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Essay on perfectionism
Essay on perfectionism
Essay on perfectionism
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New England Nun Louisa Ellis can be viewed in two different ways. For one, she can be seen as a feministic hero who feels she is better off without a husband. For second, she can be viewed as a selfless person. There is evidence that this story takes place in a different time. A time where women did not have the right to vote, or to sustain themselves. By examining the clues throughout the story, one can say the story takes place in the late 1800’s. Some of the clues are revealed when the narrator points out certain things which are unusual to today’s world. For example, the narrator says, “she lighted her lamp” (). This story takes place in a time when were women counted on their husbands for financial support and protecting. When the reader knows this, the reader can come to the conclusion that Louisa Ellis was not so much a feminist, but instead was a selfless woman who worked for “the greater good”. Throughout the story, Louisa is shown as a woman who is loyal to her commitments no matter how long she has to wait for something. Louisa is not only loyal, she is also a loner and perfectionist. The perfectionist side of her is shown multiple times. For example, when the narrator talks about Louisa growing her lettuce, the narrator says, “which she raised to perfection” (). The whole story shows how Louisa needs everything neat and …show more content…
The yellow-white dog named Caesar which Louisa owns, has been chained to the dog house the last 15 years after he bit someone. Caesar being chained to the dog house could actually represent the feeling the reader gets that Louisa is chained to her own house and to her solitary ways. The narrator talks about how Louisa would have to move out of her comfort zone and enter a new place where Louisa and her pets would be “robbed of their old environments” ( ) and they would come to not know themselves as the narrator says, “they would almost cease to be themselves” (
For example, Louisa spends a great amount of her time simply arranging her maidenly possessions, such as her books, which are sorted in a specific order, as well as having all of her sewing tools in a specific place and order in her work-basket. A scholarly article analyzing the character of Louisa reaffirms this notion by stating, “Louisa had almost the enthusiasm of an artist over the mere order and cleanliness of her solitary home. She had throbs of genuine triumph at the sight of the window-panes which she had polished until they shone like jewels. She gloated gently over her orderly bureau-drawers, with their exquisitely folded contents redolent with lavender and sweet clover and very purity” (Harris 27). With this in mind, it is evident that the character of this short story lives a life of structure, precision, and order, which presents itself as a major clue for her having this condition based on the disorders symptoms. It can also be visibly seen that Louisa is quite upset when the order in her house is disturbed as she is constantly worrying about something being out of place or appearing untidy, as well as her constantly cleaning up and reorganizing her possessions after Joe Dagget comes to visit her. For example, while Louisa and Joe are
You could see the helpless and powerless state of women even as far back as the 18th century. The story also exposes the fundamental injustices meted out to women by confining them to a limited domestic sphere. The society dictates the identity and role of the woman; “every young woman is expected to marry a suitable spouse” (Foster 818), take care of her husband and children, while having no voice or rights of her own. Any relationships outside the spheres of marriage is being frowned at. But the man can do as he pleases, even if he is married. While Eliza had to move away from her family and friends because she was pregnant and could not stand the shame and had “become a reproach and disgrace to friends” (Foster 906), Sanford is allowed to continue living his life probably with another vulnerable young woman in the society. While Sanford gets away with his womanizing acts, Eliza is the one who is branded as loose, and termed a coquette; she was the one who lost her life, trying to conceal a pregnancy that was conceived by two people. An unidentified source has this to write about her: “But let no one reproach her memory. Her life has paid the forfeit of her folly. Let that suffice” (Foster
The book, The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories, written by Elizabeth A. De Wolfe, is composed of two parts. Part one, The Death of Berngera Caswell, analysis’s the social history of the mid 1800’s to explore a mill girl’s life. This text makes use of general trends and factual information to support and provide an explanation of the murder of Mary Bean. Part two is composed of two stories, Mary Bean, The Factory Girl and Life of George Hamilton. This text explores the cultural history of the mid 1800’s using fictional newspapers, articles, and novels as support. The Murder of Mary Bean does not only provide the reader with the gruesome detail of one murder, this book issues an understanding of the complications
The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century brought about revolution, fueled by the energy and freedom of a new horizon…but it was still just around the bend. In this era, during which both short stories were published, members of the weaker sex were blatantly disregarded as individuals, who had minds that could think, and reason, and form valid opinions.
