Analysis of The Astronomer's Wife by Kay Boyle
In the "Astronomer's Wife" by Kay Boyle, something as simple as a
conversation with a plumber about a stopped elbow is enough to trigger an
awakening in Mrs. Katherine Ames. When Mrs. Ames realized that the plumber was
talking about something she understood (the stopped elbow), she realized that
her marital problems were not the result of a division betwwen the sexes;
instead, she realized that some men, like the plumber, are as practical as she
is, and that some other men, like her husband, scorn people like her because
they are intellectually inclined. Previous to this discovery, Katherine did not
realize that there were different kinds of men, and therefore she did not
realize that she and her husband were mismatched. Furthermore, in her awakening,
Mrs. Ames also discovers that she, like the plumber, occupies as valuable a
place in society as the astronomer, for she does the "dirty" work to free people
like her husband to have time to think and to discover.
The scene in question takes place after Mrs. Ames has already noticed that
the plumber has a few physical characteristics that match her own (such as
blond hair), and she is talking to him as he descends into the earth. The scene
begins immediately after the plumber says "I think something has stopped the
elbow", because this phrase was one of the few things that a man has ever said
that Mrs. Ames has understood. After the plumber has descended into the ground
before the scene, Mrs. Ames is the only one left. She spends the entire
duration of this scene sitting on the grass, silently thinking and revealing her
thoughts to the audience.
During her course of thinking, Mrs. Ames makes the important discovery that
there is a whole race of practical people like herself, men and women alike.
She knew that "when her husband spoke of height, having no sense of it, she
could not picture it nor hear", but strangely enough, when another man who
happened to be a plumer spoke of his work, "madness in a daily shape, as elbow
stopped, she saw clearly and well". Mrs Ames finally realized during these
thoughts that these were two men with two different ways of life, and perhaps
her way of life suited the plumber's more than the astronomer's, in that she too
could identify only with daily concerns. The division between people in her
mind was no longer just between men and women; it was now the working and the
thinking, those who "had always gone up, [and] others who went down, like the
The roles that men and women were expected to live up to would be called oppressive and offensive by today’s standards, but it was a very different world than the one we have become accustomed to in our time.
Accordingly, I decided the purposes behind women 's resistance neither renamed sexual introduction parts nor overcame money related dependence. I recalled why their yearning for the trappings of progression could darken into a self-compelling consumerism. I evaluated how a conviction arrangement of feeling could end in sexual danger or a married woman 's troublesome twofold day. None of that, regardless, ought to cloud an era 's legacy. I comprehend prerequisites for a standard of female open work, another style of sexual expressiveness, the area of women into open space and political fights previously cornered by men all these pushed against ordinary restrictions even as they made new susceptibilities.
The rarely known astronomer, Henrietta Leavitt made the discovery of the period-lumination relationship as well as a guideline for measuring the magnitude of stars. Although, these discoveries were monumental in the field of astronomy and became the foundations for many other discoveries, she is almost unknown, like many prominent women in the field of astronomy. This is because science, as both a study as well as a profession, is male dominated and women are not seen as equals or qualified to be in such work. In Leavitt's lifetime, she experienced this sexism in her post-graduate career along with her two major discoveries.
Since time out of mind society has had a long standing tradition of a double standard in its treatment of the gender roles. Men were judged more on their assets. Their business and social connections made up their reputations, and they were treated as individual people regardless of their marriage status. In contrast, the very identity of a woman was dependent on her connection to a man and his social position. For women, marriage and children was the only way to have a happy or meaningful life. It was unthinkable that a woman would not marry. Single women were sometimes viewed ...
There are thousands of women in the world make the mistake of getting pregnant. Yes, there are forms of contraception but they are not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. Approximately 1.4 million abortion procedures are done each year in the United States, with 30% of those women being younger than forty-five years old (ProCon). Without abortion, there would be an abundance of children who are brought into the world unwanted and not being able to have the essentials they need to go through life successfully. The most difficult responsibility a woman would have to go through is finances. 85% of women who wish to have an abortion are unmarried and have to support the child alone (“Abortion Procedures”). Abortion can save a woman from going through financial distress when she is aware that she is not financially stable. Teen pregnancy is common in the world and they are not at a point in life where taking care of someone else, other than themselves, is possible to do alone. Thirty-nine states allow minors to go through the abortion procedure with parent consent (“Abortion Procedures”). All fifty states should allow this because if teens could not receive that choice, then they would have to carry an unwanted baby that they could not take care of after giving birth. Most abortion procedures are during the first trimester (Lowen). During the first weeks of pregnancy the development of the fetus is a gather of cells, therefore killing cells is not killing an actual person so abortion should not be considered murder.
Many women scientist upheld and defended their positions as learned, scientific individuals. Marie Meurdrac, a French scientist, in a foreword to a publication stated clearly that women’s and men’s minds, if thought in the same manner would hold no difference.(Doc 2) Similarly, Dorothea Erxleben understood and explained why men and women alike look down on her for studying science because they feel that it is an insult.(Doc 9) Her experiences as a female scientist led her to truly grasp why her persecutors acted as they did towards her although this document shows no signs that she thinks the same. Maria Sibylla Merian, a German entomologist, discussed some of her scientific practices that encompass her dedication and fascination with science.(Doc 5) Another example of this whole-hearted dedication comes from Marquis...
