Aurora Leigh and The Odyssey

Aurora Leigh and The Odyssey Essay In Elizabeth Barrett Brownings Aurora Leigh the conquest of the feminine is present, though its form ridiculed and its male perpetrators abased so that some measure of equity between the sexes can be achieved. Not present is the one sided subjugation which features prominently in The Odyssey, for in her adaptation of the epic form, the now female protagonist conquers and is subtly conquered herself. The Odyssey presents masculine heroism (partially) predicated on the oppression of women; for a hero to even project some semblance of authority, he must be the master of his home. The home however is the domain of women and thus the inference is made ad hoc ergo propter hoc. Odysseus conquers both mortal (Penelope) and immortal (Circe) women, while conquering (resisting) the lure of the Sirens. Even the goddess Athena is enamoured with his wit and wily charm, sending aid or bringing it in person. Thus the whole of the feminine world, both perceived and sublime is at his command, either directly or indirectly conquered. All the women he conquers make the hero, pushing him to his greatest potential. They instil in him courage, ambition and humility, and are thus integral Odysseus very being a hero. The Greek ideal of the hero therefore bases itself on dominion over the female sex. Telemachus follows this path also, for no hero he would be if he had not established social order at home with his mother, nor hanged the treacherous maids. Elizabeth Barrett Browning shows women as able in their own right however. No longer are they confined to womanly chores, but can be artists, intellectuals, they can succeed in the ultimate domain of men. A full and willing surrender to fate is not in order, the protagonist and hero or Aurora Leigh being both headstrong and female. Both the baser, in Lady Waldemar and pure, in Mariam sides of womanly nature are shown. It can be inferred that Browning means to caution while promoting freedom, for some human instincts must be controlled. Female strength however, is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places, among the denizens of brothels and hovels, in Mariam. She, having been abandoned by Romney, denies him marriage when he returns many years later proposing this. Thus Browning alters form, in her poetic justice, Romney must be rebuked, and soundly so. Another Greek dogma is abandoned with her differentiating between love and rape, love being an entity that cannot be forced upon one party. Aurora is her own woman, writing poetry for a living, and even acting as a benefactor to Mirian, a decidedly male role. Love is not conquest, nor conquest love she says: When we learn to lose ourselves, and melt like white pearls in anothers wine , equating love with a soft stupor, yet one for the better, where the self of one becomes the whole of two. Aurora struggles to assert herself, yet does so, even though the hostile forces of her aunt and Romney try to hold her back. The departure from the style of The Odyssey however is not complete, Browning muses that no epic of true value and meaning can Aurora write, museless as she is (without Romney). She finds her poetic inspiration reconciling love and her poetry (a symbol of her independence); feminist thought was not so radical in Brownings time. However, there is a clause to be fulfilled for the reconciliation to be fulfilled, Romney, once so strong and sure of himself, must be humbled. He previously sought to double himself in what he loves, and make his drink more costly by our pearls This train of thought was however equivalent to the Odysseian archetype and thus cannot be upheld in Brownings epic; change is in her opinion necessary. Aurora acknowledges her own weakness in love, and succumbs to it, but is self-critical in doing so, realising her own folly. Portraying Aurora so, Browning can be considered an early feminist, and her thought radical for her age. However, she also meant to comment on Victorian society, and its hypocritical views on women and the home. READ: Characteristics of an epic hero EssayHers was the age of Victoria, of prudish behaviour, where one slip, one impropriety meant ones end. Yet at the same time, there was a surplus of women, and as often follows, a proliferation of prostitution. Marian herself becomes one, but Browning meant her not to be viewed as vile, but rather with compassion. Society made the woman, and her strength in persevering should be glorified rather than her actions vilified. In Brownings narrative, it is not only the women who are humbled, but also the men. Romney did not see clearly what Aurora deserved, and thus he is blinded literally so that he can accept and acknowledge what she means to him. He mistook his own heart, and that slip was fatal , as did Aurora, and thus they both conquer each other, entering a relationship of equals. The feminine is conquered in Aurora Leigh, but not in the sense that it was in The Odyssey. Women as heroes can agree to be conquered, once both they and their lovers have grown morally, and shed the false skin that is the collection of judgements society makes of them, and in turn expects them to believe.

