Night by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel Kurtis Mayes Night by Elie Wiesel is a terrifying but powerful autobiography. Eliezer or Elie Wiesel was born in the town of Sighet in Transylvania. He was just a teenager when he was moved to the ghetto then sent away to the concentration camps. Many events in the world have been captured in history books but among the ones that we have heard about, the holocaust is the one that most of us remember. A holocaust is a destruction or slaughter on a mass scale. The Jewish Holocaust was a controlled, state financed torture and killing of roughly six million Jews by the Nazi government led by Adolf Hitler. Apart from the Jews, other groups considered inferior or anti-establishment such as Romans and Gypsies were killed. Moshe the Beadle was the first character introduced in the book Night. Moshe, some may say, served as a replacement for Elie Wiesel. Night can be read as an attack averse to silence. Many times in the book evil is preserved by a silent lack of resistance. In this case, the repeated disregarding of Moshes warning about what danger lies ahead for the Jewish people. The Nazis most definitely treated the Jewish people as less than human. The Nazis doctors experimented on the Jewish people in an attempt to create a superior race of man. The Nazis also crammed the Jewish people in to cattle cars to transport them from place to place, or they forced marched them. If one of th e people fell or went to the ground, they were killed. In the first chapter, Elie describes his father as a rather unsentimental man and told us of how He is more concerned with others than with his own family. Right away you see that Elie and his father were not that close. Elies father was one of the leading men in the community and did not approve of Elie reading the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah is the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible, which formed a barrier of separation between Elie and his father. The first bond that Elie had with his father is when they reach the concentration camp know as Auschwitz. The first orders yelled at them is Men to the left! Women to the right!. At this point, Elie did not know he was to be separated from his mother and three sisters forever. It is now that Elie and his father start the terrifying and miserable journey of life in the camps together. Later in the book Elies mother and three sisters die at Auschwitz but Elie and his father were reinstated at Buchenwald. When Elie arrived at Auschwitz, he saw the mistreatment of killed Jews being burned in mass graves. The book states that Elie witnessed an old man getting beat with a revolver that a SS soldier owned. He knew at that point that this journey had to go through was not going to be easy and it wasnt going to be stress free. Men, women, and childrens bodies were tossed into huge piles of bodies and burned. For the Jews, meal times were the most important event of each day. After morning roll call, the Jewish people would be given their morning meal which was an imitation coffee or herbal tea. For lunch prisoners may have been given watery soup. If they were lucky, they might get a very small piece of a turnip or a potato peel. In the evening prisoners may have been given a small piece of black bread; they may also have received a tiny piece of sausage, or some marmalade or cheese. Marmalade was generally a fruit preserve made from the juice a nd peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The bread was supposed to last the prisoners for the morning also, so prisoners would try to hide it with them while the slept so that no one would steal their food and so that they can eat small bits at a time without getting yelled at or beaten. Hunger was one of the greatest problems. The deficient rations were merely intended to keep the prisoners alive. The Nazis did not provide prisoners with sufficient nutrition to carry out heavy manual work. Many thousands died from starvation or illnesses brought on by lack of nutrition. The Nazis crammed the Jews in very poorly made barracks to sleep. The Nazis spit on the Jews and they treated them worse than the Blacks were treated in the USA during the early years of building America. One of Wiesels strengths in Night is to show the full terror of dehumanization, the Jews had to go through. It is something that the Nazis perpetrated against the people they imprisoned. The tattooing of numbers on the prisoners, something that Elie notes, is important. A- 7713 is by definition an example of dehumanization because it steals the human out of the word humanity. The brutality that the Nazis committed on their prisoners is another example of dehumanization. The public beatings, the hanging of prisoners and making others walk past them, as well as the selection process are all examples of dehumanization. When Elie had to run at full speed to avoid being noticed during one of the selection processes, it is a reminder, it shows just how large dehumanization played a role in the Holocaust. Even in actions that the Nazis took towards Jewish people before the extermination, dehumanization was present. Being forced to wear the Yellow Star and the dramatic and almost immediate forced movements into the ghettos are all examples of dehumanization that the Nazis executed. Wiesel shows th e true horror of dehumanization to impact the relationships between Jewish people. Wiesel makes the claim that the terror of the Holocaust existed in how everyone dehumanized one another. Moshe the Beadle one of the first characters that get brought up in this book. His Role was not just a little boy in a book that got banished for telling myths. Moshe the Beadle is a symbol of dehumanization. During the first few chapters he is dehumanized by the people of Sighet. When he comes back to tell them what he experienced, he is dehumanized in the way that he is discredited and banished. Moshe the Beadle represents barbarize within Germany by the treatment he receives. This process continues in the train when the men on the train beat up Madame Schà ¤chter. When she exclaims that she sees fire, she is not heard. Rather, she is told to shut up and then forcibly beaten into silence. Once again, dehumanization is evident in how victims of evil treat one another. Throughout the camps, exampl es of children abandoning parents, people betraying one another, and aloneness dominating human actions until survival is all that remains are examples of dehumanization in the book. These examples show that the Holocaust happened because individuals dehumanized one another. In seeing, human beings as less than human beings, individuals were able to treat one another with a lack of dignity and voice. Elie struggled with his faith is a conflict in the book. In the beginning, His faith in god was undoubtedly pure. His belief in an almighty, benevolent God is unconditional, and he cannot imagine living without faith in a supreme higher power. During the Holocaust, His faith was definitely shaken up by the events that he had to endure. Elies belief in the divine and that God is good, his studies taught him, God is everywhere in the world, therefore the world must therefore be good. Elies faith in the good will of the world is irreversibly shaken, however, by the cruelty and evil he endu red during the Holocaust. He imagines that the concentration camps are unbelievable, disgusting cruelty could possibly reflect divinity. He thinks that if the world is so disgusting and cruel, then God either must be disgusting and cruel or must not exist at all. In one of Nights most famous passages, Eliezer states, Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. It is the idea of Gods silence that he finds most troubling, as this description of an event at Buna reveals: as the Gestapo hangs a young boy, a man asks, Where is God? yet the only response is total silence throughout the camp. After reading this book, I noticed that Wiesels work indicates that anytime voice is silenced, dehumanization is the result. This becomes its own end that must be stopped at all costs. Elie has a powerful way to explain what he had to go through to become a free person again. It just makes you wonder what pushes someone to mass murder a group of people or to turn a whole nation against one group or kind of people just because they are different.

