The Story of an Hour Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour Essay The Story of an Hour is a work of short fiction by southern regionalist writer Kate Chopin. Originally published in Vogue magazine in 1984, this widely read story by Chopin did not receive strong recognition until it was rediscovered during the height of the feminist movement back in the 1960’s. This work of the author greatly reflects and represents Chopin’s personal view on women’s roles in society which very much shocked her reading audience at the time. As a writer, Chopin was highly influenced by the southern environment she grew in. She was raised in a household of intelligent, independent, pioneering women for she was raised by her French-Creole mother and grandmother (who was the first woman in Kansas to be legally separated from her husband) after being orphaned of her father at the young age of four. Toth in her biography notes that Chopin â€Å"†¦also smoked cigarettes in public and revelled in wandering around alone, drinking beer. † Like in many of her other writings, in The Story of an Hour she illustrates to the reader [some of] the concerns faced by women and their plight to have their own identity. The Story of an Hour is a story set in the late 19th century when women’s duties were basically to keep house, bear children and present themselves as faithful loving wives and not much more. It tells the story of a married southern woman, Louise Mallard, who receives news of her husband’s (Brently Mallard) death. Being of frail condition, those around her (sister Josephine and family friend Richards) took great care in gently revealing to her the disastrous news. At first the heroine takes the reception of the news like any other loving wife of the time: with despair and grief. However, when Louise isolates herself from her sister and Richards to deal with her feelings in private, she realizes something quite surprising to herself. To her surprise [and the reader’s], â€Å"a monstrous joy†¦held her† (Chopin) and it was during this moment of epiphany she realizes her overwhelming desire for freedom. Empowered by her new realization, Louise ends her brief isolation and decides to go down from her room to welcome her future filled with â€Å"days that would be her own† (Chopin). However, with a sudden twist of faith, her erroneously reported deceased husband walks into the house to the surprise of everyone. As a result, Louise ended up dying ironically â€Å"of heart diseaseof the joy that kills† (Chopin). This short fiction by Chopin tackles the issue of identity and self-discovery of women. Written in a time where numerous social and ethical questions were in the minds of most Americans, Chopin’s take on the â€Å"Woman Question† proved to be quite controversial for the period. Rejected initially for its feminist message, The Story of an Hour is a prime example of how the author tackles female self-assertion. In the story, the author subtly hints at the social oppression of women. During the period at which the story was originally written, the standards upheld by general society for women were that of selfless wives and mothers. This is reflected in the way the lead character Louise Mallard doesn’t even receive a name at the beginning of the story. She is only referred to as Mrs. Mallard and in pronouns until much later in the story. Ironically her husband Brently, a minor character, is named at the beginning of the story. By the simple omission of Louise’s name early in the story the author manages to imply how women at the time were mere â€Å"property† of men – that they were â€Å"attachments† to their father’s and husbands.

Policy Proposal for Economic Reform in Russia Essay -- Economics Polit

Policy Proposal for Economic Reform in Russia Despite making a recovery after the 1998 market crash, Russia remains weighted with numerous holdovers from the Communist era that keep its economy from taking advantage of free-market reforms. In short, Russia has not prospered under capitalism because it has not yet discovered it. In order to do so, the Russian government must engage in extensive reform in several key areas: improving the rule of law, creating stable monetary policy, and ending a policy of favoritism to particular businesses. Engaging in these reforms would lower the extremely high transaction costs of doing business legally, stimulating a wave of new investment and wealth creation within Russia, as well as encouraging investment from abroad. While the causes of Russia’s economic problems are numerous, the absence of a rule of law causes enormous unpredictability and uncertainty that is the primary barrier to economic growth. The regulatory mess caused by presidential decrees, legislative changes and numerous bureaucracies putting out contradictory rulings is just one aspect of this problem. The court system, which is supposed to be a neutral arbitrator of private disputes, is highly publicized, and even worse, is used by the governments to silence critics and unfavorable companies. One of the major challenges to reform is the uncooperative nature of the bureaucratic apparatus in carrying out laws and policies enacted by the executive. While Yeltsin and Putin have generally been in favor of free-market reforms, the bureaucrats meant to carry out their policies are often rich oligarchs who stand to lose financially or politically from reform. To combat this, Putin has replaced most of the Yeltsin-era ruling... ...-07-98.html 9. Dmitry Pinsker, â€Å"TV6 saga nears final episode.† The Russia Journal http://www.trj.ru/index.htm?obj=5321 10. James A. Dorn and Ian Vasquez. Ending Russia's Chaos, September 9, 1998 http://www.cato.org/dailys/9-9-98.html 11. Daniel J. Mitchell, â€Å"Tax Reform: Russia, 1; United States, 0,† March 21, 2002 http://www.heritage.org/views/2002/ed032102.html 12. Rose Brady, Kapitalizm : Russia's Struggle to Free Its Economy, New Haven, Conn. Yale University Press, 1999. 13. Martha De Melo, and Gur Ofer, â€Å"Private Service Firms in a Transitional Economy: Findings of a Survey in St. Petersburg† Studies of Economies in Transformation, 1014-997X ; Paper No. 11: 1994. 14. William C.Gruben, "Dollarization: The Greenback Goes Global," Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Expand Your Insight, March 1, 2000 http://www.dallasfed.org/eyi/money/0003.html

