Strive for Equality Essay -- American History, Discrimination, Women

Strive for Equality It is stated in the Equal Rights Amendment that â€Å"Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex†. Still, looking back at history, it can be seen that gender has played a vital role in determining one’s status in society. The challenges women faced began when they were merely young girls. These girls were raised with the idea that they were only suitable for certain occupations, usually only to serve as wives and mothers. These beliefs of staying within their boundaries stick as fears in the mind of women so by the time adulthood approaches, they have already molded themselves to fit those beliefs. There are numerous works of literature that have given life to women in their fight for becoming free. One example, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck, tells the story of Elisa and her struggle to break out of the feminine world. The idea of becoming more than an ideal wife strive women to push their boundaries as an attempt to gain power in a man’s world hoping, to be recognized for their strengths. Discrimination has always given men greater power over women, who are ideally supposed to sit within their limited boundaries. These traditions led to stronger women who wanted to attempt to push their boundaries. When Elisa is working in her garden, she notices her husband talking to couple of men and she â€Å"[looks] down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then,† (Steinbeck 1). Elisa looking at the men numerous times shows her curiosity to go outside her bounded life which is the fence that she is around. The fence symbolizes her life. This also symbolizes how she is very fed up with her married life and is now desperate to get out. But th... ...ue beauty, and thus never was interested in Elisa. So Elisa comes back into reality, and falls back into the hole of being felt as a housewife rather than a free individual, that she despised. Overall, the impact that the tinker makes on Elisa brings Elisa back to where she started. This illustrates the impact of Elisa pushing to expand her boundaries. Women try their best to push past their boundaries but can never achieve that, because of the over-pompous nature of men. Women are never seen for their strengths and are oppressed manner. Women were not able to reach their full potential because society refused to accept them liberally. This world would not be able to progress with the seclusion of women. It can be seen throughout history that gender prejudice limits the individual from doing what he/she wants to do. Nowadays, women are free to do as they please.

