Whats Eating Gilbert Grape free essay sample

Background: For this assignment, we will focus on what is wrong with the life of the main character, Gilbert Grape, in the film bearing his name. We will want not only to explain what is wrong right now, but to trace, as far back as possible, the causes of the causes of his problem, until we reach the earliest or deepest possible cause, sometimes called the first or primary cause. We will peel back the layers that contribute to his unhappiness and passiveness, until we expose and analyze the deepest underlying cause(s). Each time we locate a cause, we will ask ourselves, What is the cause of that cause? This is a psychological movie, and its meanings continue to unfold as we think and talk about them, so its important to view the film as many times as possible. View it and talk about it with friends, roommates, family. We will write a custom essay sample on Whats Eating Gilbert Grape or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Become as familiar as you can with the characters and their lives. Each incident, each casual exchange of dialogue between characters becomes important. (Be sure to write about events in the film in the present tense! For example, When Arnie climbs up the water tower. . . not climbed. ) Task: Write a well-developed, carefully supported essay in which you answer the question Whats Eating Gilbert Grape? Your thesis statement will answer that question directly, and your topic sentences will break the answer down into component parts. Organization: Many possible ways of organizing the material in the film (and your investigation into it) present themselves. Here are just a few that might yield interesting results: A. This film focuses centrally on food, hunger, and eating. The title uses the idea of eating not in a literal sense, but in a metaphorical sense: something (what? ) is eating away at Gilbert, and our job is to figure out what. (Even Gilberts last name is a food. ) The film is chocked full of images of and references to food: family dinners, Mamas weight and size, the grocery store where Gilbert works, the competitive chain grocery store, shopping for food, cookie- and cake-baking, ice cream eating (several times), two birthday cakes, diner scenes, outdoor meals, picnics, etc. Each of these references to eating provides a clue to what is wrong with Gilbert. Group them into categories that you can work with, and analyze several per body paragraph. Provide a topic sentence that probes into the meanings of the scenes. B. Its clear that Gilberts unhappiness has its roots in his family, and so it might prove useful to analyze his relationship with each member of his family (including his absent father: at one point, he says, My father built this house, and its my job to do the repairs. What happens to the house by the end? ) Devote a paragraph to each family member, beginning with the least significant, perhaps, and moving towards the most significant; by coming to terms with Gilberts family dynamics, we might come closer to understanding whats eating him. C. Focus primarily on Gilberts relationship with his brother Arnie in order to understand whats bothering Gilbert. At one point, Arnie repeats what hes heard said about himI could go at any time! and its funny, in part because Arnie doesnt understand the significance of what hes saying. But what he says is true, of course, not only for him, but for all of us. If it is true that we, too could go at any time, how should we live? The film, by dramatizing Gilberts crisis and the way he finds to grow through it, offers an answer to that question. D. Focus primarily on Gilberts relationship with Becky in order to understand whats wrong with Gilbert. How is Beckys life different from Gilberts? What does Becky, and her connection with travel and the road come to represent in the film? How does Becky intervene in Gilberts life and in his relationship with his mother and with Arnie as well? What does Becky offer to Gilbert that he has been unable to provide for himself? What does it mean, in the end, that Gilbert chooses to go on the road with Becky and Arnie? E. Focus on the films symbols in order to explain its meaning, particularly regarding Gilberts problem(s): what does the house symbolize? the basement? how about climbing (the tree, the water tower, the stairs)? eating? the road? the caravan? water (the incident of Arnies bath; Gilbert, Arnie, Becky bathing and playing in the stream? Mr. Carver drowning in the wading pool? and fire. The film is richly symbolic; it offers a great deal to think and write about. Important Note: No matter which approach you choose, you must come to terms with the change Gilbert undergoes by the end of the movie. Every paper must deal with the ending of the film. Note how the ending repeats, with significant differences, the beginning of the film. Comment on, explain these differences. Account for how they came about. Mechanics: Give your essay a good title. Analyze each quotation and/or example fully and in considerable detail. Refer to characters by name (say Amy, or Ellen, not just Gilberts sister).

