Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essays - African Writers Series

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart presents its readers with an African tribe and its culture. Okonkwo, a well-respected member of the tribe, has some very interesting attributes. Specifically, he has an undying desire to be manly at all times complimented by a deeply rooted fear of being thought of as weak. Okonkwo has a very short, violent temper that is immediately triggered in response to actions that he deems to be weak. Okonkwo basically lived by the phrase, act first and think it through later. Unfortunately, almost every time that Okonkwo lets loose his violent temper in his manly way, he brings trouble upon himself, as well as those around him. One way to explain his actions and the misfortunes that usually follow is to conclude that Okonkwo has bad luck. Another way of looking at this fact is to say that the events are a result of coincidence. However, I disagree with these views, and instead assert that Achebe deliberately made sure that after each of Okonkwo's outbursts, a tragedy befell him and those around him. I think that Achebe could have been trying to hint to the reader that placing too much emphasis on acting manly is bad. One example of Okonkwo's quick reflexes is seen when he kills Ikemefuna because he did not want his fellow clansmen to think that he was weak. After the Ikemefuna's slaying, Okonkwo is unable to eat or drink for two days due to the fact that he is upset over the death of Ikemefuna. However, he must fight against his manly pride, which reminds him that killing someone should not bother him. However, he has trouble accepting this, but must for fear of being considered weak, like a shivering old woman (Achebe 45). Another instance of Okonkwo's hot temper arises while he and some other men are locked up in a cell and Okonkwo reaffirms how he believes they should have killed Mr. Smith. A messenger overhears this remark and beats each of the men on their backs and heads with a large stick. A final illustration of Okonkwo's rash actions leading to suffering for himself and those around him occurs when he hastily kills the head messenger who comes to Umuofia to break up a town meeting. The m essenger is only able to speak 2 short sentences, before a furious Okonkwo assassinates him. This brings the ultimate suffering to Okonkwo, who hangs himself, as well as suffering for the rest of the tribe, who may not bury him and some of whom are brought to the court where Okonkwo and the others suffered earlier. In conclusion, Okonkwo's tragic flaw was his constantly flared temper, which was a result of a fear of being considered weak, or womanly. It was this temper that was constantly bringing problems to Okonkwo and others around him. In the end, Okonkwo could fight no more and had to take his own life. I believe that Achebe purposefully arranged the novel in this manner in order to convey that being manly is not as important as some believe it to be. English Essays

Chemistry Beverage Lab Report Essays

Chemistry Beverage Lab Report Essays Chemistry Beverage Lab Report Paper Chemistry Beverage Lab Report Paper Drain the rinse solutions into an Erlenmeyer flask, k Dont forget to rezone the balance prior to each new mass measurement. 7. Calculate the density and record the value in Data Table one Part B 8. Use the procedure in part A to determine the density of two beverages. Record all mass and volume data in Data table B and use clean glassware. Between successive beverage measurements rinse the pipette with the second beverage. V _ P re-Lab Questions 1. If the following mass and volume data are used to calculate the density of solution, how many significant figures are allowed in the calculated density? Mass of solution = 12. BOB volume of solution = 8. Ml. -12. 53=4 sigh figs 8. 7=3 sigh figs In the calculated density, three significant figures are allowed 2. Calculate the density of the solution described in Question 12. Sag/8. Ml- 1. Egg,ml Density= 1. Egg/ml The density of the solution in question #1 is 1. 52 g,ml 3. According to its nutrition label, orange soda contains egg of sugar per mall serving. If the density of the beverage is 1. 043 g/ml, what is the percentage sugar concentration in orange soda? * X small(1. Egg/1 ml) = egg, egg/egg The percent sugar concentration in the orange soda is vi. Analysis 2. Use the graph to estimate the unknown sugar concentration in the first average. To do this, locate the point on the y-axis that corresponds to the density value of the beverage. Follow that point on the the y-axis across horizontally to where it meets the %est.-FLT line through this data. Now read down vertically from this point where this vertical line meets the x-axis equals this percent concentration Of sugar in the beverage solution. Construct a Results table and record the density of the beverage and the estimated percent sugar concentration. Powered has the sugar concentration Of 10. 27% 3. Repeat step 2 to determine the percent sugar concentration if the second average. Record all information in your results table. Cola has the sugar concentration of 11. 