The Scarlet Letter Research Paper Essay Example

The Scarlet Letter Research Paper Essay Introduction Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 The Scarlet Letter is a story of adultery in the 17th century’s Puritan Boston. As its basic settings suggest, the novel is a razor-sharp manifesto against the moral and social standards of that time. Moreover, as discussed thoroughly in this paper, Hawthorne’s work invites the reader to investigate a wide array of micro-level matters, in particular the perception of the self, the woman and the conflict between one’s emotional world and reality. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive critical analysis of The Scarlet Letter. To do so, the analysis reviews several themes and characters from three critical perspectives, namely the Feminist, the Psychological and the Historical Critical Perspectives of literature. The three sections, each one focuses on one of the three critical perspectives, combines examples from the novel itself, critical analyses of leading literary scholars, and the author’s own critical views on the matters in question. Analysis from a Feminist Critical Perspective Is The Scarlet Letter a Feminist Work?By the time he wrote The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne was fully aware of the developments in the 19th century’s feminist movement and, as argued by Baym (2005), held continuous literary conversation with the movement (whose first major convention was held just two years before The Scarlet Letter was published) and its values. Thus, although the novel deals with â€Å"a woman who rebels against patriarchal authority† (Person, 2007, p. 23) in the context of the 17th century’s Puritan Boston, Hawthorne’s support for ideas of women liberation is stated loud and clear. Moreover, Hawthorne expands the discussion on the classical role of women in 19th century’s literature, which focused on â€Å"female stereotypes, especially the familiar opposition of Fair Maidens and Dark Ladies,† and created Hester Prynne as â€Å"a heroine who is as much a nineteenth-century feminist as a seventeenth-century Puritan hereticâ €  (ibid.). We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Letter Research Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Letter Research Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Letter Research Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Nevertheless, the question of whether The Scarlet Letter should be viewed as a masculine support to feminist ideas has no clear answer. On one hand, the novel criticizes the Puritan offensive relations towards women, including the witchcraft against quasi-powerful feminine characters. However, Hawthorne, who argued in 1855 that â€Å"America is now wholly given over to a d—–d mob of scribbling? women† (Barlowe, 2000, p.32), arguably demands a new role for American women not as a supporter of the feminist argument of his times, but as a natural part of his general social criticism (Person, 2007). Either way, Hawthorne seals The Scarlet Letter with a short manifesto, in which Hester comforts the women who come to her cottage by expressing â€Å"her firm belief, that, at some brighter period, when the world should have grown ripe for it, in Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness† (1850, p. 321). Female Characters in The Scarlet LetterHester PrynneHester is the protagonist of the novel, who wears the scarlet letter (a piece of cloth in the shape of an A, which signals the disgrace of Hester’s adultery). When her husband, Roger Chillingworth, is in Europe, Hester has an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale and gives birth to a daughter, Pearl. Hester is a passionate woman, who does not regret for her sin, which is considered as a crime under Puritan law. Moreover, she is depicted as intelligent, independent, caring mother of Pearl and has extremely strong personality. PearlPearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne, who must carry the shame of her mother, being her illegitimate child. The reader quickly learns that Hester â€Å"named the infant â€Å"Pearl,† as being of great price, — purchased? with all she had, — her mother’s only treasure,† (Hawthorne, 1850, p. 106) meaning her virginity. Pearl is beautiful, but due to her origin she is considered in the prevalent narrative as community to be a child of Satan. In accordance, she is uncontrollable, hyperactive and isolates herself from the other children. Her affection towards nature and disgust from the community leads her to leave America, as she believes that the true nature of man cannot be respected in this land. Mistress HibbinsBased on a real figure (as many other elements of the plot), Mistress Hibbins is â€Å"Governor Bellingham’s bitter-tempered sister, and the same who, a few years later, was executed as a witch† (ibid., p. 139). Although she offered Hester to join her to the forest to attend a witch group, Hibbins represents Hawthorne’s criticism on the Salem witchcraft (see below). Judging the personality and actions of Hibbins from a feminist perspective, though, it is evidently clear that the Hawthorne â€Å"tags† the unpleasant woman as a witch because of her unpleasant personality, as if women are not allowed to behave this way within the society in question. Analysis from a Psychological Critical Perspective Guilt, Punishment and HypocrisyThe Scarlet Letter asks more than a few questions about the ways we justify our actions. Throughout the whole novel, Hawthorne shares his views regarding the border between the inner guilt – that is, the guilt that someone feels – and guilt and punishment as determined by society. When Pearl continuously inquiries â€Å"What does the scarlet letter mean?