xml and java essays

xml and java essays Most web developers are intimately familiar with HTML, which is a language for presenting information on-screen so that it can be read by a human. A new markup language is rapidly gaining attention, however. XML allows for the presentation of information which can be read by a computer program. It is likely that the future of web development includes the creation of increasing numbers of programs, which make intelligent use of the data on XML-based web pages. And Java is a very good language for creating those programs. There has been a close relationship between Java and XML since the earliest mention of XML. John Bosak of Sun Microsystems, Chair of the XML Working Group has said that "XML gives Java something to do" (Web Techniques, pg. 43). Since there has been a decision to provide a standard Java API for manipulating XML (WT Pg. 43), the use of Java to manipulate XML documents is likely to continue, and increase over time. XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. It looks a lot like HTML. In fact, both HTML and XML are commonly viewed as a subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). SGML is very complicated, a fact that has lead to its failure to gain widespread usage. HTML, its greatly simplified descendant, has been a resounding success, but it is beginning to demonstrate some significant limitations. XML is in between these markup languages in terms of complexity. It is more complex than HTML, but still significantly less complex than SGML. (Dynamic Web Publishing Unleashed - Pg. 744-745). It is essentially an attempt to define a common ground between HTML and SGML. Like SGML, XML is a metalanguage for defining markup languages. XML allows you to define your own markup language consisting of new tags which you can use to encode the information in your web documents far more precisely than can be done with HTML. XML is not a replacement for HTML. It is, instead, a supplement to HTML. Whil...

Poems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Poems - Assignment Example It is same for everyone. Titanic by David R. Slavitt is an emotional poem that takes the reader back to the historical tragedy of Titanic, the ship, which drowned because of striking against an ice glacier. The poem takes the theme of celebrated death in consideration. According to Slavitt, death at Titanic was a celebrated death as people died with some companions as they were â€Å"with crowds of people, friends, servants, well fed, with music, with light†. The poet emphasizes that usually people die alone as he says, â€Å"We all go down, mostly alone† but in Titanic, people were with many others. The metaphor of cold water as anesthetic is used in order to reveal the numbness of both for the people. Death was easier to come because of the numbness of cold water. The phrase, â€Å"We all go† that is used multiple times in the poem is again revealing about the inevitability of death. On my father’s loss of hearing written by Joanne Diaz informs about the blessings that deaf people have in an ironic tone. The theme of the poem is deafness and loss. the speaker informs about his father who has lost his hearing power. The speaker counts the blessings that his father has because of being deaf. He is unable to hear annoying sounds such as sounds of â€Å"phone calls†, â€Å"crack of thawing ice† and â€Å"scrape of his dull rake†. He is blessed because he has to bear â€Å"no noisome cruelty, no baffled rage, no ageing children sullen in their lack†. He is free from all these sufferings. He is not disabled but â€Å"abled

Compare SPAIN and AUSTRIA on their GDP per capita over the last three Essay

Compare SPAIN and AUSTRIA on their GDP per capita over the last three years - Essay Example Spain and Austria indicate a greatly positive linear pattern. The variation surrounding the pattern values are distinguished by a quasi normal distribution with possibly levy distribution for far conclusion. Advancing nations make evident the percentage increase of values far below the average percentage increase for significant advanced economies. This signifies a deficit despite the huge relative development rates. Authentic economic development has been analyzed statistically from the time when Kuznet’s efforts on accounting of national income and collective element inputs were applied. Hodrick and Prescott (1980) brought in a concept of 2 components, initiating a model of 2 component economic development an economic pattern and a variation of business cycle factors. The pattern component is accountable for the long lasting development and describes economic effectiveness. In the end run, the variation component of economic development has to possess a 0 average value. In t he year 2010, shakes of the Global economic crisis let down the Spanish asset bubble leading to an asset collapse. Development trembled and unemployment started to increase. The asset let down brought about a disintegration of credit as banks crashed into huge decreased lending, leading to a depression. As the economy went down, the government revenue crumbled and government debt started to increase fast. By the year 2011 the nation encountered economic problems and was drawn in the European sovereign debt predicament. In the year 2012, the rate of unemployment began to rise again to a record height of 25% (Kitov, 2012). On 25th May 2012, Bankia during this period the 4th leading bank of Spain with 12 million clients, asked for an assistance of â‚ ¬19 billion, the huge bank assistance in the country’s history. The new running by Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri established losses subsequent to taxes of â‚ ¬4.3 billion (2.98 billion taking into consideration an economic credit ) in comparison to a profit of â‚ ¬328 Million established at what time when Rodrigo Rato was at the top of Bankia till May 9, 2012 (Kitov, 2012). The Austrian Economy has eroded the disaster well at the rear of an export leading recovery. Austria like other nations relying on export economies were hit hard by the crisis however the present recovery efforts present a leading chance to empower change efforts particularly in the following spheres. First, subsidized paths in early retirement need to be removed, secondly work incentives of less skilled employees need to be empowered and their expense of employment decreased. Thirdly, early child care facilities and full day learning should be developed. Fourthly, education restructuring need to advance and finally competition should be advanced in network service industry in addition to liberal fields. These restructuring directions are fundamental for the prospective development performance. This is for the reason that positive exte rior shakes at the back of European incorporation will, in large extent, not advance with similar intensity as in the last 3 years and drivers of development will rely largely on domestic resources. Economic vulnerabilities, while low in global assessment, have advanced. Public economy became worse marked by the crises, led by flexible