Louisa (nicknamed Lou) Clark is a 26-year-old working-class girl. Louisa is described as a very unique character by the author. Up until she was fourteen, Louisa preferred boy’s clothes over girls and then went on to discover her own one of a kind style. Her father describes her as a character and her mother refers to her as an individual. Louisa is the type of woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind regardless. Before losing her job, she worked for Frank for the last six years of her life at the Buttered Bun until he announced that he was returning to Australia to care for his ill father. Louisa becomes desperate for another job and would be willing to do anything. After, many failed attempts, she lands a position as a “care assistant” to a sharp, clever, wealthy and angry 35-year-old man named Will Traynor, who has spent the last two years of his life as a
It was rare for man and woman to be equal in the days of Eliza Washburn. Being ten years of age she would perform all the activities an average housewife would perform. At 6 o’clock every morning Eliza and her mother would wake up and cook a meal for her father Charles and three brothers James who was six, William nine, and John fifteen. Her father would wake up expecting the meal to be hot and ready the minute he woke up. Her brothers would wake up soon after to devour the rest of the meal they prepared. Her mother Mary would stay home all day cleaning clothes in a bin and preparing food. Everyday they would go pick the ripe vegetables out of their garden cut them into thin slices and set them out to dry, this took up most of the women’s day.
She would have a husband to take care of and perhaps children as well. Never again will she live in the comforting life of quiet and peace. However, if Louisa doesn’t marry Joe, she would risk her reputation in her community. It was the norm for a woman her age to get married and raise a family. Becoming a spinster in her society back then is a social stigma. No one is treated with more ridicule than an old maid. Louisa chooses to become a spinster instead of getting married. However, she can feel it that this upcoming marriage was making her feel uneasy about her future.
Louisa has spent a lot of her life by herself. In the beginning of the story her mother and brother have already died. “She was all alone in the world” (472). She has spent fourteen years away from her fiancé, Joe Dagget. Louisa has become accustomed her lifestyle in her
Mary Wollstonecraft’s life was extraordinary. She broke the bonds of the limited expectations to which women, especially those of the middle class. Growing up in an
The story of Alice Paul and Lucy Barnes, two young Quaker activists appeals to the audience: mothers, daughters, sisters and those that share their lives with females or are women in today's society. Reading short passages and listening to lectures about the suffrage of women doesn't register with humanity, often individuals dismiss it as something that one always reads and hears about, but that remains part of a completely different world. Garnier's integration of detailed mundane characteristics and the realistic depictions of the acts of violence and discrimination force the reader to consider the possibilities of living in a society parallel to that of the 1920s. The emotional intensity surrounding Miss Paul's belief "Give me libert...
He called her a “devil” and “unfaithful” in his diary because she didn't live up to his expectations. Being raised in this fashion Louisa became a stronger woman than she would have been due to her father’s high expectations for her success. In the same article Matteson states,” “Life,” she told her journal in 1874,” always was a puzzle to me, and gets more mysterious as I go on. I shall find it out by and by and see it’s all right, if I can only keep brave and patient to end.” Louisa had a life of many obstacles although; these obstacles have allowed her to grow as an individual. Louisa was able to take these experiences
In the short story “Louisa please come home” by Shirley Jackson, Louisa has an interesting young adult life. The story starts with her at the age of 19 and with her not liking her sister and her parents at all whatsoever. When she has had enough planning time for her running away she decided to run away on her sister’s wedding day. When she ran away she expected them to cancel the wedding, but they didn’t. Then she was very clever by leaving her uniqueness behind in a hardware store and became like just another 19 year old girl in the city. When she arrived there she had made plans for a new identity and had gotten a job for the money. In addition she got a nice women named mrs. Peacock to take care of her, but because she was missing she
This short story was written in 1892, at that time, there was only one women's suffrage law. Now, because of many determinant feminists, speakers, teachers, and writers, the women’s rights movement has grown increasingly large and is still in progress today. This quite recent movement took over more than a century to grant women the rights they deserve to allow them to be seen as equals to men. This story was a creative and moving way to really show how life may have been as a woman in the nineteenth century. Works Cited Eichelberger, Clayton.
In this short “Louisa please come home” By Shirley Jackson is about a girl named Louisa cocky because she only thinks about herself and no one else. My first piece of evidence is the day she ran away. When she ran away she bought a new hat for herself. This seems like that she was happy on the she left. Another piece of evidence I had was when Louisa Lied to Mrs peacock about herself, and who she really was and where she came from . She doesn't care about other people like her family. She left on her sister's wedding because she wanted them to focus on her. She didn't care about her sister or what could happen on the day of her sister's wedding. This is why Louisa is very cocky she doesn't like anyone in her family and only thinks about herself.
In the story, Louisa runs away the day before her sister’s wedding. After running away from home, Louisa takes the train to Crain. When she gets there, she buys a tan raincoat and drops off the old jacket. She then takes the train to Chandler. When she gets there, she buys a suitcase and other items, such as some stockings and a small clock. She now needs to find a place to get herself settled. She finds a place to live, at Mrs. Peacock’s house, and gets a job at the stationery store. One day, Louisa sees Paul at the train station. Paul desires Louisa to come back, and Louisa agrees. When she arrives at her house, her family can not recognize her and thinks that she is an impostor. Louisa...