† (pp. 217, 219, 220, 227) she refer to her mother’s sign of Cain, as well as requesting us to reflect on the title of book (Person, 2007), in the sense of â€Å"What does this book mean?† Hawthorne’s emotional and moral manipulation is clear: after reading about two-thirds of the book, his readers have probably already developed a negative attitude towards the Puritan values and regret Hester’s tragedy. However, when the psychologically unstable Pearl, the creation of Hester’s sin/crime, keeps asking us the same question, we should reconsider the line of though that has lead us so far. Can Hester set her own values? Are we not also hypocrite when we justify Hester but criticize exceptional ways of life? Or are we just those men and women who seek revenge through punishment? Group PsychologyAs discussed in the next section, the Puritan values were no longer dominant in American society. Hawthorne has therefore the opportunity to examine how this culture had fallen apart from different perspectives, notably from the weakness of the group. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan society is not only the group of reference for the individual (as any other normal society), but it seems that it actually needs its sinners to justify its existence and to find common grounds for its disciples (Zhao, 2007). In this context, Hester provides burning materials to fuel this fire; not only because of her adultery, but also through the way she handles the society’s attitude towards her. For example, when Hester â€Å"stood fully revealed before the crowd,† she is expected to â€Å"conceal a certain token, ?which was wrought or fastened into her dress† (Hawthorne, 1850, p. 62), that is, her scarlet letter. But instead, â€Å"she took ?the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and? yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors† and presents her letter A, which is â€Å"?surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic? flourishes of gold thread [†¦and] was so artistically done, [†¦] that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony.† (ibid, pp. 62-3). Hester, whose letter A may also imply other words, such as artist or author (Barlowe, 2000), chooses to confront the norms instead of accepting her role as the scapegoat of her society. Pearl chooses a different way, by isolating her running to the woods as a child, and leaving the group altogether later on. Analysis from a Historical Critical Perspective In his introductory section to The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne (1850) discusses the historical position of the author, arguing that â€Å"when he casts his leaves forth upon the wind, the author addresses, not the many who will fling aside his volume, or never take it up, but the few who will understand him, better than most of his schoolmates and lifemates.† (p. 1-2). However, the understanding of the novel and its author differs within and among eras, just like the perceptions on the novel’s themes. Instead of repeating the historical occurrences and their depiction in the novel, this section briefly two opposing critics of The Scarlet Letter from the original publish era. Doing so, it is possible to deal with one of the major elements of the Historical Critical Perspective, namely the means in which the literary work is accepted among eras. In a 1850 critic in the Boston Daily Times, Charles Creighton Hazewell â€Å"praised the accurate depiction of the Puritans and declared Governor Bellingham and other characters to be drawn with ‘eminent fidelity’ to history.† (Wright, 2007, p. 213) Though â€Å"Hawthorne did not claim his writings were ‘historical tales’† (ibid.), the latter’s introduction leaves very little room for doubt regarding his willingness to open the past from a critical perspective. This very same tendency to discuss sensitive issues from the origins of the US, particularly in the context of Puritan priests, was criticized by the Episcopal bishop Arthur Cleveland Cox. In his 1851 review, Cox defined the (now highly-celebrated) book as â€Å"made to the market† (ibid.) and a degrading work for American literature. Conclusion The Scarlet Letter is arguably one of the most important American literary works of all times. In addition to its literary merits, this historical novel has became so important thanks to its ability to thoroughly discuss two major points of conflict in American society: The Puritan heritage and the question of the correct relations between the collective and the individual. These two dilemmas, which stand at the locus of the novel, were also very dominant in the author’s own life. Born in Salem, MA, Hawthorne’s ambivalent relations with his ancestors’ involvement in the witchcraft and other faces of the â€Å"Puritan justice system† took a major role in his writings. Hawthorne himself admits the affection of Salem and its past his feelings and thoughts, and so are many of his views: reflective, not always coherent and constantly plays between the social and the personal points of view (Person, 2007). The reader of The Scarlet Letter should be extremely cautious: as discussed above, Hawthorne lived in and wrote about times of great dilemmas at all levels, and as such, his accounts often entails contradictory views, emotional manipulations and correspondences with his contemporary as well as past events.

