hard situation, she only worries over little insignificant things that are of no importance. It does not occur to the sheriff that Mrs. Wright would be worrying about the outcome of her future. This demonstrates his arrogance as well as his insensitivity. The county attorney who is also investigating the murder of Mrs. Wright’s husband adds to the male’s arrogant and insensitive attitudes.Toward the end of the play the county attorney states, â€Å"For that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. †(1008). This statement contributes to the arrogant, insensitive male attitudes toward women. Again the men feel that they are the only ones of importance. This demonstrates male domination in the relation between husband and wife. Women no longer have their own identity after marriage; they are identified by their husband’s. Glaspell also uses the titles of the characters to portray this. All of the male characters in the play are identified by first and last name or career itle, (John Wright or Sheriff etc. ) which stresses importance. The women are identified by their husband’s last name only, except for Minnie (Minnie Foster) when Mrs. Hale is remembering her before marriage.Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife has accepted her identity loss and taken on her husband’s as her own. Throughout the play she only identifies with her husband, which demonstrates that she no longer has her own identity. During the scene when the men are going through Mrs. Wright’s kitchen cabinets and criticizing her domestic skills, Mrs. Hale defends Mrs. Wright. However Mrs. Peters agrees with the men. Mrs. Peters states, â€Å"Of course it’s no more than their duty. † This is one of the first scenes in which Mrs. Peters demonstrates that she has given up her own identity and taken on her husband’s, the sheriff. Th e men including, the sheriff, Mrs. Peters husband, are suppose to be investigating Mr. Wright’s murder, instead they are concerned with domestics. It is wrong for the men to be criticizing Mrs. Wright over things that don’t pertain to the investigation. The men are not doing their duty, which is to be investigating the murder; they are more concerned with the facts pertaining to Mrs. Wright being a good homemaker.Because of their insensitivity toward women, they do not even give a thought as to why the house was in disarray, which would have given them the evidence they needed to prove Mrs. Wright did murder her husband, because she was oppressed. Mrs. Hale acknowledges that the men are not doing their duty, however Mrs. Peters fails to see this. During the investigation Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find a half finished quilt that Mrs. Wright was making. This was a key piece of evidence due to the way she was piecing it together; she was knotting it, just like the knot in the rope that was used to choke the life out of Mr. Wright.However the sheriff just made a sarcastic comment toward the quilt, which all the men laughed at. Mrs. Hale was upset at the criticism, however Mrs. Peters stated, â€Å"Of course they’ve got awful important things on their minds. † (1005). Again Mrs. Peters defends her husband, the sheriff, not realizing if he were doing his job he would take everything in the home seriously. Due to his arrogant and insensitive attitude he passes up a crucial part of evidence. His doe s not even question that the quilt would link Mrs. Wright to the murder.His mentality when he sees Mrs. Hale and Peters looking at the quilt to see how Mrs. Wright was going to piece it together is that they are women worrying over trifles. Mrs. Peters has become so accepting of being less important than her husband, that she does not take any offense to how he views women. It is as if she views men thinking less of women, their duty. Toward the end of the play Mrs. Peters is brought to the realization that she has accepted her husband’s identity and no longer has her own. She describes Mrs. Wright’s life as stillness, subdued with no future advancement.In conversation with Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters states, â€Å"I know what stillness is. † (1008). Here she is recognizing that Mrs. Wright was oppressed, living dominated by Mr. Wright. However she goes on to say â€Å"I know what stillness is. The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale. † (1008). This demonstrates that she does acknowledge the life Mrs. Wright was living, however she still defends her husbands identity, rather than her own as an oppressed women living under male domination. Despite her feelings she still tries to reinforce the identity of her husband the sheriff, which society has cast on women. It does not occur to Mrs. Peters until the end of the play the she is only thought of as the sheriff’s wife, not a person with her o wn identity.The county attorney states â€Å"for that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Ever think of it that way, Mrs. Peters? † Mrs. Peters replies â€Å"Not – just that way. † (1008). She did not have much of a reply regarding the county attorney’s question. This signifies that the realization was just brought to her attention, she was so accepting of males arrogant and insensitive attitudes toward women, that she did not realize that her own identity had been lost. The title, Trifles reflects how men viewed women in the late 19th century. Women were viewed as something small, unimportant, and of no consequence.This arrogant and insensitive attitude caused the men of the play to be clueless in their investigation of Mr. Wright’s murder. The women discovered the clues of the murder among what the men looked at as insignificant, women’s work. The feminist strategy was not only used to portray women who live under male do mination and oppression, but also as a message from women to men. It is a call for women to use their perceived powerlessness as a tool to manipulate the system, and a warning to men that a system where one segment of the population dominates and oppresses another cannot and will not be tolerated forever (hongik).Glaspell successfully portrayed the message. We have come a long way since the late 19th century in regards to the way men view women. Gender roles have definitely under gone major transformations. Unlike Mrs. Wright women no longer have to lose their own identity after marriage. Women are accepted for their own identity and are expected to have their own identity even after marriage. These gender roles are becoming more and more encouraged with every generation. We are all now free like the bird Glaspell compares Minnie Foster to before her marriage; we can have opportunities that are adventurous and the boundaries are wide.