1% 4. Calculate the actual or accepted value of the sugar concentration in weight percent for each beverage using the nutrition label information and the measured density value. Hint: See Pre. Lab Questions for how to do this calculation. Record both the nutrition label information and the actual percent sugar concentration in your results table. Answer: Cola X g- mall (1. Egg,ml) egg (egg/ egg) x 100% = Colas actual sugar concentration is 11% overhead X mall (1. Egg / mall (15/240) x 100% 6. 25% Parades actual sugar concentration is 6. 25% S. Use the following equation to calculate the percent error in your experimental determination of the sugar content each beverage. Enter the percent error in the results table. Powered % Error = 18. 3-6. 1 / 8. 31* 100% = 22% The percent error for Powered is 22% % Error 11. 1 -11 The percent error for Cola is 0. 9% 6. What was your measured density for pure water (0% sugar solution)? The density of water is usually quoted as 1. 00 g,ml, but this precise value is for C. Comment on why your measured density might be higher or lower than 1. 0 g/ ml. The measured density for pure water got 1. Egg/ ml_, because my water was exactly C. 7. This lab looks at the relationship between the density of a beverage and its sugar content. What assumption is made concerning the other ingredients in the beverage and their effect on the density of the solution? Do you think this is a valid assumption? Explain. Despite this lab looks just at the relationship between the density tot a beverage and its sugar content, other ingredients are also shown in the solution, like sodium. These other ingredients throw off the estimated percentage since they make the solution denser. . When plotting the data such as that obtained in this experiment, why is it not appropriate to connect the dots? It you were to repeat the lab, do you think you would get the exact same result? Comment of the sources of error in this experiment and their likely effect on the results. 1) It is not appropriate to connect the dots when you plot the data such as that in this experiment. It is because the measurements are imperfect. This means that the dots are not in a straight line, but a best fit lie helps approximate reality by using a straight line. 2) The results would not be exact, if were doing the lab again. It probably would e more accurate, since I know the where I made errors. Would also consider about the unconsidered ingredients like sodium to get more accurate result. Is Conclusion Through the Beverage Density Lab, learned that the density of any material is determined by measuring its mass and volume and then dividing the mass by the volume. The mass of a substance can be measured directly using a balance for accuracy. I also learned how unconsidered ingredients, cleaning lab materials are a crucial part of the lab that can affect the results of the experiments. Now I know how to reduce my errors and get a more accurate result.

History short paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History short paper - Essay Example The primary source indicates that during this time period, religion was prevalent and almost all France citizens and residents could identify with some sort of religious belief. The edict was basically addressing religious issues. The law outlines that during this time period, Catholic was the recognized religion, with most of the French practicing or being expected to practice Catholic as a religion, as provided by the edicts and statues. The Edict of Nantes also brought out the fact that identifying with a particluar religion was a cause for religious discrimination. The Protestants were not permitted to worship freely and in public. In addition, it shows that during this time period, the government was biased and did not serve its subject as equals. Apart from denying them their religious freedom, the government did not recognize protestant marriages and termed them as illegal leaving the children to be branded as illegitimate. This, therefore, was a hindrance to property rights and property inheritance. The increased level of discrimination and conflicts among religions resulted into violence in various regions. In France, for example, there were a total of eight outbreaks of violence as a matter of religious differences. The greatest being St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in Paris (Bramlett 2-4). The greatest issue that the Edict of Nantes intended to address was religious freedom. It indeed o recognize that France had many subjects who had different interests. These interests included issues such as worship and it was crucial for them to be allowed to practice what they believed. The other issue that the edict clearly brought out was that marriage had to be legal, regardless of ones religion. This was beneficial for the protestants whose marriages, as indicated above, were not recognized as legal. Legalizing marriages for all religions ensured that all children attained the right to inherit property. The edict, however, still emphasized on Catholic

