The Awakening Essay Example for Free

The Awakening Essay Kate Chopin wrote for a reason and with a sense of passion and desire. She lived the way she wanted to and wrote what she felt, thought, and wanted to say. Kate wrote for many years and her popularity was extreme until critical disapproval of her novel, The Awakening, a story that portrayed women’s desires of independence and control of their own sexuality. Most men condemned this story, while women applauded her for it. Kate wrote with a sense of realism and naturalism and she created a voice that is unique and unmatched. The voice gave a view of the female role in society and contributed to the beginning of the later feminist movements. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, some of Chopins work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. She displayed what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius (qtd. in Amazon. com â€Å"About the Author†). Kate Chopin was a 19th century American author who cared about women and their rights. She was a bold writer who had a huge impact on how the world should treat women. On February 8, 1851, Katherine O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kate was born to the parents of Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. Her father was a wealthy Irish immigrant and a successful businessman. Sadly, Kate’s father died in a railway accident when she was only four years old. Kate’s childhood was influenced mostly by her mother and great-grandmother. Kate spent much time with her family’s Creole and mulatto slaves, becoming familiar with their dialects. She attended Sacred Heart convent where she was a very poor student, but an avid reader. At the age of eleven Kate’s great-grandmother as well as her half-brother died. These two deaths caused Kate to seclude herself in the family attic to study more books (Authors and Artists par. 5). Kate’s schooling was irregular and she herself attributed her education more to her reading, than to the education she received at the Sacred Heart convent. At the age of seventeen she graduated with a passion for literature and storytelling. She spent two years as a belle in St. Louis society becoming aware of feminist social issues (World Biography par. 2). â€Å"She began to smoke cigarettes and wrote a feminist fable, ‘Emancipation. She read and admired the works of Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, and George Sand† (qtd, in Bloom 10). Kate preferred to spend time alone reading instead of attending socials all night. Although Kate spent a lot of time reading by herself, it did not stop her from writing what she saw in the world around her. In June 1870, Kate married a cotton trader and Creole named Oscar Chopin. Together they moved to New Orleans. While Oscar worked as a cotton factor and began handling sales, finances, and supplies for other plantation owners, Kate lived her care-free life (Authors and Artists par.7). Kate began to write about what she saw. She adopted two strange habits for women; smoking cigarettes and walking unaccompanied through the city. Kate took on the demanding social and domestic schedule of a Southern aristocrat. These memories would later serve as material for her short stories (World Biography par. 2). In 1880 Kate and her family were forced to moves to her father-in-law’s home in Cloutierville, Louisiana’s Red River bayou region. Here they became active members of the Creole community. Sadly in 1883 Oscar died of swamp fever, forcing Kate to take over. Kate came in contact with every part of the community, including the French-Acadian, Creole, and mulatto croppers who worked the plantation. These impressions later influenced her fiction (World Biography par. 2). After Oscar’s death Kate found herself stuck having to handle five children while $12,000 dollars in debt. Kate managed to run the family business until 1884 when she moved back to St. Louis. When she returned home she began writing about her life in Louisiana and this is when her career began. Kate settled in with her mother and began to write. Within a year Kate’s mother died and Kate was left in a state of depression. Following the deaths of Oscar and Kate’s mother, Kate was consulted by a doctor. He encouraged Kate to write (World Biography par. 3). Many of Kate’s friends also found her letters entertaining and encouraged her to write short stories. She began to write about the Louisiana past. After being rejected many times Kate got her short stories published in the most popular American periodicals, including America, Vogue, and the Atlantic (World Biography par. 3). Kate’s reputation grew because of her early success with Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie. Her first novel, At Fault, was published in 1890 in her home city. Nine years later Kate’s first poem, â€Å"If it Might Be,† was published. Kate wrote over one hundred short stories during the 1890s (Bloom 10). Kate was very successful, but she became known only as a local color writer and her qualities were overlooked. This did not stop Kate from writing. Kate wrote only one or two days each week and even then she only wrote in her living room while her children played. Kate also had a salon in St. Louis where she hosted St. Louis celebrities (Authors and Artists par. 15). This is where Kate wrote many articles, short stories and periodicals, including Atlantic Monthly, Criterion, Harper’s Young People, St. Louis Dispatch, and Vogue (Feminist Writers par. 1). Kate’s first collection reflects her skills as a local colorist and center on the loves of the Creoles and Acadians in her Parish. Many of Kate’s stories addressed many themes, including women’s emancipation and marital discord (Authors and Artists par 10). â€Å"Considered one of the foremost Southern regionalist writers, Kate Chopin’s fiction details the culture in which she lived during her childhood and marriage† (qtd. in Feminist Writers par. 2). Kate published her final novel, The Awakening, in 1899. The Awakening is known as her masterpiece and is a seminal work in American feminist fiction. Fiction was Kate’s greatest strength (Authors and Artists par 18). In her stories of Bayou Folk, A Night in Acadie, and The Awakening Kate writes about the sexual, racial, and moral background of polite southern Louisiana life (Feminist Writers par 2). The Awakening received many negative reviews because of the way Kate portrayed women and their desires. With the rejection of A Vocation and a Voice and the harsh reviews of The Awakening Kate’s career slowly began to end. Kate slowly began to abandon her career. After the publication of The Awakening Kate was rejected from certain social circles in St. Louis. She was also later rejected to getting other books published and the criticism caused her writing to slow down (Feminist Writers par. 6). In 1904 Kate became very ill; however, she was still interested in the World’s Fair in St. Louis. After a day of exhaustion Kate collapsed with a cerebral hemorrhage. Two days later, on August 22, 1904, Kate sadly passed away (Authors and Artists par. 23). Today Kate is known through her interpretations of the Creoles in her collections Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, and her second novel, The Awakening (American Biography par. 2). It took half a century for people to grasp what Kate Chopin had accomplished with her work. Kate was once just considered an author of local-color fiction. Today she is recognized for her examination of sexuality, individual freedom and the consequences of action (Authors and Artists par.10). Kate was familiar with the newest developments in science and literature, and her aim was to describe man’s â€Å"immutable impulses. † Kate wrote with balance and maturity, showing that women should have the same rights as men. Today Kate’s stories have become favored subjects among women critics. Kate’s work also has been recognized by critics in countries ranging from France to Japan (Authors and Artists par. 25). Because of The Awakening Kate abandoned writing because she faced critical abuse. Today this novel has grown to be respected and recognized as a masterpiece. Today, The Awakening has become required reading for any student studying the history of women’s cultural oppression (Feminist Writers par. 2). Many authors today have helped show that Kate was a significant figure in American fiction, particularly feminist literature (Authors and Artists par. 2). Kate Chopin is known as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction. Kate grew up in a world where women were seen as very little importance. She wrote to change that. Kate wrote with passion and a sense of realism. She proved to the world around her that women were just as equal to men. Conclusively, Kate Chopin is known to be the first feminist writer and a woman ahead of her time. Even though during her time she was looked down upon for the things she wrote, she is celebrated and acclaimed by people around the world today. Kates writings provided her with the means to live how she wanted-both mentally and physically-rather than play the role society expected of her. Kate Chopin proved to women they had a right to express themselves however they wanted to. This is why Kate is known today as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction.