Journey Speech Essay Example

Journey Speech Essay Example Journey Speech Essay Journey Speech Essay The composing task, Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders and Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go! have all enhanced my understanding of the concept of journey by showing the different ways a journey can happen. The composing task’s protagonist’s physical journey is an outward representation of the spiritual journey she undertakes, Year of Wonder focused on the emotional and moral development, therefore making it a spiritual based journey, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! shows how a person is able to be in control of their own physical and emotional journey.The composing task’s protagonist’s physical journey is an outward representation of the spiritual journey she undertakes. This is shown by using the changing of the scenery as a metaphor for changes in her life, through age and development as a person with her inner feeling towards her family and her siblings becoming a larger part in her own journey. Taking the first step off the bus I look up and don’t see my mother, I’m only five†¦ three blocks I have to walk†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She starts her journey as a five year old just trying to get home. As I passed the first block, everything has changed†¦ I’m now nine years old with my little brother next to me. ’ She has gotten older and her siblings have started to become a bigger aspect and influence in her life. We make it past the second block and things are different, yet again. I’m 13 and he’s 11†¦ Houses in the neighbourhood have changed into trees and other plants, looming over us. Thorns are everywhere we touch. ’ Again they are older and the scenery has changed explaining that things have changed in their lives, He doesn’t hold my hand anymore, and all my smiles are forced. As we come past the third block, a small hand appears in mine. My baby sister is now 5, my younger brother now 14, and me, I’m 16,’ the scenery and their ages have changed again. With these physical changes it also changes the emotions in the characters. The protagonist doesn’t need to force her smiles towards her little sister because she can see and understand how simple her life is and that she has no worries, no regrets. They make it to the end of the block and the protagonist takes both of her siblings and takes them off the street they had been walking and into the world with her as their protection. She is able to do this with no qualms knowing that they won’t have to go through the same ordeal that she did and she will always be there for them. Through this physical representation of a spiritual journey it shows how a journey can develop through a metaphysical state and not be based on finding a specific destination but instead a safe place. Year of Wonders focuses on the emotional and moral development, therefore making it a spiritual based journey. This is known to the reader as the main charter, Anna Firth, has no need to continuously travel to perform her journey. Anna is living in a town stricken with the bubonic plague, as they have isolated themselves to prevent the spread, they are unable to call upon others to assist in the treatment of the ill and must use others abilities to ensure the towns survival of the plague.As lives start to be taken by the plague, many of the townspeople believe it is to do with witchcraft. Two characters, Aunty and niece, Mem and Anys Gowdie, have always been able to help the town with herbal remedies and have been the local midwives, but after their deaths Anna is convinced by Elinor Mompellion to assist a women in labour and she soon starts to help the sick and dying and the orphaned children. Anna encounters many situations which all start to slowly influence her thoughts and change her as a person.She starts to become stronger and not just be a young widow, who has also lost both her children. She starts to fight for other people in the town and help them through hard times. Although she isn’t able to do this all unscathed, she is unable to understand Why did He raise us up out of the clay, to acquire good and expedient skills, in such extremity, and then send us back so soon to be dust when we yet had useful years before us? ’ such in the case as Maggie and George Viccars.Anna makes herself a tincture’ from the poppy she had stolen from Elinor to help with the anguish and she was able to have pleasant dreams. Anna and the town continue to be affected by the plague and many more die, Anna tending many in their deathbeds. Anna and Elinor also assist Merry. Anna slept well that night, feeling for once that she has accomplished something that has turned out right. After many more deaths and obstacles the plague has stopped affecting the town and the people are told they are no longer quarantined.At this meeting Anna’s stepmother Aphra is hysteric with the loss of her last child, Faith. She was clutching the maggoty remnant of her daughter’s corpse. ’ Mompellion, Aphra and Elinor enter a embrace, trying to calm and comfort Aphra, Faith’s head comes apart from her body and Aphra lashes out and slits Elinor’s throat and stabs herself, leaving Anna with no family and one of her closest friend’s gone as well. Elinor asked for Anna to look after her husband and through this relationship An na is able to experience a hysical intimacy she has longed for for quite some time. This intimacy is something that has helped Anna start to feel better but it is short lived as she learns that parts of what she thought were true about Elinor and Michael’s relationship were actually lies and is repulsed by him. As Anna is asked to help with the birth of a bastard child from the Bradford family, she finds herself haggling with Elizabeth about receiving money to take the child and leave this city.There are many events that influence Anna change as a person but the biggest chance for her is not just a spiritual one. She makes the move to Venice, with the Bradford child, and settles there missing some aspects of her old town but feeling safe and happy with her two daughters, feeling that she is now at home. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! shows how a person is able to be in control of their own physical and emotional journey. This is presented to the reader through the narrator stating YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. ’

