The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison - 2351 Words

How does one define beauty? The term white is often associated with synonyms like purity, godly and innocence. In comparison, the color black is typically associated with ugliness, darkness and evil. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye illustrates the struggles many black women faced in a patriarchal society, as they struggled to meet an impossible standard of beauty. â€Å"Black females were double oppressed. First, they have been sexually oppressed by white masters under the institutionalized slavery. Second, they have been victimized by family members and social institutions† (Tahir 3). From a feminist perspective, I will examine how The Bluest Eye depicts a standard of white beauty that led to the oppression and self-destruction of black women†¦show more content†¦Morrison questions the foundation of white supremacy imposed by the standards of beauty in The Bluest Eye. In the novel many characters attempt to conform to the white standard of beauty. Pecola Breed love the eleven-year-old African American protagonist of the novel, has been told her entire life that she wasn’t ‘good’ enough, or ‘pretty’ enough by society. â€Å"It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held pictures, and knew the sights – if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different† (Morrison 46). Pecola believes that if she had blue eyes not only will she be viewed as beautiful by her community, but she believes beauty will change her status in society. Pecola’s desire to become beautiful illustrates her psychological oppression. Pecola associates beauty with status. She believes by meeting the standard of white beauty, her life will be better. Feminist theory describes the psychological effects oppression has on the individual. â€Å"Feminist psychoanalytic theory is interested in patriarchy’s influence on women’s psycholog ical experience creativity. Its focus is on the individual psyche, not on group experience. For the oppression of women is not limited to the economic, political and social† (Tysons 99). Pecola’s

Essay about Iago Of Othello - 709 Words

Iago of Othello What makes a good villain? What qualities make one villain stand out from another? Is it their demeanor, ruthlessness, or the methods that they employ to accomplish their tasks? In any case, a great villain must leave the reader with a respect for their methods and a question about their motives. In Shakespeares Othello, there is one character in Iago that fulfills all of these qualifications. Iago is a wonderful villain because he gains others trust, relentlessly takes advantage of his peers flaws, and unapologetically causes the deaths of his counterparts in order to achieve his goals. The main weapon Iago used in his villainy was trust. Iago knew how to play to each characters personality to get them to†¦show more content†¦Aside from being Othellos right-hand man throughout a majority of the play, he also has a level of comfort with Cassio. This comfort is shown in his willingness to talk about Desdemona when the two are on night patrol. This reliance was something Iago exploited each time he had a chance. Every time a desire was expressed, Iago was there with a solution that always benefited Iago in the end. For instance, it was Iago that suggested to Roderigo that he attempt to kill Cassio in order to get Desdemona to be interested in him. It was also Iagos work in stoking up the fires of revenge in Othellos belly regarding the affair between Desdemona and Cassio. For each situation, every word that was said was for the advancement of Iago and the destruction of all others. Iago also acts as a contributor to each characters flaws in the play. For example, in act two, Iago influences Cassio to have some drinks in order to start a quarrel between Cassio and Roderigo. In another example, in act three, Iago gets Othello to believe that there is an affair between Desdemona and Cassio by building on the suspicions and doubts that Othello had before Iago even spoke to him. Finally, as the smoking gun that Othello was looking for, Iago presents the han dkerchief to Othello along with a fabricated story about its whereabouts. These actions contribute to the eventual demise of all of these characters, but it also leads toShow MoreRelatedOthello - Iago2748 Words   |  11 PagesUnequivocally, Iago plays an important and major function in the tragedy of Othello. By the end of the play, Iago has been directly responsible for the deaths of Roderigo, Emilia and the protagonist and his love. Iagos importance to the play is revealed by his contribution to the plot and his significance relative to other characters. Iagos function, which invariably adds to the importance he has on the play, is to lead to the downfall of Othello therefore revealing the themes of hate, jealousyRead MoreIago the Machiavellian in Othello1420 Words   |  6 Pagesto suspect the nefarious motives of their enemies. In this tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare has created a villain who behaves in this manner. Iago’s hatred, method of revenge, and vengeful hatred a re the reasons of the lives lost in this play and the reasons that lead to Iago’s downfall. Iago’s hatred of Othello and Cassio causes him to seek revenge and he is able to succeed because his victims are too innocent to suspect him. Iago is a Machiavellian Shakespearean character who cunningly convincesRead MoreThe Manipulation Of Iago In Othello1112 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the play Shakespeare presents Iago as the most manipulative character.Iago attempts to control and manipulate the characters by revealing and exploiting their fatal flaw to bring about their downfall. At the beginning of the play the audience witness Iagos manipulation toward Roderigo. Roderigo is blinded by his love for Desdemona and is prepared to try anything to win her heart.This makes it easy for Iago to manipulate Roderigo since he knows Roderigo is controlled by his emotions andRead MoreOthellos Relationship with Iago2536 Words   |  11 PagesRelationship with Iago From Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear by Alexander W. Crawford. Boston R.G. Badger, 1916. The first scene of Othello presents a conversation between Roderigo, the disappointed suitor of Desdemona, and Iago, concerning incidents of which Othello is the chief agent. Othello and Desdemona have eloped, it seems, leaving Roderigo disappointed and distressed. He complains that Iago had not forewarnedRead MoreCharacter Of Iago In Othello894 Words   |  4 Pagescapability to completely lack all strains of human morality. A nearly perfect example of this is the antagonist Iago in Othello by William Shakespeare, who cunningly works his evil throughout the whole play, especially in Act III. Iago is an intriguing and complex character who instigates the tragedy of the play, but also is the embodiment of the negative traits of the main protagonist, Othello. Iago is a master manipulator who excels in revealing and exploiting peoples weaknesses, such as Othellos insecuritiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Othello And Iago 1463 Words   |  6 Pagesof the world. However, in spite of noble in tentions, this â€Å"hero† ends up causing much more harm then needed because he is not self-aware and has a different perspective than everyone else. In the play Othello many characters have the same issue with perspective and self-awareness. Othello and Iago are the two main characters that allow their views on themselves to take control over their actions without their awareness. There is a tragic ending to this play and it was all because of differing perspectivesRead MoreIago And Betrayal In â€Å"Othello†2545 Words   |  11 PagesAP 05/11/11 Iago And Betrayal In â€Å"Othello† â€Å"Othello† is one of the most successful plays in Shakespeare’s collection. One of the subjects the tragedy addresses is betrayal which is a crucial part of the play that helps the author develop events to bring it to its climax. Iago’s character symbolizes disloyalty, but what are the motives of his treachery? It seems like there is not enough reason for his actions. By creating Iago in â€Å"Othello† as perhaps a masterpiece villain comparing to all hisRead MoreOthello: Iago the Outsider1794 Words   |  8 Pagesdark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the case of Shakespeares Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othellos blackness does. He is not merel y manipulative, as other villains are; he turns aspects of truthRead More Iago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesIago in Othello  Ã‚      In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello we see a morally depraved character, perhaps a very mentally sick individual, named Iago. His personality and development during the play is the subject of this essay. In Shakespeare’s Four Giants Blanche Coles comments on the mental illness that appears to afflict the despicable Iago: When such old time critics as H. N. Hudson, who wrote nearly a hundred years ago, saw that Iago was not acting from revenge, one is moreRead MoreIago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1381 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeares Othello is a remarkable tale of trust, deceitfulness, lust and the most destructive of human emotions: vengeance and hatred. Iago better known as Othellos antagonist embodies vengeance and hatred to move an agenda to squash all who oppose Iagos plans. As defined by Merrium-Webster the definition of a protagonist is a principal character in a literary work or a leading actor, character, or participant in a literary work. Othello by Shakespeare is a play about Othello an example of