How changes in family structure affect society

How changes in family structure affect society There are many changes that occur in the society and the family but it always had a link which distinguishes the reasons for both activities in one way or the other. If there is a change in the society it will definitely have an impact with the citizens; it may be against the change or for but it has its contribution for the change. The Society cannot be called a society without its citizens and family is where most citizens belong therefore for every change in the family- will be an influence and be the reasons behind the changes of the society (Wethington, 1992). There is a huge difference in the current family structure compared with how family is defined, it doesnt meet the criteria and the description but it is still a family. The term Nuclear family is used to describe how a family should be structured and an example of a nuclear family is composed by two biological parents and children this model of nuclear family believes to represents a healthy and successful family in the society for every citizen. The nuclear familys role is to helps maintain the family stronger and get the children and parents connected to avoid many problems due to separation of parents or numerous children. It doesnt matter about the family status or background but each individual in the society have different family circumstances and beliefs therefore the structure of the family varies and adapts depending in the consequences in life (Bengston, 2004). The meaning of families has too many definitions and different structure compared to the previous decade or recent years, the changes are very fast and unpredictable. A family was usually set after a marriage and every member of the family including the grandparents and the other siblings were each and everyone an important asset to the family, lived together or had regular visits. In the olden days the society wouldnt treat a couple with respects or even accept their presence within the society if they were living together before marriage or getting pregnant before being married. It has some religious influence but the society was very strict about marriages and that can also affect their future generation therefore individuals were scared not to be treated equally by the society and were getting married in order to form a family. Being in a family was the main aim for each individuals at that time; in todays worlds people have different interest and priorities but the majority stil l have families as their main priority maybe dont believe in marriages but they are members of families, nobody is to be felt as an orphan due to the current societies where even friends are considered to be families (Kelly). The family of Today varies from house to house, it is very complicated to define a family of today, it has different biological parents, children and sometimes both parents dont have any biological connections with the children but still are formed as family with adoptions systems. Therefore it is not needed to be blood related to be part of a family or belong to one, a family is formed with individuals not necessarily blood related and live within the same roof, care and love for each other. If the current society has to be compared with its previous, a lot of changes can be seen but the main ones are the changes in the family structure. There are different types of family, a single parent, gay parents, lesbian parents, adoptions, different biological parents and siblings all living within the same roof. Previously mothers or fathers would only be considered as single parents after a death of the partner and then the society slowly was getting several cases where single parent would occur due to divorce; it then lost the obligation of being married in order to form a family. The current new family types are gay parents and lesbians parents, gay and lesbian people are having an option to adopt a child and form a family of their own. The society was against gay and lesbian people but as the population and family of gay and lesbian people increased the society has changed its view and its manners over them (Bengston, 2004). The changes in the family and society might have improved and benefited individuals according to their living circumstances but there are also many negative outcomes due to these changes in family structure. A nuclear family was said to be ideal for the benefits of the children, both parents are responsible more emotionally and blood related to their children therefore they would care and love for their childrens future and well being as education and heath related issues. In todays case; parents are not always the biological mother or father of the child who leads to lack of concentration and observation in the children. Children dont get the basics such as care, love, proper food, medication and education. It can be proven in many cases where single parents struggle to manage the family and dont cope with problems and their children; it is not fair on the children not to benefit from basics needs such as education, care and love. It is highly necessary and the parents are responsib le for the well being of the child that is why a nuclear family is believed to be better for the children( Bilge, 1983). The children are also put in danger sometimes and in most cases the females are victims of sexual harassments from their step-fathers. It cannot be guaranteed that the biological father wouldnt have sexual contacts with their children because there are cases where their biological parents have sexual contacts with their children. Danger is everywhere but it is statistically proven to be safer to live with their own biological father and better for the childrens future and safety. Not all the parents biological or not have sexual or treat their children differently from their own, there are cases where step-fathers and step-mothers dont treat all the children equally and give preference to their own biological child. In the other hand we have cases were parents of different biological children have very good relationship and remain as strong family (Starling, 1995). The descriptions above of different changes in the family structure have given an idea of how the society is involved with the family and how it adapts to the changes. The issues about marriages and living together where once not accepted among the society even if the law wasnt objecting; the society still was strong enough to refuse others on their view on marriages. The society slowly is changed because as the elder generation disappear or become weaker to comment the younger generation take the lead and change the society according to their wishes and the law is also a strong asset to fight against the society. The marriage wasnt the only issue but there were many issues where the society would refuse to assume the change like the different race in the family but as the members of family develop their changes in their lifestyle-then the society doesnt immediately reacts and adapts to the changes but it slowly learns or somehow is forced to adapt and assume the changes( Delgado, 19 94). The current changes of gay and lesbian families arent completely accepted by the society but the law has only recently approved the rights for the gay and lesbian people. In most cases the individuals would have changes in their lifestyle and the law and religious beliefs would be against their choice. At current, religions dont have an impact for the law to make judgements on individuals choice of living but it usually needs a large amount of people or related issues to fight against then the law then it conclude a favourable judgement or sometimes against depending on the issues. The society havent fully accepted the gay and lesbian families because it is not a dominant number of people whom are gays and lesbians therefore it would take some time for the society to adapt and accept the existence of gay and lesbian families. This is how the structure of the family can change the society, as the family changes its structure the society slowly adapts and contributes as the family wish es; it is a slow process but at the end the society is indirectly forced to accept the changes (Starr, 1998). What is legal today wasnt legal yesterday and what was legal yesterday wasnt legal before, therefore the family changes the society and the society changes the world. Word count: 1428 words