The Avian Flu Virus in Chicken :: virus illness china Essays

The Avian Flu Virus in Chicken There are only ten more days until we celebrate our biggest holiday of the year, Chinese New Year. It is the year of the monkey, the monkey in our culture is supposed to be very lively and mischievous and full of energy. It has been three months since I had chicken, I have been eating fish and vegetables, but I really miss eating chicken meat. In our village where there are 20 families, 14 families are in the business of selling poultry to support their income, many of them also sold eggs to supplement their income. Our village has a population of 125, yet ten of the villagers have been diagnosed as having the avian flu virus, more commonly known as the H5N1 virus and of them, three had already died because of this virus. Everyone in our village is on edge as we are afraid of whether we will be the next one infected with the virus or not. Today I am going to the market to buy flowers, red meat, fruits and red envelopes to help my parents to get our house ready for the New Year. The mood in the market is the same as normal, there are more businesses than usual because everyone is busied trying to prepare for the New Year. If a visitor came to our village for a visit, the visitor would not notice any difference in our village life. However, underneath that normal exterior, something is very wrong in our village. Normally, the market is the busiest as people flocked to buy chicken and eggs so that they can cook for the New Year. The place where usually I have to shout and push my way so that I could buy a chicken from that place is now emptied. I could even hear my own echo when I shouted which disturbed me very much, I never thought that I could hear my own voice. As I walked back from the market, I stop by my neighbor and friend's house, Ngoc, to say hello to her. Her little brother, Tuan, was one of the victims of the avian flu, but unfortunately, he did not make it. I came inside her house and went to her back yard where she is holding a chicken that her father had just killed, while on the floor, there are more than 150 dead birds laying on the ground. The Avian Flu Virus in Chicken :: virus illness china Essays The Avian Flu Virus in Chicken There are only ten more days until we celebrate our biggest holiday of the year, Chinese New Year. It is the year of the monkey, the monkey in our culture is supposed to be very lively and mischievous and full of energy. It has been three months since I had chicken, I have been eating fish and vegetables, but I really miss eating chicken meat. In our village where there are 20 families, 14 families are in the business of selling poultry to support their income, many of them also sold eggs to supplement their income. Our village has a population of 125, yet ten of the villagers have been diagnosed as having the avian flu virus, more commonly known as the H5N1 virus and of them, three had already died because of this virus. Everyone in our village is on edge as we are afraid of whether we will be the next one infected with the virus or not. Today I am going to the market to buy flowers, red meat, fruits and red envelopes to help my parents to get our house ready for the New Year. The mood in the market is the same as normal, there are more businesses than usual because everyone is busied trying to prepare for the New Year. If a visitor came to our village for a visit, the visitor would not notice any difference in our village life. However, underneath that normal exterior, something is very wrong in our village. Normally, the market is the busiest as people flocked to buy chicken and eggs so that they can cook for the New Year. The place where usually I have to shout and push my way so that I could buy a chicken from that place is now emptied. I could even hear my own echo when I shouted which disturbed me very much, I never thought that I could hear my own voice. As I walked back from the market, I stop by my neighbor and friend's house, Ngoc, to say hello to her. Her little brother, Tuan, was one of the victims of the avian flu, but unfortunately, he did not make it. I came inside her house and went to her back yard where she is holding a chicken that her father had just killed, while on the floor, there are more than 150 dead birds laying on the ground.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Lawrence Durrells Zero and Asylum in the Snow :: Wallpaper Asylum gilman Durrell Essays

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Lawrence Durrell's "Zero and Asylum in the Snow" Society is a close-knit unit of individuals who unknowingly conform to an ideal set by them. The ideal that I speak of is not set in stone, but is ever changing, as is society. This changing ideal appears to be threatened by individual thinkers who rebel against social norms and who refuse to support conformity. This rebellion is exemplified in "The Yellow Wallpaper," written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and in Lawrence Durrell's story, "Zero and Asylum in the Snow." These stories both involve characters that are labelled as sick in relation to the people who 'mesh' well with society. Society, however, has peculiar methods of healing these characters and succeeds only to force them further away from reality and deeper into a conscious dream world. 'Conscious' in the previous line, refers to how one may dream while awake, yet no outsider may become involved in the dream. A dream world is not necessarily a bad place to dwell, and is only perceived as being bad because not everyone can freely enter its walls. Moreover, the walls are unique to each dreamer, therefore, are transparent. This uniqueness is shown in the short stories I am focusing on. For Durrell, the walls were as white as snow, and for Gilman they are covered in crude yellow wallpaper. When reading these stories, it is easy for one to become confused. It is difficult for the reader to understand exactly what is trying to be said, because these stories are so personal. Durrell and Gilman attempt to give some form of insight into their characters minds, but we as readers are restricted by our thoughts. How can we conceive another's dream world? It is possible only through an open mind; one must not think that the author is talking about nonsense, for this way of thinking proves the success society has in grooming our thoughts to fit within its standards. In "Zero and Asylum in the Snow," we are introduced to a character that seems to be rambling to some unknown person about nonsensical illusions of snow, farmyards, Christianity, and five other existing characters. As one progresses through the story, one realizes that the snow Durrell writes of is everywhere. It surrounds the character, which is later revealed to be Durrell himself, and "chimes about [them] and [he] can do nothing, nothing.