Working class free essay sample

Which were the more typical of sass of America: Prohibition and intolerance or the Jazz Age and increasing social freedom? The sasss were seen as a prosperous time for America, Judging by the Increasing economic strength, the development of new industries and new methods of production and, by the time of rebellion and liberation that came with It. The sasss are often referred to as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age, a period of great fun and enjoyment.However, not everyone agreed with the statement that the asss were completely successful, highlighting some ajar problems that America had to face at that time, specifically intolerance and prohibition. From an economic point of view, the USA entered an era of unparalleled prosperity. The most of it was due to increase in productivity as a result of technological innovation. The electricity industry was becoming more successful because the electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade as electrical appliances came into general use. We will write a custom essay sample on Working class or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What benefited more the American economy was the invention of the car by Henry Ford.By 1925 he was producing a car very ten seconds, by 1929 there was one car for every five Americans. The working conditions were Improving too: hours of work declined, wages substantially Increased and the unemployment rate fell. Because of the Increase In peoples leisure time and disposable Income, the entertainment Industry blossomed In the sasss. Almost everyone in the USA listened to the radio. The choices of radio channels grew quickly. The radio gave easier access to music and as a result, music became more popular. The Jazz music became an obsession among young people.Along with it appeared new dances such as Charleston and new styles of behavior which were disapproved by the older generation. In Los Angels, Hollywood a major film industry was developing. New stars like Charlie Chaplin rose to fame by making the audiences laugh. Furthermore, the sasss were marked by increasing social freedom, particularly new attitudes towards sex and between young women. There was a widespread obsession with sex which magazines, movies and newspapers were quick to exploit. Women, especially middle class women were expected to lead restrictive ivies before the First World War. However, In the sasss a lot of things changed for them: they got the vote in all states, some of them had jobs, wore more daring clothing. , makeup and smoked in public. Even so, women still remained inferior, they were paid less than men and did not have access to political power. Despite the fact that the middle classes benefited from the sasss, the working classes, afro- Americans and immigrants were not sharing their Joy. Social leaders were afraid that the wave of immigrants will lead to racial degeneration and national decline.In response to their fears, the Congress imposed restriction on immigration in 1921. In addition, the foreigners and the afro-Americans were facing hostility from the UK Klux Klan that rose to fame after the movie The Birth of a Nation. In the South, the Clansmen resorted to beatings and even murder, In order to terrorize black people. The working class, particularly farmers, textile workers and coal miners suffered throughout the whole period. The decline In foreign demand led to drastic fall In farm prices causing the majority of the farmers to remain depressed.It was successful in the rural areas but not in the urban ones. In sign of protest, people were making their own alcoholic beverages. Speakeasies were growing in popularity too. Attracted by huge profits, the underworld gangs rose to power. Due to corrupt alliances with politicians, policemen and Judges they had an undeniable power. AY Capons had a huge influence in Chicago due to his high illicit earnings. There were several gang Wars as they were fighting for power, one of the most famous being The Valentines Day Massacre. In conclusion, the sasss had its good and bad parts.It has proved to be an incredibly prosperous period for middle classes and an unfortunate one for the immigrants and working classes. In this period the USA experienced major economic and social changes that made it a leading country around the world. As some young Americans were experiencing liberation, others were facing racism. This made the sasss a decade of contrasts. In my personal view, both prohibition, intolerance and the Jazz Age and increasing social freedom marked the sasss as a rich period that affected the whole population of America in a specific way.