Vampire Women in Bram Stokers Dracula and Angela Carters The Lady of the House of Love Free Essay Example, 750 words

Vampire Women in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Angela Carter’s â€Å"The Lady of the House of Love† Bram Stoker’s Dracula mirrors the gender and sexual anxieties as well as the cultural fears of the late nineteenth century relating to the perception of women in society, while Angela Carter’s story â€Å"The Lady of the House of Love† portrays the exact same objectification a hundred years later. What Stoker’s and Carter’s vampire women have in common is their quest to escape objectification in order to claim power over their own bodies and an authentic existence. It is believed by most critics that Dracula is a novel that indulges the Victorian male imagination, especially in the sphere of female sexuality. The fact of the matter is that in Victorian England, society had extremely rigid expectations of female sexual behavior. They were offered three roles: the mother, the lunatic and the whore. The mother represented the image of purity and was the so called â€Å"angel of the house†; the lunatic women were considered those who desired more out of their life, who turned to other things than merely their household and for neglecting their family, they were labeled insane; and lastly, the whore was naturally, any woman free enough to explore her own sexuality, and as such, of no consequence to society. We will write a custom essay sample on Vampire Women in Bram Stokers Dracula and Angela Carters The Lady of the House of Love or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Stoker presents his reader with the embodiments of what Victorian society believes a woman should be: pious, innocent and pure. But Dracula threatens to turn pious women like Mina and Lucy, into their opposites, into women noted for their voluptuousness, a word Stoker turns to again and again with an unapologetically open sexual desire. But, the most prominent images of female sexuality let loose are the three ravishingly beautiful vampires: â€Å"In the moonlight opposite me were three young women†¦ There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear. I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips† (Stoker 43). These three women represent both Jonathan Harker’s dream and his nightmare. Moreover, they are the embodiment of a dream and nightmare for the whole Victorian male imagination. These women portray what the Victorian ideal orders women should not be, voluptuous and sexually aggressive. This fact makes their deadly beauty both an open invitation of a sexual fulfillment and a fatal curse. It is evident that these women offer more sexual gratification to young Harker in just two paragraphs than his fiancà ©e Mina does during the entire course of the novel. In the end, it is exactly this sexual aggression on part of the women that threatens to undermine the foundations of a male-dominated society by compromising their ability to maintain control. This is why it is of the utmost importance to label women into the three, previously mentioned types and treat them accordingly, thus purging the Victorian society of any possible threats. The objectification and subjugation of women in Angela Carter’s short story collection The Bloody Chamber is part of the latent content of her exposed version of the traditional fairy tales, of which â€Å"The Lady of the House of Love† could be a loose rewriting of The Sleeping Beauty. â€Å"Wearing an antique bridal gown, the beautiful queen of the vampires sits all alone in her dark, high house† (Carter 84) and she is the only Carter’s heroine who manages to objectify a man, instead of being objectified herself. She is condemned never to be happy with a man because, like a werewolf, her insatiable hunger causes her to kill her potential mates: â€Å"She rises when the sun sets and goes immediately to her table where she plays her game of patience until she grows hungry, until she becomes ravenous. She is so beautiful she is unnatural; her beauty is an abnormality, a deformity†¦ Her beauty is a symptom of her disorder, of her soullessness. † (Carter 85) It is obvious that she, just like Stoker’s three beautiful vampires, is liberated from the conventions of being a female. But, she is shackled by her own hunger. In addition, her story allows the readers to view the other side of the objectification, and how it harms both parties: â€Å"The blood on the Countess’ cheeks will be mixed with tears† (Carter 87). She is the proof that liberation is not for everyone, it is only for the strong ones, those who are aware of the fact that going against conventions and society results in one being an outcast, an undesirable part of the society he willingly shunned. Accordingly, the Countess falls into the whore type of the Victorian female differentiation, because she chooses to explore her sexuality, but at the same time, realizes that she is stuck doing Sisyphus work. Even though the three vampire women were not given a deeper insight by Stoker, they still represent a powerful image of female liberation. In the same manner, Carter’s Countess lives her liberated life in solitude and constant wait for the hunger to become unbearable. Freeing oneself from the shackles of conventions is difficult, but continuing one’s life afterwards, is sometimes even harder. References: Carter, Angela. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. Print. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc, 2003. Print.

