The Turn of the Screw Essay -- Literary Analysis, Henry James

Superficially, Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw seems to reinforce the status quo of American literature as male, whereby men are viewed as having power over women leaving women to become mere objects. James creates a nameless female protagonist whose story is told through the guise of a male narrator. She becomes an object viewed by Douglas’s audience and is used simply as means for the master on Harley Street to avoid being bothered by his charges. She is then set up as naà ¯ve and love-struck, willing to do just about anything, including risking her own sanity, for the sake of keeping the master undisturbed. However, on closer examination, James actually creates a novella that subverts the traditional idea of men having power over women as it is the governess who has the final word in her story, not the male Douglas, and it is the male heir Miles who becomes the scapegoat leaving the governess free, â€Å"awfully clever and nice† (James 24). James’s unfinished frame tale creates frustration and confusion but his experiment with form also draws attention to what has largely been left unconscious. Through Douglas’s initial telling of the governess’s story she is reduced to a nameless object that they all raptly listen about rather than listen to. While at the start, Douglas does have power over the governess’s story, in the end it is the governess who has the final word and Douglas, who disappears after only the first seven pages, is never to be heard from again. James relinquishes power to the governess and allows her to participate as there is no need to return to the male voice once she takes over. Furthermore, as the governess does remain nameless throughout her own narrative this hardly is a power issues as both the master on... ...til finally â€Å"the air was clear† (116-117). In this way the governess is able to reverse the roles of passive/female and active/male as she denies Quint the power of his gaze and instead forces him to be the object of her gaze. Through his distortion of traditional male dominated structures and ideas, James is able to not only draw attention to the inequality of men’s power over women but he also uses the same devices to subvert this binary opposition. Through a distortion of the assumed patriarchal order the governess is able to adopt male characteristics in order to wrest back some of the power initially taken from her. Whether consciously or unconsciously James’s unfinished frame, disturbing death of Miles, and the disappearance of Quint’s ghost all point to a hidden power within the governess allowing her to survive long after her weaker male counterparts.

Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison

The perceived views of men s and women s sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual â€Å"revolution†, the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same. Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman’s sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to â€Å"sport us while we may like amorous birds of prey†. The Lady on the other hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator’s advances. Women are praised highly for their virtue and honor in keeping their virginity for the institution of marriage. Even though it is perfectly acceptable for a man to attempt for and even acquire the sexual favors of a woman it is a social sin and in some areas a crime for a woman to succumb to her sexual desires outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, Hester Prynne is ostracized by her community for having an extra-marital affair. Her punishment condemns her for her adultery and assures her a lifetime of humiliation. Many societies have gone through great lengths over the centuries to ensure fidelity or virginity in women. In the Middle Ages, women were often forced to wear chastity belts to ensure their virtue was kept intact while men were away at war or some other manly undertaking. In some countries, women are forced to cover every inch of their bodies in an effort to avoid the advances of other men. The narrator in Amy Lowells Patterns speaks of her passion that wars against the stiff brocade of her dress, the very heavy and unrevealing style of the era in which the poem is set. She laments the death of her betrothed as they were to be wed in a month and, as she felt bound by the dress, he was to have freed her from it. This poem also illustrates how the narrator, as many women in the past, did not consider it proper to succumb to her passions before marriage. Men on the other hand have often been revered for their sexual prowess. Kings often kept concubines, or mistresses. In some countries, it is acceptable for a man to have many wives. Sexual conquest has become almost a gauge by which manhood is tested. Men are often bombarded by peer pressure to become sexually active at an early age. Seen as a rite of passage by many men, they begin their pursuit of women before they are even capable of reproduction. In Stevie Smith s The Frog Prince, the narrator speaks of his being happy the way he is but he feels that it is required of him to have a girl. Changing times have allowed people to become a little more open in expressing their sexuality. However, more often than not, most men and women tend to conform themselves to expectations that remain the same even in today s society.

Mediating Morality Essay

This case has lots of different goals by each person and different feelings about what needs to be done. Syl priority is to get the project completed while Daniel is more focused on his belief that he is being discriminated against. Robert also wants to get the project completed but does not want to work with Daniel the same way his was before he discovered Daniel is in a homo-sexual relationship. Syl did a good thing having separate conversations with both Daniel and Robert on a way to still complete the project but when she brought them together to discuss how they would precede it fell apart. I believe when things became heated she should have ended the meeting. Allowing the guys to argue back and forth created more tension in the situation. I also believe that she should have been more commanding of here statements and not allow Robert to spread his bias to other employees. Daniel is worried about Robert spreading rumors and dislike for him to other employees. This is especially true because Robert is bringing two other employees into the project to replace Daniel because of he doesn’t like Daniel’s lifestyle. I also agree with Syl about Daniel not having a discrimination lawsuit because this situation is not hurting Daniel’s work life unless they do not complete the project. He may become uncomfortable with certain co-workers because of them listening to Robert but his work position and being able to advance it will not be affected. Robert’s priority is to also complete the project but he does not want to complete it with Daniel. He believes moral standards should be upheld in the workplace and this is important. The only thing I have against this is that this company already has a benefits process in place for same sex spouses. Knowing the company has this if Robert does not believe in same sex marriage and does not want to be around it he should consider finding a new job. This is a hard case to digest and deal with but well placed mediation and goal setting can help the process. Robert should consider a new job or counseling to help deal with his dislike of same sex marriage. Daniel should not let this affect his priorities of completing the project.

