“Appropriation study of texts is interesting because the changing values and attitudes of particular time periods can be observed.” Evaluate this opinion in relation to the Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, and Amy Heckerling’s film, Clueless. In your response make detailed references to both texts. 3. In comparing your TWO texts you will have become aware of how the contexts of the texts have shaped their form and meaning. Of more interest, perhaps, is a comparison of the values associated with each text.
Marx predicted that capitalism within a socioeconomic system would inevitably create internal tensions between social classes leading to its demise and replacement by a new system, communism. For Marx, the concept of class has always existed in society. Historically, a society has always been arranged into various orders of social rank. A defining characteristic of capitalism however, is that “it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat” (Marx and Engels 1848).
Gordon Wood’s The Radicalism of the American Revolution provided an interesting and insightful view into the changes that were wrought by the struggle to create a republic on North American soil. Wood’s central thesis was that the political reform movement ushered in by the Revolution caused a deep social revolution, which changed the nature of American society and had a powerful impact on everything that the United States has undertaken throughout its entire existence. According to Wood, the Revolution caused America to run through several different phases of development, moving from the social organization of a monarchical society to that of a republican society and finally ending up as a democratic society that ultimately distressed many of the Revolution’s leaders. Wood claimed that the political reorganization in America changed how citizens viewed one another and had a subtle, but deep and profound change on their social relationships. Further, the American Revolution was a radical movement that changed the world in a way that shook it to its foundations by challenging the concept of aristocracy in the Western World that had existed for two thousand years and completely changed the political and social landscape in the United States and the world forever.
When she became poor Esperanza still felt that she was above all of the poor people she was now living and working with. It took time for Esperanza to realize that she was also poor; a changing moment in the novel was when she held hands with Sylvia. Although Sylvia was dirty, Esperanza held hands with her because she remembered the day on the train when Mama became upset with her when she would not let the little girl play her doll. She became
Therefore, Maria was an innocent victim of the French corruption that nicknamed her Madame Deficit despite she often gave examples of almsgiving. As Campan observed in her Memoirs of Maria Antoinette, when she married the dauphin, Maria Antoinette was a frightened adolescence who had to defend herself from the enemies of the court. And it was exactly “the mistreatment undergo everyday that made her decide to enjoy life, organize parties, look beautiful and avoid the senseless rule of the French etiquette.”12 Those logical wishes for a 19 year old were used by pamphlets as a way to damage even more the reputation of Maria Antoinette. In fact they exaggerated by assuring that “in one day Maria was able to spend more money than a thousand peasants living in Paris.”13 This was a pure calumny. Though it must be admitted that when Maria Antoinette became queen she refused to understand the privileges that came with the position, she was not the responsible for the poverty and the high inflation of France.
Gatsby used to be very poor and always wanted to be rich. After losing Daisy once, Gatsby was dedicated himself to win Daisy back. But his approach toward getting rich was not so clean, which ultimately led him to his death at the
Mrs. Loisel had a poor life but wanted to have a wealthy one. She borrowed a necklace from her friend when she was invited to a ball by her husband. Ironically, her life became worse than before after she lost the necklace. In the second example, the necklace that they lost and
The great depression meant that many of the families had lost their savings; it was horrible to know that all the money that they had saved throughout the years has just vanished so quickly. They were also afraid of the growing communist party; they wanted to abolish private companies, land and businesses. If this happened many of the middle class would lose their job where they were able to make money. Therefore because of this they saw Hitler as a strong leader who could help their country recover and
Despite their freedom, the serfs had it better off in bondage of nobility, than the bondage of government, and then, poverty. The ordeals created a common revolutionary rage in the serf community. This resulted in social turmoil, through rebellions and political opposition from the nobility, whom had lost their private workforce. The results of the abolition were chaotic, but would leave an eternal mark in the course of Russian
Myrtle represents the poor class trying to have a better life; for example, after Myrtle settles in her apartment, she changes her clothes and her personality also changes (30). These changes represent her desire of a higher class and to be socially accepted. Myrtle uses her relationship with Tom as an escape route to her poor life with George, thus, she believes that money and class will give her the happiness she does not have. In another situation, Wolshiem, “the man who fixes the World Series in 1919”(73), represents corruption. When he fixed the World Series, he did not do it on his own; therefore, Wolshiem proves that he is not the only corrupted one, there are more people that help him with his illegal deeds.