The Use of and Elipse to Help Pool Player - 680 Words

Architecture, games, astronomy and medicine have something in common, even if it’s not obvious at first sight. What connects these different areas is called Conic Sections. Where do they come from? Conic Sections are figures formed by the intersection of a plane and a right circular cone. A conic section may be a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola . They were first discovered by a Greek mathematician, Menaechmus. He wanted to come up with a model that showed all three different conic sections. With the help of Appollonius, they came up with the â€Å"Double Napped Cone†, which clearly shows all three different shapes. In this project, I’m going to study and analyze specifically the ellipse. What is an ellipse? It’s the set of points on a plane whose sum of the distance of two fixed points is constant . The main parts on an ellipse are: center, foci and vertices. The focus is the most important and the most used in real life. The foci determine the shape of the ellipse, therefore the vertices, endpoints, major axis and minor axis. The ellipse is found mostly in architecture and astronomy. For example, in London, the St. Paul Cathedral has an elliptical form. Studies have proven that if two people stand at the two foci, and one of them whispers, the other guy can hear it clearly. In astronomy, lots of people confuse ellipse with eclipse; THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS! The ellipse is very useful to astronomers because it defines the distance between the sun

Comparison Essay in Cold Blood Free Essays

Comparison Essay: â€Å"In Cold Blood† Film Book In Cold Blood is a 1967 film directed by Richard Brooks. The film is based on the book by Truman Capote, having the same title as the film. The closeness and accuracy of events between the book and the film are tied closely together. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison Essay: in Cold Blood or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some of the film was actually shot on location where the fatal Clutter murders took place. While reading the book, the reader learns that Capote uses a form of writing that could be difficult to portray in a film setting. As the storyline in â€Å"In Cold Blood† progresses, Capote shifts scenes to show the Clutter’s in their everyday routine, as well as the killers as they approach their victims. Brooks does an excellent job shifting scenes in the film, but not so much that it becomes confusing to the viewer. Although the book and film are closely related, there are a couple of differences that are quite noticeable and could in fact change a viewer/reader’s opinion of the book and or film. The character descriptions in Capote’s book are much stronger than those of Brooks’. The two sources also have two different endings. The character descriptions by Capote are very strong. Almost the entire first half of the book is dedicated to describing the Clutter family and the two killers. By describing in such depth, Capote allows the reader to form some sort of feeling towards the character. For instance, Herb Clutter was described as a good friend, boss, husband, and father. Capote writes, â€Å"He was, however, the community’s most widely known citizen, prominent both there and in Garden City and his name was everywhere respectfully recognized among Midwestern agriculturists, as it was in certain Washington offices† (6). He not only does this with Mr. Clutter, but he describes every family member in great detail. Nancy Clutter was widely known throughout Holcomb, and was basically the All-American child. As for Mrs. Clutter, her description was rather important. The fact that she was not mentally stable and remained sick most of the time aided in her vulnerability at the time of the murders. The analysis of each character enables the reader to feel for the Clutter family and come to the realization that they were just like any other American family; not criminals, wrong-doers, or anything of the sort. Not only does Capote describe the Clutter family, he takes a lot of time to figure out the criminals behind the murders. Dick Hickcock and Perry Smith are very well analyzed in throughout the novel. Basically their whole life stories and every move they made in order to reach the Clutter’s were documented in Capote’s book. In the film, on the other hand, the viewer sees slightly into the lives of the Clutter family, but the director does not describe each character individually. Without this insight, a viewer who has not read the novel may not feel the same way about the family’s tragedy. Knowing more about them would give the viewer a better understanding of what the family was like, and as to why exactly the killers went through with the awful act. The character descriptions in both the movie and the book are in fact different and cause different reactions to each. Not only are the details different in the film and the book, they actually have different ways of ending. Capote closes his novel with a scene located at a cemetery. This scene differs from the movie in that Brooks ended his work with the hanging of Dick and Perry. This conclusion was probably done for dramatic effect, as are most films. Capote’s ending to the novel was a more emotional approach to concluding the Clutter case. How to cite Comparison Essay: in Cold Blood, Essays

