Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Wife of Bath - Feminist or Anti-feminist?

In view of the fact that the Wife of Bath herself does seem to behave in the manner women are accused of behaving by the anti-feminist writers, it is not impossible that the Wife of Bath's Prologue could be considered a vehicle for the anti-feminist message under the guise of a seeming "feminist" exterior, since her confession is frequently self-incriminating (e.g. her treatment of her husbands, her tendency to "swere and lyen") and demonstrates the truth of the claims made by the anti-feminists even while she is disparaging them and making them look bad -- as in her claim that anti-feminist writers (specifically the "clerks", i.e. learned scholars) are revenging themselves on women because of their own sexual impotence that prevents them from enjoying "Venus werkes", which is rather acute psychological analysis on her part, and extremely persuasive, until one remembers that the clerks are right about her at least, if not about other "wives". Her arguments in favor of marriage, though demonstrating a hearty common sense, are also suspect -- while it is true that marriage peoples the earth and replenishes existing stocks of "virginitee", her own marriages do not seem to have produced any offspring, and while it may be "bet [...] to be wedded than to brinne", her marriages, despite her claim that "in wyfhod I wol use myn instrument", do not seem to have prevented her from "goon a-caterwaw[ing]" and by inference engaging in fornication ("I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun / But evere folwede myn appetit, / Al were he short, or long, or blak, or whit") [good], which is after all what marriage was, according to her, supposed to prevent. Moreover, from the account she gives of her marriages, it becomes increasingly obvious t... ... usual folk stereotypical anti-feminism is shown to be justified in at least her case, the absurdity of the more virulent breed of anti-feminism is made clear by Jankin's book of "wikked wives", an erudite, if rather motley, collection of what are mostly homicidally-inclined females (Clytemnestra, Livilla etc.) that he seems to regard, or at least claim to regard, as the norm. As a result, the Wife of Bath's Prologue should not be dismissed simply as "merely an attack on women and married life"; there is much more ambiguity involved, and it would be inadvisable to ignore the fact that it is primarily a brilliant character-study of an individual rather than a didactical anti-feminist treatise in disguise. Work Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed Mack, Maynard et al. W. W. Norton and Co. New York, NY. 1992.

Crises during the presidency of andrew jackson Essay -- essays papers

Crises during the presidency of andrew jackson Andrew Jackson was a very influential man during the 1800's. Events that took place during his two-term tenure as President called upon his expertise on the Constitution. These events had a major impact on the country at that time. He had to face obstacles that presidents before him had not faced, but there was also one that was an old issue that was being reopened. This was the controversy over the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States. The other major obstacles were the nullification controversy and the treatment of the Cherokee Nation. The nullification controversy started before Jackson came into office. In the year before Jackson had taken office, Congress had passed a tariff for the declared purpose of protecting northern manufacturers and businessmen. Southerners thought that the industrialization of the north would lead to the downfall of the southern agrarian economy. They named the tariff the "Tariff of Abominations"(Coit 11). Vice-President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina led the movement of people who thought that "a combined geographical interest should not be able to disregard the general welfare and turn an important local interest to its own profit"(Coit 12). Calhoun was not for the secession of South Carolina so he tried to think of a substitute. He borrowed an idea evolved by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799. The idea was nullification. Nullification, as Calhoun viewed it, the right of a "single state to veto, within its own borders, a federal law that it deemed unconstitutional-subject to the later approval of at least one fourth of the states. If such approval was not forthcoming, the state should, if it wished, be allowed to secede from the Union"(Coit 12). The South knew that nowhere in the Constitution was Congress given the express right to impose a tariff whose purpose was simply to protect industry. Up to that point, President Jackson's view was unknown. But that all changed at a Jefferson Birthday dinner. Most of the toasts had been printed up beforehand and were nullificationist. So Jackson rose, looked at Calhoun and stated, "Our Union. It must be preserved"(Coit 16). Calhoun knew he had to think of a retort so he stood and said, "The Union-next to our liberty most dear"(Coit 1... ...s to the fullest limit. Everything he did he thought was in the white people's best interests. When he vetoed more bills than any other president before him, he did it for the public. When he needed support in politics, and he couldn't get much from his colleagues, he would turn to the Constitution and he would manipulate it so the law was seemingly on his side. Of course it also helped to be infallible in the public's eyes. His policy of persecuting the Indians was horrible, his destruction of the Bank of the United States ultimately hurt the citizens, his avoidance of secession was the only thing that was good for the country. But the people believed him and the Constitution, so to these he could do no wrong. BIBLIOGRAPHY Coit, Margaret. Volume 4: 1829-1849 The sweep westward: The LIFE history of the United States. Ed. Editors of TIME-LIFE BOOKS. New York: TIME-LIFE BOOKS, 1963 Commager, Henry Steele, ed. Documents of american history. New York: Appleton-Century- Crofts, 1949 Pessen, Edward. Jacksonian America: society, personality, and politics. Homewood: The Dorsey Press, 1969 Remini, Robert. Andrew Jackson. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1966

