Symbolism and Loss of Identity in The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwoo

Symbolism and Loss of Identity in The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Offred recounts the story of her life and that of others in Gilead, but she does not do so alone. The symbolic meanings found in the dress code of the women, the names/titles of characters, the absence of the mirror, and the smell and hunger imagery aid her in telling of the repugnant conditions in the Republic of Gilead. The symbols speak with a voice of their own and in decibels louder than Offred can ever dare to use. They convey the social structure of Gileadean society and carry the theme of the individual's loss of identity. All the women in Gilead wear color-coded uniforms. The colors parade their social status and/or role in the reproductive process. The 'Aunts' who run the Rachel and Leah Re-Education Center wear brown; they are responsible for the indoctrination of the handmaids. The 'Marthas,' who wear green, are the servants. The 'Wives' wear a type of Virgin-Mary blue, which signifies their inability to bear children. The handmaids wear red robes and white peaked hats which resemble nuns' habits. Thus, they personify a religious sacrifice; they are like "temple prostitutes doomed to a kind of purdah in perpetuity" (Rigney 117). In addition, the red color of their clothing symbolizes their fertility. The color-coded uniforms that the women wear does more than just signify their functions. Along with the names/titles of characters, they symbolize the individual's loss of identity. No distinguishing mark of a woman is considered; rather, she is lumped with a group in which she is defined only by her social and reproductive function. Essentially, the color-coded uniforms strip each woman of her i... ...litical enemies. The foul and suffocating air of Gilead symbolizes the claustrophobia as well as oppression of its inhabitants (Rubenstein 109-110). In The Handmaid's Tale some symbolic tools such as dress codes and characters' names reflect the social standings of individuals in the Gilead society. These same symbols and others such as the mirror draw attention to the loss of individual identity, a theme present throughout the novel. Still others like smell or hunger convey the atmosphere&emdash;both physical and psychological&emdash;in Gilead. Whatever their different purposes may be, the symbolic devices achieve the same result: they enlighten the reader on dangerous social tendencies and compel him/her to take action in order to prevent the outcomes they depict. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Anchor Books: New York, New York, 1985.

Travelling For Education

Due to the miserable situations of Lebanese students and their long years of suffering from the bad educating services and due to the absence of responsibility toward university students and the difficulty of finding jobs. The researcher in this paper shows the attention to this problem. Traveling For Education It was become a fashion trend that more and more people choose to go abroad to study. Some people think it is great experience while on the country , some others think it is not good at all!Despite of the importance of studying abroad and the presence of scientist that have raised Lebanon's name abroad , there are still oppositions to the views of this idea that prefer to stay in Lebanon despite of all its problems that they suffer from . Students in Lebanon should study outside for many reasons. General atmosphere is not suitable to study in Lebanon on all levels. The lack of raw materials in Lebanon led to the weakness of electricity and this case does not fit college studen t who needs a convenient means for study and research. In addition to the electricity obstacle we  notice the non-existence of laboratories, libraries and research centers, the state does not give an adequate attention to this deficiency, which leads for big effort toward the college student.For example , there is only one public library that opened new in Nabtieh † centre de lecture et d'animation culturelle † beside the red cross and it does not have the media support to be a know place to come to it. In addition to all problems that Lebanese students face we have an initial problem by students that is the lack of comfort in government universities , and when they resort  Ã‚  to private universities that are more comfortable with all they need for studying they will be shocked by the high cost that they can't afford which lead them to depression , and we will not forget the non-support for the best students that government must appreciate and have a look for them. Going abroad to study means far more than learning. The book† Intercultural journeys from study to residence abroad † ( Jackson , 1954) talk about this issue.This book focuses on the actual experiences of college students who travelled from their homes to foreign lands, the author  explores the linkage between intercultural awareness and sensitivity, language development , and identity reconstruction in young adult college learners. Generally, the first thing you need to do is to survive in a foreign nation. Where to find a place to live? How to deal with transportation? How to cook food? All these are the things you have to think and depend on yourself.Students who study abroad have to take care of themselves, and these questions are used the Lebanese students who don't want to travel abroad. Without parents, you can learn how to arrange their  own issues and do everything by yourself better. This is what we call independent awareness. Studying abroad cultivate your independent awareness and capability of taking care yourself. It is   always a tough time when living in a country that is totally new to you and facing all kinds problems. One you overcome them , you get the ability to live on your own. This is great, when the people of your age still enjoying their lives under the protection of their families, you begin to experience life.We take this factor as the most important advantage as it teaches you the basic ability to live your life. No one but yourself can teach you this! Everyone needs to be enriched with more experience and be more mature. Studying abroad means you set yourself into a circumstance that is totally different to you. You can enjoy a new culture all by yourself: people's thoughts and behaviors and the way people live are the first-hand to you , is not this great ? Cultural differences are more than just differences in language, food, appearances, culture and personal habits.A person's reflects very deep perceptions, be liefs, and values that influence his or her way of life and the way that he or she views the world. Students who experience cultural differences personally can come to truly understand where other cultures are coming from.You can greatly increase your adaptability to what we call the † Global Village† in your potential career ( Dixon , 2009 ) . Only knowing cultural difference is not enough, studying abroad has a lot more to explore! seeing the beautiful sceneries of a nation, volunteering   in social work and communicating with local people are all up to you. By studying abroad you know more about the world, no matter academically or physically. Knowing more a and experiencing more help you think rationally and behave maturely. The things above are the most important and valuable advantages we can think of. And of course there are much more that hat we mentioned , learning and mastering a new manage or having the chance to travel may also be the advantages that attrac t you. Do not hesitate, going abroad to study do offer you great improvement!