Asian Tourism Abstract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Asian Tourism Abstract - Essay Example n of exterior promotional and publicity activities; systematize and inculcate training and education; and endorse international tourism communication and corporation. In addition, CNTA is responsible for normalization of the tourism market order, and offer supervision and management of quality; and organize the survey, planning, growth and fortification tourist resources. The organization is part of China’s government and is a Chinese government authority obliged to tourism development, and a subordinate to the state council headquartered in Beijing. Although it is an institution affiliated to CNTA the government, CNTA does not have any authority to act as a full Chinese government department hence it has no authority for regulation enforcement although it acts as an independent ministry on some instances. The institution is funded by the central Chinese government and but uses promotional and marketing activities to get additional funds beyond what is provided by the government. Promotional budget for tourism by the Chinese government is limited and for years, this amount remains low compared to nations like Korea, Singapore, and Malysia. It is for limited budgeting that the Chinese government CNTA to depend on other income sources like local government that comprise of social investment and Tourism Development Fund. The financing of the Tourism development Fund is by the collection of an inbound airport construction fee of CNY 20 for each person. In order to monitor the spending of CNTA funds, the Ministry of Finance has founded a budget enforcement live monitoring system and a budget spending performance evaluation. In addition, CNTA and the finance ministry are exploring to develop Tourism Satellite Account and evaluate government revenue estimates obtained from tourism to evaluat e the largely contribution of tourism to Chinese social development and government national economy (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 292). According to Airey

Blind Spot Enlargement

Blind Spot Enlargement Blind Spot Enlargement in Non-Athletes Abstract Everyone has a blind spot in the visual field caused by an absence of nerves on the retinal wall where the nerve ganglia enter. Our brains correct this blind spot by filling-in the missing information so that we do not notice the blind spot in normal, daily activity. There have been a few studies conducted to determine how the brain compensates for the phenomenon. Recent studies indicate that in certain people seeking chiropractic treatment, unequal blind spots result from muscoloskeletal misalignments. This research has been controversial; however, it brings up several interesting questions. There are conditions that can damage the retina, causing blind spots in the visual field. It is generally assumed that athletes maintain a better level of general health, via exercise and a healthier diet, than those who do not engage in athletic pursuits. This study used blind spot mapping techniques of the chiropractic industry to map the blind spots of 10 athletes and 10 non-athletes. The blind spots of athletes and non-athletes showed a statistically significant difference. Introduction Every eye has a blind spot .The blind spot is the hole in the retinal wall where the nerve ganglia pass though. This area of the retina contains no photoreceptors and therefore creates a black spot in every persons vision. The gap created by the blind spot is approximately 6 degrees of the total visual field, which is a large area, relatively speaking. We do not see this area in our normal functioning because our brain has a mechanism for filling in the missing information. The information that would normally be received by the blind spot is projected onto the other eye and the brain essentially averages the image (Lou and Chen, 2003). The blind spot in physical structure and given the normal variances in human physiology, it would be expected that there would be little variation in the blind spot from person to person. However, there are certain conditions that could cause damage to the retinal wall, thus causing nerve damage to he photoreceptors, thus causing a blind spot. This damage may cause an additional blind spot in the visual field; of if damage occurs to the retina surrounding the natural blind spot, the natural blind spot could essentially be enlarged. (Windsor and Windsor, 2003; Hall, 2003; and Seddon and Kuijk, 1998). There are several factors that can effect eye health, such as nutrition and general health. It is generally assumed that athletes have an overall healthier lifestyle that n the general public. They are assumed to engage in habits that promote good health such as eating more nutritiously, exercising and maintaining a generally higher level of health than the general public. It is therefore the premise of this study that athletes would be expected to have fewer eye-related health problems and that these problems would result in fewer visual blind spots or smaller naturally occurring blind spots than in non-athletes. This study will use methods for mapping blind spots in the chiropractic field to measure the blind spots of a group of athletes and a group of nonathletes. This research will support the hypothesis that the group of nonathletes will be found to have larger blind spots due to decreased general health. Literature Review The existence of a blind spot in each eye is a naturally occurring anatomical trait and therefore has received very little academic attention in itself. There has been limited attention to the study of how our brain compensates for this phenomenon, however, once explained, it received very little attention. The blind spot can be located if a person trains