Character of Nicholas in Chaucers Millers Tale Essay Example for Free

Character of Nicholas in Chaucers Millers Tale Essay Nicholas, with his outrageous sense of humour and eager pursuit of love, functions as the charming, likeable hero in Millers Tale. He is introduced as hende Nicholas, and his conduct does not at all answer to the usual sense of the adjective which implies great courtesy, but its suggestion of approval is repeatedly invoked as the Miller refers to his hero by this formula. We learn at once that he is knowledgeable and of his interest in astrology. This is seen as a respectable branch of learning, but Nicholas is aware of its power to impress others, while he is able to supplement his income by weather-forecasting. He is also helped financially by friends. The imaginary flood of which Nicholas tells John shows us his cunning, his confident attitude, his inventiveness and especially his contempt for the stupid tradesman: Dont worry about that, said Nicholas, / His times been badly wasted, if a scholar / Cant get the better of a carpenter. (lines 191-193) In spite of this, however, the Miller presents the astrologer in a way that makes the audience like Nicholas. He does this by making John seem deserving of punishment for his unwise marriage and subsequent jealousy. Nicholass youth and attractiveness makes us less critical of his boldness, and the comic manner of the tales telling makes his conduct seem less worthy of censure than would be the case with real people. Nicholas seems a more appropriate partner for Alison than does John, and the Millers repetition of the formula hende Nicholas encourages us to be more sympathetic. However, it is important to note that Nicholas does not escape his daring plan without any consequences. His over-confidence and lack of prudence earn him a punishment appropriate to his offence, and in keeping with the farcical spirit of the tale he is scalded in the towte by his rival, who mistakes him for Alison. Thus, Nicholas may be the character that has the audience rooting for him by being likeable and providing good laughs, but his charming yet arrogant attitude does not prevent him from suffering the consequences of his actions. The Canterbury Tales [Oxford guides to Chaucer]. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.

Feminist Movement :: essays research papers fc

It was in the mid-1800s when the first signs of the feminist movement came about. In 1861, a man named John Stuart Mill wrote The Subjection of Women, which was said to have spawned the ideology of the Women’s Rights Movement (Ryan 11). He discussed the role of women is society during that time, pointing out how the patriarchy placed such an intense limit on what women could do. Patriarchy is the system in which the male race governs societal views, and this practice has been in existence since the dawn of time. This work raised the consciousness of many women, but the first hints of an organized movement did not come about until the approach of the twentieth century. It has been said the Black Abolition Movement was the encouragement that women needed to go after what they believed in (Ryan 10). In 1898 came the beginnings of Women’s Suffrage, which was the movement intended to allow women the right to vote. During this time, over 500 separate campaigns were launched with the goal of attaining this right. Females such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony spoke all over the country on women’s rights and suffrage, gaining many supporters along the way (Ryan 9). The National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was soon formed, and Stanton was its first president. She helped to begin extensive mobilizing efforts and put a strong foot forward in the suffrage movement (Ryan 22). When the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, women nationwide rejoiced at their accomplishment with the feeling that they had made a difference, and their feeling of inferiority had subsided. Works Cited Bardon, Edward J. The Sexual Arena and Women’s Liberation. Chicago: Nelson Hall, 1978.

Joseph Conrad Essay

Joseph Conrad was born Joseph Teodor Konrad Korzenioski in 1857 in Berdichev, Ukraine. He officially changed his name to Joseph Conrad in 1886, when he became a British citizen (Liukkonen). Although Conrad discouraged people from interpreting his literature through analysis his life, his life did shape his writing. Much of his anti-imperialistic views could have sprouted in childhood, when he was under the rule of Russians the Ukraine. His father Apollo Korzeniowski was arrested for suspicious involvement in revolutionary activities (online-literature). Apollo spent much time writing plays and social satires. Although his works were not well known, they gave Joseph an early appreciation for literature. Apollo died of tuberculosis in 1869; four years the same disease claimed his wife, Conrad’s mother. Joseph, only 11, was sent to live with his uncle in Switzerland (online-literature). He went to school for a few years before convincing his uncle to let him go to sea in the mid 1870’s. In that decade he made three trips to the West Indies as an apprentice on a French merchant ship. He continued his career for 16 years on British ships, slowly rising in rank from common seaman to first mate. By 1886 Conrad held the command of his own ship, Otago. Heart of Darkness is based on his four month journey through the Congo in 1890 (Liukkonen). Years of work at sea gave him back problems from which he never recovered, and a unique, if ugly, view of the world. In an 1897 letter he explained his view: â€Å"What makes mankind tragic is not that they are victims of nature, it is that they are conscious of it. To be part of the animal kingdom under the conditions of this earth is very well – but as soon as you know of your slavery, the pain, the anger, the strife, the tragedy begins (Liukkonen).† In 1894, at the age of 36, Conrad gave up the sea life to focus on writing. He had started to care more about writing five years earlier, and carried a journal on his journey into the Congo which served as inspiration for Heart of Darkness (classic notes). When his uncle died, he left Joseph with enough money to live comfortably while he got started in literature. His first novel, Almayer’s Folly, was published in 1895. Charlie Marlow, the protagonist in Heart of Darkness first appears in Lord Jim, as the narrator. The novel is based loosely on the true story of a British steamship which, after springing a leak, was abandoned by her crew, leaving Muslim pilgrims aboard (Liukkonen). The protagonist, Jim, is one of the British officers who abandoned the ship. Conrad married an Englishwoman named Jessie George in 1896 and moved to Ashford, Kent, where he resided until he died of a heart attack in 1924. He was an influential, yet humble English author. He declined honorary degrees from five universities, and shortly before his death he refused an offer of knighthood (Liukkonen) . Joseph Conrad’s works were published years after his death. In 1983 a collection of letters and a diary of his experience in the Congo was published in five volumes. Conrad’s influence is seen in an array of acclaimed literature, including the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot (online-literature).

