Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House - 1401 Words

Hook In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, Nora transforms from a standard housewife of society to a woman seeking independence. The expectations that society has confine Nora to a strict life in her marriage as she tries to fulfil the roles of mother and wife. Nora discovers that to find her identity, she has to break out of society’s expectations and leave her family behind to start anew. Society standards influence the way people live their lives even in something as personal as marriage and can strip away their sense of identity. In the beginning of the story, Nora appears to be happily married and fulfills her societal role as a mother and wife. In this era, a woman’s role in society was to be a housewife and to care for her husband and†¦show more content†¦The meaning associated with the nicknames symbolize that society expected women to be obedient and dependent on her husband. They are seen as feminine and delicate; thus, their only responsibilities are to care for the children and home and all other matters are left to the husband. Nora consents to this idea when she responds to his nicknames with enthusiasm. She even leaves the decision of her dress to him saying â€Å"I can’t get anywhere without your help† (69). Additionally, Nora fulfills society’s role of a mother. In this time period, it was common for the maid to help care for the children; yet, Nora still enjoys spending time with her children. She plays games like hide-and-seek, listens to their stories, and at one point exclaims, â€Å"I’ll undress them myself. Oh yes, let me. It’s such fun† (61). Nora clearly loves her children and proves that she will go beyond society’s expectations to provide for them. As the story progresses, Nora begins to view the flaws caused by society’s standards and questions the truth of their marriage and society. First, Torvald sparks the idea in Nora that she will be a bad influence on her children when he states that â€Å"Almost everyone who goes bad early in life has a mother who’s a chronic liar† (70). Since Nora has been keeping her debt a secret from Torvald and lying to cover it up, she fears that she will corrupt her own

High and low culture Free Essay Example, 2000 words

In other words, the distinction between the high and the low culture shows the difference of culture as an activity promoting specific social beliefs and perceptions and culture as part of the daily life. In the second case, culture needs to incorporate or reflect the challenges of people as members of a community. If regarded as only a means for promoting specific interests, culture is isolated from the daily social life becoming close to the elite class. As analyzed in the study of Johnston (2006) the low culture has been often considered as the main tool for identifying the elements of the daily life of people within a specific social context, a target which cannot be achieved by observing the high culture which is likely to show exceptional modes of life, meaning the cultural preferences of the elite (Johnston 20). However, it is noted that the forms of low culture are often of poor quality, meaning that their aesthetic is limited, compared to high culture. It is explained that this problem has been made clear since the Renaissance (Johnston 20). We will write a custom essay sample on High and low culture or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The review of the historical development of high and low culture leads to the assumption that the distinction of these forms of culture should be considered as the result of the modernist period. As noted in the study of Bertens (236) the ‘great divide’ developed during the modernist period led to the distinction of culture to high and low in order to respond to the needs of the elite class of the above period. In the post-modernism period, the distance between the high and low culture was decreased – under the influence of the increase of power of middle/ low social classes, a result of the radical increase of population globally. The relationship between post-modernism and high/ low culture is emphasized in the study of Jameson (1983, 1984), of Ulmer (1985) and of Hirsch (1987). In accordance with Jameson, the limitation of the distance between the high and low culture, should be related with the appearance of popular culture as a mass culture (Jameson, 1983 in Giroux 62). Popular culture, as a form of culture, was introduced in order to show the forms of culture that are popular to the high percentage of the population, i.e. popular culture refers to the favorable culture of the majority of people, not necessarily restricted in terms of geography. On the other hand, it should be noted, that the popular culture is often characterized as low culture, i.e. of culture of poor quality, as this problem is described using the term ‘kitsch’ (Giroux 62); the above fact proves that even if the differentiation between high and low culture has been limited, still the acceptance of popular culture as part of modern culture is in doubt.

