Masculinity/Femininity Essay Example

Masculinity/Femininity Paper Things Fall Apart Masculine/Feminine In most cultures an individual’s gender will influence their characterization. For instance, Ibo tribes in Africa classify people according to their gender. Women are thought as submissive individuals who are to some extent weaker than men. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong beings with much expected from them. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart strongly emphasizes on the categorization of masculinity and femininity in the society of Ibo tribes. Throughout the book, Okonkwo’s idea about masculinity situates him with respect to his community. In his community Okonkwo is greatly praised for his masculine traits. It is Okonkwo integration with masculinity that leads to him becoming an â€Å"outcast† in his community and to him committing suicide. According to Okonkwo it was better dead then to summit to femininity, any feminine action on a man’s behalf is considered to be humiliating his reputation. Okonkwo’s father Unoka is an example of a man with a humiliating reputation. Unoka is a failure in his community and considered an â€Å"unsuccessful† man, due to the fact that he was always borrowing money and his family suffers from hunger. We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. † (p. 8) For this reason Unoka is often referred to as being agbala, which is the word for a woman or a man with no titles. Okonkwo is the opposite of his father, he is a successful man. It is because of his father that he tends to look down at feminine actions of any kind, because of this fear of becoming his father or having one of his sons become like his father. In contrast to his father Okonkwo earns many titles and instead of being looked down upon, he is greatly admired for his achievements. Once of Okonkwo’s greatest achievement is his escapement from his father femininity and failure. â€Å"But for a young man whose father had no yams, there was no other way. And what made it worse in Okonkwos case was that he had to support his mother and two sisters from his meager harvest. And supporting his mother also meant supporting his father†¦And so at a very early age when he was striving desperately to build a barn through share-cropping Okonkwo was also fending for his father’s house. †(p. 22) Okonkwo is able to do what his father does not do. Okonkwo is able to take care of the family. From an early age Okonkwo has to do his work and his father’s work of supporting the family all at the same time. One can see that by taking on his father’s tasks and his own tasks that he wants to rise above his father’s legacy of spendthrift, lazy behavior, which he views as weak and therefore feminine. Not only does Okonkwo show that he is trying to rise above his father’s legacy but he also shows his aggravation and lack of patience with unsuccessful men. During the meeting held for men to discuss the next ancestral feast, Okonkwo let off on a man with no titles. The man with no titles contradicted Okonkwo and displeased with his comment Okonkwo fired back â€Å"this meeting is for men. † With this comment Okonkwo â€Å"killed† this man’s spirit by insinuating that the man was feminine for having no titles and for being stupid enough to contradict Okonkwo who is a man of titles. The people in the village were very displeased with Okonkwo’s comment asking him to apologize. This shows that although Okonkwo is viewed as a hero, his impatience and extreme masculinity make him an outcast among the people in his tribe. Okonkwo’s impatience and extreme masculinity is not what solely makes him an outcast in his tribe but ironically it was also his feminine sin that forces him to be cast out of his tribe for a long period of time. In the tribe there are two kinds of crimes a female crime and a male crime, when Okonkwo’s gun blows up, he incidentally kills a boy and that is a feminine sin. It is considered a feminine sin because it is done unintentionally. This shows how his masculinity as well as feminine crime makes Okonkwo an outcast in his community. Even though his faults are unintentional it is foreshadowing how Okonkwo will never again fit in with his native tribe or any other one for that matter. Similarly to his father Okonkwo is unable to fit in with the native tribe or even adapt to changing times. On the contrary to his father who stood for an inactive, poor, spendthrift, weak, calm, and a man that is interested in music, Okonkwo manages to attain great social and financial success by being the complete opposite of that a productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and a man unalterably opposed to music. Yet, both Okonkwo and Unoka are incapable of adapting to changing times; as other people come to live with the people Umuofia, namely the white men. One can see his inability to cope with his culture or that of the white men, towards the end of the story when Okonkwo is speaking on how to deal with the abominable gang of white men. â€Å"Let us not reason like cowards, if a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does. These people are daily pouring filth over us and Okeye says we should pretend not to see†¦this was a womanly clan he thought. Such a thing could never happen in his fatherland, Umuofia† (p. 158-159) One can see that even in his exiled state in his mother land, he is unable to see things the way others in his mother’s clan see it. Unlike Okonkwo, the people in his mother’s clan feel that resorting to violence and brutality is unnecessary. They believe that violence and brutality is not their affair but instead it is of the gods and the offender. His masculine attitudes of not â€Å"reasoning like cowards† and â€Å"this is what a man does† are examples of how he cannot and will not back down from his war ways, which shows he is trying to strive away from his father’s legacy of a man who had no titles. Through