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Education - Essay Example Children who have special learning needs are referred to as exceptional students; that is, gifted and disabled children. Gifted children have superior intellectual development and are capable of high performance. Exceptional Student Education (ESE) is indiscriminate and assists each child to progress in school and in the learning environment in general. Overview of evaluation process The program requires that all students be assessed in all areas related to their disabilities while also considering their ability to access the general curriculum in relation to how the disability affects the student’s learning, objectives that relate to the needs of the student, forming goals and choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student. Eligibility of the process The IEP outlines each and every step on how the student learns and how the learning is best demonstrated. It also outlines what the educators will do to assist the student learn more effectivel y. Role of IEP team members The roles of the team members are all set with the main objective of assisting the child in the learning process. Different team members have different roles. ... Regular education teacher Provides information on the general curriculum standards Determines any program modifications and the necessary support required for school personnel Representative of the school district Provides specially designed instruction in relation to his qualification Has authority to commit resources School district representative Ensures that relevant services will be provided by the district Identifies placement options available in the district Intervention specialists Drafts objectives for the program on the student’s performance Identify any supplementary aids and services which the student may require in the regular classroom. Professional IEP team members Psychologists Physical therapists Occupational therapists Speech therapists A special educator Vision or hearing specialists Additional specialists in relation to the student’s specific needs IEP Development When the team members meet, they discuss the student’s educational needs and fo rmulate specific short term and annual goals for such needs. Areas deserving specialized attention are also outlined. Services are split into two categories; Those to be provided in the school’s schedule, Those to be provided on a consultative basis Professionals consult with the educators to arrive at strategies to help the student but no hands-on instruction is offered. The program should be reviewed annually to update the set objectives and ensure that the site services are being met and in the right standards. Curriculum needs Every student has the ability to learn and should demonstrate progress in their learning. Further from the regular curriculum, students with disabilities have additional needs to compliment the regular curriculum. Differentiated and focused teaching- reasonable adjustments

History 1500 The Wahhabis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History 1500 The Wahhabis - Essay Example The Wahhabis desire to destroy the tombs and graves of the saints was met by several objections. One objection supported its argument by depicting that construction of the graves served as a place of worship. Since the saints were said to be holy, offering prayers on top of their graves was to provide interception with God (Wahhab 2). However, it is proved beyond exceptional doubt that a curse was to befall whoever made the graves as prostration places. Another issue that Wahhabis tried to oppose was the kissing of the shrines. Opponents argued that it was a form of showing commitment, reverence, and devotion. However, this was unlawful since an individual was not allowed to go closer to a grave and was required to maintain distance with it as a sign of respect. Putting pictures, objects, and building of structures on top of graves was depicted as a sin. Wahhabism emphasized on conformity and inward faith of an individual. Additionally, they strived and still strive to be the embodim ent of God’s

Language Proficiency Assessments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Proficiency Assessments - Essay Example Two frameworks influence language proficiency assessment processes including planning curriculum, assessment, and instruction. The main elements of the system include English language proficiency standards, language domains, grade level clusters, and language proficiency level. The Language Proficiency Standards reflects the dimensions of acquiring second language anticipated from English language learners in grade levels K-12. Among the five English Language Proficiency Standards, each standard is set to deal with particular contexts namely social and instructional settings, mathematics, social studies and science (Blagojevich, Ruiz & Dunn, 2004). Each individual proficiency standard includes four-language domains namely listening, reading, speaking, and writing. In listening, people should process, interpret, and evaluate spoken language in various situations. In speaking, students should engage in oral communication while reading ensures processing, interpretation and evaluation of written language (Blagojevich, Ruiz & Dunn, 2004). Finally, writing ensures students engage in written communication in various situations. The third element, The Language Proficiency Levels and Performance Definitions, outlines the progression in language development in the acquisition of English as an additional language through five a five-stage process including entering, beginning, developing, expanding, and bridging (Blagojevich, Ruiz & Dunn, 2004). These processes synthesize model performance indicators in each language proficiency level. Finally, the final elements, Model Performance Indicators are measurable indices of the language domains targeting the age and developmental levels of English Language Learners (Blagojevich, Ruiz & Dunn, 2004). These are examples drawn from experiences in other language proficiency assessments and used to augment other systems to improve language proficiency. According to the checklist, assessment problems may emerge in