Understanding Social Exchange Theory

Understanding Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory is a model for interpreting society as a series of interactions between people that are based on estimates of rewards and punishments. According to this view, our interactions are determined by the rewards or punishments that we expect to receive from others, which we evaluate using a  cost-benefit analysis  model (whether consciously or subconsciously). Overview Central to the social exchange theory is the idea that an interaction that elicits approval from another person is more likely to be repeated than an interaction that elicits disapproval. We can thus predict whether a particular interaction will be repeated by calculating the degree of reward (approval) or punishment (disapproval) resulting from the interaction. If the reward for an interaction exceeds the punishment, then the interaction is likely to occur or continue. According to this theory, the formula for predicting the behavior of any individual in any situation is: Behavior (profits) Rewards of interaction – costs of interaction. Rewards can come in many forms: social recognition, money, gifts, and even subtle everyday gestures like a smile, nod, or pat on the back. Punishments also come in many forms, from extremes like public humiliation, beating, or execution, to subtle gestures like a raised eyebrow or a frown. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist George Homans, who wrote about it in an essay titled Social Behavior as Exchange. Later, sociologists Peter Blau and Richard Emerson further developed the theory. Example A simple example of social exchange theory can be seen in the interaction of asking someone out on a date. If the person says yes, you have gained a reward and are likely to repeat the interaction by asking that person out again, or by asking someone else out. On the other hand, if you ask someone out on a date and they reply, â€Å"No way!† then you have received a punishment that will probably cause you to shy away from repeating this type of interaction with the same person in the future. Basic Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory People who are involved in the interaction are rationally seeking to maximize their profits.Most gratification among humans comes from others.People have access to information about social, economic, and psychological aspects of their interactions that allow them to consider the alternative, more profitable situations relative to their present situation.People are goal oriented in a freely competitive system.The exchange operates within cultural norms.Social credit is preferred over social indebtedness.The more deprived the individual feels in terms of an act, the more the person will assign a value to it.People are rational and calculate the best possible means to compete in rewarding situations. The same is true of punishment avoidance situations. Critiques Many critique this theory for presuming that people always make rational decisions, and point out that this theoretical model fails to capture the power that emotions play in our daily lives and in our interactions with others. This theory also undercuts the power of social structures and forces, which unconsciously shape our perception of the world and our experiences within it, and play a strong role in shaping our interactions with others.

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements The island of stability is that wondrous place where heavy isotopes of elements stick around long enough to be studied and used. The island is located within a sea of radioisotopes that decay into daughter nuclei so quickly its difficult for scientists to prove the element existed, much less use the isotope for a practical application. Key Takeaways: Island of Stability The island of stability refers to a region of the periodic table consisting of super-heavy radioactive elements that have at least one isotope with a relatively long half-life.The nuclear shell model is used to predict the location of the islands, based on maximizing the binding energy between protons and neutrons.Isotopes on the island are believed to have magic numbers of protons and neutrons that allow them to maintain some stability.Element 126, should it ever be produced, is believed to have an isotope with a long enough half-life that it can be studied and potentially used. History of the Island Glenn T. Seaborg coined the phrase island of stability in the late 1960s. Using the nuclear shell model, he proposed filling the energy levels of a given shell with the optimal number of protons and neutrons would maximize binding energy per nucleon, permitting that particular isotope to have a longer half-life than other isotopes, which did not have filled shells. Isotopes that fill nuclear shells possess what are called magic numbers of protons and neutrons. Finding the Island of Stability The location of the island of stability is predicted based on known isotope half-lives and predicted half-lives for elements that have not been observed, based on calculations relying on the elements behaving like those above them on the periodic table (congeners) and obeying equations that account for relativistic effects. The proof that the island of stability concept is sound came when physicists were synthesizing element 117. Although the isotope of 117 decayed very quickly, one of the products of its decay chain was an isotope of lawrencium that had never been observed before. This isotope, lawrencium-266, displayed a half-life of 11 hours, which is extraordinarily long for an atom of such a heavy element. Previously known isotopes of lawrencium had fewer neutrons and were much less stable. Lawrencium-266 has 103 protons and 163 neutrons, hinting at as-yet-undiscovered magic numbers that may be used to form new elements. Which configurations might possess magic numbers? The answer depends who you ask, because its a matter of calculation and theres not standard set of equations. Some scientists suggest there might be an island of stability around 108, 110, or 114 protons and 184 neutrons. Others suggest a spherical nucleus with 184 neutrons, but 114, 120, or 126 protons might work best. Unbihexium-310 (element 126) is doubly magic because its proton number (126) and neutron number (184) are both magic number. However you roll the magic dice, data obtained from the synthesis of elements 116, 117, and 118 point toward increasing half-life as the neutron number approached 184. Some researchers believe the best island of stability might exists at much larger atomic numbers, like around element number 164 (164 protons). Theorists are investigating the region where Z 106 to 108 and N is around 160-164, which appears sufficiently stable with respect to beta decay and fission. Making New Elements from the Island of Stability Although scientists might be able to form new stable isotopes of known elements, we dont have the technology to go much past 120 (work which is currently underway). Its likely a new particle accelerator will need to be constructed that would be capable of focusing onto a target with greater energy. Well also need to learn to make larger amounts of known heavy nuclides to serve as targets for making these new elements. New Atomic Nucleus Shapes The usual atomic nucleus resembles a solid ball of protons and neutrons, but atoms of elements on the island of stability may take new shapes. One possibility would be a bubble-shaped or hollow nucleus, with the protons and neutrons forming a sort of shell. Its hard to even imagine how such a configuration might affect the properties of the isotope. One thing is certain, though... there are new elements yet to be discovered, so the periodic table of the future will look very different from the one we use today.