“Bold Girls” by Rona Munro Essay

In her drama â€Å"Bold Girls†, Rona Munro has created a relevant and inspiring legacy of war-torn Northern Ireland. Her drama depicts the daily struggles and predicaments faced by four particular women, who seem to thrive on their fantasies and illusions all except Deirdre who is marked out as different from the drama’s beginning: â€Å"Deirdre is not in this room, she’s crouching on all fours on her own talking out of darkness in which only her face is visible.† Introduced as a surreal and somewhat eerie character it is no surprise that Deirdre contrasts greatly with the three other women. It is her persistent search for the truth that polarises her from the others and causes her to be at odds with them as they shut out truth and cushion themselves with their idealistic dreams. This idea of fantasy versus reality is a main concern within the play, and it is through monologues and stage direction that we are allowed a deeper understanding of each character’s situation and of the play’s themes. A particular monologue of Deirdre’s undoubtedly confirms that her search for truth will result in the hurt of others and possible confrontations and violent conflicts: â€Å"The lights change I need a knife a wee blade of my own†¦It was the knife he was talking about. It was the truth. I thought I’d like that. A wee bit of hard truth you could hold in your hand and point where you liked. The lights change† I believe this monologue verifies Deirdre’s role as â€Å"catalyst†. By this point we have been introduced to all four women and to their dreams and fantasies, which Deirdre’s â€Å"wee blade† of truth threatens to destroy. Deirdre’s yearning for the truth causes her to kill these dreams, bringing the three idealistic women crashing back to the harsh reality that surrounds them. Deirdre’s conflict is greatest with the central character, Marie. Compared with Cassie and Nora’s materialistic dreams of redecorating her living room (Nora) and leaving Belfast (Cassie), Marie’s delusions of her late husband’s heroic acts and credibility are not as empty as her friends’. These dreams are instilled within objects in the womens’ homes; for example Nora’s dream is symbolised by a â€Å"peach polyester mix†, Cassie’s by a wad of money hidden behind Michel’s photograph and Marie’s by a â€Å"grainy blow up† of her late husband, Michael. As the play progresses it becomes apparent that Deirdre is intent on destroying each character’s dream, but I think it is also suggested that she is somewhat linked with Marie and her dream. Munro again makes use of symbolism to connect these two characters. For example, Deirdre’s mini dress is reminiscent of Marie’s wedding dress: â€Å"Then other times she looks like me†¦you remember that dress I was married in, that wee white mini-dress?†¦She stands. And stares.† I believe it is as though Munro is depicting Deirdre as a ghost of Marie’s past. This becomes relevant later in the play when Deirdre reveals to Marie that she is in fact Michael’s daughter. The simple observation of Deirdre standing alone at the bottom of the path reflects how she appears isolated from the others in her search for truth; she longs to exploit the truth and become part of the family unit maintained by the three other women: â€Å"I’m wet, I’m cold. I want to get inside†¦I want to get inside. Can’t keep me out.† This monologue has quite a threatening undertone , it is as though Deirdre’s isolation causes her distress. I believe also that the use of â€Å"wet† and â€Å"cold† highlight the harsh environment and the fact that Deirdre is unloved. I think all of these factors – isolation and the longing for truth – cause Deirdre to act as catalyst. In taking on this role, Deirdre threatens to destroy the fellow women’s dreams. Her first act as catalyst is when she steals Cassie’s money hence ruining her dream of escape and freedom. Deirdre makes obvious to the reader that Cassie’s materialistic dream is false and unobtainable in a short, eerie monologue: â€Å"The whole town’s a prison, smash chunks off the wall ’cause we’re all in a prison.† Cassie’s dream of escape is obviously unrealistic and false and I believe Deidre’s destruction of the dream validates this idea. Deirdre also appears to be in conflict with Nora, Cassie’s mother, a she goes on to use her â€Å"wee blade of truth† to shed Nora’s â€Å"shiny peach polyester† fabric and ultimately her dream: â€Å"Deirdre†¦looks at the broad, smooth stretch of material then starts to slash at it, ripping it, trampling it till she’s breathless.† Deirdre’s violent reactions I believe show what harsh and abusive situations she has been exposed to. She desires to know the truth so much, that she finds happiness in destroying the illusions and fantasies of others, forcing them to face their reality and embrace the truth. Although Cassie and Nora do avoid the truth that their materialistic hopes will always elude them, it is Marie’s complete glossing over of the truth that causes her to be most at odds with Deirdre. Her lullaby that she uses to calm her son for example, shows how dependant she is on her delusions about Michael: â€Å"Your daddy was a good man and a brave man†¦that’s what keeps us all together, keeps me going, keeps me strong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Marie finds comfort in her deluded memories of Michael. I believe this blanking of the truth angers Deirdre and causes her to react violently and destructively toward Marie and her dreams: â€Å"Deirdre hurls the clothes at her. She snatches the knife out of the chair and waves the blade at Marie. She advances on her slowly. I want the truth out of you. I mean it.† This I believe is symbolic in showing that Deirdre uses the truth as a harmful device and that Marie is threatened by its potential exposure. Marie’s reaction is shocking and uncharacteristic of her gentle, nurturing nature – she takes Michael’s picture and using Deirdre’s knife, destroys it. Marie in turn destroys Deirdre’s dream of knowing the truth about her father. These two characters, who are at the greatest point in their conflict portray through their actions the main concerns of the text – reality versus illusion – reality conquers over dreams and pointless fantasies. The unveiling of the truth brings these two closer together allowing them to reconcile. The conclusion of the play suggests hope and optimism for the recovery of these women. They share in a special, ritual feeding of the birds, their relationship to emulate that of a mother and daughter: â€Å"Did you ever feed the birds, Deirdre? â€Å"No† â€Å"I like the common wee birds†¦you’d need to be something special to build a nest around the Falls. Someone should feed them.† â€Å" Deirdre and Marie’s conflict is resolved by Marie’s embracing of the truth that she has for so long avoided. The central idea of â€Å"Bold Girls† of reality versus dreams is made obvious by the characters’ actions, they cope by padding their harsh reality and cushioning themselves with fantasies and illusions. These qualities are instilled within the characters of the play, Marie, Cassie and Nora thrive on fantasies and dreams; whereas Deirdre lives for the truth. The opposing forces I feel cause the characters to be in conflict with each other. Their compromising situations and contrasting ideas about reality create friction between the opposing characters of Deirdre and Marie. Munro expertly uses stage direction, soliloquy and the opposing forces of truth and fantasy to make apparent the concerns of the text and to heighten my personal appreciation of their importance in these womens’ lives.

