Success is an end, and preparation is the path leading towards it. Both Esther and Cyrus find themselves in situations where, if they wanted at all to do well in the long run, the preparation–the training– done first was vital. “During the time that the enemy was said to be approaching but had not yet arrived, Cyrus tried to exercise and bring strength to the bodies of his troops, to teach tactics, and to whet their souls for warlike [deeds].” For Esther, her ultimate objective was to win over the affections of the king, as all other achievements that followed were spurred on by this one. However, this was not a simple task. Esther travels the same path towards success as what is modeled by great leaders–through the preparation of one’s body, …show more content…
Esther had to transform herself into a person whose allure could win over the king, despite being a virgin. This could not be done by only making herself prettier; she had to find a way to make an impact. It may be assumed that, by being placed in the harem “with seven chosen maids from the king’s palace,” Esther is taught of what would soon be required of her in order to please the king. She is also given an advantage over the rest of the women in her situation, as she wins over the person in charge to begin with–who gives her special aid in order to make her even more beautiful before the king. “The girl pleased [Hegai] and won his favor, and he quickly provided her with her cosmetic treatments and her portion of food, and with seven chosen maids from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem.” By developing this relationship, Esther finds herself with an ally who works for the king, and thus recognizes what the king is looking for. “When the turn came for Esther [...] to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch [...] advised. Now Esther was admired by all who saw her.” Knowing that Hegai has her best interest at heart, Esther is able to rely on his knowledge and advice to further guide her actions, …show more content…
Simply put, her entire story hinges upon the fact that she allows herself to be degraded, and not simply that it happened. Esther enters the palace a virgin, expected to spend a night with the king. While it was unknown whether or not she would gain the attention of King Ahasuerus, it was clear what she was expected to hand over to him. Her body was prepared to gain his attention. Her mind was prepared to gain his attention. However, it is undeniable that what Esther was about to experience required something to tell her mind and body, yes. The one thing that truly lead to her success was her spirit–her spirit had to be prepared for what was to come. It is not explicitly stated how this unfolded. Possibly, her faith and trust in God oversaw her preparation. Maybe it simply the grim idea that it was inevitable. Whatever it may have been, the fact of the matter is that it happened, and with that, she achieved success. “The king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she won his favor and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” She
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
...es these primitive standards, she becomes melancholy because she does not attune into the gender roles of women, which particularly focus on marriage, maternity, and domesticity. Like other nineteen year old women, Esther has many goals and ambitions in her life. Nevertheless, Esther is disparaged by society’s blunt roles created for women. Although she experiences a tremendous psychological journey, she is able to liberate herself from society’s suffocating constraints. Esther is an excellent inspiration for women who are also currently battling with society’s degrading stereotypes. She is a persistent woman who perseveres to accomplish more than being a stay at home mother. Thus, Esther is a voice for women who are trying to abolish the airless conformism that is prevalent in 1950’s society.
The character of Esther is widely criticized for her perfection as a character, both receiving positive acclaims and negative feedback. Esther’s reserved, quiet character illustrates the role of women during the Victorian period and what little impact on society women played. Critics of Bleak House generally praise the narration and Dickens’s use of Esther’s character, which gives direction to the novel.
...g either one.” (Plath 120). Society has come a long way from there, though a margin still contain these views, more and more people are forming feminist ideals. The only if is that if Esther were here today our world would suit her much more comfortably.
...she would end up if she didn’t change her ways. By losing Joan, Esther was able to release her old self and be reborn again.
The first person that illustrated the theme of the book was Esther’s grandmother Reisa. Reisa showed this by always keeping her pride and her dignity even the toughest of times, which helped her and her family move on. For instance, even when they were forced to live on these camps she would always try to look her best. She always wore a silk dress and did her cuticles. In addition, she also illustrates theme by caring for her families even in the toughest of time by keeping them together and raising their spirits. For instance, when Esther lost the rubbles her mother gave she said, “She is only twelve years old, she helps keep house like a little old woman, she studies like a Talmudic scholar, she carries bricks back and forth. No. Enough is already too much. Esther, there is nothing more you can do that I will permit you to do. Just do well at school, that’s all I ask. The way things are you will need every drop of education you can get. For the rest, you leave the rubles to me.” That is how Reisa illustrated the theme of the book by maintaining her appearance and by caring for her family.
The book of Esther tells of a courageous young woman who uses her mind to please God. She becomes the wife of a great king and allows for protection of her own people, the Jews. Esther is a great role model for women of modern day times because of her strength, nobility, and honesty. She portrays a woman with power that most women of that day did not have. The story of Esther has empowered women of all backgrounds and will continue to do so well into the future.
Esther spends most of The Bell Jar telling the reader how she wants to lose her virginity. Even though Esther wants to lose her virginity before marriage, that’s conflicting with 1950’s America’s views of purity and chastity for women. Her view is that there shouldn’t be double standards for men and women and if men aren’t pure for marriage she shouldn’t be required to either. Her outright defiance of society’s norms is marked in the novel by her extreme hemorrhaging.
It could be argued that Esther’s descent into mental illness was triggered by the oppressive situation she finds herself in when her date attempts to rape her. During a dance she realises, “It doesn’t take two to dance, it only takes one,” which suggests that a man is in complete control of her life, therefore women are subjugated and oppressed by men because they have very little freedom or choice. The use of the word
One of the main reasons why Esther tried to commit suicide was the way she perceived her mother's actions, and the fact that she hates her mother:
At that time the King did not know his much-loved queen and Mordecai who saved his life where Jews. Mordecai told Esther that she was the only one who could save the Jewish people. Esther instructed Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa and hold a fast on her behalf for three days and her and her maids would do the same. She told Mordecai that after the fast, she would go to the King even though it was against the law. Queen Esther went into the court and when the King saw her, he was charmed by her surprising entrance.
Furthermore, in the few descriptions of Esther that Dickens provides through other characters, it can be inferred that Esther’s appearance is a major concern of hers,
...which were dead in mothers’ belly, were placed in the bottle. To Esther, this image always linked to abnormal growth, suffocation and death: “The air of the bell jar wadded round me and I couldn’t sir” (p.178). The latter part in the novel, Esther experienced a serious of symbolic events, and she began all over again and was ready to new life. However, what waited for her was still the contradiction that the society put on women, and the value of women could not be totally reflected as before. It could be predicted that in such society-value was distorted like the bell jar, Esther would be probable to fall into the “crisis of roles” and lost the courage for living again. The novel did not describe Esther’s “new born”, anyhow, the “new born” of the author-Sylvia Plath did not last for a long time.
At the end of the novel, Esther finally see’s a light at the end of the tunnel. She finally realizes that there is hope for her to become healthy again. Once Esther realizes that she will not always feel as bad as she does, she also comes to the conclusion that all the negativity and questioning in her life have made her into the person she has become. Esther finally realizes what her true identity is and she is okay with who she has become.
...eginning to end. For a king such as Xerxes that could have all he desired and saw himself as a god, to love and want to give half of his kingdom to this woman of no noble birth could only be done through God’s power. For it was for such a time as this that Esther was called upon, and she executed all that God wanted for her.