Impact of Boxer Rebellion on Chinas World Relations

Impact of Boxer Rebellion on Chinas World Relations What impact did the Boxer Rebellion have  on China’s relations with the rest of the world? The Boxer Rebellion instigated an unprecedented coordinated military response from international powers after The Righteous and Harmonious Fists more commonly known as the Boxers had mutilated and slaughtered thousands of Chinese Christian converts, Western missionaries and foreign nationals.[1] The atrocities occurred between 1898 and 1900 when the Boxers began targeting their perceived enemies in the Shandong region of China before spreading north to Beijing. The Boxers could not differentiate between the Christian missionaries’ desire to proselytise China’s peasants and forced westernisation. This paper contends that the Boxer Rebellion both wounded and opened relations between China and the outside world. Clearly, the discriminate violence of the Boxers shocked and angered the international community.[2] Therefore, far from achieving their objective of purging China from globalisation and the westernisation of Chinese peasants, it caused the world to hone in on Chin a. Inadvertently the Boxer Rebellion opened international relationships with China and the outside world. Countries like the United States refrained from argumentative dialogue and began to have meaningful diplomatic discussions with the Chinese government. Nevertheless, the Boxer Protocol, signed in 1901, seriously affected China’s relationship with the world. The protocol virtually bankrupted China’s economy. The Qing Dynasty was forced to pay three hundred and thirty three million United State dollars indemnity to foreign countries affected by the Boxer’s violence.[3] The Boxer Rebellion like the majority of insurrections has no narrative from the insurgents. The historiographies of rebellions are a combination of texts of victims, politicians, historians and other academics as in the case the Boxer Rebellion. The majority of eyewitness accounts are usually anonymous but reveal the harsh reality of death associated with insurrections. Cohen gives a perfect ex ample of this when he cites an eyewitness account of a Chinese individual who witnessed the scene of death during the Boxer Rebellion in Tianjing in 1900, the eyewitness describes the atrocities of the rebellion, they declare, ‘There are many corpses floating in the river. Some were without heads, others were missing limbs. The bodies of women often had their nipples cut off and their genitalia mutilated†¦ There were also bodies in shallow areas by the banks with flocks of crows pecking away at them. The smell was so bad we had to cover our noses the whole day. Still, no one came out to collect the bodies for burial. People said that they were all Christians who had been killed by the Boxers and the populace dare not get involved.’[4] Boyd contends that ‘most Westerners went to China to make money or to make converts.’[5] Neither reason was popular with the Righteous Harmonious Fists (Boxers). They viewed themselves as representatives of the Chinese peasantry and rigorously opposed all foreigners. Although, by the end of the nineteenth century, China’s population had reached three hundred and fifty million the majority of Chinese peasants had never encountered foreigners or Western missionaries.[6] Nevertheless, the Boxers held a strong belief that foreigners and Christian missionaries were responsible for the breakdown in the fabric of simple Chinese peasant society and they dishonoured their traditional spiritual and community. Furthermore, the Boxers attributed China’s natural disasters such as flood, drought and famine to the corruption of Christianity. Drought followed the great flood of the Yellow River in 1898 and left two million peasants starving and desperate. The Boxers a bott om up organisation without official leadership saw themselves as representatives of the peasantry in the Shandong region of northern China.[7] Likewise, the missionaries imposed power in the villages they occupied and they were involved in legal decision-making. The missionaries infuriated the Boxers even more because they were not just content to proselytise Christianity they also rejected Confucianism.[8] Harrison contends that the Boxers believed Catholic missionaries posed the greatest threat to Chinese morality. She argues that the Boxers targeted villages where the well-established Catholic missionaries had taken on the role of officials. The Boxers believed that because central government had failed to tackle the issue of village politics and moral issues they would take the law into their own hands.[9] However, this argument is neutralised by the excessive violence and murder of Catholics committed by the Boxers in the villages of central Shanxi.[10] The Boxers believed they were impervious to pain; they could withstand attack from both sword, and bullet. Their strange beliefs made them merciless fighters and a therefore a dangerous enemy of foreigners, Chinese Christian converts and missionaries. Even if their beliefs were well founded and justifiable, their methods of resolving their perceived problems were inexcusable and crude.[11] The Boxers fervent mystical beliefs are not a new phenomenon because allegedly, in preceding years Chinese peasants had experienced similar supernatural powers following natural disasters. Male peasants believed that they acquired special ‘religious’ spiritual powers to overcome the disasters.