their attention to it. There is a simple visual test; contained in APPENDIX I that can help a person see the blind spot in their right eye. There have been a group of chiropractors that claim that in persons with certain musculoskeletal misalignments, the blind spot in each eye is unequal. They also claim that adjusting the spine can alleviate this condition. This research will not attempt to confirm or deny these claims, but will rely on techniques derived from the practice of blind spot mapping or develop a method for testing the blind spots of a group of athletes and a group of nonathletes. No similar studies could be found, save for one study conducted by an ophthalmologist, using opthamological equipment to assess general retinal scarring in certain persons diagnosed with opthamological disease (Cai and Cavanagh, 2002). Chiropractors have developed a technique, primarily to be used as a diagnostic technique to detect what they claim is an unequal blind spot in the eyes. The claim that an enlarged blind spot can diagnose a malfunction in the brain. These studies have come under heavy criticism as there are several illogical arguments posed by them (Hall, 2003). Hall finds several areas of contention in the design of these experiments. In addition, several chiropractors claim to cure clumsiness by increasing the peripheral vision of patients. These claims are completely unfounded, as the blind spot is located in the primary visual field, not the peripheral vision. These doctors are causing confusion with the blind spot when driving that is caused by mirrors, not the eyes (Hall, 2003). These studies have very little academic credibility, however, do provide a useful tool for mapping the blind spot of the groups being studied in this research. It has been a long held concept that eating certain vegetables can improve eyesight. Recently, physicians have been prescribing leafy green vegetables to prevent a condition called macular degeneration. Other food have also been recently cited as having health benefits for the eyes such as egg yolks, orange juice, and corn (Seddon, and Kuijk, 1998). Macular degeneration causes blindness by the development of macular hole, which consists of patches of dead nerves on the retinal well, thus creating blind spots. It is generally held that athletes tend to follow a more nutritious diet than the non-athletic population. The typical athletic diet is high in carbohydrates, proteins and a balance of the necessary vegetables to maintain overall health. This improved diet has been shown to have a number of health benefits. Athletes are expected to have an improved diet and improved general health as compared to the average population. Therefore, it could be expected that there would be fewer eye problems than in the general population. One effect of this improved eye health would be the occurrence of smaller natural blind spots, due to less scarring from disease, and the occurrence of fewer extra blind spots on the retinal wall. This will be the focus of this research, to detect an improvement in eye health by measuring the size and occurrence of blind spots in a population of athletes and a population of non-athletes. Methodology The measurement instrument used in this experiment was a modified version of the blind spot mapping technique used in chiropractic practice. Extra controls from above those described in the literature were instituted to insure greater precision of measurement. The blind spot mapping technique was described in Hall, 2003. It may be noted that opthamologists have a more precise technique for blind spot mapping, but that technique requires a completed degree in opthamology and requires very expensive equipment. This technology was not available for purposes of this study. The technique used was simplistic in design, yet accurate enough to obtain meaningful results. Test subjects for this study were recruited from senior members of the varsity football team and persons in the general campus population. Senior members of the varsity football team were used due to the assumption that they would be the most likely to adhere to the rules of good nutrition, exercise and general health that were required for dependent variable of this study. The control group consisted of ten general population students, who were screened by asking them if they were involved in regular exercise activity. Test subjects for the control groups were chosen who did not participate in exercise programs. An apparatus of measurement was devised. The blind spot can be visualized in the following manner. The set of spots in Appendix I can be used to find the blind spot for the right and left eye. The test was set up as in APPENDIX II with the subject sitting at a table. A box was used to rest the chin, so as to maintain a steady height. The subject was instructed to place his chin on the box and look at the screen. They were instructed to keep their head a still as possible once the test has begun. One set of dots was cut out and mounted in a piece of poster board. An identical set of dots was made for each eye. This was mounted to a board that could be moved closer and farther from the subject until the proper distance for that blind spot could be located for each subject. This was necessary, as everyones blind spot would be in a different place. The subject was