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masculinity is explored by
sex and sexuality in literature
masculinity is explored by
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What is lust? Lust is a strong sexual desire. Superficially, the young woman in the story would seem to be lustful, but in her case, this lust is not a strong desire for sex but rather a desire to belong. Her random and haphazard sexual encounters spring only from her desire to be accepted. When she talks about being seated between Mack and Eddie and “they were having a fight about something. I’ve a feeling about me” (Meyer 276), she seems actually happy to be wanted and fought over all the while degrading herself. Her lust is the desire to be valued, to be appreciated, and to be seen. She thinks she has to give up who she is to be accepted and until the end of the story, she doesn’t seem to acknowledge that her actions are not having the desired …show more content…
She shies away from asserting herself and allows Peter to dictate the terms of their affair, allowing herself to be “tried out” as one would test drive a car. “Peter was trying to decide, as he had been for the past year, between his wife and myself as his permanent life partner” (Meyer 173). In this statement, she acknowledges that the affair has been going on for a year and with no apparent resolution in sight. As the story progresses, she begins to see more clearly all the things she had previously locked away in her mind. Peter is very indecisive and rude. He complains constantly, “Come all this way… and you can’t even see the footprints properly” (Meyer 173) and “everything in this country comes with cucumber salad” (Meyer 174) demonstrating not only his general unhappiness, but also how little consideration he gives to the narrator. He occasionally degrades her, “he said I had a good mind but not a first-class mind … I didn’t take it as an insult” (Meyer 173). Mr. Piper is clearly not fully invested in the relationship. To him, it is just a fling with some woman he is “shack[ing] up” (Meyer 174) with while she considered it much more by her different word choice, “make love” (Meyer 174). The fact that these scenarios had likely been a part of the narrator’s life for the past year …show more content…
This conversation about the war leads her to the realization that she can choose to stop this affair and “make the difference of a million, or so” (Meyer 175). She no longer says she loves him but instead says “I adored him. I loved to be seen with him” (Meyer 175). She now knows that this affair is not worth the trouble. She frees herself from this invisible barrier and discovers her self worth. Just as the Archduke lost his way, which led to his death, she also lost her way. She was able to see the truth and correct it, to leave him for good. Weldon masterfully weaves the setting of the story in such a way that the events taken place in the present parallel the events of the past. She points out that people are sometimes blinded by a faux reality and need to escape to a distant place to be brought
The essay begins with Griffin across the room from a woman called Laura. Griffin recalls the lady taking on an identity from long ago: “As she speaks the space between us grows larger. She has entered her past. She is speaking of her childhood.” (Griffin 233) Griffin then begins to document memories told from the lady about her family, and specifically her father. Her father was a German soldier from around the same time as Himmler. Griffin carefully weaves the story of Laura with her own comments and metaphors from her unique writing style.
The narrator begins the story by recounting how she speculates there may be something wrong with the mansion they will be living in for three months. According to her the price of rent was way too cheap and she even goes on to describe it as “queer”. However she is quickly laughed at and dismissed by her husband who as she puts it “is practical in the extreme.” As the story continues the reader learns that the narrator is thought to be sick by her husband John yet she is not as convinced as him. According
We then come to the part where the ladies are talking about Mrs. Peter’s interactions with the other women in town. Mrs. Hale said she was not part of the Ladies’ Aid (which seemed like the thing for the women to do in that town), she dressed shabbily which she never did before becoming Mr. Wright’s wife. Mrs. Hale also clearly states that she does not believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband whereas Mrs. Peters is struggling with this, saying that the Attorney thinks it looks bad because she did not wake up when her husband was being killed in bed right beside her. Mrs. Hale takes the view I would by saying don’t blame her because obviously he didn’t wake up either or maybe he would be alive or at least maybe he could have awakened her in his struggle.