The Problem and Its Settings

Chapter I: The Problem and its Settings â€Å"You do anything long enough to escape the habit of living until the escape becomes the habit. † ~ David Ryan Introduction Internet and online game addiction, sometimes referred to as cyberspace addiction or online addiction, can manifest itself in many ways in today's teens. If your daughter/son/sister/brother just spent an entire beautiful weekend updating his/her page on Facebook, playing online games on Y8, playing Vice City, battling on WarCraft foregoing a trip with the family to an amusement park or mall, he/she may be showing signs of addiction. The Internet is a seductive place, especially for today's linked-in teens who are far more likely to add graffiti to their friend's Facebook wall than they are to actually get on their bicycle and ride over to that same friend's house. You have to admit it would be a challenge to connect face-to-face with someone you've never met in person and who lives in a different time zone. Therein lies the problem. The Internet is perfect for teens. Today's social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter let them represent themselves as whomever, or whatever, they want. Everything is edited by them, chosen specifically to present the face they want the world to see. And if they decide to change that face, then they just delete some pictures, add some new friends, and voila! – new person! Experts say that as many as 10 percent of Internet users may be considered addicted, although some mental health professionals balk at using that term in a clinical sense. They argue that an activity can only be addictive when it causes a certain type of chemical reaction in the brain, and that's hard to determine. But when you're arguing with a teen about the amount of time she's spending online and she just can't get her paper done because her Instant Messenger keeps alerting her something new and exciting is happening with her best friend, then call it what you like, it's a problem – for you, the child, and the entire family. Many parents feel torn, though, about limiting their children's time on the computer. If a teen is struggling socially, some parents believe any human interaction, even through the computer, is preferable to none. And with teens that are risk-takers or have questionable taste in friends, some parents feel they can better monitor and keep their children safe by letting them stay home, downloading music files and creating quizzes for their Web pages. And many parents just want to avoid the tantrums, the cold shoulder, or the arguments that flare whenever the issue of computer time management comes up. Background of the Study Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support email. Online game, a game played over some form of  computer network. This almost always means the  Internet  or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current:  modems  before the Internet, and hard wiredterminals  before modems. The expansion of online gaming has reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local networks to the Internet and the growth of Internet access itself. Online games can range from simple text based games to games incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many players simultaneously. Many online games have associated  online communities, making online games a form of social activity beyond single player games. The rising popularity of  Flash  and  Java  led to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging  Flash  as a pre-installed component of  IE, the Internet began to shift from a data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like  World of Warcraft,  Final Fantasy XI  and  Lineage II  charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as  Guild Wars  offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on-site sponsors, while others, like  RuneScape, or  Tibia  let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members. Addiction, can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it. Pleasure, enjoyment or relief from actual or perceived ailments would have originally been sought; however, over a period of time involvement with the substance or activity is needed to feel normal. Some psychology professionals and many laypeople now mean ‘addiction' to include abnormal psychological dependency on such things as gambling, video games, food, sex, pornography, computers, internet, work, exercise, adrenaline, idolizing, watching TV or certain types of non-pornographic videos, spiritual obsession, self-injury and shopping. The  American Society of Addiction Medicine  begins their definition of addiction by describing it as â€Å"a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Statement of the Problem

Avengers Assemble (Loki and Black Widdow

Jennifer Reed The Avengers Assemble Essay The Avengers Assemble Film (2012), directed by Joss Whedon, is a superhero film which is produced by Marvel Studios. The movie follows 7 iconic Marvel characters, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Dr Bruce Banner aka Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson). All the characters join together on their mission to save the Earth from the villain, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).The film is set on a spaceship. The budget for the film was $220,000,000 and managed to get 1. 5 billion box offices. In the essay I will be analysing the scene where Black Widow Interrogates Loki in the Prison. I will be looking at two of the micro features, Mise en Scene and Cinematography. Mise en Scene, includes three aspects, setting, performance and movement, and costumes and props. The second micro feature, cinematography includes, camerawork, colours, and lighting. The start of the scene is set on a Spaceship in modern day time.The camera is on a panning shot on Loki’s face, the lighting on his face is shadowed to show the mystery and uncertainty of his character. He senses that black widow is behind him and his facial expression shows happiness in the fact that he wanted her to be there. When black widow is shown on screen, the shot used is a long shot, this suggests that she is exposed to Loki and there is no where for her to hide. However, low key lighting is used on her, which means there could be a hidden intention she has.The costume widow is wearing is black and very fitting and tight on her body frame, which proposes that she is a character of trust, authority, and