Free Essays on Economics of Marriage

The marriage expectations of 1898 are not a far cry from the worries of women in the present. In the past, there were many concerns of the economic value of a wife, whether it be abusing the wife’s free labor, or marrying into a rich family for the sake of money. As times have slowly changed, the argument has not. The women are still doing much of the non-market work, but now it depends on her bargaining strength. During the last decade, women have become concerned with the economical impacts on behavior, ranging from the intra-household distribution power to the distribution of wealth by gender at marriage. This brings me to the focus of this paper, I will discuss whether or not it is economically advantageous for a woman to become part of the marriage market. When men and women fall in love, relative incomes are not the only things factored into whether or not to marry, but they do play an important role. There are costs and benefits that help people make the marriage decision, such as income and assets, time, and intimacy. There are also tax and health benefits implications for not getting married. Likewise, there are costs of divorce such as married families tend to have more income and wealth compared to divorced families. The economic costs of marriage are that married families have more demands to meet with the resources they have, married people have greater potential for conflict on the use of those resources, and financial policies that they adopt will affect and be affected by the family relationships. If a woman decides to marry, there is a chance she may leave behind her career and earning potential for the emotional benefits of marriage. Myra Strober asks the question of â€Å"What’s a wife worth? What’s a wife worth in a marriage that started with zero assets, but after thirty years of marriage has assets of about $100 million, which came from the husband’s earnings and stock options? What’s the â€Å"equitabl... Free Essays on Economics of Marriage Free Essays on Economics of Marriage The marriage expectations of 1898 are not a far cry from the worries of women in the present. In the past, there were many concerns of the economic value of a wife, whether it be abusing the wife’s free labor, or marrying into a rich family for the sake of money. As times have slowly changed, the argument has not. The women are still doing much of the non-market work, but now it depends on her bargaining strength. During the last decade, women have become concerned with the economical impacts on behavior, ranging from the intra-household distribution power to the distribution of wealth by gender at marriage. This brings me to the focus of this paper, I will discuss whether or not it is economically advantageous for a woman to become part of the marriage market. When men and women fall in love, relative incomes are not the only things factored into whether or not to marry, but they do play an important role. There are costs and benefits that help people make the marriage decision, such as income and assets, time, and intimacy. There are also tax and health benefits implications for not getting married. Likewise, there are costs of divorce such as married families tend to have more income and wealth compared to divorced families. The economic costs of marriage are that married families have more demands to meet with the resources they have, married people have greater potential for conflict on the use of those resources, and financial policies that they adopt will affect and be affected by the family relationships. If a woman decides to marry, there is a chance she may leave behind her career and earning potential for the emotional benefits of marriage. Myra Strober asks the question of â€Å"What’s a wife worth? What’s a wife worth in a marriage that started with zero assets, but after thirty years of marriage has assets of about $100 million, which came from the husband’s earnings and stock options? What’s the â€Å"equitabl...