told to sit on the chair and place their chin on the box and to stay as still as possible. They were told to cover the right eye and fixate on the cross, appropriate for that eye. They were not to move their head, just fixate using their eyes. An assistant would slowly move the screen farther away or closer to the subject until the subject indicated that the large dot had disappeared and the ground appeared solid white. This is where the blind spot is located. As assistant moved a sharpened pencil horizontally in front of the paper until the tip of the pen disappeared from the subject (was in the blind spot). The assistant then moved the pen horizontally across until the tip reappeared. The subject would indicate that the tip had reappeared and the assistant would mark a dot at the point of reappearance. This process was repeated in a pattern of compass points, starting from the blind spot each time. This process was repeated for the other eye using the appropriate image. This created a picture of the blind spot and the area of the blind spot could be calculated in centimeters. An example of the test results can be found in APPENDIX III. Results When the tests were completed, the average radius of the blind spots was estimated using a compass. The radius of the circle was taken as an average of the points from the center. The following raw results were found for the two groups. Results expressed in r-values of the circles. The difference between the means is 0.15. A p value of a one-tailed z-test was set at 0.5 (95% confidence) with a critical value of 1.65. The z value for these two groups was 1. This would indicate a statistically significant test result and did indicate that the blind spot radius of athletes if significantly smaller than that of non-athletes. Discussion The results for this research indicate a significant difference in the radius of the blind spot between athletes and nonathletes. This would tend to support the hypothesis that athletes have smaller blind spots than non-athletes do. It can then be theorized that these differences are due to better eye health. However, before we draw this conclusion it must be noted that the sample size in this research was extremely small for this type of study. Different results may be obtained from a larger sample size. In addition, subjects were not screened for diet, exercise, and general health. Caution must be taken in drawing broad conclusions from this research due to these factors. However, the results will be helpful in further research design. Further research should be done on the subject. A screening survey of the subjects would be helpful in isolating the dependent and independent variables. This survey would include questions on diet exercise and general health. There are several factors that may explain the results obtained. Cai and Cavanagh (2002) found that a condition called acute idiopathic blind spot enlargement syndrome (AIBSE) would cause a similar result in these patients. A swelling in the optic disc from infection can also cause an enlarged blind spot (Fletcher, 1988). A fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum causes scarring to the retina and can cause an enlarged blind spot. However, this is an unlikely cause as one must be exposed to large amounts of bird droppings to contract it (Windsor and Windsor, 2003). In order for future tests to be more conclusive, these conditions must be ruled out as a cause. In conclusion, the results of this research support the hypothesis that athletes have a smaller blind spot than non-athletes do. Although this may lead us to the conclusion that this is due to better diet and general health. This conclusion must be taken with caution. Due to the small sample size and failure to eliminate certain confounding variables, this conclusion must be made in a guarded fashion. This research will prove useful in the conduct of future research design. It was helpful in designing a simple and effective instrument of the measurement of this phenomenon. Future research should expand on these results and attempt to account for variables that were beyond the scope of this project. Works Cited Ballantyne, R. About that Squinty Eye. [Online] http://www.ballantyne.com/rjb_resume/Squinty.html accessed March 2003. Cai, R. H., Cavanagh, P. (2002). Motion interpolation of a unique feature into stimulus gaps and blind spots Journal of Vision, 2(7), 30a, http://journalofvision.org/2/7/30/ accessed March, 2003. Fletcher WA, Imes RK, Goodman D, Hoyt WF. Acute idiopathic blind spot enlargement: a big blind spot syndrome without optic disc edema. Arch Ophthalmol. 1988;106:44-49. Hall, H. Blind Spot Mapping. Chirobase.org. March 2, 2003. [Online] http://www.chirobase.org/06DD/blindspot.html March 2003. Lou, L. and Chen, J. Attention and Blind Spot Phenomenology. January, 2003. Psyche 9 (02). [Online] http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v9/psyche-9-02-lou.html accessed March, 2003. Sedon, J. and Kuijk, F. Eye-Savvy Eating. Science News. August, 1998. [Online] http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_15_98/food.htm accessed March, 2003. Windsor, R. and Windsor, L. Common Visual Problems of Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome. Vision World Wide. 2002. [Online] http://www.visionww.org/drswindsor- hystoplasmosis.htm March, 2003.