[12] However, the Boxers method of dealing with the threat was incomprehensible. Fleming’s contentious claim that at the beginning of the Boxer regime, ninety percent of the Boxers were just peasants in ‘fancy dress’ is debateable. However, he declares that as time went by thei r ‘sartorial costume’ of red and yellow turbans and sashes became less important and the majority of Boxers held strong political ideologies.[13] Following the suppression of the Boxer’s by the international counterinsurgency force,[14] each nation affected by Boxer violence sought retribution. However, some nations were less harsh than others were. For example, the United States highlighted this in their response. Secretary of State John Hay fearing China’s partition by European nations following the Boxer Rebellion issued a memorandum in July 1900 to those countries affected by the rebellion. Hay suggested that they should continue to support China’s ‘administrative and territorial integrity.’[15] In reality the United States were protecting their own trading interests in China. Furthermore, the United States practised a strict anti-imperialistic foreign policy.[16] However, the United States outward support of the Qing Dynasty was a contradiction of their policies towards Chinese immigrants. Ironically, the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 and the Geary Act 1892 effectively prevented Chinese peop le from entering America.[17] After the suppression on the Boxer Rebellion, China supported American military presence in Beijing to repel any further rebellions following the defeat of the Boxers. The United States politely refused and withdrew from China in October 1900. The commander of the American counterinsurgency force stated, ‘Let us hope that this generous, charitable, and magnanimous treatment of the vanquished may prove an example to the nations of the world, and a step forward in the world’s progress toward a higher and nobler humanity. We are glad to know that this work is appreciated to you. It is needless to tell you, however, that the United States does not maintain an army for the purpose of furnishing the city of Peking with good municipal government, and as a business proposition your appeal for the United States forces to remain longer in Peking has little to stand upon.[18] Britain was slow to respond to the Boxer Rebellion.[19] However, retrospectively the Boxer Rebellion caused Britain to adopt a more vigorous foreign policy. Indeed, because of the inadequacies of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Lord Salisbury in dealing with the Boxer Rebellion, the Conservative government made significant changes to the Diplomatic Service.[20] Sir Claude MacDonald the British minister in Beijing despite being fully aware of the Boxers violence against foreigners, Christian converts and missionaries in northern China refused to contemplate that the Boxer would spread across China.[21] Indeed, Otte contends that Britain’s blasà © attitude to the Boxer violence only changed after the siege of Beijing legation district that began on June 14th 1900. For fifty-five days, the Boxers laid siege to the square mile legation district in Beijing.[22] When the multilateral counterinsurgency force finally arrived in Beijing in August 1900, they displayed to the world for the first time that a sense of unity was possible. The multilateral force consisted of all the nations who had personnel in the legation. The force consisted of approximately twenty thousand troops. The Japanese were the dominant force with ten thousand troops. Japan demonstrated to China and the world that the importance of China was truly international and not just Eurocentric.[23] Furthermore, the multilateral force with the aim of rescuing the personnel and their families from the Beijing Legation district were given different instructions from their governments. German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II commanded his troops to show no mercy to the Boxers after they had murdered the German Minister in Beijing Baron von Ketteler. The Kaiser declared to his troops before they left Bremerhaven, ‘Just as the Huns a thousand years ago, under the leadership of Attila, gained a reputation by virtue of which they still live in historical tradition, so may the name of Germany become known in such a manner in China, that no Chinese will ever again to look askance at a German.’ [24] Clearly, the Boxer Rebellion affected relations with Germany and this was borne out by the first point in the Boxer Protocol, it declared, ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Prince of the First Rank, Chun, was appointed Ambassador of His Majesty the Emperor of China, and directed in that capacity to convey to His Majesty the German Emperor the expression of the regrets of His Majesty the Emperor of China and of the Chinese Government at the assassination of his Excellency the late Baron von Ketteler, German Minister†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The Chinese Government has stated that it will erect on the spot of the assassination of his Excellency the late Baron von Ketteler, commemorative monument worthy of the rank of the deceased, and bearing an inscription in the Latin, German, and Chinese languages which shall express the regrets of His Majesty the Emperor of China for the murder committed†¦[25] The first article of the Boxer Protocol clearly highlights China’s humiliation. Germany like other governments wanted to punish and embarrass China after the Boxer Rebellion. The proceeding articles in the protocol all required apologies, monument erections, the destruction of Chinese arms and fortresses, and the forfeiture of land to foreign powers.[26] However, as previously mentioned, the most damaging article in the protocol was the three hundred and thirty three million dollar indemnity with four percent interest. Undoubtedly, the multilateral troops took revenge on the Boxers and their supporters, Boyd contends that rumours of looting, rape, and torture committed by multilateral troops spread throughout Beijing. [27] Schoppa argues that the Boxer Protocol is the lowest point in Chinese international relations and their ultimate humiliation. The protocol signed on the 7th September 1901 between China and the Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, United State s, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, and Russia was yet another unequal treaty that humiliated the Chinese government. The terms of the protocol not only restricted China’s domestic privileges, they increased foreign interests in China. Therefore, the fifty years of humiliation that began with China’s defeat in the Opium Wars extended into a new millennium. Therefore, the Boxer Protocol crippled Chinese spirit, economy and international prestige.