order. Reverse shot is used for the vast majority of their conversation, and then the camera pans as Widow walks towards Loki in the prison this could mean that she has no fear of the villain. Long shot is used on Loki to show that he is now being exposed an d questioned by Widow, the lighting is artificial in the prison and all of Loki can be seen, yet his facial expressions still shows that he still has the power between the both of them.Though when both characters walk backwards and sit down while having their conversation, the power is equal between because of their body posture is at an equal level. The lighting on Widow’s face is shadowed while talking about her past, whereas Loki’s face and body is high lit. This shows that he still may have the upper hand. When he speaks the camera is on him and it is also a long shot which emphasises the prison he is kept in. Compared to the prison, Loki seems very small and lost whilst in it.This puts forward that he is actually not as powerful as he makes out to be, it shows that he is the one really exposed and the lighting all around and on him suggests that all his true colours are being revealed. Through out this section of the scene, their tones of voice are calm and equiva lent, so it’s still uncertain who has the power. When Loki questions â€Å"What are you now? † Widow stands up and folds her arms, so her posture is now closed which then directly suggests she now has the power, and is not willing to reveal anymore about herself.Medium close up shot is used on Loki when he reveals something he knows about her. Then it switches to Widow on a close up shot on her face to emphasise her worried and shocked eye contact whilst Loki is speaking about her secrets. The more he reveals the wider her eyes become to create an impact of fear. Loki then stands up to show that the power has now switched to him. A low angle shot is used on his face to show authority and that he is in charge.His tone in his voice becomes confident, powerful and loud as he walks Paige Cuthbertson over to Widow. The lighting of his face is shadowed which shows that he has more to reveal. The camera then goes to Widow whilst in his raging speech and in the reflection of t he glass prison is Loki’s face, this way the audience is able to see both characters facial expressions and this impacts a lot of power, because even though the camera is not on Loki, it’s easy to make out on the shadow of his reflection the passion and aggression he has.The cut is then quickly switched to the other team members of the assembles as they are working, with the monologue of Loki over it, his volume and tone of his voice becomes quieter and softer, though still stern and powerful. The camera is panned on Iron man, and the Hulk as they are working then on other members of the overall team, as Loki is talking about them being liars and killers, this part of the scene may create an oppositional reading to the viewers. This makes them question whether what Loki is saying is actually right.The low camera angle on Nick Fury insinuates that he is in charge of the â€Å"lying and killing. † Captain America is shown looking at his costume, his face and costu me are both in focus which suggests the importance of both of them. His facial expression shows that he is questioning what he is doing, which makes the viewers think that maybe the superheroes aren’t doing the right thing. The cut changes to Loki loudly banging on the window, and finally showing his true intentions and plans, when explaining what he is going to do to Hawkeye.The camera pans to a low angle shot on Loki’s face this impacts the fact that he is high in power and control. It also encourages he has power, when the close up on Widow’s face shows wide eyes and glistening in her eyes. To conclude, in the scene I have been analysing it has all been about power and authority. Throughout the scene, the switching of powers between the characters is greatly enhanced. I believe the audience would react to the film in a positive way and just from the scene I have been analysing would want to find out more. Just from a 3-4 minute scene there is a lot of intense and powerful moments.

Ramsey S. Cotron

ORTHOPEDIC CONSULTATION Patient Name: Ramsey S. Cotron Patient ID: 023672 DOB: 03/15/—- Age: 2 Sex: Male Consultant: Jessie D. Smith, MD, Orthopedics Requesting Physician: Reed Phillips, MD, Pediatrics Date of Consult: 10/01/—- Reason for Consult: Infected Finger. HISTORY: Ramsey is an otherwise healthy 2-year-old Lebanese child who had an injury to the distal failing of his right middle finger the day prior to being seen. The patient is left-hand dominant. The patient was brought to Dr. Phillips of Pediatrics secondary to worsening redness as well as infection of the nail bed.Orthopedics consult was requested on 09/30/—- for possible paronychia. The patient at that time was having no fevers or chills and he was tolerating his antibiotic regiment well. PAST MEDICAL SURGICAL HISTORY: None other than circumcision shortly after birth. BIRTH HISTORY: Normal full-term vaginal delivery. FAMILY HISTORY: Non-contributory. SOCIAL HISTORY: Patient lives with his mother and a sibling, Father deceased. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: Ramsey is alert, oriented, playful, and in no apparent distress. The patient does have erythema surrounding the tip of his right distal failings, middle finger. There is mild purulent from the area.The area is minimally tender to palpation. The nail appears to be lifting off from the nail bed itself. He has good capillary refill and has good flexion and extension of that finger. (Continued) ORTHOPEDIC CONSULTATION Patient Name: Ramsey S. Cotron Patient ID: 023672 Date of Consult: 10/01/—- Page 2 ASSESSMENT: This is a 2-year-old male with paronychia. PLAN: Follow up with me at 9am tomorrow. Mother was given my pager number should the patient’s condition worsen overnight. I will be in touch with Dr. Phillips. _______________________ Jessie D. Smith, MD, Orthopedics JS: D:10/01/—- T:11/14/2012 C: Reed Phillips, MD, Pediatrics

Women in “Merchant of Venice” Essay