Fairies, mortals, magic, love, and hate all intertwine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare a very enchanting tale, that takes the reader on a truly dream-like adventure. The action takes place in Athens, Greece in ancient times, but has the atmosphere of a land of fantasy and illusion which could be anywhere. The mischievousness and the emotions exhibited by characters in the play, along with their attempts to double-cross destiny, not only make the tale entertaining, but also help solidify one of the play’s major themes; that true love and it’s cleverly disguised counterparts can drive beings to do seemingly irrational things.
This makes other women feel uncomfortable as they don’t know whom to show support despite secretly supporting Lady Hoggins (formerly Glenmire). Confused society needs an urgent solution to this problem. And appears Peter Jenkyns to bring a solution to this. He is Miss Matty’s long time ago lost-brother. He was beaten by his father when he made a joke which the society took very seriously (Peter likes joking, but society is humorless) and left Cranford. He went to India and wasn’t seen again. When he comes back to Cranford, he wants to cheer his sister –Miss Matty- up and takes her responsibility. To cheer her, first he must find a solution to the tension between Jamiesons and Hoggins. So he plays tricks on Mrs Jamieson to make her think he loves her, so that he charms her thus becoming irresistable. He accomplishes his mission, by telling her his stories, complimenting her, he woos Mrs Jamieson. At the end he brings her and Hoggins together, and problem is solved. Even Miss Jamieson, who is very class conscious women, is defeated against her feelings and welcomes change. While she is supposed to reject Peter due to his disrespectful approach to gentility rules, and his wealth earnt with working, she still accepts him into society. So, gentility gives way to intelligence, kindness and love . On encountering those values, Cranford society revises its views on gentility and strict, illogical rules yields to
Elli talks about daily life in her neighborhood. Her mother does not show any compassion for her. When Elli complains of this, her mother brings up excuses that are unconvincing. Elli believes her mother does not care for her and that her brother is the favorite. Hilter’s reoccurring radio broadcast give nightmares to Elli, whos family is Jewish. The nights when the Hungarian military police would come and stir trouble did not provide anymore comfort for Elli. One night, her brother, Bubi, comes home with news that Germany invaded Budapest, the town where he goes to school. But the next morning, there is no news in the headlines. The father sends him back to school. He learns the next day that a neighbor’s son who goes to school with Bubi has said the same. The day after, the newspapers scream the news of the invasion. Bubi arrives home, and the terror begins.
“I tried to have a real earnest reasonable talk with him the other day and tell him how I wish he would let me go and make a visit. But he said I wasn’t able to go, nor able to stand it after I got there,” she isn’t even able to visit others because John believes it will make her more “sick” (Gilman 453). The narrator doesn’t have any control of her life, John is constantly telling her what to do and what medicine to take, he also carries her around and up to her bedroom where she spends most of her time. Between John’s need to dominate his wife, and the narrator’s naiveness their marriage is one similar to Edna’s and Mr. Pontellier’s. Both marriages hindered the wives’ choices towards themselves and kept them trapped inside the marriage and their homes, but the difference between Edna and the narrator is that Edna escapes Mr. Pontellier through the “pigeon house” and later
.... The setting causes Anton to shield himself from the ones he loves and to keep his feelings to himself, by slowly closing in on himself inch by inch, as he is afraid to love anyone and lose them as he did when he was younger.
Werner dreams of stepping into the shoes of an engineer, however, to do so he must leave behind his sister Jutta. Sacrificing the relationship between his sister and care-taker, he is used to create Nazi radios to help during war. When Werner asks to leave the institution, punishment only ensued, leaving a void and sense of betrayal within him. Despite the void, the true sacrifice comes toward the end of the novel. When the assistance of the radio enabled Werner and Marie-Lure to communicate. Werner saving Marie-Lure’s life, while killing another.