Essay --

It was a regular Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were singing and the flowers were blossoming. Everything was perfect in my little neighborhood. I was just getting ready to go to my cousin’s house. My cousin and I were like best friends, we always hung out together, and played together, we practically did everything together. Sometimes she’d come to my house and sometimes I’d go to hers, it was very convenient living in the same neighborhood. I grabbed my back pack, including a phone – for emergencies only, my wallet – just in case, and my diary – a small book that I took everywhere with me. I was all set, I hugged my parents and kissed them goodbye and was on my way. I had always gone walking to her house, since she didn’t live very far. At my cousin’s house we played board games and laughed as we watched some cartoons, when her mother had decided to take us shopping for some sweets. As we approached our destina tion I saw a blind man sitting on the ground in front of the store with a cardboard sign that read â€Å"It’s a beautiful day and I can’t even see it†. He was all alone with a cup in his hands with probably only a few quarters in there. I was confused as to why this man was all alone, where was his wife, his children? I was only 13 and believed that everyone had a family and a perfect life, imagine my disappointment seeing the man alone on the ground. We entered the store and grabbed a few Kitkat’s and some chips and headed back outside, walking towards the car. I see the man, just staring, people passing by, not even looking at him, and just ignoring him as they go on with their daily lives. I went back to my cousin’s house, not thinking much of it. Days later, my mother and I come back to the same store to ge... ...ned the Global Humanitarian Action Award for her work around the world. â€Å"She continues to travel the world to draw attention to global issues† (bio. True History). Closing: Angelina Jolie’s work around the world has saved many lives; she has helped more people than I can count. She has worked hard to earn her title as ambassador of UN, and she disserves it. Angelina has done some strange things in the past, but she makes up for it by taking time out of her busy schedule and helping others. That feeling I had as a kid seeing that blind man on the ground is what I imagine she feels seeing people is Syria, Cambodia, Jordan and much more. Angelina Jolie does have flaws, and may not always make the best decisions and that’s because she’s human, but her work in all those countries, and all the money she’s donated to charity is what makes her 2013’s person of the year. Essay -- It was a regular Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were singing and the flowers were blossoming. Everything was perfect in my little neighborhood. I was just getting ready to go to my cousin’s house. My cousin and I were like best friends, we always hung out together, and played together, we practically did everything together. Sometimes she’d come to my house and sometimes I’d go to hers, it was very convenient living in the same neighborhood. I grabbed my back pack, including a phone – for emergencies only, my wallet – just in case, and my diary – a small book that I took everywhere with me. I was all set, I hugged my parents and kissed them goodbye and was on my way. I had always gone walking to her house, since she didn’t live very far. At my cousin’s house we played board games and laughed as we watched some cartoons, when her mother had decided to take us shopping for some sweets. As we approached our destina tion I saw a blind man sitting on the ground in front of the store with a cardboard sign that read â€Å"It’s a beautiful day and I can’t even see it†. He was all alone with a cup in his hands with probably only a few quarters in there. I was confused as to why this man was all alone, where was his wife, his children? I was only 13 and believed that everyone had a family and a perfect life, imagine my disappointment seeing the man alone on the ground. We entered the store and grabbed a few Kitkat’s and some chips and headed back outside, walking towards the car. I see the man, just staring, people passing by, not even looking at him, and just ignoring him as they go on with their daily lives. I went back to my cousin’s house, not thinking much of it. Days later, my mother and I come back to the same store to ge... ...ned the Global Humanitarian Action Award for her work around the world. â€Å"She continues to travel the world to draw attention to global issues† (bio. True History). Closing: Angelina Jolie’s work around the world has saved many lives; she has helped more people than I can count. She has worked hard to earn her title as ambassador of UN, and she disserves it. Angelina has done some strange things in the past, but she makes up for it by taking time out of her busy schedule and helping others. That feeling I had as a kid seeing that blind man on the ground is what I imagine she feels seeing people is Syria, Cambodia, Jordan and much more. Angelina Jolie does have flaws, and may not always make the best decisions and that’s because she’s human, but her work in all those countries, and all the money she’s donated to charity is what makes her 2013’s person of the year.