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the embryonic stage of women’s quest for intellectual and social parity with men. The evolution of women’s fight for equal opportunities was bogged down by a long history of stereotyping and condescension. Women were weaker physically, bore children and nurtured them. The economics and culture of Europe at this time was strongly influenced by religion and resulted in prejudice against women. The dominating religions of Europe in the 1600’s and 1700’s (Catholicism and Protestantism), citing the bible, reinforced women’s roles as mother’s, wives, and homemakers. Women were considered the weaker sex both physically and mentally. Men and most women assumed that because women gave birth and produced milk for their infants, God intended that their place was in the home. Men’s egos, as well, did not allow for women to compete with them. Males thought their place was to rule, fight wars, provide income, teach and be the head of his family. Women were not accepted in academics, politics, church leadership, business, or the military. Despite these prejudices, women saw an opportunity in the sciences. As a discipline based on observations and deductive reasoning it did not necessarily require a comprehensive academic background. Since most women were deprived of the more advanced education that men received, it was the perfect field for them to begin their pursuit of equality. As a result, a growing number of women actively participated in scientific research in chemistry, astronomy, biology, botany, medicine, and entomology.
University of Alabama, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4,000 Years of Women in Science. Dec. 2002 2 Nov. 2003 http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/newintro.html.
The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that “when two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, the first two systems are in thermal equilibrium with each other.” (Drake P.1). The first law of thermodynamics states that the change in internal energy of a system is equivalent to the total work done by the system subtracted from the total heat transfer into the system. This law is represented by the equation The variable represents the change in internal energy of the system, represents the total heat transferred into the system, and represents the total work done by the system. The second law states that heat flows spontaneously from hotter to colder regions but never in the reverse direction. It also states that the total entropy can never decrease over time for an isolated system; it will always increase over time. Additionally, the changes in entropy in the universe can never be negative. The third law states that “the entropy of a perfect crystal of an element in its most stable form tends to zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero.” (Drake P.1). Thermodynamics developed quickly throughout the 19th century because of the need to improve steam engines and how they worked. The thermodynamics laws can be applied to “all physical and biological systems” (Drake P.1). These laws of thermodynamics are able to give people an explanation about a variety of changes in the energy of a system, along with its
A person being pregnant and wishing they weren't is probably the worst feelings a woman can have. A women knowing that if they brought a child into the world and they didn't want it, or they would have to give it up for adoption is such a disheartening way to start off, and mother and the un-born child would be so much better off if they were to terminate the pregnancy and wait for a more appropriate time, or in the case of rape, put the past behind them and move on. Women should have the choice because not everyone knows what the situation was. In today’s society people have attached shame with the word abortion. When people hear of abortions they automatically assume it was the mothers fault and she didn’t use protection or may...
Many people try to justify their actions for abortions, insisting that it is in the best interests of the child. The reasons women have abortions are not simple and can be difficult to understand, they can cover a broad range from rape, deformity, not being able to provide for the child, in another relationship, or unplanned pregnancy. Some women state, “I may not be able to provide it with a good life” to “It was bad timing and I can’t support a child right now”. In the case of rape it’s not the baby’s fault, instead of punishing the criminal it is giving the ultimate sentence to the child, the capital punishment death. “The circumstances of a preborn child's creation should not modify, let alone negate, his or her right to life. In other words, the preborn baby has a right to life regardless of the circumstances under which he or she w...
...n the country. Therefore this may be a reason why the mother should not be able to go through with the procedure. Their child can be a positive influence that will leave an footprint on Earth and make a difference in the world. “A baby produced by rape has the same right to life as any other baby. However, abortion ends the life of an innocent unborn human being (Napolitano, Andrew P).”
Abortions are unjustified and are not fair to the unborn child. Every person should have the right to live, and abortions do not protect these rights for the child. Some would claim “It's my choice.” or “It's my body.”, but that is completely incorrect. A baby inside of a woman is a separate human being, and therefore has its own rights. If one does not want a child, they should prevent conception from happening, not kill an innocent baby. Abortions should be eliminated and the whole class of human beings (pre-born babies) should be given the most fundamental right—the right to Life. 2 Abortions do not assure equal justice for all, which in this case, are the innocent unborn children.
Then there was the woman’s movement and women felt they deserved equal rights and should be considered man’s equal and not inferior. The man going out to work, and the wife staying home to care for the home and the children would soon become less the norm. This movement would go on to shape the changes within the nuclear family. Women deci...
Abortion is one of those words that the true meaning depends on the person point of view. For me abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy. This issue is very controversial, many people have different opinions or beliefs for or against it. In my particular case I’ve always been against it. Life begins at conception, unborn babies are human beings with the right to live just like us. An unborn baby is capable of feeling pain, just imagine the amount of pain they feel during abortion. Abortion is murder, why are women killing an innocent human being that is unable to make decisions for themselves. There are many ways to prevent abortion. Besides, this procedure is extremely dangerous, and contains many risks for the mother.