out the book Okonkwo tries to get the most he can possibly attain. Okonkwo was really first recognized for throwing the cat and becoming the greatest wrestler in Umuofia. This probably has him thinking that the way to achieve greatness is through sheer strength alone. Okonkwo thinks that his mother’s clan is too womanly compare to his father’s clan of Umuofia, however even when he returns to his father’s clan after the completion of his exile he is also very much out of place there also. This is due to his obsessive masculinity and also because he just cannot adapt to the changing of times. Okonkwo â€Å"had lost his place among the masked spirits in the village† in addition to that â€Å"he had lost the chance to lead his warlike clan against the new religion† consequently he lost any voice he ever had and was a â€Å"stranger† in his land seeming as nobody appeared to have taken any special notice of the â€Å"warriors† return. He speaks with his friend Obierika about the strangeness of his home land saying, â€Å"Perhaps I have been away too long, but I cannot understand these things you tell me. What is it that has happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight I have also heard that Abame people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back? Had they no guns and machetes? We would be cowards to compare ourselves with the men of Abame. Their fathers had never dared to stand before our ancestors. We must fight these men and drive them from the land. † (p. 199-201) Okonkwo does not realize that everyone else in the tribe is adapting to the inevitable and that is the assimilation or the taking over of by British people’s culture. Okonkwo does not see that his place in society is diminishing very rapidly and his masculinity is not a match for what the other culture brings with them, that being its cleverness. He does not even understand his own people and why they are doing what they do. All he thinks of responding with is again violence and brutality another sign of his Macho only attitude. The people in his tribe are slowly and easily succumbing to the white man as his friends Obierika tells him right afterwards â€Å"It is already too late, our own men and sons have joined the ranks of the stranger. This is perhaps all Okonkwo can take in and also foreshadowing the events that will happen later on in the story. Even so Okonkwo feels that his tribe could still be saved if only people were to get together and strike back at what was upon them. Okonkwo blames Egonwanne saying that he is a â€Å"coward† and that if it was not for his womanish wisdom Umuofia would not be going through all that it is going through right now. Okonkwo does not know that there is really nobody to blame and its just the changing times. To put it simply Okonkwo is a lion in the snow left all by his lonesome self, not adjusting to the times and letting his masculinity get the best of him. â€Å"He had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile. † To further emphasize on his masculinity Okonkwo goes out with his war gear. This not only distinguishes him from the rest of the men in the town meeting but also completes his transformation into an outsider in his own community; a tribe that would not go to war. â€Å"Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape they had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in this tumult. †(p. 205) Okonkwo figures out the fact that Umuofia would not go to war during a meeting regarding the white man. In this meeting he cuts a white messenger’s head off and sees the looks of the people’s faces and how they will take no action against the â€Å"strangers† in their land. During this meeting Okonkwo sets on his path to becoming a complete outsider. He is a complete Outsider/Exile due to his masculinity and that the femininity of his â€Å"fellow’ tribesman. Okonkwo finally completes his transformation into a complete outsider in his tribe when he commits suicide. The district commissioner asks someone to take down the hanging body of Okonkwo. One of the people in the tribe responds to him saying that it against their custom. â€Å"†¦a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it. That is why we ask you people to bring him down, because you are strangers. †(p. 207) With this final act Okonkwo sets himself free from a culture from which he is no longer a part of but an old relic, a symbol of the changing times. His suicide makes it so that people know that he no longer wishes to associate himself with his tribe. He feels that it is all â€Å"falling apart† and his masculine ways just cannot adjust to the womanly way that the tribe is headed in. In conclusion, Okonkwo’s masculine way might appear too extreme to have led to suicide, yet the audience must understand that his masculinity was not only a way of life but also a way to escape from his father’s â€Å"feminine† lifestyle. Okonkwo’s father was degrading due to his lack of masculinity and Okonkwo could not bear to be the same. Okonkwo put his masculinity before anything. Okonkwo would rather be an outsider in his community than a doomed â€Å"feminine† man. When Okonkwo sees that his people have given up the will to fight and stand up for them selves, Okonkwo feel’s discouraged. Not standing up to fight for your country, your people and your family is cowardly, and Okonkwo just cannot and will not submit to cowardliness. Okonkwo insisted that his people go back to its war based lifestyle, yet his people refused to go to war against the whites. Okonkwo was to manly to change his mind and assimilate to the whites, he viewed that as weak and feminine. Although his refusal to adapt to his tribes new ways made him an outsider, Okonkwo could not and would not give up his manliness for anything, not even his life. Okonkwo choose his death before ever submitting to femininity, and his greatest fear of becoming just like his father who held such a trait.

Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision

Making a Moral Decision In Joseph Conrad’s short story â€Å"The Tale† and James Joyce’s short story â€Å"A Painful Case† there are several similarities between the characters of the stories. Each story is composed of parallel moral lessons, which becomes the theme of the stories. The main characters look back at a point in their lives and are unsure if they made the wisest choice in their individual situation. The moral of each story is an ethical decision may never have a right answer. Conrad and Joyce portray a moral lesson in a very similar way. In each story the main characters, the commanding officer and James Duffy, look back on moments in their life and regret the decisions they have made. The commanding officer in â€Å"The Tale† decides an entire ships fate by directing them off cliffs, consequently the captain of the ship and his crew die. The commanding officer states, â€Å"That course would lead the Northman straight on a deadly ledge of rock. And the commanding officer gave it to him† (Conrad 17). The main character of â€Å"The Tale† is aware of the importance of his decision and questions whether or not it was the wisest choice. He contemplates with this and it effects him on an emotional level. At the beginning of â€Å"The Tale† the women (who is never given a name) requests he tell a tale like he used to before the war. She states, †Å"You used to tell- your- your simple and professional- tales very well at one time†¦you had sort of art- in the days- the days before the war† (Conrad 2). This statement supplies the reader with evidence that the commanding officer is a changed man since the war and foreshadows that the story will not be like his old â€Å"simple† stories. Throughout the story the commanding officer battles with his instinct to decide whether or not to believe the Northman. He continually asks himself why the Northman did not sound his horn when they entered the bay, and why the Northman’s vo... Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision Making a Moral Decision In Joseph Conrad’s short story â€Å"The Tale† and James Joyce’s short story â€Å"A Painful Case† there are several similarities between the characters of the stories. Each story is composed of parallel moral lessons, which becomes the theme of the stories. The main characters look back at a point in their lives and are unsure if they made the wisest choice in their individual situation. The moral of each story is an ethical decision may never have a right answer. Conrad and Joyce portray a moral lesson in a very similar way. In each story the main characters, the commanding officer and James Duffy, look back on moments in their life and regret the decisions they have made. The commanding officer in â€Å"The Tale† decides an entire ships fate by directing them off cliffs, consequently the captain of the ship and his crew die. The commanding officer states, â€Å"That course would lead the Northman straight on a deadly ledge of rock. And the commanding officer gave it to him† (Conrad 17). The main character of â€Å"The Tale† is aware of the importance of his decision and questions whether or not it was the wisest choice. He contemplates with this and it effects him on an emotional level. At the beginning of â€Å"The Tale† the women (who is never given a name) requests he tell a tale like he used to before the war. She states, †Å"You used to tell- your- your simple and professional- tales very well at one time†¦you had sort of art- in the days- the days before the war† (Conrad 2). This statement supplies the reader with evidence that the commanding officer is a changed man since the war and foreshadows that the story will not be like his old â€Å"simple† stories. Throughout the story the commanding officer battles with his instinct to decide whether or not to believe the Northman. He continually asks himself why the Northman did not sound his horn when they entered the bay, and why the Northman’s vo...

Multicultural Matrix paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicultural Matrix paper - Essay Example Due to the globalizing trend of economy in particular and of the world in general, people of different races and cultures move dramatically from one place to another in the global scale. As a consequence, a nation-state -- especially the advanced or developed countries such the North America and the Great Britain -- in the present time-period is inhabited or populated by many and various races and cultures. Perhaps this diaspora of people from different land and time, at certain rate, is a welcome to particular nation-states. It is arguable that industrialized nations widely receive the migration of people of different colors mainly because of the latter’s worth or value in the economic sense. For one, colored people are beneficial and helpful to the country’s progress and development. That is, they become part and parcel of the labor force from their host country. For a particular nation-state, people from multicultural backgrounds are greatly advantageous or â€Å"he lpful† for the reason that they are industrious and submissive. Du Bois, Yavno, and Stanford (2001) note that multicultural groups such as Mexican Americans have â€Å"histories of low-paying manual labor† (p. 78). People from different colors and cultures are more submissive to their host country to the extent that they allow themselves to be exploited.