Yitzhak Rabin Assassination

On November 4, 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot and killed by Jewish radical Yigal Amir at the end of a peace rally in Kings of Israel Square (now called Rabin Square) in Tel Aviv. The Victim: Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin was the prime minister of Israel from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1992 until his death in 1995. For 26 years, Rabin had been a member of the Palmach (part of the Jewish underground army before Israel became a state) and the IDF (the Israeli army) and had risen up the ranks to become the IDFs Chief of Staff. After retiring from the IDF in 1968, Rabin was appointed the Israeli Ambassador to the United States. Once back in Israel in 1973, Rabin became active in the Labor Party and became the fifth prime minister of Israel in 1974. During his second term as Israels prime minister, Rabin worked on the Oslo Accords. Debated in Oslo, Norway but officially signed in Washington D.C. on September 13, 1993, the Oslo Accords were the first time that Israeli and Palestinian leaders were able to sit down together and work toward a real peace. These negotiations were to be the first step in creating a separate Palestinian state. Although the Oslo Accords won Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, the stipulations of the Oslo Accords were extremely unpopular with many Israelis. One such Israeli was Yigal Amir. The Assassination of Rabin Twenty-five year old Yigal Amir had wanted to kill Yitzhak Rabin for months. Amir, who had grown up as an Orthodox Jew in Israel and was a law student at Bar Ilan University, was completely against the Oslo Accords and believed Rabin was trying to give Israel back to the Arabs. Thus, Amir viewed Rabin as a traitor, an enemy. Determined to kill Rabin and hopefully end the Middle East peace talks, Amir took his small, black, 9 mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol and tried to get close to Rabin. After several failed attempts, Amir got lucky on Saturday, November 4, 1995. At the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, a peace rally in support of Rabins peace negotiations was being held. Rabin was going to be there, along with approximately 100,000 supporters. Amir, who was posing as a VIP driver, sat idly by a flower planter near Rabins car as he waited for Rabin. Security agents never double checked Amirs identity nor questioned Amirs story. At the end of the rally, Rabin descended down a set of stairs, heading from city hall to his waiting car. As Rabin passed Amir, who was now standing, Amir fired his gun at Rabins back. Three shots rang out at very close range. Two of the shots hit Rabin; the other hit security guard Yoram Rubin. Rabin was rushed to the nearby Ichilov Hospital but his wounds proved too serious. Rabin was soon declared dead. The Funeral The assassination of 73-year-old Yitzhak Rabin shocked the Israeli people and the world. According to Jewish tradition, the funeral should have been held the following day; however, in order to accommodate the large number of world leaders that wanted to come give their respects, Rabins funeral was pushed back one day. Throughout the day and night of Sunday, November 5, 1995, an estimated 1 million people passed by Rabins coffin as it laid in state just outside the Knesset, Israels parliament building.* On Monday, November 6, 1995, Rabins coffin was placed in a military vehicle that had been draped in black and then slowly driven the two miles from the Knesset to the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. Once Rabin was at the cemetery, sirens across Israel blared, stopping everyone for a two-minute moment of silence in Rabins honor. Life in Prison Immediately after the shooting, Yigar Amir was apprehended. Amir confessed to assassinating Rabin and never showed any remorse. In March 1996, Amir was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, plus extra years for shooting the security guard. * World Pauses for Rabin Funeral, CNN, November 6, 1995, Web, November 4, 2015. http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9511/rabin/funeral/am/index.html