[28] Although, the Boxer Rebellion and the consequent protocol severely damaged China domestically and their international reputation it instigated the dismantlement of their biggest burden, the corrupt Qing Dynasty. The Empress Dowager Cixi deceived the international community by pretending that her troops were suppressing the Boxers. However, the reality was that she despised foreign intervention as much as the Boxers did. She cleverly encouraged the Boxers to turn the Chinese peasantry and country against the foreigners. The Boxers declared ‘Support the Qing, destroy the Foreigners.’ Foreigners included missionaries and Chinese Christian converts. As Esherick contends, the Boxer Rebellion was not a true rebellion, as they did not oppose the Chinese Qing government.[29] The rebellion failed to resemble the excepted definition as ‘an organized armed resistance to an established ruler or government.’[30] Once the Qing dynasty realised that counterinsurgency would overthrow the Boxers they soon renounced their involvement so they could continue in the eyes of the West as a legitimate government.[31] However, inevitably the Boxer Rebellion demonstrates that China’s international relations were damaged by the more primitive actions the Boxers and the more sophisticated and sinister intervention of the Qing Dynasty.[32] In conclusion, the Boxer Rebellion clearly left an indelible mark on China both domestically and internationally. The ruthless action of the Boxers against foreigners, Chinese Christian converts, and missionaries was viewed by the outside world as unjustified and inexcusable. The Boxers clearly believed that they were acting in the best interests of peasants who made up the majority of the Chinese population. Their violent activities led to the Boxer Protocol in 1901 that almost bankrupted China through the huge financial reparations. The further articles of the protocol heaped further humiliation on China and allowed international powers access to prominent trading areas. However, arguably inadvertently the Boxer Rebellion prevented China from being colonised by major international powers. The Boxer Rebellion undoubtedly stirred the United States to intervene in order to save their trading rights in China. They sent a clear message to Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russ ia to support China’s administrative and territorial integrity. Furthermore, the Boxer Rebellion was the catalyst for disintegration of the dishonest Qing Dynasty. Although, the Qing Dynasty under Empress Dowager Cixi supported the Boxers it was not to protect the interests of China’s peasantry. Even though the Boxer Rebellion eventually instigated improved foreign diplomacy, it is indisputable that their actions not only led to the massacres of foreigners, Chinese Christians and missionaries it led to thousands of deaths of their own people. The international counterinsurgency forces showed no mercy when they exacted retribution on the Boxers and their sympathisers. The ease in which the Boxers and Imperial guard were defeated by the multilateral counterinsurgency forces compelled the Chinese government to modernise their military. The Boxer Rebellion reiterated the Eurocentric ideology that the Chinese are uncivilised. Furthermore, the rebellion alienated the western community from China even though it inadvertently improved international diplomacy and rid China of the corrupt Qing Dynasty that ultimately led to China becoming a republic in 1912. The ease in which the Boxers and Imperial guard were defeated by the multilateral counterinsurgency forces compelled the Chinese government to modernise their military. Bibliography Books Boyd, J., A Dance with Dragon. The Vanished of Peking’s Foreign Policy (London: I. B. Tauris Co. Ltd, 2012). Cashman, D., America in the Age of the Titans: The Progressive Era and World War I (New York: New York University Press, 1998). Cohen, Paul, in ‘Humanising the Boxers’, in Bickers, R. Tiedemann, R. (eds), The Boxers, China, and the World (Plymouth: Rowman Littlefield Publishers Ltd, 2007), pp. 179-197. Cullinane, M., Liberty and American Anti-Imperialism: 1898-1909 (New York: Palgrave MacMillian, 2012). Durschmeid, E,. Beware the Dragon, China: 1,000 Years of Bloodshed (London: Carlton Publishing Group, 2008). Esherick, J., The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (Oakland: University of California Press). Fleming, P., The Siege at Peking (Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd, 2001). Harrison, Henrietta, in ‘Humanising the Boxers’, in Bickers, R. Tiedemann, R. (eds), The Boxers, China, and the World (Plymouth: Rowman Littlefield Publishers Ltd, 2007), pp. 1-15. Otte, Thomas, ‘Heaven knows where we shall finally drift’: Lord Salisbury, the Cabinet, Isolation, and the Boxer Rebellion’ in Kennedy, G. Neilson, K. (eds), Incidents and International Relations: People, Power, and Personalities (Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2002). Schoppa, K., The Columbia Guide to Modern Chinese History (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000). Seonnichsen, J., The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2011). Spence, J., The Searching of Modern China (London: Century Hutchinson Ltd, 1990). Steiner, Z., The Foreign Office and Foreign Policy, 1898-1914 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970). Journals Oulett, ‘Multinational counterinsurgency: the Western intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901’ Small Wars Insurgencies. 