Fletcher Munson Curve

This means that it requires less energy to hear kHz frequencies Our ears are most sensitive to hearing 3. KHz as this is the resonance frequency of our ear canals Range of frequencies we are sensitive to are between 1 kHz and KHz (this is the frequency range that mobile phones play out) We hear low and high frequencies very poorly The db reference curve is the most flat, meaning that most frequencies appear to be at the same level. This Is why music sounds a lot better and more full when played loudly around this frequency SummaryEqual Loudness Contours show the measure of sound pressure levels in relation to different frequencies. Our ears perceive different frequencies of sound to be louder or quieter than each other even when played at the same reference level of db. Hearing Damage Tinnitus (both temporary and permanent) Tinnitus is a term used to describe the case of being able to hear sounds that are within the person's body, rather than sounds from an outside source. It often c auses a ringing In the ears, but other sounds that can be heard Include humming, buzzing ND whistling.Tinnitus can either be caused by a bully up of earwax, a mild ear infection, or also very commonly can be caused by damage to the inner ear from loud noises (usually high frequencies). Tinnitus can be prevented by best by avoiding exposure to loud noises completely, however this can prove difficult in a lot of scenarios. A more realistic approach to preventing tinnitus include reducing the time that you are exposed to loud noises, this can be done by either spending less time in sissy environments, or by taking regular breaks about every half hour for ten minutes or so.Another way to reduce the risk of getting tinnitus is by ensuring that you stay hydrated, as this makes sure that the circulation for the blood in the inner ear is kept topped up'. You can also reduce the risk of getting tinnitus by reducing the Intensity of exposure. Either turning the volume down yourself can do thi s, or If you don't have control of the volume, then you can wear earplugs. Noise Induced Hearing loss (NIL) is caused by either very loud noises for either a reef or prolonged time.The loud sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and can result in struggling or being unable to hear certain frequencies, or just partially deafening your ear(s). NIL can be prevented in the same ways as tinnitus and most other hearing problems. If you reduce the amount of time you are exposed to loud noises, or reduce the intensity of the noise by wearing ear protection, then you are reducing the risk of damaging your ears either temporarily or permanently.

Disadvantage of Bilingualism Essay

I have to admit that bilingualism has several advantages. Nonetheless, tackling this issue, the lingual conditions in which children are raised to be able to speak two languages equally well should be also taken into consideration. Many linguists underline that while introducing the second language to learner, his/her exposure to a given linguistic system is crucial. Thusly, parents striving for teaching their children a secod language/a non-native language often rely on commercial language materials such as books, videos, television programs, etc. Nevertheless, researchers (Kendall King and Lyn Fogle, Georgetown University) have found that live, human interaction such as reading or talking to a child is more effective than presentation of recored sounds (e.g., in television) and, therefore, the best method for fostering both first and second language development. What is more, Other studies have found that, for older children, being read aloud to in the second language increases second language vocabulary much more than watching television in that language (patterson, 2002). I would like to concentrate now on this parent-child communication and its effect on language abilities of minors. There is some evidence that infants can hear even in the womb. After their birth, as they are growing, they try to imitate the ‘noises’ they hear. According to Deborah D.K. Ruuskanen, Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Vaasa in Finland, and mother of three bilingual children, it is significant to expose babies to native-speaker sounds, in order to facilitate them acquisition, and eventually execution, of native-speaker/that sounds. Generally, there is no problem when children are raised bilingual in families where the parents are completely bilingual themselves, that is to say, they use two native languages (each parent speaks separate mother-tongue) or they speak the non-native language exceptionally well. In other cases/Otherwise, introducing a second language to children since their infancy is not advisable. It is not only because babies might learn parents’ mispronunciation or faulty accent, but also because it might confuse them unnecessarily. The parents who are not comfortable or fluent in second language should be dissuaded from doing that so as not to affect harmfully their children’s linguistic abilities.