Gattaca Why Vincent Has Exceeded His Potential Essays

Gattaca Why Vincent Has Exceeded His Potential Essays Gattaca Why Vincent Has Exceeded His Potential Paper Gattaca Why Vincent Has Exceeded His Potential Paper Gattaca is a science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It is about a mans struggle to follow his dream despite being pre-determined by the society in which he lives to not be able to achieve it. Gattaca shows that people can in fact exceed the potential that society and their genes place on them. This is seen in the characters of Vincent and Director Joseph who both exceed their expected potential. Director Josephs claim that humans cannot exceed their potential when referring to the navigators at Gattaca is clearly false because Vincent and has infact exceeded his potential. Vincent is concieved naturally without the help of genetic engineering technology which gives geneticists the ability to choose, what genes they want to keep in the fetus and what genes they want to eliminate based on the parents choice and budget. Because he is concieved naturally which is considered an unorthodox form of reproduction by Vincents society, he is born with a high probability of many genetic problems and defects such as manic depression, attention deficit disorder, heart disorder, myopia and is born with a life expectancy of 30. years. As Vincent grows older he falls in love with the cosmos and decides to pursue a career in space but is quickly rebuked by his parents because of his inferior genetic characteristics specifically his heart disorder. Despite this negative feedback from his parents he decides to apply at Gattaca hoping that he wont be discriminated against because of his genetic profile. However Vincents hope shatters as his application is declined, and is forced to work as a cleaner at Gattaca. : When his fellow workmate asks him why he cleans the screen immacutely he responds arrogantly by saying If the glass is clean, itll be easier for you to see me when im on the other side of it. Because he is not following his dream, Vincent decides to become a barrowed ladder which is a person who uses the genetic identity of another for a purpose such as getting a particular job or in Vincents case getting into Gattaca. Vincent borrows the indentity of Jerome Morrow a professional swimmer born genetically engineered up to perfection. Jerome has been hit by a moving vechicle which has paralyzed him from the waist down and thus making him unable to swim anymore. Jerome Morrow supplies Vincent with blood, urine, hair and skin samples so that he is able to get into Gattaca. Vincent passes the interview which is a urine test, and quickly becomes one of Gattacas elite navigators and achieves his dream of going to space, despite being born with genes that pre-determined him to be lower and inferior member of society, he manages to chieve the impossible getting into a prestigious space academy and achieves his dream of becoming a space navigator. Vincent however is not the only one who has exceeded his genetic potential. In the society in which Vincent lives, the elite or the people with the perfect genome are considered to be not only genetically perfect but also morally perfect. An example of this is depicted vividly in the movie when Vincents eyebrow sample containing invalid genes is found near the crime of the murderer mission director. Vincent is quickly regarded as the main suspect in the crime simply because is an invalid a person born naturally through sexual intercourse. The assumption that is made is that people who are valids or people who have perfect genes cannot commit an imperfect immoral act such as murder and therefore the main suspect has to be by definition an invalid. This assumption however is false because the person responsible for the murder turns out to be Director Joseph himself. Director Joseph is a good example of a person who exceeds his potential by comiting an act of murder. Before Joseph is convincted of murder and while he was being questioned he told the detectives that There isnt a violent bone in my body which is a classic manifestation of what how Vincents society views people with perfect genes as morally perfect people. Because Direct Joseph has in a sense rebelled against his genes (assuming that morality is a genetic characteristic) he has exceeded his potential and proves that perfect genes does not necessarily equal high rectitude. In conclusion, the film Gattaca shows that people can and do exceed their potential. This is seen in the characters of Director Joseph and Vincent who both exceed the potential that society has given them. Vicent exceed his potential by getting into Gattaca even though he is born genetically inferior and considered a lower class member of society while Director Joseph exceeds his potential by commiting the act of murder which is not expected and not programmed in his genes.