Kantian Pro Euthanasia

Without a doubt, there are forces that exist within the realms of right and wrong. This understanding of what right and wrong is is the back bone of moral philosophy, and its fundamental aim to decipher whether or not our actions lie on either side of these realms. Immanuel Kant states that these are not the only facets of morality (Lee). We must also further ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do,† in our case, to follow the the good will. In question, I debate whether euthanasia is an act of true good will to end suffering or if it is wrong to end a life in any circumstance.To be better moral and ethical beings, and to pursue what the philosophers call â€Å"the higher good,† we must take upon ourselves to end suffering in the face of imminent death, despite our prior connections to the life or personal beliefs. First and foremost, before addressing any claims as to what a moral action is, we must first have a basic understanding of what exactly constitutes a moral a nd an immoral action. In Immanuel Kant’s groundwork in morals, it states that an action can only be deemed moral if and only if devoid of all ulterior motive (Guthrie).With this said, we can safely say, killing anyone loved or otherwise, for any sort of gain is immoral, and therefore lacks virtue and the good will. More often than not, we will also come to a conclusion that we must choose life; we care too much about the ones we love to see them leave us, or even face the inevitability of death that will come soon after the immense suffering. Though as noble as saving a life may seem, this is not moral. As Kant’s First Categorical Imperative states, never treat someone as a means to an end, rather only as a means to an end to themselves.The maxims that drive our actions, in the endeavor to sustain the life of a suffering person, though however noble our intentions may be, are still only hypothetical imperatives that cater to our own selfish need to keep the lives that we cherish. It can also be argued that ending a life to soothe the pains of seeing the ones we love suffer is also immoral. Wouldn’t putting someone down so as that we wouldn’t have to endure the pain of watching their suffering be treating them as a means to an end? This too is only for our own philanthropic need to end our own woes, therefore is also considered, by the standards of Kant: immoral.There are further quandaries in the topic of euthanasia, than just to do or not to do. We must always remember that to be ethical and moral beings as stated in the metaphysics of morality, we must ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do† (Guthrie). This brings us to a near moral impossibility, where we must create answers and actions that beg sui generis. In the case of euthanasia, as moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel our love ones suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suf fering.We must not base our actions off the possible consequences of not allowing the being to die peacefully, but by the duty we have to end suffering. In the metaphysics of morals, it is believed that the good will is ambiguous despite its intentions. Qualities of character that are considered to be good do not ensure morality, despite its intentions (Guyer). With this said we must then overlook all emotions involved and only think about the situation in terms of duty. If this is so, in the case of euthanasia, should we not then forgo all emotional ties and venture south for more moral answers?The preservation of life holds many connections to human wants, when, if morality is the aim, principals rather than wants should be our maxims. Relying on principals to drive our actions ensures that we do what we have to do not because we want to but because what we do is our duty (therefore keeping virtue and the good will â€Å"untainted†). But I digress an acknowledge that this c oncept of pure duty as an imperative is almost impossible to achieve. Every observable action can be seen as conformity for the sake of conformity and/or for some sort of personal gain (Guthrie).But, as our predecessors before us stated, pure moral maxims do exist, and believing in them is a step to morality. This is not unlike the notion of God; we have no physical basis of what God is, as we don’t have physical notions of what pure moral intentions are, but what we do have are priors to what they are. The benefit of using Kant’s groundwork is that you get the action of good will without consequential thinking of the benefit or harm that may come from it. A moral action is that of virtue, a moral duty carried out from the good will.Therefore euthanasia is moral, for our duty and motive is to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. It is the underlying intention which decides whether our action is moral or not. The consequence only decides how beneficial our ac tion was. As moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel the emotional connection of watching someone you know suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. We must not end someone lse’s suffering to end our own pain or discomfort, but to end their suffering when all other choice besides death no longer exist for them. Works Cited â€Å"Immanuel Kant. † (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Ed. P. Guyer and A. Wood. N. p. , 20 May 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Guthrie, Shandon L. â€Å"Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. † Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. N. p. , 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Lee, Harrison. â€Å"Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. † Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. N. p. , 13 May 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. .