Business FinanceEconomic Term Paper & Topics Assignment

Business FinanceEconomic Term Paper & Topics - Assignment Example Hence investors were discouraged to invest their money in productive ventures. This situation adversely impacted the circulation of money in the economy and further impeded economic growth. Reports indicate that a large number of investors lost their millions of money as a result of the recessionary pressures. This paper will explore the types of investment people should choose during recession to avoid huge financial losses. Investors can reduce risk and uncertainty associated with their investments during recession by paying specific attention to investment strategies. In a recessionary situation, cash is considered as the king both for businesses and individuals, and therefore people must be increasingly vigilant while investing in various types of liquid, cash accounts. Based on an investor’s portfolio and financial needs, he can enhance the portfolio with more cash reserves such as saving accounts, money market accounts, and short maturity certificates of deposits. While going on with this type of investment, investors must ensure that there is sufficient liquid cash reserves left to meet their three to six months’ expenses. According to the E-PersonalFinance.com, investing in evergreen industries and sectors is a potential investment strategy during the time of recession because consumer demand in those industries or sectors would remain almost stable even during tough economic times. The potential benefit of preferring evergreen industries and sectors for investment is that those sectors would quickly come back to normal condition and achieve a staggering growth rate once the recessionary pressures are off. Pharmaceutical industry is a good example. It is obvious that people will continue to buy medicines and other necessary health products and services whatever the economic condition is (E-PersonalFinance.com). The energy sector is really potential for investment during recession as energy or power is an

Womens college basketball, Rice Vs Tulan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Womens college basketball, Rice Vs Tulan - Essay Example Considering the fact that this game was the first one to be live broadcasted on cable TV, the organizers of the match tried their best to provide everything needed to ensure the safety and comfort of the viewers. The playground was decorated like the playgrounds for professional teams, there were lots of people who watched over to prevent any misunderstanding among the spectators. And, of course, no alcoholic drinks were allowed. Live broadcasting of this event will inevitably have positive impact on the overall wellness of the university sporting budget, as it can possibly attract sponsors, and head hunters who look for potential professional players in the college teams. College administration will get the resources needed to improve the sporting base, and motivate players and trainers for more effective work. As I've already noted, the college administration have spent lots of money for preparing the playground to this game. Nevertheless, they hope that their expenditures will be covered by the profits from advertising during the match. And, what is true, there were quite a lot of companies who agreed to pay Tulan for putting their advertisements on the playground. Live broadcasting have automatically transformed this match into an almost national event, as people all over the country could see it live. On the example of this game we can see the process of sports commercialization. College sport nowadays is a pre-school for many professional sportsman, but it is inevitably drives less attention than the professional sporting events. Nevertheless with each passing year the expenditures on college sports became grater, and more attention is driven to the contests between college basketball, baseball, swimming, and even soccer teams. In the case described there is the additional factor that increases the chances for popularity - players are female. It's well known, that despite the Title IX and all other measures, for many people women's sport is more of aesthetical value than of sporting one. This is the reason for which the Tulan basketball team may help its university increase the sporting budget, and become more popular. The girls from the Tulane College won. They were happy, no less than the NBL players after winning the last match in the season. I wish them luck, and I will watch their progress in future. 2. Wycombe v Chelsea, 10/01/07 This was the sporting event I watched on TV, an important soccer match for the Carling Cup semi-final in Britain. Soccer is very popular in the United Kingdom, and, despite of the fact, that this tournament wasn't the one of national importance, there were lots of viewers who gathered to watch it on the tribunes, and lots of people in different countries watched it broadcasted. Like most of the important sporting events, this match attracted the attention of numerous sponsors. There were lots of advertisements on the playround, before tha match, durng, and after it. The companies, who are interested in advertising their products to the specific audience (and those are mostly men, who are soccer-lovers) are ready to part