Neil Harbisson’s Eyeborg

Neil Harbisson's Eyeborg Maria Marrero Palm Beach State College Abstract This paper explores the new technological advances for people with Achromatopsia from research conducted mostly online. All of the research conducted explains the device on how it is used and what it is used for. It also shows how the sounds are conducted so the people using the eyeborg can understand it. Neil Harbisson's Eyeborg Barcelona based artist, Neil Harbisson was born with a condition called Achromatopsia which means that he was born color-blind.He has described himself as a cyborgist and colorologist. With the help of a new technological device that is attached to the back of his skull can translate color to sound. Harbisson can hear the color of sound through audible frequencies through this device in which he calls an â€Å"eyeborg†. Harbisson has used the term sonochromatism (or sonochromatopsia) to define his new condition. He explains that â€Å"achromatopsia can no longer define his condi tion because achromatopsics cannot perceive nor distinguish colors.He also explains that synesthesia does not define his condition accurately because the relation between color and sound varies depending on each person, whereas sonochromatopsia is an extra sense that relates color to sound objectively and equally to everyone† (Harbisson, 2012). The idea for the device came about when he was attending Dartmouth College of Arts in England, where Harbisson met Adam Montandon   who was giving a lecture on cybernetics and they [came together] to start developing the eyeborg project (Disaster, 2012).The device, called an eyeborg, comes out of the back of his head and hangs in front of his eyebrow. Jennifer Lee, writing for the New York Times, says: Mr. Harbisson’s current eyeborg is pressed against the base of his head with extremely high pressure, which allows the sounds to reverberate along his skull to his eardrums. But his new eyeborg, to be implanted in September, will be connected to his body through three screws in his head — two to support the antenna and electronic chip, and a third for the sound to be passed into his skull, which will vibrate with the sound.He expects it will take about two months for the bone to heal around the implant. (Lee, 2012) According to Jordan Chittley, he states that a chip that is implanted in Harbisson's skull and then converts the light waves into sounds and he hears it through his bone. â€Å"The eyeborg works with a head mounted camera that picks up the colors directly in front of a person, and converts them in real-time into sound waves† (Neil, 2012). C on the scale represents blue, F represents red, A represents green and so on (Chittley, 2012).Harbisson can see up to a total of 360 colors, which is more than the naked eye can see. The first eyeborg had a computer component [which was] the size of a laptop and Harbisson [carried it] around in a back pack (Molinsky, 2011). â€Å"We are using te chnology constantly. Every single day we wear technology in our pockets, we sleep with technology beside our beds — we never separate from technology. The simple next step is to attach all this to our body† (Molinsky, 2011). Harbisson uses his eyeborg to help him paint in color.Harbisson states that the â€Å"eyeborg looks like an antenna that comes out from my head and goes up to the front of my face. At the back of my head there's a chip which transforms the light waves into sound, and I hear the colors, not through my ears but through my bone† (Harbisson, 2012). The spreading of the cyborg devices are being realized particularly with vision. Earlier this year in Britain, surgeons [have] implanted chips in the eyes of patients with retinitis pigmentosa, [which is] a disease that causes gradual blindness, in order to [stop] and reverse their condition (Lee, 2012).When he spoke with the hospital bioethics committee, Mr. Harbisson argued that this surgical techniq ue could be used on other people (Lee, 2012). He said, in particular, that a more [refined, classier] versions of the sensor could be used for reading, [like for example] the need for Braille (Lee, 2012). According to Eric Molinsky, Harbisson uses [his] eyeborg to help him paint in color. He also states that Harbisson create[d] sound portraits by scanning people's faces and turning the resulting tones into short musical compositions (Molinsky, 2011).Some of his subjects are [his] friends and family, while others are celebrities he had met [previously] (Molinsky, 2011). Harbisson believes that the eyeborg and [other] devices like [itself] should not only be used for people with disabilities. In his opinion, no one should be restricted to the senses that us humans have developed (Molinsky, 2011). Jennifer Lee states that Harbisson wants to see more improvements to his eyeborg, focusing mainly on the electricity source (Lee, 2012).He has to change the antenna through a USB port at the back of his head (Lee, 2012). He does not want to depend on electricity. . References Chittley, J. (2012, February 20). Eyeborg neil harbisson hears colour with head-mounted camera. Retrieved from http://ca. news. yahoo. com/blogs/daily-buzz/eyeborg-neil-harbisson-hears-colour-head-mounted-camera-193727166. html Disaster. (2012, September 19). I listen to color: How sound is bringing neil harbisson one step closer to cyborg status. Retrieved from http://shocklee. om/2012/09/i-listen-to-color-how-sound-is-bringing-neil-harbisson-one-step-closer-to-cyborg-status/ Harbisson, N. (2012, February 12). The man who hears color. BBC News Magazine, Retrieved from http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/magazine-16681630 Harbisson, N. (2012, February 24). Neil harbisson: The eyeborg. Retrieved from http://reset-blog. com/2012/02/24/neil-harbisson-the-eyeborg/ Lee, J. (2012, July 2). A surgical implant for seeing colors through sound. New York Times, Retrieved from

The Lung of Our Earth - 904 Words

One and a half acres of the rain forest-â€Å"the Lung of the Earth†, are lost every second. In fact, they now cover only a mere 6% of the earths land surface compared with 14% when humankind first settled. Experts estimate that the last remaining rain forests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Obviously, deforestation has been becoming an alarming phenomenon for the whole world. Writing about this issue, Laura Lopen, John Maier and Dick Thompson express some quite strong opinions. In â€Å"Playing with Fire†, the authors indicate that the rain forests of the Amazon are being destroyed extremely. Annually, farmers, cattle ranchers, loggers cut down trees for crops, pasturage and production. According to the authors, these actions have†¦show more content†¦That means they need a large area for agriculture. In reality, half of Brazil is covered by forests. Therefore, agricultural land is deprived from deforestation ways and large-scale burning of forest areas is a typical example. Secondly, the authors believe that consequences of deforestation would not be only an extremely catastrophe for South American but for the entire planet as well. Personally, I have the same opinion about this issue. I think the first affect is on the Amazon rainforest water ecosystem that causes increases in erosion and flooding. In â€Å"Tropical Deforestation†, Shukla et al (1990) and his team indicate that: â€Å"The land of the Amazon rainforest is naturally nutrient-deficient because most of the nutrients are stored within the aboveground biomass of the vegetation. Tree root systems hold the soil together to slow the rate of flooding and reduce erosion.† Therefore, once the trees are removed, the rainy season can have devastating effects. Additionally, global weather patterns could be affected badly that cause global warming, greenhouse effect and lead to extinction of plant and animal species. 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