Carpe Diem free essay sample

Today on my to-do list I have to write my admissions essay, get my portfolio and resume together, actually finish school, and get my mind around the fact that I am going to be in a different world very soon. About a year and a half earlier than regular high school students, in fact. Yes, this is solely by choice but it’s still a big wall to get around. I realize that I won’t have my parents to do my laundry. I won’t get to come home and hug my dad before bed each night. (Yes, I’m still a Daddy’s girl, and proud!) I’ll have to be around people I really don’t know at all. For the most part I’m pretty self sufficient. I’m ok with going to eat by myself, studying alone, not having anyone to push me to do needed tasks, and setting a schedule for myself. Right now all of this seems so exciting, but when I actually get to college I think it’s going to hit me. I sit here and think to myself: wow, this is it. This is the time that teenagers yearn for, strive for, and live for. They keep going for the moment they get to drive away in their car and go live life on their own and go to college. They can’t wait for this step into a life by themselves.. I’m ready for this transition, or at least I lead myself to believe that I am. But it’s the petty things that are really getting to me. Such as: while living in the dorm is there going to be drama, just like in high school? (I went to a public high school for one year and had some horrible but needed experiences.) Am I possibly going to fail a class? Are all the stories true about getting slammed with homework constantly? My social life lacks, but will I even have time for that anymore? Will I smell constantly because I forget to do my laundry? I’ll be 17 ye ars old and in college. Is this one year of age difference going to make a huge discrepancy? It’s January 2, 2008 and I plan on graduating in mid-February. In my world that I’ve created for myself and set myself in, that really isn’t a long time at all. I have consumed myself with homework so much in the past year that 24 hours is not enough to accomplish everything my mind wants to. I sit back and think about all the time that I’ve spent preparing myself for the moment that I’d be done with high school. I think about how a year ago I was a sophomore, preparing to graduate at the beginning of the next year and go to college in the fall. I sit back and think about how I have stuck to this schedule religiously. I have allowed myself to miss out on high school dances, a teenage social life, and a chunk of adolescence because of my hatred that I grew for public schools and my â€Å"carpe-diem† like drive. A year ago I was living in the suburbs of Chicago not really going anywhere with my life. Now I live in Brentwood, Tennessee and it’s just the opposite. I miss Chicago dearly, and I still refer to it as home, but when I add it all up, as much as I didn’t want to move a year ago I realize how much of a positive impact it has had on my life. If I hadn’t moved a year ago I wouldn’t be sitting here today writing this. All I would care about would be friends and what I would be doing this weekend. If I had not moved to the Nashville area I don’t think I’d be pursuing Belmont with this much intensity. I’m very surprised that I’m not passing out from exhaustion everyday. I know good and well that I’m pushing myself. But it is absolutely amazing the lengths that you can exert your body and mind to. I have pushed myself to finish classes that were meant to be finished in a school year in two weeks. I retain everything I learn and get A’s and B’s in my c lasses. I have discovered just how much I wasn’t doing before I started home schooling. I thought I knew what it was like to be under pressure before a year ago. In all reality I had absolutely no idea. I’ve never liked big crowds. I’m much more of an intimate, one on one person. I actually tend to get intimidated in large groups and become standoffish and shy if I don’t know the people all that well. That’s one reason why I chose to home school myself. Not only do I not mind being alone in a work environment I do better when it’s just me or a small amount of people around me. I can stay focused and feel more secure. With Belmont being a smaller college than most I think it would really appeal to me. Through this whole finishing school matter I’m also faced with my dad having cancer. It has been a long, hard road for the past two years of his battle. Sadly, it’s still not over. I have had so many hospital visits with my dad t hat I have learned how to understand doctor speak and even where they keep the free drinks hidden. As I sit here and realize the extremity of this matter it hits me: this is not just a learning experience. This is a loving experience. To get to the good things in life you first have to go through the bad. But it’s going to be the hardest thing I ever do to leave my dad. I know I won’t leave him, leave him, I’ll only be 20 minutes away, but I won’t be in the house constantly anymore. I won’t be home for dinner every night. I won’t be under the same rules. Belmont is my absolute first choice for college, especially at this point in my life. I don’t want to and I don’t think I physically could be a farther distance away from my dad. He is my hero and the person I go to when I’m having troubles and don’t know what to do. I know eventually I’ll move away and be on my own but I don’t necessarily need to m ove that far away now and I don’t think it’s the right time to do that. He needs me and I need him. Thankfully we’re in an area where Belmont is right around the corner and I can have my cake and eat it too. I’d be close to my dad and have a great education at a place that I actually want to be. I am so anxious to start studying journalism. Ever since I was in 2nd and 3rd grade I have been writing short stories and have loved to read and write. I even joined my online school’s newspaper staff. Every month I have a different story published. I enjoy writing immensely. Reading and writing have almost always been apparent in my life. Words infect my everyday life and invade my heart and soul and touch me. Words don’t just have a connotation of something literal but also something emotional. I constantly thirst for a new word to add to my vocabulary. My highest aspirations at this time are to start a music magazine one day and a coffee shop with a music venue. What better school than Belmont? Music is the biggest thing there. Not to mention the journalism program and business management is strong. God has obviously put me in Brentwood, Tennessee for more than one reason, reasons I couldn’t see a year ago. This transition starts a new chapter in my life. For some reason all throughout my short 2.5 years of high school I didn’t think it would ever end. I thought that 4 years was a really long time. Because of the schedule I’ve set for myself a week is hardly here before it’s gone. My time has begun to fly, and quickly it goes. Now that it’s ending I’m starting to think very seriously about my career. I’m going to be going to college, what I have been waiting for. This is where it all starts. This is where my career and my hopes and dreams are going to be built up. This is the part in my life that back when I was in kindergarten I told my teacher about. Well, I’m grown up now and it’s all going to be in my hands very shortly. I no longer say â€Å"When I grow up I’m going to be a journalist.† Now I say â€Å"This is it. The time is here. I’m no longer staring at my dreams through a window at night. I’m now taking the steps to making them a reality. Life is here.† Carpe Diem – Seize the day, because it never fails. It is always gone before you realize it.