Influences of the Afghani Culture Essay

Imagine living in a country which is completely different from Canada. The lifestyle of this country will be very different from what you are accustomed to. And the culture will be more different. There are many cultures around the world. Each culture has different beliefs and expectations. The lifestyles of people in these cultures are all influenced by the culture. Based on the novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the Afghani culture imposes restrictions on the characters in the novel, consequently resulting in a negative impact on their lives. The Afghani culture inflicts restrictions on relationships, career choices, and household activities. Relationships are an aspect of the characters lives which is restricted by the Afghani Culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people should only marry within their own status: â€Å"People scoffed that [he] would never marry well- after all, he was not of royal blood† (Hosseini 16). Thus, due to the cultural influence, marriages between others of a different status are often forbidden. Royalty only weds royalty, poor only weds poor, and people in merchant families only wed people in other merchant families. Henceforth, a negative impact is imposed upon the characters, Baba and Rahim Khan, as they are not allowed to marry whoever they want. Even if marriage with a person of lower status occurred, the spouse â€Å"‘would have suffered, [the] family would have never accepted them an equal. You don’t order someone to polish your shoes one day, then call them ‘sister’ [or ‘brother’] the next’† (Hosseini 105). Furthermore, the relationship between the two castes, the Hazaras and the Pashtuns, are influenced by the Afghani culture, as the Hazaras are considered a lower caste by the Pashtuns: â€Å"[T]he reason Pashtuns had oppresse[d] the Hazaras, was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a† (Hosseini 9). The cultural belief of the Hazaras being an unworthy caste results in restrictions of relationships between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns. Many Hazaras are almost never able to have a positive relationship with Pashtuns, instead they â€Å"have often been persecuted for their distinctive ethnicity and religious beliefs† (â€Å"Hazara†). Therefore, negative consequences are imposed on the Hazaras as they are often faced with a high level of hatred and a low level of respect. In the novel, Ali and Hassan, father and son who are Hazaras, are frequently bullied and teased by many of the Pashtuns in the community. The career choices of the characters in the novel are limited due to the Afghani culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people will be more successful in the same career path as their family: â€Å"People were always doubting him. They told Baba that running a business wasn’t in his blood and [that] he should study law like his father† (Hosseini 16). Thus due to the cultural belief of following your family’s career path, people in this culture are often restricted from choosing a career of which they truly desire. If someone was to follow a specific career path which matched their interests but was completely different from the careers of their family, they will be often pressured into not following their dreams. Hence, a negative impact is imposed on people in these situations as they are not able to follow their dreams and do what they wish to do. Similarly, in the novel, Baba’s wishes to become a business man were discouraged and pinned down by his loved ones as it was not a similar career to rest of his family’s. Furthermore, due to the strong discrimination of Hazaras in the Afghani culture, Hazaras will always be servants and cooks: â€Å"What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He’ll never be anything but a cook† (Hosseini 37). The discrimination in the Afghani culture restricts Hazaras from getting a job other than as a servant or a cook. They will be born into servant families and grow up to be servants and that is how it will always be. Following their dream career paths is restricted by the Afghani culture as they do not have a choice of what career they want. The negative impact, as a result of this cultural restriction, is that Hazaras are never going receive the opportunity of having a career other than a servant or cook. They are always going to be burdened with the fact that they are going to be servants and cooks and nothing else. In the novel, even though Hassan, who is a Hazara, had dreams of having a successful career, he has â€Å"accepted the fact that he’d grow old in that mud shack in the yard as a servant, the way his father had† (Hosseini 62), due to the cultural restrictions in the Afghani culture. Household activities are limited and very specific due to the Afghani culture. There are specific activities which are believed to be sins in the Afghani culture such as drinking because â€Å"Islam consider[s it] to be a terrible sin; those who dr[i]nk would answer for their sin on the day of Qiyamat; judgement day† (Hosseini, 17). The cultural belief of specific activities being sins restricts people from performing these activities. These activities do not only include drinking but other activities as well and therefore many activities are restricted. Therefore, a negative impact is imposed on the people of this culture as they are not able to do some activities, even though might want to. Even if someone was to go against the culture, they would have to do the activity in secrecy or face negative attitudes from everyone else. Additionally in the novel, Baba drank even though it was considered a cultural sin and he received many negative comments from the people surrounding him. Moreover, in the Afghani culture, there are specific guidelines on what food can be eaten and how it should be prepared; â€Å"Baba had hand-picked the sheep again this year†¦ The mullah recites the prayer†¦ The custom is to divide the meat in thirds†¦ The custom in to not let the sheep see the knife. Ali feeds the animal a cube of sugar – another custom to make death sweeter†¦ The mullah grabs it under its jaws and places the blade on its neck†¦ before he slices the throat in one expert motion† (Hosseini, 81). These guidelines restrict the people of this culture of eating specific food. All of their food must be a specific food prepared a specific way because â€Å"the common Islamic food prohibitions are respected in Afghanistan. For example meat is only eaten from animals that are slaughtered according to the Islamic law† (â€Å"Culture of Afghanistan†). Therefore they cannot eat all foods. They are negatively influenced by this cultural belief as they are not allowed to eat whatever they want. They must always make sure they are following the specific food prohibitions and therefore they are not able to try different foods. The Afghani culture imposes restrictions on relationships, career choices and household activities. Overall, many negative impacts of the characters in the novel, The Kite Runner, have occurred as a result of the restrictions placed upon them by the Afghani culture. Although the restrictive attributes of the Afghani culture has a negative impact on the people, it is those same attributes which make it unique from other cultures.