In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, there are many controversies over religion and friendship, but the idea of the play that interested me the most was the role of women. The two women that are in this play take on the role of the saviors of the men who seem helpless and hopeless compared to them. Influences of the Radical Feminist Perspective in The Merchant of Venice Angela Caravella 2006 The role that women play within many Shakespearian plays often highlights their perseverance, strength, and intelligence. This perhaps indicates the playwright’s understanding that women should be on equal ground with men. However, the conclusion of his works lead to the powerful, independent woman settling back into society with her husband. Within the play The Merchant of Venice, the female characters achieve amazing deeds to â€Å"clean up† the messes that their husbands had made and achieve their own goals, only to return to their subordinate positions as wives. Portia, Nerissa and Jessica’s assumption of the male form to move unnoticed between Belmont and Venice allowed them a glimpse into the world of feministic ideals. In later scenes, when Portia and Nerissa push the boundaries of their disguise, they specifically emphasize the nature of radical feminism. The altering of Portia, Nerissa, and Jessica’s gender to suit the society of Venice is a direc t spat in the face of the patriarchy within the environment of The Merchant of Venice. Unfortunately, the overarching ideals of the world at this time are able to recapture their stranglehold on Jessica, Portia, and Nerissa. The construct of feminism is based upon the woman’s struggle in society for social, political, and economic equality with men. Feminism seeks to eliminate the notion of sexism, which is the degradation, oppression, and subordination of women (http://www.feministissues.com/radical_feminism.html). Feminism possesses many subcategories that focus on specific areas within the sphere of women’s inequality tin conjunction to men. One sub category, radical feminism, concerns itself with the idea that society is influenced by a male dominated or patriarchal hierarchy. Under this school of thought, the patriarchy can be described as â€Å"the division of rights, privileges and power primarily by gender, as a result of oppressing women and privileging men. A radical feminist essentially believes that they are oppressed on the single ideal that the gender of a woman is inferior and it can be considered that to alter one’s gender would be a radical feminist activity. The method in which the patriarchy is exercised upon women exists in physical and psychological forms through the physical action of deeds invariably leads to the psychological acceptance of the female’s role as subordinate. Women must adhere to several physical standards that obey the guidelines that determine the feminine form. They must be of the desirable body type, with small and graceful movements confined within an invisible enclosed space that is modestly dressed and eyes cast downward (Bartky, 67-69). Conversely, men with regards to space, take up as much of an area as possible that he influences unlike a woman who tends to be a victim of her environment. A woman who does not conform to such stringent standards is often termed by society as a â€Å"lo ose† woman or bad influence. This type of woman has already been accounted for under the patriarchal system. She is of less stature than women who adhere to the proper code of conduct and society has marker her for disgrace: â€Å"Her looseness is manifest not only in her morals, but in her manner of speech, and literally in the free and easy way she moves† (68). Eye contact is another physical action in which the proper woman makes little of so as to not challenge the man to whom she converses with. The loose woman again is seen as a threat to social norms because she looks at whatever and whomever she solicits her attention (68). When an action has been performed by the woman to displease a man a great deal of suffering ensues. The man himself may deny intimacy if he is unsatisfied with a female’s performance but the woman too punishes herself for having defiled the expectations placed on her by the patriarchy. â€Å"The depth of [these] women’s shame is a measure of the extent to which all women have internalized patriarchal standards of bodily acceptability† (77). Since women have made patriarchal values part of their inner psychological being, it is difficult to not feel the ramifications of feministic practices within one’s self. Within the play, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, the three female characters: Jessica, Portia and Nerissa’s experience with differing levels of the influence of the patriarchy upon their radical fem inist actions taken throughout the play. The radical feminist perspective  has a focus on gender inequality, so to defy traditional societal norms of gender; for example, cross-dressing might be a physical action that a woman could perform as a method of control, empowerment and activism to promote this ideal. The female characters Jessica, Nerissa and Portia all engage in cross-dressing however, each woman uses this activity to achieve different aims as well as possess varying opinions regarding its use. Within Act II Scene 6 of the play, Jessica assumes the form of a man so that she may escape from her father’s grasp and elope with Lorenzo. I am glad ’tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much ashamed of my exchange. But love is blind, and lovers cannot see ,The pretty follies that themselves commit For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me transformed to a boy†¦ What, must I hold a candle to my shames? They in themselves, good sooth, are too too light. Why, ’tis an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured (Shakespeare, 2.6, 36-40,42-44). Jessica is embarrassed by the disguise of a page to flee which exemplifies how tight the patriarchal ideals are bound to her personality. She is almost unable to save herself and exercise her own will when she realizes that she must pretend to be a man. When Portia and Nerissa cross-dress, the opinion is quite different or at least not indicated by Shakespeare. When we are both accounted like y oung men, I’ll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with the braver grace, And speak between the change of man and boy With reed voice; and turn two mincing steps ,Into a manly stride; and speak of frays Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies, How honourable ladies sought my love, Which I denying, they fell sick and died-†¦(3.4,63-71). These characters â€Å"neatly solve a knotty legal problem† for Antonio and Bassanio under the guise of male lawyers (Jardine, 30). In their form they are able to manipulate the