Jay Greenberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jay Greenberg - Essay Example The musical prodigy was discovered in 2004 during a CBS 60 minute news segment and from there he grew into a professional and sought after composer. His first CD was released in 2006 by Sony Classical which featured the Symphony #5 and Quintet for Strings performed by the London Symphony Orchestra as well as the Juilliard String Quartet with Darrett Adkins respectively (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). Some of Jay’s most famous works have been the Violin Concerto produced in 2007, the Four Scenes in 2008 with a double string quartet, and Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra. His beautiful works have been publicly performed both nationally and internationally by such renowned orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). In 2009 Jay’s work was even commissioned and premiered at Carnegie Hall for the youth orchestras, Skyline Dances (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†) . Jay produces most of his brilliant work on a computer using notation programs and feels that he hears the music taking shape inside his head. There is no doubt that this young and gifted composer will go a long way. Works Cited â€Å"Jay Greenberg.† schirmer.com. G. Schirmer Inc., Mach, 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011

Italian Film Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Italian Film Studies - Essay Example Being accustomed to the life of privilege, the Prince realizes this will change as soon as Sicily becomes a part of the United Kingdom of Italy (Tomasi 43). He later realizes that some things have to change for his aristocratic life to remain the same. He finally accepts the emergence and rise of the middle class; which he initially objected to. His strong hate for the rising middle class is clear in his objection to the relationship between his nephew and Angelica Sedara. Angelica is the daughter of one of the wealthy bourgeois families of Sicily. Later as the unification becomes a definite event, he changes his opinion regarding the relationship. He does this in contrary to the wishes of his daughter, Concetta; she is also in love with Tancredi. Don Fabrizio sees the marriage of the two as a way to restore wealth and status to his family. In addition to accepting this marriage, he also arranges the marriage of his daughter Concetta to the father of Angelica (Tomasi 68). Later in the movie, we see Fabrizio refusing to take a political seat as a Senator in the newly formed Italian government. He sees himself as a man caught in the crossfire between the old and the new. The ball, the penultimate scene of the movie, depicts the lavishness of Sicilian society, and it introduces Angelica to the same. In the end, we see the lonely figure of the Prince strolling in the darkness. Luchino Visconti together with the Giuseppe Tomasi all related to the movie’s thematic illustration of the change in the Italian society. Both were born in Italian and Sicilian aristocrat families, and they identified with the changes that resulted from the unification of the Italian states (Landy 152). The movie captures the ascension of the Italian middle class and the decent of the Italian aristocracy. Visconti aptly captures the uprooting of the Italian aristocracy due to the resurgence movement in the country. Luchino Visconti is famous for