Intro to Chicano Studies Free Essays

David E. Dominguez April 21, 2013 ECC RM 169 Introduction to Chicano Studies Midterm Have you ever noticed the numerous similarities between you and your peers? No? Perhaps the way you speak upon one another, the tone, maybe the diction, or even the syntax of your voice can all be apart of ones culture. However, communication is only one of the very many key elements when taking in and digesting the term, ‘Culture’ along with its eclectic and widespread meaning. We will write a custom essay sample on Intro to Chicano Studies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now, when I say, â€Å"take in and digest†, I simply am referring to act of embracing and understanding the complete meaning of the word and its effect on our everyday life. Many professionals such as Anthropologist, Doctors, Psychologist, Economist and many more Scientist have their own definition of what culture may be, as well as your regular neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and even teachers. So why is this measly word so important? Well figure this, there is only one race everything else is culture, here in the United States of America we are what is defined as a multi-cultural society, nationwide. This means that within our country resign many different ways of life, entertainment, appearance, language, social classes, and even many deaths due to disease, thus resulting in a grand amount of what are called cultural clashes. Categorized as conscious and unconscious, these confrontations have an enormous effect on our civilization. Culture is an essential part of conflict and conflict resolution. Cultures are like underground rivers that run through our lives and relationships, giving us messages that shape our perceptions, attributions, judgments, and ideas of self and other. Though cultures are powerful, they are often unconscious, influencing conflict and attempts to resolve conflict in imperceptible ways. In other words, there are many circumstances in which these types of conflicts are in a sense, uncontrollable, meaning our regulatory system of life may have been pre-judged, now bare with me here, to my understanding due to my research, cultures are more than language, dress, and food customs. Cultural groups may share race, ethnicity, or nationality, but they also arise from cleavages of generation, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, ability and disability, political and religious affiliation, language, and gender- nd this just to call upon a few. There are also very many theories to this term, culture. For example, The Resource Pot defines culture as mutual adaption of diversity in life, also as respect and celebrated diversity. On the other hand, the concept and theory of The Salad Bowl reveals another meaning to culture, such as acculturation, acculturation is when two or more cultures come into psychological, physical, or even environmental contact and begin to alter thei r original customs to further adapt to that in which they have discovered. This theory also reads that this part of culture is â€Å"color blind†, not literally of course but symbolically, towards race and ethnicity. Lastly there is the theory of The Melting Pot, which is a more assertive and aggressive form of acculturation, in which the dominant of the two cultures will succeed and overthrow, if you will. This particular theory also portrays the word Ethnocentrism. This is the act of judging ones culture based upon your own cultures’ ways and or beliefs. Emic and Etic are terms used by anthropologists and other social scientists referring to two different types of data collected on human behavior. Often used by cultural anthropologists, an â€Å"emic† point of view is one where the analysis of behavioral and cultural systems is defined in terms that are meaningful to the individual who is a participant within that culture, also known as an â€Å"insider’s view†. The emic perspective arises from the participant of the culture being observed. Now, the Etic point of view is which comes from the â€Å"outsiders† of the particular culture in which is being observed. In a comparison, the Etic perspective is used if the representations are in accord with scientific observers. The etic perspective employs a more logical, analytical and anthropological analysis of one who does not participate in the cultural that is being observed. However, despite any differences between these two perspectives, and due to my educational research, anthropologists agree that any ethnographic work ought to be represented using both the emic and etic views. To fully understand a culture, anthropologists must be able to understand the culture empathetically and scientifically. The two approaches build off one another and allow for a wider understanding of culture. Also, there are many elements in which may influence ones social and personal behaviors/identity as well as their mentality and psychological judgment or comprehension. Just to point out a few- life experiences, environment, personal choices, and Adversity†¦ ersonally, I believe you have to give back to those more in need to fully understand who you are as a person, in today’s society it is a â€Å"give me all about me† society and the more you give the more you gain as an individual and the more you grow and develop your own genuine not manufactured characteristics. Yes, I said manufactured characteristics, believe it or not but people are many times shaped and formed into who they are due to what they watch or see on the television screen or from what they hear on the radio stations, even within our children, its an epidemic. The mentality of the youth in any community as well as anywhere else across the globe, is very gullible and vulnerable. For instance, I observe the television shows on the Disney Channel that my four year old, soon to be five year old little sister watches, and I have learned that in each showing there is constant affectionate and loving relationships between young boys and girls. Now although it is portrayed as humor and may seem completely innocent, it makes me wonder how this will effect my baby in the future, along with the sexual and intimate lyrics played both on the radio stations and at home. I feel that the media contributes to the epidemic of pregnancy in young women now a days. That is just one personal opinion of observation from my perspective as an older brother as well as a young Chicano. I have come across these connections between Disney Channel’s young affairs, the radio stations, and the epidemic of pregnancy through my own personal experiences and visualizations of the youth in my family and across the city. My theory goes on much more into depth but lets stay on topic. The media is only another element in which may influence ones identity; another involves the environment, the habitat, and the beings all around the individual. When we enter the world we enter naked physically, socially, and culturally. Unlike other living creatures humans need social experience to learn their culture and survive. Only humans rely on culture rather than instincts to ensure the survival of their kind. The natural thing to humans is to create culture. Culture has to be learned it is not apart of a biological make up; but our biological make up makes culture possible. We as humans do not inherit habits and beliefs we acquire them during the course of social experiences. We come into this life without a language, social class, values, morals, religion, race, we do not even know how to love or hate. It is through human contact that people learn to become members of the human community. Culture is the values, beliefs, behaviors, and materials that form the way of life for humans. Culture interprets our surroundings for us and gives us meaning and allows us to express ourselves. To learn any culture is to learn a person’s values, ideas and of what is desirable in life. Values underline or preferences, guides or choices, indicate what we hold worthwhile in life. Values help define the character of a culture, but it does not provide specific courses of actions. Without any morals or values in life there is no culture, and once again, without culture what is life? What is the point of life without Culture? Without Culture life would be meaningless and boring, I think it is an extraordinary craft to learn ones culture who differs from you. How to cite Intro to Chicano Studies, Papers

Basics On Keats Essay Example For Students

Basics On Keats Essay -John Keats was born in 1795 and died in 1821-John Keats was born in Moorfield, England-John Keats had two brothers, George and Tom, and a sister Fanny-At the age of 23, John Keats saw his brother die of tuberculosis-John Keats was under five feet tall but he liked to fight, often getting into fights with men over a foot taller than himself-At the age of 26 John Keats died of tuberculosis-John Keats lost his father at the age of 8 and his mother when he was 14-Few famous poets have been more famous for their misfortunes than John Keats-John had studied to become a surgeon but eventually abandoned the profession of medicine for poetry-John Keats most famous work is the brilliant Ode to a Nightingale which he wrote on a warm and beautiful day in 1819-John Keats was a major figure in the Romantic movement-Keatss first published poems appeared in 1816 in the Examiner-Keatss first volume of poems was published in 1817. It attracted some good reviews, but these were followed by the first o f several harsh attacks by the influential Blackwoods Magazine. -At the age of 23, Keats fell in love with a beautiful young lady named Fanny BrawneBook Reports