course of action within the courtroom as well as outside it by attracting ladies’ attention and convincing Bassanio and Gratiano to give up Portia and Nerissa’s rings. By defying their genders to enter into the male-dominated society in Venice they enact the essence of radical feminism. Portia and Nerissa do not hold shame for their actions that could be an indication of their lack of concern for patriarchal values but also an interest in saving the life of Antonio because he has a deep relationship with Bassanio. The most powerful point of Portia and Nerissa’s  activity as lawyers in Venice is that they are able to move undetected in society and achieve their goals. This activity deconstructs the male hierarchy because they achieve more than what Bassanio, Antonio or Shylock cou ld accomplish within the courtroom. As men these women were capable of accomplishing astonishing deeds since they were out of the realm of low expectations placed on women. To further strengthen the radical feminist philosophy, Portia and Nerissa are able to obtain power over the men so as to adjust the gender imbalance while not shrouded under the garb worn by men as well. â€Å"Portia’s clothes effect no metamorphosis on her spirit, the lawyer was never a lady, although the lady is always something of a lawyer (Dusinberre, 267-268). While Belmont can be considered more liberal in regards to women’s equality there is at lease one decree that remains steadfast, Portia’s marriage as determined from the casket test. Portias father’s power over his daughter even in death is a testament to the control men have in the affairs of women, as though they were property and not human beings. According to her father’s will, Portia’s husband will be the man who chooses the correct casket that contains a picture of Portia. â€Å"Oh, me, the word, â€Å"choose†! I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father† (Shakespeare,1.2,22-24). While the casket selection appears to be a strict stipulation, the clever Portia deciphers a method in which she can still have an influence upon the man that she marries. Portia â€Å"accepts† the fact that she must marry Bassanio after he selects the lead cask et as the fulfillment of her father’s desires. She was able to tip the scales of the decision-making process in her favor so that she could choose her husband by discreetly providing clues to indicate the correct casket. â€Å"Let music sound while he doth make his choice†¦Let us all ring fancy’s knell I’ll begin it- Ding, Dong, bell. Ding, Dong, bell† (3.2, 43, 69-71). Superficially, the situation relates to the overarching patriarchy and its strength; Portia however, acts to work against the oppressive contract she is bound to and chart the course of the selection of her husband (Dusinberre, 85). In addition to the creation of an equilibrium over her destiny by means of manipulation of her father’s will, both Portia and Nerissa are able to exercise some means of assurance that they will keep their husbands with the ring test. The concept of loyalty of the men towards the women embodied  within a ring serves as a form of commitment and gives the full right to end at the engagement of marriage should such a keepsake be misplaced. The promise Bassanio and Gratiano make to Portia and Nerissa respectively regarding the rings as strong a contract for the women as a legal bond similar to Shylock and Antonio’s agreement (Phialas, 145). When Portia and Nerissa call attention to the loss of the rings to Bassanio and Gratiano, they show signs of distraught and anger so much as to deny them their love. This exercises the feministic perspective because they are able to use as much discretion a man could in the gaining and subsequent dismissal of their fiancà ©s. Feministic values are highly prominent in the play The Merchant of Venice, especially those including the radical feminist concept of a patriarchal society. The female characters were able to utilize the activity of cross-dressing to carry out the bu siness they needed so that their lives might be more bearable while under the control of men within society. Not all of the characters felt empowered by their action to become men, a sense of shame accompanied Jessica during her course as a man. Portia and Nerissa were able to humble their future husbands to provide an equal ground for both couples with the ring test. Portia also even made it possible to guide the husband selection decision to suit her interests. The constant varying tension between the male and female characters in their struggle for dominance over the other indicates that Shakespeare had a deep and profound knowledge of the dynamic between men and women. Portia is the heroine of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. A rich, beautiful, and intelligent heiress, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father’s will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose between three caskets composed of gold, silver and lead. If they choose the right casket – the casket containing Portia’s portrait – they win Portia’s hand in marriage. If they choose the wrong casket, they must leave and never seek another woman in marriage. Portia is glad when two suitors, one driven by greed and another by vanity, fail to choose correctly. She favours Bassanio, a young Venetian noble, but is not allowed to give him any clues to assist in his choice. Later in the play, she disguises herself a s a man, then assumes the role of a lawyer’s apprentice (named Balthazar) whereby she saves the life of Bassanio’s friend, Antonio, in court. Portia is one of the most prominent and appealing of the heroines in Shakespeare’s mature  romantic comedies. She is beautiful, gracious, rich, intelligent, and quick-witted, with high standards for her potential romantic partners. She obeys her father’s will, while steadfastly seeking to obtain Bassanio. She demonstrates tact to the Princes of Morocco and Aragon, who unsuccessfully seek her hand. In the court scenes, Portia finds a technicality in the bond, thereby outwitting Shylock and saving Antonio’s life when everyone else fails. Yet, she also shows immense injustice and cruelty towards the figure of Shylock and those who are sympathetic with Shylock see her as the epitome of blunt, barbaric, Christian primitivism. It is Portia who delivers one of the most famous speeches in The Merchant of Venice: Th e quality of mercy is not strain’d. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Despite Portia’s lack of formal legal training, knowledge ,education,(give lines from text book.)she wins her case by referring to the details of the exact language of the law. Her success involves prevailing on technicalities rather than the merits of the situation. She uses the tactics of what is sometimes called a Philadelphia lawyer. However, the concept of rhetoric and its abuse is also brought to light by Portia – highlighting the idea that an unjust argument may win through eloquence, loopholes and technicalities, regardless of the moral question at hand – and thus provoking the audience to consider that issue. Portia From the first time we meet Portia, we see that she is a very smart woman and that she is looking for a man that has more thoughts in his head than those of money and beauty. She and Nerissa talk of the stupidity of all her suitors and it is very clear that she is looking for a respectable man who will love her for who she is and not for her money. This separates her from the men from the beginning. All the comments that she makes about the men put her on a pedestal compared to them. Just by speaking of men this way she shows that she is just smarter than they are. â€Å"God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker, but he!† (Act I. Scene ii. 56-58). The scenes in which she meets with the  suitors to choose the caskets and to see if they will marry her, she is clearly in the dominant position. She acts like she is a judge in a court and she has all authority over the suitors as they choose the different caskets and find out their fates. â€Å"Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince. If you choose that wherein I am contained, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemnized. But if you fail, without speech, my lord, you must be gone from hence immediately† (II.ix.4-8). She says these lines as a judge would pass down his or her sentence to the defendant found guilty of a crime. She shows herself to be of higher status to the readers and it seems a first to me because I have never read a Shakespeare play in which the women hold dominant roles over the men. Quick-witted, wealthy, and beautiful, Portia embodies the virtues that are typical of Shakespeare’s heroines—it is no surprise that she emerges as the antidote to Shylock’s malice. At the beginning of the play, however, we do not see Portia’s potential for initiative and resourcefulness, as she is a near prisoner, feeling herself absolutely bound to follow her father’s dying wishes. This opening appearance, however, proves to be a revealing introduction to Portia, who emerges as that rarest of combinations—a free spirit who abides rigidly by rules. Rather than ignoring the stipulations of her father’s will, she watches a stream of suitors pass her by, happy to see these particular suitors go, but sad that she has no choice in the matter. When Bassanio arrives, however, Portia proves herself to be highly resourceful, begging the man she loves to stay a while before picking a chest, and finding loopholes in the will’s provision th at we never thought possible. Also, in her defeat of Shylock Portia prevails by applying a more rigid standard than Shylock himself, agreeing that his contract very much entitles him to his pound of flesh, but adding that it does not allow for any loss of blood. Anybody can break the rules, but Portia’s effectiveness comes from her ability to make the law work for her. Portia rejects the stuffiness that rigid adherence to the law might otherwise suggest. In her courtroom appearance, she vigorously applies the law, but still flouts convention by appearing disguised as a man. After depriving Bassanio of his ring, she stops the prank before it goes to far, but still takes it far enough to berate Bassanio and Gratiano for their callousness, and she even insinuates that she has been unfaithful Act 3, Scene 2 Love 7: Bassanio and Portia are clearly in love with one another – they want to marry, but find themselves bound by the arbitrary rule set by her father. Portia doesn’t want to say goodbye to Bassanio forever, so he asks him to delay choosing a chest – if this is going to be the last time she ever sees Bassanio, she wants it to last as long as possible. Bassanio, on the other hand, can’t bear delaying his choice any longer. He can’t bear to live another moment not knowing if he’s going be able to marry Portia and spend the rest of his life with her.Ring: The ring Portia gives to Bassanio as a symbol of their love. He swears he will never part with it, and she uses it to test which of his loves is stronger, his love for her, or his love for his friend Antonio. Act 2 Scene 1:Persecution 3: The Prince of Morocco knows full well that the color of his skin would be an issue with anyone in Portia’s position, but begs her to take other things into consideration. He explains that there are other ways to judge him beyond the colour of his skin, and that in any of those respects, he is more than worthy. Portia says she has accepted the puzzle of the chests, and beyond that she has no interest in the color of his skin.Persecution 4: After the Prince has failed, Portia exclaims her relief that she won’t have to marry a dark-skinned man, and hopes that if any other dark people try to win her hand, they’ll fail just as the Prince had. Portia Like Antonio, Portia is an example of nobility. She is a fair-haired beauty with an immense power to attract. Her goodness and virtue enhance her beauty. Unlike Antonio, she is not passive, but displays energy and determination. In many ways, hers is the more forceful figure in the play. Her authority and control with which she deals and manipulates the circumstances of the play are exemplary. In Belmont, the terms of her father’s will leave her without any choice in her future husband, and she is saddened that she does not have an appropriate mate. As a dutiful daughter, however, she is compelled to accept her father’s wishes. Despite her dissatisfaction with her circumstances, she has a cheerful and optimistic nature. She is clever with words and wit and enjoys the opportunity of performing, both in Belmont and Venice. She uses her wonderful ability with words and her keen sense of humor to enliven the scenes in which she  appears. Her treatment of her money reflect s Bassanio’s belief that money is to be used only in the sense of helping loved ones. She proves she is unselfish and generous. Her happiness and Antonio’s meet in