20: 3.4 (2009): pp. 507-527. Radio broadcast Bragg, M., ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ In our Time. BBC radio 4 archive broadcast (21.30, 9 March 2009) Internet source ‘Rebellion.’ Oxford English Dictionary (03 April 2014). Available online: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/159201?isAdvanced=falseresult=1rskey=nNKkrE Date accessed: 02 April 2014. ‘Boxer Protocol, 1901, Peace Agreement between the Great Powers and China 09/07/190’ (03 April 2014) Available online: http://china.usc.edu/(S(ivfmlzuvquerbb45edthpbze)A(irVj2QZVywEkAAAAYWQzZmNiZGMtZTBhNC00MDc1LTg5ZTItOGQ4OGU4MGI0NTk3Uo36FF2grKtLe_4GD64z6sKQqsw1))/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=420 Date accessed: 03 April 2014 1 [1] Oulett, ‘Multinational counterinsurgency: the Western intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901’ Small Wars Insurgencies. 20: 3.4 (2009): p. 511. [2] Durschmeid, E,. Beware the Dragon, China: 1,000 Years of Bloodshed (London: Carlton Publishing Group, 2008)p. 172. [3] Spence, J., The Searching of Modern China (London: Century Hutchinson Ltd, 1990), p. 235. [4] cited by Cohen, Paul, in ‘Humanising the Boxers’, in Bickers, R. Tiedemann, R. (eds), The Boxers, China, and the World (Plymouth: Rowman Littlefield Publishers Ltd, 2007), p. 186 [5] Boyd, J., A Dance with Dragon. The Vanished of Peking’s Foreign Policy (London: I. B. Tauris Co. Ltd, 2012), p. xvi. [6] Fleming, P., The Siege at Peking (Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd, 2001), p. 36. [7] Bragg, M., ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ In our Time. BBC radio 4 archive broadcast (21.30, 9 March 2009) [8] Ibid. [9] Harrison, Henrietta, in ‘Humanising the Boxers’, in Bickers, R. Tiedemann, R. (eds), The Boxers, China, and the World (Plymouth: Rowman Littlefield Publishers Ltd, 2007), p. 12 [10] Harrison, Henrietta, in ‘Humanising the Boxers’, p. 7 [11] Oulett, ‘Multinational counterinsurgency: the Western intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901’, p. 508. [12] Bragg, M., ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ In our Time [13] Fleming, The Siege at Peking, p.36. [14] Oulett, ‘Multinational counterinsurgency: the Western intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901’, p. 508. [15] Cashman, D., America in the Age of the Titans: The Progressive Era and World War I (New York: New York University Press, 1998), p.436. [16] Cullinane, M., Liberty and American Anti-Imperialism: 1898-1909 (New York: Palgrave MacMillian, 2012), p. 4. [17] Seonnichsen, J., The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2011), p. xiv. [18] cited in Oulett, ‘Multinational counterinsurgency: the Western intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901’. p. 518. [19] Otte, Thomas, ‘Heaven knows where we shall finally drift’: Lord Salisbury, the Cabinet, Isolation, and the Boxer Rebellion’ in Kennedy, G. Neilson, K. (eds), Incidents and International Relations: People, Power, and Personalities (Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2002), p. 30. [20] Steiner, Z., The Foreign Office and Foreign Policy, 1898-1914 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970), p. 180. [21] Otte, Thomas. ‘Heaven knows where we shall finally drift’: Lord Salisbury, the Cabinet, Isolation, and the Boxer Rebellion’, p. 26 [22] Otte, Thomas. ‘‘Heaven knows where we shall finally drift’: Lord Salisbury, the Cabinet, Isolation, and the Boxer Rebellion’, p. 29 [23] Bragg, M., ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ In our Time [24] Fleming, The Siege at Peking, pp. 135-136 [25] ‘Boxer Protocol, 1901, Peace Agreement between the Great Powers and China’ (09/07/1901). Available online: http://china.usc.edu/(S(ivfmlzuvquerbb45edthpbze)A(irVj2QZVywEkAAAAYWQzZmNiZGMtZTBhNC00MDc1LTg5ZTItOGQ4OGU4MGI0NTk3Uo36FF2grKtLe_4GD64z6sKQqsw1))/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=420 Date accessed: 03 April 2014 [26] Fleming, The Siege at Peking, pp. 250-251 [27] Boyd, J., A Dance with Dragon. The Vanished of Peking’s Foreign Policy, p. 22. [28] Schoppa, K., The Columbia Guide to Modern Chinese History (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), p. 171. [29] Esherick, J., The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (Oakland: University of California Press), p. xiv. [30] ‘Rebellion.’ Oxford English Dictionary. 2014, Available online: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/159201?isAdvanced=falseresult=1rskey=nNKkrE Date accessed: 02 April 2014. [31] Ibid. [32] Esherick, The Origins of the Boxer Uprising, p. 312

Tempting Fate: Essay on The Monkeys Paw -- essays research papers

-Ildar- Tempting Fate The â€Å"Monkey’s Paw† reveals an intriguing story of destiny and death. The Theme challenges the classical ideas of destiny and fate. From the beginning of the story Mr. White denies the seriousness of the paw. When he says, â€Å"Well, why don’t you have three sir†, he is in a way mocking Morris and the criticalness of the paw. The effects of disturbing fate do not even occur to him at this point and his intrigue and human greed override his judgment. â€Å"If you don’t want it, Morris, give it to me†, Mr. White had said after Morris threw the paw in the fire. This is where Mr. White made his first mistake. Mrs. White on the other hand manages to keep a cool head in the beginning and is apprehensive of the paw. She originally senses the danger that the paw poses but doesn’t make much of it and actually encourages Mr. White to use the paw. Mr. White’s first wish was a simple one as he thought. â€Å"I wish for two hundred pounds,† he had uttered so easily thinking that this was as straightforward of a wish as there could be. Little did he know that tempting fate in such a way had serious consequences. At this point in the story the writer foreshadows the grim events that follow when Herbert says, â€Å"Well, I don’t see the money, and I bet I never shall†. Ironically Herbert is correct. The twist of the story revealed itself when Mrs. White opened the door to receive her money. The visitor from Maw and Meggins delivered the bad new of their sons untimely death, â€Å"He was ca...