The Inventor of Duct Tape

During the second world war, U.S. troops in the heat of battle had a strangely impractical way of reloading their weapons. Cartridges used for grenade launchers was one example. Boxed, sealed with wax and taped over to protect them moisture, soldiers would need to pull on a tab to peel off the paper tape and break the seal. Sure, it worked... except when it didnt, soldiers were left scrambling to pry the boxes open. The Story of Vesta Stoudt Vesta Stoudt had been working at factory packing and inspecting these cartridges when she got to thinking that there had to be a better way. She also happened to be a mother of two sons serving in the Navy and was particularly perturbed that their lives and countless others were left to such chance. Concerned for the welfare of sons, she discussed with her supervisors an idea she had to fabricate a tape made from strong, water-resistant cloth. And when nothing came of her efforts, she penned a letter to then-President Franklin Roosevelt detailing her proposal (which included a hand-sketched diagram) and closing by making a plea to his conscience: We cant let them down by giving them a box of cartridges that takes a minute or two to open, enabling the enemy to take lives that might be saved had the box been taped with strong tape that can be opened in a split second. Please, Mr. President, do something about this at once; not tomorrow or soon, but now. Oddly enough, Roosevelt passed Stoudts recommendation on to military officials, and in two weeks time, she received notice that her suggestion is being considered and not too long after was informed that her proposal had been approved. The letter also commended her idea was of exceptional merit. Before long, Johnson Johnson, which specialized in medical supplies, was assigned and developed a sturdy cloth tape with a strong adhesive that would come to be known as â€Å"duck tape,† which garnered the company an Army-Navy E Award, an honor given out as a distinction of excellence in the production of war equipment. While Johnson Johnson was officially credited with the invention of duct tape, it’s a concerned mother who will be remembered as the mother of duct tape.  Ã‚   How Duct Tape Works The initial iteration that Johnson Johnson came up with isn’t much different from the version on the market today. Comprised of a piece of mesh cloth, which gives it tensile strength and rigidity to be torn by hand and waterproof polyethylene (plastic), duct tape is made by feeding the materials into a mixture that forms the rubber-based adhesive. Unlike glue, which forms a bond once the substance hardens, duct tape is a pressure-sensitive adhesive that relies on the degree in which pressure is applied. The stronger the pressure, the stronger the bond, particularly with surfaces that are clean, smooth and hard. Who uses duct tape? Duct tape was a huge hit with soldiers due to its strength, versatility and waterproof properties. Used to make all sorts of repairs from boots to furniture, it’s also a popular fixture in the world of motorsports, where crews use strips to patch up dents. Film crews working on-set have a version called gaffer’s tape, which doesn’t leave a sticky residue. Even NASA Astronauts pack a roll when they go on space missions. Besides repairs, other creative uses for duct tape include strengthening cellular reception on the Apple iPhone 4 and as a form of medical treatment for removing warts called duct tape occlusion therapy, which research hasn’t been proven to be effective. Duct tape or duck tape? In this case, either pronunciation would be correct. According to Johnson Johnson’s website, the original green sticky cloth tape got its name during world war II when soldiers started calling it duck tape for the way liquids seem to roll off like water off a duck’s back. Not long after the war, the company launched a metallic-silver version called duct tape after executives discovered it can also be used to seal heating ducts. Interestingly enough, however, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted field tests on heating ducts and determined that duct tape was insufficient for sealing leaks or cracks.