Plot Structure in Susan Glaspells Trifles :: Trifles Essays

Plot Structure in Susan Glaspell's Trifles The play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell is a whodunit type of murder mystery. But in this case, the "professionals," whose job it is to find out what happened, failed in their task. The County Attorney (Mr. Henderson) and the Sheriff (Mr. Peters) attempt to piece together what had transpired on the day when John Wright was murdered. They interviewed Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mr. Hale who told them that Mrs. Wright, John's wife, had been acting strange when he had found her in the kitchen. After taking in all of this information, they left Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale in the kitchen. Instead of focusing on the men and their quest to solve the case, Glaspell concentrates on the women in the kitchen. It is at this point, when the men leave the kitchen and go upstairs, that the women begin to, perhaps inadvertently, find out for themselves who had killed John Wright. I believe the rising action of this play begins when the men leave the women alone in the kitchen. Without even knowing it, the women are using the tactics that a trained detective would use: asking many questions and making inferences. They engage in small talk and comment on how the kitchen was left after the murder. For example, when Mrs. Peters was looking through the cupboard, she discovered that Mrs. Wright had a bread set. Mrs. Hale then concludes that "she was going to put this in here," referring to a loaf of bread beside the breadbox. Another example is when Mrs. Peters noticed that Mrs. Wright had been "piecing a quilt." As the two women are wondering whether she was going to "quilt it or kno t it," the men come down the stairs and overhear them. The Sheriff repeats out loud what he had heard them say and the men all laugh, obviously making fun of the women. This situation is interesting because the men have no idea that the women were actually making valuable conclusions. I think the next line that Mrs. Hale says is very important: "I don't know as there's anything so strange, our takin' up our time with little things while we're waiting for them to get the evidence. I don't see as it's anything to laugh about." This line shows that even the women themselves believe that they are not finding anything of importance.