"They turn casually to look at you, distracted, and get a mild distracted surprise, you're gone. Their blank look tells you that the girl they were fucking is not there anymore. You seem to have disappeared.(pg.263)" In Minot's story Lust you are play by play given the sequential events of a fifteen year old girls sex life. As portrayed by her thoughts after sex in this passage the girl is overly casual about the act of sex and years ahead of her time in her awareness of her actions. Minot's unique way of revealing to the reader the wild excursions done by this young promiscuous adolescent proves that she devalues the sacred act of sex. Furthermore, the manner in which the author illustrates to the reader these acts symbolizes the likeness of a list. Whether it's a list of things to do on the weekend or perhaps items of groceries which need to be picked up, her lust for each one of the boys in the story is about as well thought out and meaningful as each item which has carelessly and spontaneously been thrown on to a sheet of paper as is done in making a list. This symbolistic writing style is used to show how meaningless these relationships were but the deeper meaning of why she acted the way she did is revealed throughout the story. Minot cleverly displayed these catalysts in between the listings of her relationships.
Love and Lust in Play-By-Play, Sex without Love, and Junior Year Abroad. Lust is an incredibly strong feeling that can prove to be almost uncontrollable, leading it to commonly be mistaken for love. Due to the relative closeness of these emotions, both are often confused, and even when one is in love he or she does not recognize it. Many think that love just comes knocking on one's door and one will know when it does, but they don't realize that for love to occur, a relationship has to be worked out.
In her story, Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin underlined the contrast between lust and love, exploring the problem of a man’s pride that exceeded the love he has for his wife. Armand, the main character of the story, is a slave owner who lived in Louisiana during the era of slavery. He married an adopted young woman, Desiree, and together they have a son who eventually became an obstacle in the way of his father’s happiness, thus removing out the true character of Armand. Desiree’s Baby, by Kate Chopin is a love story, love that ultimately proved to be a superficial love, a story that shed light on the ugly relationships between people. “Lust is temporary, romance can be nice,
In the story, the narrator is forced to tell her story through a secret correspondence with the reader since her husband forbids her to write and would “meet [her] with heavy opposition” should he find her doing so (390). The woman’s secret correspondence with the reader is yet another example of the limited viewpoint, for no one else is ever around to comment or give their thoughts on what is occurring. The limited perspective the reader sees through her narration plays an essential role in helping the reader understand the theme by showing the woman’s place in the world. At ...
Tyler Perry’s Temptation highlights the struggles presented to a young African American woman whose strong Christian beliefs counteract a sin stricken society. The main character, Judith, attempts to overcome the difficult obstacles that were placed in her path by fighting the sexual urges that she craves. Judith came to realize that her urges began to transform from wants and desires to real actions; Judith’s deepest desires were becoming reality. The encounters Judith faced on a daily basis began as an emotional and mental attraction that led to a more physical relationship. These continuous urges began to take over Judith’s well-being as she began to fall more and more into the depths of sinful behavior. The idea of sexual freedom consumed Judith’s mind and spirit which turned her against her own religious beliefs, and eventually lead her down a path that she would regret for the rest of her life.
Amanda, somehow, finds a way to be both selfish and selfless when it comes to Laura. Amanda wants Laura to be happy and successful, but does not understand that Laura is too shy and unmotivated to be either. When Amanda discovers that Laura has stopped going to typing class she is beyond disappointing. When discovered Amanda yells at her daughter saying, “Fifty dollars’ tuition, all our plans- my hopes and ambitions for you- just gone up the spout, just gone up the spout like that.” Laura quit something as simple as learning how to type; this realization struck Amanda because if she cannot do that there is no way Laura could provide for herself without a husband. Mrs. Wingfield’s worst nightmare is is for her children to become dependent on relatives and not being able to take care of themselves. After Laura drops out of typing school Amanda says, “What is there left but dependency all our lives? I know so well what becomes of unmarried women who aren’t prepared to occupy a position. I’ve seen such pitiful cases in the South—barely tolerated spinsters living upon the grudging patronage of sister’s husband or brother’s wife!—stuck away in some little mousetrap of a room—encouraged by one in-law to visit another—little birdlike women without any nest—eating the crust of humility all their life!. Amanda had always wanted for Laura to find a nice husband, but then the situation became desperate when the younger women