Animal Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Animal Behavior - Essay Example In what ways were chimpanzees superior to humans Goodall observed (p. 232) that unlike humans, a chimpanzee is not inhibited by any fear of making a fool of him/herself. What this means is that chimpanzees may not exhibit in their adulthood the effects of any traumatic experiences in their childhood. They instinctively learn from their experience and move on is what she seemed to imply, although such a conclusion may be doubtful scientifically because it was not possible at the time of her observation to have any properly documented childhood histories of the adult chimpanzees she observed. And, of course, what we may consider foolish behavior may be for a chimpanzee just an ordinary show of animal happiness. At the least, we can admit that chimpanzees are superior in a way because they do not go around rampaging in the forest just because they were bullied by others of their kind, as Goodall observed. Goodall also made some observations where humans were "better" than chimpanzees, and this is in caring for their young (p. 185). Unlike humans where the male of the species get involved (emotionally and physically) from pregnancy to adulthood, male chimpanzees do not do so, leaving the task and troubles of pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing to the female. This form of behavior Goodall marks as one of the main differences between human and chimpanzee societies. This leads us to ask whether this difference has something to do with the malaise in human society today, and whether leaving child-rearing to human mothers would be better. There were other instances when Goodall found chimpanzees in a league of their own and incomparable to humans, such as in the way they trust the others, especially humans, or in the tolerant and kind behavior they show towards their young (p. 74; p. 178). They do not turn traitor, friendly one moment and then aggressive the next, or harm others for no reason. This did not mean that chimpanzees do not express aggressive behavior when threatened, but once they accept someone as their own, everyone is expected to follow the established social order or get out of the group (perhaps, start a new one). In a sense, these chimpanzees were exhibiting animal behavior but devoid of the evil and bad intentions that abound among humans. Personally, Goodall's account shows the many similarities and differences between humans and chimpanzees, and leads me to question the advantages and disadvantages of rational behavior, or whether chimpanzees can teach us lessons that would help us make this world a better place. Looking at the world as it is now, I disagree with Goodall's observation (p. 34) that we accept the chimpanzee as Man, because I think it would be an insult to the chimpanzee. Perhaps later, when we humans learn to use our "superior" mental and spiritual capacities to do what is good and to avoid evil, it would be an honor for us to be accepted by the chimpanzees as their biological and genomic kin. The Truth about Dogs Budiansky (2001) presented a genomic dimension of man's best friend, a "gene's eye" view to show how dogs evolved from their

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New Essay

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New - Essay Example The effects of the European germs had a far more detrimental effect on the Native American population than did any series of wars or massacres of Indians for the lands they possessed. In fact, many scholars have argued that one of the prime reasons that the Native Americans were unable to defend themselves successfully from the subsequent invasion of the Europeans was due to the decreased, sickly, and severely damaged populations that they were left with.Likewise, the horse revolutionized the way of life for the Native American. As the notes indicated, tribes had previously relied on human power and dogs to move goods from one point to another; however, with the introduction of the horse, a great deal of range was gained. Furthermore, with respect to the Europeans, the availability of New World bison and deer provided supplies of wild meat that did not exist in Europe. In this way, settlers were able to supplement their oftentimes meager harvests by relying on the bountiful supplies of wild game that the New World had to offer. Furthermore, with respect to the transfer of plants, one cannot minimize the important role that tobacco and sugarcane played as instruments of trade between the Old World and the New. Europe’s increasing demand for tobacco and sugarcane led to further colonization and development/cultivation of the New World. Furthermore, the New World additionally offered Europe supplies of wheat, corn, and beans that it previously could not enjoy.