The Gaze a Critical of the Female Figure in Art and Advertising

Ideas and Perspectives Module 2012/2013 Claire Hynds The Gaze A Critical of the Female Figure in Art and Advertising 22/01/2013 Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Chapter 1: History of ‘The Nude’ within European oil Paintings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5-6 Chapter 2: Susanna and the Elders†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6-10 Chapter 3: The Vanity of Women†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10-11 Chapter 4: Helene Fourment in a Fur Coat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11-12 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 List of Illustrations Peter Paul Rubens Susanna and the Elders (1636-40)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Artemisa Gentileschi Susanna and the Elders (1610)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Tintoretto Susanna and the Elders (1555-56)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Rubens Helene Fourment in a Fur Coat (1577-1640)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Introduction Women have often been observed in society as being different from a man. A man’s presence is seen as being a powerful force; whereas a woman’s presence has been depicted as being a physical emanation, a kind of heat. It has been said that from a young age a woman has been taught to constantly watch her every move, whether it be her walking across a room, or whilst weeping at the death of a loved one.To be born a woman was said to have been born within a confined space, or into the keeping of a man. Throughout history men have always surveyed a woman before they considered treating them. Consequently how a man treats a woman can be determined by many things, for instance if a woman is to throw a glass on the floor, this is how she expresses her anger towards a situation and how she would like it to be perceived by others, yet if a man was to do the same this would be read as an expression of his anger. As John Berger states in ‘Ways of Seeing’ (P. 47) Men act and wome n appear. Men look at women.Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women themselves. â€Å"The surveyor of women in herself is male: the surveyed is female. Thus she turns herself into an object and most particularly an object of vision: a sight† (John Berger ‘Ways of Seeing’ Page. 47) Chapter 1 History of ‘The Nude’ within European oil Paintings In the history of European oil painting it has been said that women were known for being the primary and ever-recurring subject. In the subject of women they were best known for being painted in the nude.It is said that the first nudes to have been depicted in the history of art was that of Adam and Eve. John Berger has stated (P. 47) that is was worth mentioning the story of Adam and Eve as told in Genesis: ‘And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons†¦.And the Lord God called unto the man and said unto him, â€Å"Where are thou? † And he said, â€Å"I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself†¦. Unto the woman God said, â€Å"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee† What is found striking about this particular story is how Adam and Eve become aware of each other’s nakedness the exact moment they take a bite of the forbidden fruit, as a result of this they saw one another in a completely different way.Nakedness was created in the mind of the beholder. Wha t is also striking about this story is how the woman is blamed and made to suffer by being made to serve the man. As the traditions of paintings become more secular, other themes are offered up as an opportunity for painting nudes. But in all of them there remains the fact that the subject (a woman) is all too aware of being watched by the spectator. ‘She is not naked as she is. She is naked as the spectator sees her. ’ (John Berger ‘Ways of Seeing. Page. 50) Chapter 2 Susannah and the EldersSusanna and the Elders was one of the most popular images of the sixteenth century, these pieces were taken from the Old Testament story of Susanna and the Elders. The images that were done of Susanna and the Elders were depicted from specific passages from the 13th Chapter of the book of Daniel. Unlike most versions of Susanna and the Elders, the Schonborn painting presents the central confrontation between the main characters, the exact moment within the story when the Elder s return to the garden to seduce Susanna. Mary Garrard (â€Å"Artemisia and Susanna†, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, Norma Broude and Mary D.Garrard, eds. , pp. 146-171) had this to say on her account of these paintings: Few artistic themes have offered so satisfying an opportunity for legitimized voyeurism as Susanna and the Elders. The subject was taken up by relish by artists from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries as an opportunity to display the female nude, in much the same spirit that such themes as Danae or Lucretia were approached, but with the added advantage that the nude's erotic could be heightened by the presence of two lecherous old men, whose inclusion was both ichnographically justified and pornographically effective. The story of Susanna and the Elders is seen as a remarkable testament of the man’s ego, a biblical theme of the exemplum of a female’s chastity which shows the celebration of sexual opportunity. Or as Max Rooses enthusiastically described Ruben’s version of the story as a â€Å"gallant enterprise mounted by two adventures†. Peter Paul Rubens, Susanna and the Elders, 1636-40 Griselda Pollock (Differencing the Canon, p. 105) states the following on the subject of Susanna and the Elder’s. â€Å"The biblical story of Susanna and theElders tells of a young married Jewish woman living in Babylon during the first exile of the Jewish people (after 586 BCE. ). Susanna is bathing in her garden. She sends her two maids into the house