Despite His Mean and Miserable Ways, We Never Completely Dislike Scrooge. Discuss. Essay Essay Example

Despite His Mean and Miserable Ways, We Never Completely Dislike Scrooge. Discuss. Essay Essay Example Despite His Mean and Miserable Ways, We Never Completely Dislike Scrooge. Discuss. Essay Essay Despite His Mean and Miserable Ways, We Never Completely Dislike Scrooge. Discuss. Essay Essay Despite his mean and suffering ways. we neer wholly dislike Scrooge. Discuss. A Christmas carols by CHARLES DICKENS. it’s non merely about the manner that scrooge act as ungenerous and wretch. but it’s besides a opportunity of given to do niggard transformed to a generous and sort individual. Readers denied being ever hatred about niggard. This can be separate to both sides. First scene niggard did move as tight-fisted and cold-hearted to others. the manner his talk and act makes audience disgusted. But when looking back for his yesteryear. the reader understands he has a difficult childhood experience. Unfortunately niggard was ever been forgotten. therefore the audience feels sorry for him. Oppositely. by giving a opportunity to Scrooge to salvation and transformed to a charitable and generous gentleman. At the get downing the audience hated Scrooge. because of his cold-hearted and mean-spirited tightwad. â€Å"Oh! But he was tight-fisted adult male at the grindstone. Niggard! A squeeze. twisting. hold oning. envious old evildoer! Hard and crisp as flint. from which no steel had of all time struck out generous fire ; secret. and self-contained. and lone as an oyster† he is really obstinate and doesn’t wanted to listen to his nephew Fred’s advice. and neer alter his head to accept other and besides to alter his ain destiny. Besides he is selfishness about ignore those hapless people. â€Å"If they would instead decease. † said niggard. â€Å"they had better make it. and diminish the excess population. † Scrooge doesn’t attention about other people’s decease. and he’s greedy as snake pit non even pass money to observe Christmas clip. Besides he has a large house but inside the house is dark and cold. like his ain personality cold- heated and mean. But after phantom Teach him a lesson. so he get down to alter and becomes otherwise. Scrooge learns the of import value about the household and relationship. Throughout the lesson that shade has been learning. eventually Scrooge understand the true significance of Christmas. and do himself alter the behavior that he has got on the old Christmas twenty-four hours. Best illustration he should larn is Bob’s household. Bob is his day-to-day employee. although his household is non rich plenty ( earn 20 shilling per hebdomad ) . but they are much happier than Scrooge. Merely â€Å"small pudding† makes the whole household so happy to sit together and to hold a great dinner during the Christmas Eve. Skinny illness Tiny Tim sitting at table corner. his passionate of love â€Å"God bless us everyone† makes scrooge feel so warmth and touchful. When speaking about the relationship Fred is a good illustration to speak about. He is so warmth and keeps Christm as in his bosom every twelvemonth. Every twelvemonth he invites a batch of friends and comparative to his house to observe Christmas. The relationship with each relation and friends all people comes together to observe on the Christmas. Fezziwig scrooge’s once employer makes himself believing back about old on the job clip. The manner fezziwig’s generous behavior besides influences Scrooge deeply. Learning Fezziwig maintaining Christmas every twelvemonth in his bosom and invite tonss of friend to hold dinner. The relationship between employer and employee is non ungenerous with lone attentions about the money and work. Fezziwig allowing his employer to hold yearss off during the Christmas clip it makes sense the true significance of Christmas clip and relationship between others. Throughout phantom’s lesson Scrooge understand to hold a large house and earn batch of money for no usage this is a shame and no good. and to hold these money to donate and assist the h apless is the best pick for Scrooge. Scrooge is redeems and larn to be liberally donate money to the hapless. Reader feels so excite about Scrooge alteration and assisting the society to increase the population. After he know that many hapless people like Tiny Tim is enduring and deceasing in the street. he couldn’t be so careless any longer. because this good decidedly act upon his hereafter or decease. He understand that if he maintain ignore those people and became so ungenerous so the effect that he would acquire is been loner everlastingly. and people would disrespect to him after him decease. Therefore he takes action about assisting Tiny Tim and besides donates a batch of money to those hapless people. Bach from Scrooge’s childhood clip it seems really hard. The audience feel so regretful to Scrooge. because they know the long term consequence to makes Scrooge alterations to such a greedy and selfish individual. by the manner to give this chance to deliver and alter niggard. originate niggard to mak e those contribution and good thing would alter his ain destiny and do the audience start to wish him. Life is ever like that. frequently people learn for each of different age clip. and besides learns from those errors. Scrooge did it! He transform to a generous. and charitable as everyone know! There are both manner. both good and bad. Scrooge diminishing his bad wont and action. therefore the audience reallylike the manner scrooge transform to a â€Å"second Christmas Father† . The manner he wake up becomes so happy and generously contribution. but besides at the start the readers did hatred about barbarous action and looking that niggard have.