The Islamic Center Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Islamic Center - Case Study Example onnecting facility and thus before establishing other facilities such as schools, the board must ensure that the community derives maximum utility from the gym. Therefore, in addition to the volunteers, the gym requires some permanent staff, to oversee its operations. This can be ensured by educating the community about their obligation to pay the required fees, and then using the fees to financially motivate the permanent employees. IC is advantaged to have a lot of professional in the board and thus with each member working on the new strategy (Cropf, Kohler, and Loutzenhiser 71), the community will be made to support its operation and thus avoid chaos in the long run without reducing the board members working hours in their other professions. The gym is a uniting factor in addition to being a recreational facility. For this reason, everyone needs to feel involved in its management, operation and maintenance. Notably, the vandalism was motivated by lack of proper and timely communication rather than change of events (Cropf, Kohler, and Loutzenhiser 70). Therefore, the ad hoc committee is obligated to advice the board on the importance of properly communicating to the community on any changes. Secondly, the community should also be encouraged to understand the main objectives of the gym. Holding several meetings to educate the gym members, especially Muslims on the importance of unity can adversely reduce chaos from the members. These meetings would also increase the member’s desire to volunteer as trainers. Moreover, the gym should remain well maintained, with staff that ensures that resources are well utilized to reduce costs. The gym was made to benefit the whole community, and members should be made aware of that. By using the Muslim teachings of brotherhood, members can be encouraged to help better the community they live and mostly for future generations. The most demotivating factor is lack of financial benefit in dedicating time

Describe how physical and economic factors Essay Example for Free

Describe how physical and economic factors Essay Bournemouth is situated in Dorset in the south of England, boarding the world heritage site, the Jurassic coast. It is Dorset’s largest city and is growing rapidly. Founded in 1810 and in 1851 was just a small village of 695 people, and in 2001 its population was recorded at 163 600. The council are expecting around an 11% increase by 2011. Bournemouth is an example of rapid coastalisation. I believe that the main reason why Bournemouth is an overcrowded coast is because of its physical factor; it’s on the coast, with a 7-mile long, sandy beach. This means potential for stunning beach views, which has been attracting a lot of retiring people who are looking to downsize and move to the coast with out leaving to travel aboard. The warm climate is also a bonus, Bournemouth being the second warmest place in England, with mild winters expiring little snow and frost. This also attracts holiday makers, not just people who are looking to move, so during the summer seasons especially Bournemouth’s coasts become even busier as hotel, apartments bed and breakfasts and even campers come down to catch the nice weather they may not be experiencing at home, without having to spend a fortune aboard. Bournemouth also has easy access to amenities, such as leisure centers, shopping centers, cinemas and theatres interesting people of all ages. The area also attracts commuters as it has its own airport meaning there is no such need to travel to other cities to catch a plane. It also means that if foreign people are looking to come to an English coastal area, it is very popular as it has its own airport and has beaches close by. During the 1980’s regeneration of the train station took place, and by upgrading the system, London is just 2 hours away. Bournemouth also has great road links such as A35, A338, linking Bournemouth motorways with other A roads and the M25. Bournemouth is also renown for its pier half way between the 7-mile stretch of beach. As well as its stunning views of Purbeck hills and isle of white, it also has a wide variety of attractions, entertainment and retails. Despite being so popular however, Bournemouth currently has plans of regeneration certain parts such as the pier; a new spa village and they are also closely focusing on sports and leisure. However despite the rapid growth of population verging on being a problem I believe that regenerating certain parts, which are aimed at attracting tourists, is only going to worsen the situation. There are also economic factors, which are making Bournemouth a crowded coast. There is plenty of spare land that is available which now has planning permission to be developed on and financial support is being provided. This land will have houses constructed on, which means there will be an increase of the amount of people that live in Bournemouth adding to the forever-growing population. However wages are low but this doesn’t affect people who live here, as housing is considerably cheaper then the rest of the UK despite where it’s situated. This also means that people can buy more for their money and a standard 4-bedroom house will be relatively cheaper then if you were to buy one in Bath for example! Bournemouth is also attracting the retired who are looking to downsize, but still get good value for their money. Bed and Breakfasts being set up as small businesses are also becoming increasingly popular for the older generation, because as houses are cheaper its easier to do so and a small income is also made by doing something which may just be a hobby. Previous brownfield sites have also be regenerated along with empty land producing even more housing. This housing is surrounding old Victorian buildings and there has been debate whether not it is suitable to build new housing, as it is unlikely that it will fit in with the current. The reason why so many sites are getting developed is due to the demand for more housing. These houses would not be being constructed if there wasn’t a need, and as they have estimated the population to keep on expanding this extra housing is a must. Bournemouth is an example of coastal squeeze. This is when the city is squeezed between urban areas on one side and rural on the other. But obviously new houses can’t keep being constructed on empty land, as before long its ‘green space’ with in the city and around will become significantly low. Bournemouth also has its own highly rated university attracting a lot of applications and students each year. Of these students, the majority who qualify are skilled graduates with a high degree. Bournemouth university having a good reputation interests more people in going, meaning that there are more students interested In going each year adding to the overcrowding. A huge economic reason why Bournemouth is becoming crowded is due to the service sector including banking, finance and tourism has grown hugely with a higher demand for employment, the biggest demand being for financial. It was recorded that in 2003 18,300 people were employed in the financial industry in Bournemouth. Barclays, Portman Group and Abbey Life have their offices in the near by town of Poole, whilst JP Morgan Chase has a large office on the edge of the city, and smaller ones with in; employing over 4000 people. Overall I believe that the main reason that Bournemouth has become a crowded coast is due to the first physical reason I mentioned, where it is located. With such good views and stunning beaches this was the main reason why people first moved here and is a key reason in why people still do. Along side with this there are also other factors but of which I believe have just grown and triggered from the stunning scenery. Being surrounded by other key cities such as Poole, it makes Bournemouth even more successful with trade businesses as well.