to fetch oil and perfumes for her bath. Two lecherous elders of the community spy on her, conspiring to force her to submit to them sexually. They threaten her that, if she refuses, they will denounce her of adultery with another man, adultery being, according to ancient Jewish law, a capital crime for women.Susanna refuses, preferring the fate of death to the sin they propose. She is then falsely accused by the elders and condemned to death. Daniel, of leonine fame, vindicates Susanna by exposing the elders' mendacity. Interrogating them separately, he asks them under which tree Susanna committed adultery. Each names a different kind of tree. They are then executed for the crime of false witness. † This story is seen as a complex narrative of sexual desire and visual temptation.During the Renaissance the focus of the woman’s nakedness while bathing is exposed to a lecherous conspiracy which emphasized the sexual, voyeuristic and visually violating aspects of the theme, while at the same time providing a biblical and even a theological justification of the painting as an erotic female nude, a genre that was emerging in this period, shifting the focus of the female nude from its traditional association with truth towards a more modern signification of desire and its privileged visuality.Garrard and Pollock’s focus on the subject of Susanna and the Elders is of a painting based on the same subject by A rtemisia Gentileschi. Artemisa Gentileschi, Susanna and the Elders, 1610. In one of the many versions of Susanna and the Elders by Tintoretto, Susanna is seen looking at herself in the mirror. In turn she becomes the spectator herself. Tintoretto, Susanna and the Elders, 1555-56. Mary Garrard Mary Garrard (â€Å"Artemisia and Susanna†, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, Norma Broude and Mary D.Garrard, eds. , pp. 149-150) presented the following on Tintoretto’s painting of Susanna stating: â€Å"Tintoretto, whose adventurers stage their advance in a manner more sneaky than bold, nonetheless offers a representative depiction of the theme in his emphasis upon Susanna’s voluptuous body and upon the Elders’ ingenuity in getting a closer look at it. † Chapter 3 The Vanity of Women The Mirror was often used within paintings to show the vanity of women. The moralizing, however, was seen as being quite hypocritical. You painted a naked woman because you enjoy looking at her, you put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting ‘Vanity’, thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for your own pleasure†. (John Berger, ‘Ways of Seeing’, P. 51) The main function of the mirror was to make the woman notice herself and see what men see her as, a sight. It is a well-known fact that some paintings do include a male lover. However, the woman’s attention isn’t always directed straight at him.The woman is usually panting looking away from the man or she is seen looking out of the painting supposedly looking towards her true love, or in this case the spectator-owner. In one instance of this type of theme is that of Lely’s painting titled ‘Nell Gwynne’ at painting done especially for the king of that time. In this piece it is clear that the woman is looking passively out of the painting at the spectator, in this case the spectator turns out to be the king. However, Nell’s nakedness was not the expression of her own feelings, but instead was the sign of her submission to the king’s demands. Chapter 4 Helene Fourment in a Fur CoatOne painting that was found to be particularly fascinating was that of Ruben’s young second wife, who he had happily married even though he was, at the time, quite old. Rubens ‘Helene Fourment in a Fur Coat’ 1577-1640 In this piece we see Ruben’s wife in the mist of turning, as she does her fur coat begins to gradually slip off her shoulders. It is clear that if she continues with what she is doing she will not remain covered for very much longer. As her body faces us, even if it isn’t full frontal, it is shown as being a well experienced body. Her appearance has, in the eye of the painter, been altered bye his subjectivity.As John Berger (‘Ways of Seeing’, P. 61) describes ‘There is a displacement sideways of about nine inchesà ¢â‚¬â„¢. If looked at closely it is easy to work out that her thighs, where they are meant to join up with her hips, are seen to be at least a couple of inches apart from the left side of her body. Conclusion The ways of seeing a woman and the way they are presented within a painting have not changed. Women were depicted as being different from men, not because of the difference between feminism and masculinity, but because the spectator is often assumed to be a man and a painting of a naked woman were designed to flatter him. In the art-form of the European nude the painters and spectator-owners were usually men and the persons treated as objects, usually women. This unequal relationship is so deeply embedded in our culture that it still structures the consciousness of many women. They do to themselves what men do to them. They survey, like men, their own femininity†. (John Berger, ‘Ways of Seeing’, P. 63) In the end what was found was quite remarkable and found that women were often observed in society as being different from a man. It just goes to show that even in paintings women will always be seen as objects and nothing more.Bibliography Books: Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books. McMillan, K. Weyes, J. (2011) How to Write Essays & Assignments. 2nd ed. Ashford: Pearson Educations Limited. D’Alleva, A. (2010) How to Write Art History. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King Publishing. Broude, N. Garrard, M. D. (1982) Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany. 1st ed. New York: Harper & Row. Websites Tilt, S. (2011) Susanna and the Elders [Online]. Available at: http://employees. oneonta. edu/farberas/arth/arth200/women/susanna. html [Accessed: 14 January 2013]