LVMH’s company Essay

Strengths LVMH has a strong brand positioning meaning that the company strongly placed itself as a leader in the luxury sector. The company offers more than 60 brands of high value perception and identity to their customers. Due to high customer loyalty, image of their brands and value perception those brands are less affected by economic cycles. Most evidently, LVMH expressed resilience against the economic conditions specifically in 2009 and 2008. This is an indicator that the strength of their brands enables their revenues to sustain growth even through touch economic situations. This is due to their huge customer base across the globe accompanied by their loyalty; thus, making their penetration to new markets with quick. The associations of LVMH with celebrities and major events have enabled them to enhance their luxury positioning. For example, Charlize Theron represents the J’adore perfume by Dior, while Moet & Chandon positioned their communications platform to events like the Oscars and the Golden Globe. Those marketing strategies were aimed in order to increase their brand visibility and recall. Moreover, their customers are targeted successfully through enhancing their brands images. All in all, those associations would eventually augment the luxury and its value that LVMH aims at building. Weaknesses A shortcoming in LVMH’s company is their limited presence in the retail division. This means that the company is highly dependant on sales to retailers. This in turn has caused the company’s luxury goods vulnerable to destocking by their retailers in order to avoid losses. Most evidently, the wines, jewelry, and watches departments were highly affected negatively by the retailers destocking. Therefore, this has made LVMH’s revenues in danger of destocking made by retailers. There is also a weakness evident in the conflict of interest within the company, where LVMH would be categorized into two major segments: fashion vs. liquor markets. However, the company’s broad acquisition of the art  auction market Pury & Luxemborg has been questioned due to some criticism that it adds more burden to LVMH. This is yet another criteria to the conflict of interest believed to be internally dealt within the company. Opportunities The luxury market is believed to be a growing market in the emerging economies. The growing high net worth individuals (HNWI) in a lot of countries across the globe is an indicator that the sales of luxury products are estimated to increase. In effect, LVMH has been focusing in increasing their investment in emerging countries, such as the Middle East, in their hopes that higher growth rates will be evident. Moreover, LVMH was able to assess the trends in those markets specifically in Asia’s market in order to succesfully penetrate them. Hence, the growth of the HNWI’s wealth accompanied by the structure of investments to reach to a broader customer base would intensify and diversify LVMH’s revenue flow. LVMH owes a great deal of their market share to their products on women’s accessories. This would include their brands in handbags, jewelry, and watches amongst many others. Although the fashion accessories has seen a downfall during 2009; nevertheless, it is hinting that it is uprising to a recovery into growth since 2010. Most notably, women handbags were the most notable in the accessories market growth inversely reacting to the market’s decrease during the same time. Those leather goods have been a great indicator in both the men and women’s categories in the market share that there is a high growth of sales and revenue. Even if key markets have been experiencing low growth due to the economic collapse and recovery, the accessories market proves as an opportunity to LVMH for growth. Selective retailing provides an opportunity to LVMH in one of the most growing markets in the world: China. Even though selective retailing has seen a decline in growth due to restrictions in spending due to less amount of travelers; however, China tourism is predicted to show a robust expansion. The economic liberalization; as well as, the constant development and transformation in China boosted their tourism industry. Some indicators  have been predicting that China would be a leading tourism destination by 2020. Therefore, LVMH has been focused on launching its selective retailing in China in order to take an advantageous stance from this growing tourism in terms of revenue.