Poetry and the Marriage of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes Essay

In the introduction of her book Her Husband: Hughes and Plath – a Marriage (2003), Diane Wood Middlebrook wrote that â€Å"poetry had brought Hughes and Plath together, and poetry had kept them together† (Middlebrook, n. pag.). Indeed, the marriage of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes is best described as a union of two talented but volatile personalities who both competed with and complemented one another through poetry. But this observation was often ignored due to the overly simplistic accounts of their marriage, especially those that focused on the period shortly before and after Plath’s death. Hughes is almost always depicted in these explanations as a philandering womanizer, while Plath is shown as a clingy and overly paranoid wife (St. Clair, n. pag.). The life of Sylvia Plath has often been presented as the struggle of a brilliant mind against madness. Plath was an excellent student, graduating summa cum laude from Smith College in 1955 and obtaining a Fulbright scholarship to Cambridge University shortly afterwards. A gifted writer, she published her poems in magazines and won literary awards since her teenage years. However, these accomplishments were overshadowed by her battle with mental illness (MSN Encarta, n. pag.). Plath began to experience episodes of depression, insomnia and suicidal thoughts during her youth, all of which were possibly triggered by her father’s demise when she was only eight years old. In her junior year in college in 1953, Plath tried to kill herself by hiding under her house and overdosing on sleeping pills. She was afterwards confined in a mental institution for six months, where she was subjected to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Plath’s later writings made a constant reference to her experiences with this treatment (MSN Encarta, n. pag.). Plath made a temporary recovery in January 1954, allowing her to graduate from college and pursue further studies in England. While in Cambridge, she met Ted Hughes. Despite warnings from friends about his fickleness in relationships, Hughes and Plath fell in love with each other and got married in 1956 (Neurotic Poets, n. pag.). Their first child, Frieda, was born in 1960, followed by Nicholas in 1962 (MSN Encarta, n. pag.). At first, Plath and Hughes enjoyed a happy marriage. Theirs was a relationship that was â€Å"fueled by their joint passion for poetry† (John-Steiner, 136). For Plath, Hughes was not just a husband – he was a father figure who can fill the void caused by the premature death of her real father. She revealed this sentiment in an undated letter to her mother, Aurelia: We read, we discuss poems we discover, talk, analyze – we continually fascinate each other. It is heaven to have someone like Ted who is so kind and honest and brilliant always stimulating me to think, draw and write. He is better than any teacher, he even fills somehow that huge, sad hole I felt in having no father. (137) As a result, Plath idolized her husband completely. She had so much faith in his ability as a poet that she worked very hard to have his poetry published in English and American magazines. But according to Vera John-Steiner’s book Creative Collaboration (2000), Hughes’ feelings towards his wife’s efforts was not established (John-Steiner, 137). Unfortunately, later accounts of their marriage implied that Hughes was suffocated with Plath’s excessive clinginess. His sister Olwyn recalled that â€Å"he could not go on the simplest of errands without her grabbing a coat and running after him† (John-Steiner, 137). Consequently, Plath and Hughes fought often and the latter had an extramarital affair with a married woman named Assia Wevill (Neurotic Poets, n. pag.). He eventually left her for Wevill in 1962 (MSN Encarta, n. pag.). Plath described the stormy condition of their marriage before their separation in her poems Words heard, by Accident over the Phone, Poppies in July and Burning the Letters (Neurotic Poets, n. pag.). Plath and her children moved to London in December 1962. She wrote poetry at a feverish pace during this period, with an output of more than 25 poems. What made these poems – which included A Secret, The Applicant and Daddy – noteworthy was that they contained Plath’s brutally honest opinions about her marriage and her father’s passing. In January 1963, her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar was published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas (Neurotic Poets, n. pag.). Despite these literary accomplishments, Plath’s depression worsened. She killed herself in the early morning of February 11, 1963 by putting her head inside a gas oven (MSN Encarta, n. pag.). It would be fair to say that Plath and Hughes used poetry to asses the effects of their tempestuous marriage on themselves. The Applicant, for instance, revealed