The Internet and the E-Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Internet and the E-Business - Assignment Example The best atmosphere to start electronic education could be suited in the library where most of the students go for extra studies. Here, students can gradually be able to adapt to E- learning and effectively be able to work with e-learning in computer science and business. Apparently, e- business at the University of Libya will ensure transactions takes place electronically. The internet and e-business will be used in the institution for four main purposes; to give strategy and direction with regard to e-business, to maintain cordial relationship between the stakeholders, and the institution’s community as a whole, to improve communication and information in learning, and other interactions, and to maintain process and culture of e-business for a good gain (Canzer 7). The kind of business transactions that are found at the University of Libya include; Business-to –Business (B-to-B), Business-to- Consumer (B-to-C), and Consumer-to-Consumer (C-to C). Through these business transactions, there is clear identification of business partners at hand (Canzer 20). Question 2 _ Advantages and Obstacles on Electronic Education The internet and the e-business are supposed to improve and enrich learning in the institution through electronic education. In essence, the e-business will serve the University with a digitized international platform which allows self-marketing in terms of services especially to the target market entailing local students who want to pursue various courses. Additionally, e-business will assist the institution in providing more information on its website and updates at all times. There will be reduced operational costs particularly in creating, processing and retrieving paper based information that is mostly used in learning. Moreover, communication between stake holders and the institution fraternity is reduced for cheaper and faster procurements. In light of this, business in the institution will be available and accessible to concerned parties at all times. Hence, there will be increased online students and learning processes raising the bar in terms of methods of delivery, conten t, and the quality of material (Canzer 11). Contrary to this, the e-business puts the institution at risk in terms of security due to lack of sufficient systems for security, and the increase rate of internet hacking being witnessed all over the world. The migration to digitals technology is very expensive especially in maintenance of technology, which keeps advancing constantly. Needless to mention that, stakeholders must be conversant with computers to fit in the world of technology. In general, internet and e-business tends to convert the institution into a ‘slave’ of technology as it must rely on the internet for every transaction (Canzer 11). Question 3 _ Security and Legislative Issues with Electronic Education The decision of the University of Libya to start E-Learning in the form of online learning facilities for local students is a bold step towards embracing the internet, and technology in full. Even so, it is important to note that the internet is one of the places where much security is needed due to continuous hacking that is been witnessed. In light of this, it is crucial that while transacting online, the identity of business partners and clients should be verified.

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Art History - Essay Example The materials that have been used to construct and decorate the interior of the building make it more unique. Different types of wood have been used in the interior of the building. The different types of wood that has been used includes teak, oak, maple, cedar and mahogany. Contrast of colour is evident in the interior of the building due to the arrangement of the wood materials. On the other hand, the interlocking joinery on the stair cases has been left exposed. The inlays in the tile mantles match the inlays in the custom furniture. Some of the panels also act as concealed doors. The woodworking in the house is excellent and it match the furniture that are found in the building (Douglass, 2013). A traditional plan also exists in the interior of the building which makes the interior beautiful. Different shapes have also been used in the room for the purposes of creating harmony in the building. Natural light is also able to enter the interior of the building which makes it possibl e top clearly view the decorations. The rooms in the building have been well shaped and organized around a central hall which makes it more unique. The symmetry in the interior of the building has been localized which plays an essential role in terms of making it attractive to the audience. The symmetrical spaces in the building are related to one another which is an indication that the design was and construction were carried out with a lot of expertise. The ceiling heights in the building are first and the second floors. On the other hand, the height is also different in the dens. This creates uniqueness as the spaces in the building are constantly shifting. The interior of the building is quite spacious and it allows the different furniture to be put in place. The craftsman style concepts were also used in the decorations of the interior of the building which makes it distinct. This is considering that the craftsman style usually utilize simple techniques

Harlequin Enterprises case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harlequin Enterprises case - Essay Example This is because; the firm has faithful fans all around the world. From the statistics and history of the sales, it is evident that due to the tactics that the management used to market their writers, many fans would still buy any book that the company publishes. The strong loyalty that the company enjoys from its audience is enough to put the company back to the top as the leading romance publisher in the world. A successful launch of new titles would need tactics that the enterprise exploited in the past. Since the beginning of the enterprise, it exploited ideas that dealt with the situation at hand. The marketing methods reflected the customer needs, making the firm stay ahead of other publishing competitors. Another key method is changing the titles to match the interest of the audience at the time of publishing. The management moved from producing series to single titles when the need, was necessary (Ivey). This enabled them remain relevant to the audience no matter what direction the customer interest changed to. For good management to succeed, the managers need to be flexible and change according to the requirements of the