Comparing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from and underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. Martin Luther King was born into a family whose name in Atlanta was well established. Despite segregation, Martin Luther King's parents ensured that their child was secure and happy. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was raised in a completely different atmosphere than King, an atmosphere of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted. The burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown and his family was split up. He was haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From then on, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge. The early backgrounds of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were largely responsible for the distinct different responses to American racism. Both men ultimately became towering icons of contemporary African-American culture and had a great influence on black Americans. However, King had a more positive attitude than Malcolm X, believing that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks will be able to someday achieve full equality with whites. Malcolm X's despair about life was reflected in his angry, pessimistic belief that e quality is impossible because whites have no moral conscience. King basically adopted on an integrationalist philosophy, whereby he felt that blacks and whites should be united and live together in peace. Malcolm X, however, promoted nationalist and separatist doctrines. For most of his life, he believed that only through revolution and force could blacks attain their rightful place in society. Both X and King spread their message through powerful, hard-hitting speeches. Nevertheless, their intentions were delivered in different styles and purposes. "King was basically a peaceful leader who urged non-violence to his followers. He travelled about the country giving speeches that inspired black and white listeners to work together for racial harmony." (pg. 135, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Movement) Malcolm X, for the most part, believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the whites to keep blacks in their places. He was furious at white racism and encouraged h is followers through his speeches to rise up and protest against their white enemies.

2002 Apush

Blue Block 3 APUSH 11/23/2012 2002 APUSH DBQ During 1825-1861, or the Antebellum Era, there were many different social, religious, institutional and educational reform movements. Though, the leaders behind these goals were aspiring for a surreal goal, a utopian society, what they formed was a vastly improved nation. Some of the reform movements were the temperance movement, the 2nd great awakening, abolitionist movement, and women's rights movement. These reform movements expanded the ideals of democracy.Socrates philosophized that in order for a democratic system to operate correctly free of corruption and for the people, the voters must be educated. Andrew Jackson also used this argument against the southern states during the nullification crisis, and the states said that they have no representation. Jackson stated that the people vote for their representatives, therefore, they were represented. Horace Mann was an educational reformer from Massachusetts.He also believed that a good public education system was a way to cut crime and create informed citizens. One of his beliefs was that schools should allow students of different backgrounds to attend their school. This theory encompasses the belief that all men are created equal. He also believed that education should be non-sectarian, which is inferred to by Thomas Jefferson in the 1st amendment. The Brook Farm Association was a utopian society experiment in 1841.The leaders of the experimental community sought to create a perfect society, in doing this they created a constitution. Stated within this constitution, is that an education would be provided, as said, â€Å"In order to more effectually promote the great purpose of human culture†¦ the benefits of the highest physical, intellectual and moral education†. The constitution also goes on to say that providing the education will help to create a more efficient industry and help make people be self-sufficient.