Individual Behavior and Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Behavior and Performance - Essay Example The annual feedback on the work of each of the employees is required from the manager, for to define, whether the current position of the worker is right for him. Performance appraisal is used for to evaluate, whether the employees labor is worth of the money the company spends on him, and whether he is used rationally in the company. Performance appraisal defines whether the workers performs his tasks fully, whether he is suitable for the type of work he is doing, it evaluates the quality of his work. It is the tool that lets the administration see which of the employees deserves the promotion or/and a pay rise, and which one has to be fired because of the incompetence or the poor quality of work. The characteristic feature of aviation is that there the team work is of vital importance. For to satisfy the clients, the plane's crew has to work together, aiming the same goals. Thus, the performance appraisal of the crew is also conducted, apart from the personal performance appraisal. The task of the manager, which performs performance appraisal, is to define the list of the employees goals, and chores, and then evaluate the quality of fulfilling the chores, and to define, whether the worker reached the goal that were set before him. ... They consider the individual performance appraisal to be the most effective and significant, and make their conclusions about the best place for the person in the company guided by them, forgetting that even the best worker will lower the productivity of the group he is employed in case his team work skills are poor. Performance appraisal is quite a complicated managerial technique; it requires the deep knowledge in business, management, and some other social sciences. But interpreting the results of the appraisal, deciding what should be done for to improve them, or what is the best position for the worker, requires the background in psychology of the relationships on the workplaces, and the motivation strategies. The performance appraisal techniques foresee the existence of the form, which is the same for every worker. These forms usually don't consider the existence of the individual differences, the peculiarities of the each worker. Thus when making a conclusion considering the performance of every employee, the manager has to consider his individual features, and define, what should be done to improve his/her performance. The goal each manager follows is to increase the productivity of his employees. The authors of the book Creating Workplace Community: Motivation Solutions, Ideas and Philosophies for Motivating Ourselves and Other, note, that Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation. Thus it is vital to motivate the workers for to reach the maximum productivity. John Marshall Reeve offers several techniques for motivating the employees: Positive reinforcement / high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating

Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Benchmarking - Essay Example The objective of this report is to highlight the methods that could give an exact idea of the performance of the companies and how well they use their resources. This report doesn’t consider just one perspective for the judgment of the company. Its discussion is on the basis of both the financial and non-financial factors of the company. Besides these market perception and working environment with the potential of and for the workforce have been discussed.in order to gain the complete perspective of the companies. In this report the two companies selected for the benchmarking or comparison are not only the leading companies in their industry but also on of the biggest companies overall in the global ranking. The report gives the detailed comparison of Apple and Microsoft complete analysis have been made in order to get a conclusion regarding the performance of both companies in comparison to each other. ... Apple and Microsoft have global presence and compete on international market. They both are technology based companies however they have diverse range of products and compete on different level for every market and product that they offer. Both companies almost compete in every sector of the industry as the nature, aspects and operations of their business are quite similar thus the competition is quite cut throat and is mostly regarding capturing the market share not only in the American market but on the global scale. Thus there financial data can be compared as both companies have same target market, business operations and market environment thus any difference can be associated to the non-financial factors of the company. Company Details Both the companies are technology based and compete almost in all of their product and market segments. They maintain their own stores, authorized dealers and online stores. The principle executive offices or the registered headquarters of both A pple and Microsoft along with their registered exchange, ticker symbol and logo are as follow: APPLE INC. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, California, USA Registered on â€Å"The NASDAQ stock market LLC† Ticker Symbol AAPL MICRODOFT CORPORATION One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington, USA Registered on â€Å"The NASDAQ stock market LLC† Ticker symbol MSFT (Investing.money.msn.com, 2013) Company Background and Profile Apple Inc. Apple is a California corporation that was established in 1977 and today along with its subsidiaries design, manufactures and markets mobile communication devices, media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players and long