Bassanio. Her ideal of mercy is unselfish generosity and she shows an understanding of Christian values. As a Christian gentlewoman, she considers it her duty to show Shylock the foolishness of his exact interpretation of the law that has no mercy. She dresses as a young lawyer and goes to court to defend Antonio. Like Shylock has demanded, she strictly interprets the law and disallows the Jew from taking a drop of Antonio’s blood when he takes his pound of flesh. Since this is impossible, Shylock begs to just be given money, but Portia is unrelenting. She cites another law that states any alien who tries to take the life of a Venetian is to lose all of his money, which will be split between the state and the person who was to be killed. As a result, Shylock loses all of his wealth. Portia has cleverly tricked Shylock at his own game. Portia is the most multi-dimensional character in the play, alternating between a beautiful woman in the remote setting of Belmont and the authoritative lawyer in Venice, who orchestrates the victory of good over evil. Nerissa Character Analysis Nerissa is Portia’s woman in waiting (read: her sidekick). At the beginning of the play, she acts as a sounding board to Portia. She listens to Portia complain about her life and the unfairness of the casket contest and tells her to suck it up and be glad her father was wise enough to plan for his daughter’s future. This, of course, tells us that Nerissa is a very practical girl. Hmm. This must be why she agrees to marry Graziano if Bassanio can win Portia. Read all about it in our analysis of Graziano. she has patience says good things about her father Act 2, Scene 9 Love 6: Nerissa hopes that the god of love will bless Portia and bring Bassinio to her, since there is no other man who deserves her, and she can’t choose him. She thinks that only the devine intervention of Cupid could possibly bring Bassanio to Portia, and ensure that he chose the correct chest, that only with the help of a god could love overcome blind luck. Nerissa is Portia’s maid. She acts as a backdrop to the wit displayed by Portia. Her long association with her mistress has elevated her mannerisms and behavior to the point that she now acts as a witty and intelligent person. She, too, follows the examples set by Portia in many ways: she marries a gentleman from Venice, she follows Portia to Venice, she assumes the role of a lawyer’s clerk and she takes her ring from her lover. She is to Portia what Gratiano is to Bassanio. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..x†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.X†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Love 9: in order to give her husband a chance to prove his love, Portia tests him by demanding his wedding ring. Bassanio at first balks at the idea, h aving pledged that his wife is more important to him than anything else. Gratiano convinces him to part with the ring, though, assuring Bassanio that his wife will understand. Act 5, Scene 1 Love 10: Portia and Nerissa forgive their husbands for giving up their wedding rings, and return them. Bassanio and Gratiano pledge that no matter what happens, they won’t ever again make anything more important than their wives. Jessica:CHARACTERS Jessica Character Analysis Jessica is Shylock’s only daughter. She breaks her dad’s heart by running off to marry a Christian (Lorenzo) and helps herself to her dad’s ducats and some treasured family heirlooms. Being Shylock’s Daughter Before we dismiss Jessica as a selfish jerk who steals from and abandons her dad, we should keep in mind that life at Shylock’s house is not so great. It becomes even worse when their clown/servant Lancelot leaves: â€Å"I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so,† Jessica says to Lancelot. â€Å"Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, / Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness† (2.3.1). Shakespeare gives us a little taste of life at Shylock’s in Act 2, Scene 5: when Shylock and Jessica appear onstage together, Shylock barks orders at his daughter (while screaming at his servant). He demands that Jessica stay inside and â€Å"lock up [the] doors† so the sounds of music don’t drift in from the streets (2.5.5). OK, we can understand why Jessica wants to get out of Dodge, and she’s certainly not the only Shakespearean daughter to elope. But it does seem pretty cold when she trades her dead mother’s turquoise ring for a monkey after running off with Lorenzo. Her thoughtlessness devastates her father: Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. (3.1.14) Jessica’s Conversion Jessica not only runs away from her father’s house, she also converts to Christianity, and both are portrayed as acts of abandonment. When Lancelot the clown says Jessica is â€Å"damned† to hell because she’s the â€Å"Jew’s daughter,† Jessica declares â€Å"I shall be saved by my husband. He hath made me a Christian† (3.5.3). The idea here is that Jessica’s marriage to a Christian man will automatically make her a Christian too. The concept comes from 1 Corinthians 7:14 in the New Testament: â€Å"The unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband.† As literary critic Janet Adelman points out in Blood Relations, â€Å"marriage appears to occur to [Jessica] largely as a way to escape† being her father’s daughter: Alack, what heinous sin is it in me To be ashamed to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo, If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, Become a Christian and thy loving wife. (2.3.2) Here it becomes clear that Jessica not only hates her father’s rude â€Å"manners† but also associates Shylock’s conduct and behavior with being Jewish, which is why she can’t wait to â€Å"become a Christian.†As the daughter of Shylock, she is compelled to abandon him. The difference in their temperaments has made her circumstances intolerable. She is, although a Jew, as different from her father â€Å"as jet to ivory.† She is more at home with Christian ways than with the austerity of her father’s Jewish house. She likes Launcelot because of his capacity to introduce merriment to an otherwise gloomy household. She shows ingenuity in disguising as a pageboy to effect her elopement. Although guilty of theft and filial ingratitude in betraying her father, she shows an understanding of the moral sins that she has committed. Her drawbacks are mitigated by her loving and exuberant nature, which is similar to Portia’s vivacity and wit.