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Fight for the Right: A Historical Perspective In both of the poems “Singapore” by Mary Oliver and “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds there is an exploration of the personal struggles of two women who are traveling alone and away from home.  These women separately have chance encounters with strangers who are from very different cultural and social status then themselves.  Their personal reactions to these strangers are a sign of the challenges that faced women at this time in history as they fought to prove their equality.  In the 1980’s, women were uniting to gain equal rights with men.  Although women were conquering male dominant tasks, such as the first woman to travel in space, they were still viewed as weak and vulnerable.  Women who sought to advance their education and professional careers were thought to be the exception and not the rule.  When examining these poems from a historical perspective “literary historians and cultural critics assert that...

Sexual Education: The Need for a Thorough and Consent Free Experience. Michele Harvey November 22, 2011 Comp. II Research Final South University Online           Parents spend every day working to teach their children the skills needed to become successful adults.   It starts with walking and continues through driving a car.   From a very young age, children begin to learn from their own actions as well as what they hear.   A parent will urge a child repeatedly not to jump on the bed, but it is not until that child is crying on the floor next to the bed that the lesson truly becomes clear.   It is human nature to learn by a process of trial and error.   Children often try things regardless of how frequently they have been explained the possible consequences.   It is with this in mind that the government, educational institutions and parents should approach the subject of sexual education.   Along with all th...

“The Chrysanthemums:” A Feminist View             In “The Chrysanthemums,” John Steinbeck (2011) illustrates the story of a rancher and his wife.  Henry Allen is a hard working cattle rancher.  He is married to Elisa who is struggling to live within the cultural boundaries of the typical 1930’s marriage.  She is a strong and nurturing wife with a husband who acknowledges her struggles.  A critical perspective from the feminist viewpoint argues that “the forms and conventions of traditional literature allow only a certain type of female character to be portrayed, and that women as well as men are conditioned to respond in certain ways to those characters” (Pike &Acost a  2011, p. APP A-7 ).  This story shows that although Elisa is strong and harbors a desire to be more vital to her marriage, she is bound by the restrictions placed by society on women and wives in this era. [SL2]    ...

Color Struck: A Psychoanalytical Perspective             In “ Color Struck ,” Zora Neale Hurston (2005) illustrates the tragedy of a couple in the 1900’s.  John, a light brown-skinned man, and Emma, a black woman, attend a cake walk to represent their community and bring home the grand prize.  Emma is so preoccupied with her misguided ideas of the prejudices of others that she inadvertently sabotages her relationship with John.  Her paranoia and insecurity run so deep, that they remain with her for 20 years and ultimately ruin her opportunity for true love a second time.  Exploring a work of literature from a p sychoanalytical perspective “aim to reveal the influence of the subconscious in the text’s plot, setting, conflict, symbols, point of view, language, and character development (South University Online, 2010, para. 1). From this perspective it is revealed that the prejudice that Emma accuses everyone e...