Peer Pressure - 1468 Words

Introduction Peer pressure is a social influence exerted on an individual by others in order to get that person to act or believe in a similar way. It is used by a social group, often with the implication that everybodys doing it. This influence can be negative or positive, with a successful result being a change in a persons behavior. Nearly all children experience some form of peer pressure, whether at school, at church or at home among siblings. As a kind of social pressure, it dominates preteen life. Many teens become absorbed into different cliques and groups, spending less time with their families. Much of the personality of a teen can be shaped by a peer group. Negative peer pressure can be a dangerous tool against children,†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ The lack of self-confidence to go ones own way. It is easier to follow the footsteps of another than to make your own. There is also a certain level of safety that comes with following another. Taking the road less traveled by making your own choices takes self-confidence and self-assurance. †¢ The desire to avoid embarrassment. Many people fear embarrassment more than death. Knowing this, it is easy to see how important effective communication can be in responding to peer pressure. For example, if a bunch of peers surround a teenager and asked him if he wants to smoke a cigarette like the rest of them have, and all the teenager can think of is, but... my mom said I should just say no. then he is in trouble. It is best to prepare yourself and your children with witty, yet clear and firm responses to known peer pressures. For example, in the above situation the teenager could say, Hmmm, spend my life wasting money, offending people, having bad breath, and killing myself.... no thanks. A good response cannot only save one from embarrassment, but give others the confidence to not give in to the peer pressure as well. Those who lead are often well respected by those who follow. †¢ The lack of using ones own mind. Again it is reacting, rather than responding that causes one to get in trouble. Think about the consequences of your actions, both present and future. Dont give in and sacrifice your long-term goalsShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Peer Pressure761 Words   |  3 Pages Peer pressure. No one can hear those two words and not feel bad in some way. Peer pressure happens in every school. Teens are being torn down by other teens. It is not okay to hurt anyone no matter what. Every year some kid runs away from home probable because of being peer pressured, peer pressure must be dealt with some way or another. If putting up laws helps g et rid of peer pressure its worth it. 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There are all types of pressures in life from people, to possible addiction causing agents, and the desire to have fun. Personally at UC Irvine people may say thereRead MoreThe Effects Of Peer Pressure On Youth1237 Words   |  5 Pagesaccomplish goals. Peer pressure has been identified as a big impact on teenagers, and contrary to popular belief, Secure Teen (2013) has found that peer pressure may encourage positive influences on our youth. To promote motivation and a high self-esteem students could participate in groups to thrive in the classroom. These groups would be called N-I-A-F (No-one is a failure), not a typical study group or therapy, a community of academic socializing to motivate students toward success. Peers would encourageRead More Negative Peer Pressure Essay1511 Words   |  7 Pages This is usually the typical outcome o f a scene like this. It is called peer pressure. It can be disguised in many different forms. In this essay I am going to look at different ways in which teenagers can be influenced by peer pressure. Many teenagers experiment with cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. It is likely that they take their first cigarette, drink or drug because of pressure from peers or friends. The influence of friends who smoke is the main reason teenagers