Plath’s anger over what marriage does to a woman: But in twenty-five years she’ll be silver, In fifty, gold. A living doll, everywhere you look. It can sew, it can cook, It can talk, talk, talk. (n. pag.) For Plath, marriage and or domestic relationships condemned a woman to a â€Å"living death† (Dobbs, 11). When a woman marries, her â€Å"worth† will be based on how well she takes care of her family. In effect, she is almost similar to a dead person because her identity as an individual is replaced with that of a wife and a mother. The Applicant was probably based on Plath’s dilemma as to whether she should still pursue careers in the academe and in writing even if she was already married or just resign herself to being a full-time housewife. Letters to and the remembrances of friends and family members revealed this conflict. Although Plath was able to maintain a balance between work and family life, she resented her family for making demands that drained her creativity. But at the same time, she felt guilty for harboring such bitterness – her husband left her for another woman probably because she didn’t spend enough time on him. It must be noted that one constant source of their disagreements was that Hughes wanted Plath to stop working and take care of their children instead (Dobbs, 13). Words heard, by Accident over the Phone, meanwhile, is an account of Hughes’ affair with Wevill: Speak, speak! Who is it? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ O god, how shall I ever clean the phone table? They are pressing out of the many-holed earpiece, they are looking for a listener. Is he there? (n. pag.) According to some accounts, there was an instance when Plath heard the phone in their house ringing as she returned from a morning outing with her mother. When she answered it, it was Wevill, trying to disguise her voice. After Hughes finished talking to Wevill, Plath was so upset that she unplugged the phone wire from its socket. It was only during that incident that Plath realized that her husband was having an affair (NeuroticPoets, n. pag.). Burning the Letters showed Plath’s rage over the said discovery: I made a fire; being tired Of the white fists of old Letters and their death rattle When I came too close to the wastebasket What did they know that I didn’t? Love, love, and well, I was tired (n. pag.) Plath was said to be so upset over Hughes’ affair with Wevill that she tore up and threw into the fire the manuscript of the novel that she had been working on (the sequel to The Bell Jar). She also burned all the letters that received from her mother, as well as Hughes’ letters and drafts of poems (NeuroticPoets, n. pag.). Hughes has often been blamed for Plath’s death. This was fueled largely by the women’s movement of the 1970s, which strongly identified itself with her life and poetry. For decades, Hughes kept silent regarding his former wife’s passing. But in 1998, he published Birthday Letters, a collection of his poems that focused on his relationship with Plath and her sad fate. Hughes implied in most of his poems that one of the reasons for the failure of his marriage to Plath was their incompatibilities in terms of personal success. Being the daughter of educators, Plath grew up adhering to conventional standards of achievement. Accounts of her life gave the impression that she wanted nothing more but to establish herself both in writing and in teaching. Hughes, on the other hand, felt suffocated at the idea of a tenured academic job (Rees, n. pag.). Hughes echoed this sentiment in The Blue Flannel Suit. This poem mockingly described Plath’s nervousness during her first day as an English lecturer in her alma mater. In order to project the respectable image of an academic, she wore a badly-tailored suit that she made by herself. Looking back at this incident, he wrote: That blue suit, A mad, execution uniform, Survived your sentence. (n. pag.) But in A Picture of Otto, Hughes lamented that he and Plath separated primarily because he was not able to take the place of her father, Otto, in her life. For him, Otto was inseparable from my shadow As long as your daughter’s words can stir a candle. She could hardly tell us apart in the end. (458) In the end, Hughes finally accepted that Plath will always be her father’s daughter: you never could have released her. I was a whole myth too late to replace you. This underworld, my friend, is her heart’s home. Inseparable, here we must remain. (459) Human relationships are too complex for their failure to be attributed to just one person. While Hughes may have his faults, Plath was already a disturbed character even before their marriage. Their poetry was just a reflection of a couple, who, despite their fame, underwent the travails of any other failed marriage. Hence, the works of Hughes and Plath should not be used as additional fodder to continue a battle of the sexes that was blown out of proportion.