Swine Flu Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Swine Flu - Research Paper Example   The article states that the 2009 outbreak of the disease was a pandemic and now after 4 years it is occurring widely in different states. Swine flu was originally a respiratory disease found in pigs. The article further gives an overview of the conditions of the states affected. The State of California has been affected most severely with 243 deaths which were higher than the previous year. In San Francisco, the hospitals are flooded with patients with flu symptoms, and to prevent any chances of communicability tents were set in the gardens of hospitals for such patients. The article reported that the death of a woman in Sacramento by this disease created a buzz among people. The woman died within 3 days of the appearance of symptoms but she did not get an injection for the flu. The article also explained the views of some doctors who explained that the disease is worrisome and it has been included in the flu vaccines, but the efficacy of the vaccine is 50-70 %. The article concl udes by stating that the reoccurrence of such disease makes the flu vaccination a mandatory, and the strains of H1N1 occurring in America are more virulent than anywhere in the world. Swine flu was an epidemic disease but it’s become a pandemic (Cha, 2014). The epidemiological triangle of the disease involves an agent, environment and host. According to the article, the agent that caused the disease was the virulent virus H1N1 and its strains. The outbreak of the disease was seasonal as it surfaced in the flu season.  

Compare Chinese monster and American monster Essay - 1

Compare Chinese monster and American monster - Essay Example Although many Chinese still believe that Nian exists, it has never appeared in the community or to a human again. Today, many of the Chinese light fireworks, as well as beat drums and gongs to drive the monster away. Modern people living in major towns and cities are the most notorious with the annual Spring Festival in commemoration of Nian the monster (Wong 27). In addition, the day signifies what most Chinese consider the unprecedented breakthrough after some villagers successfully tamed a horrible, ferocious monster that intimidated, attacked or even killed innocent people. Incidentally, tribulations of the village and the ultimate breakthrough forms the basis of contemporary traditions and customs associated with beating of drums, wearing red outfit and lighting of fireworks. The two other articles focus on Momo, an American monster. Momo (also known as the Missouri Monster) is hairy and foul-smelling (Hamilton 16). In general, the key differences between Nian and Momo highlight the fundamental cultural variation between China and the United States of America. The Big Book of Missouri Ghost Stories (2013) by Troy Taylor examines and analyzes the circumstances leading to the discovery of Momo the Missouri Monster. Apart from Momo, the article analyzes various legends and ghostly tales of Missouri (Taylor 130). In addition, the article asserts that most of the legends and ghostly tales consist of a mystery, bloodshed, and tragedy. Taylor further states that copious other stories about Missouri have since been lost in time, hidden or remained secret. Although a number of legends seem to have significantly impacted villages, towns and states, Americans do not take them seriously unlike the Chinese (Taylor 130). Louisiana residents have never considered the day some residents purportedly saw Momo special in their cultural history. Nevertheless, a few have forgotten the mystery and tribulations surrounding the reports about sightings of the