Writing

After analyzing the story, “The Birth Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it has become prominent to me that the birth mark was a symbol. This story highlights the grueling relationship between science and nature. Aylmer, Georgiana’s husband, felt compelled to make her perfect. On the contrary, Georgiana was reluctant to alter her birth mark because it was her “charm.” Aylmer could not accept her natural beauty and further could not love her indefinitely if she was not perfect. Although he was unaware of the fact that there would be other imperfections at some point, he still insisted on altering her looks. Moreover, she loved the imperfection her birth mark gave her, but she loved Aylmer more. So, when Aylmer viewed Georgiana’s birthmark as a natural imperfection, he wanted to change her using his science. The craft for Aylmer’s science was depicted when he said, “Georgina, you have led me deeper than ever into the heart of science. I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what nature left imperfect in her fairest work” (Hawthorne 215.) In other words, Georgiana’s imperfection felt like a scientific challenge to Aylmer. Science could function as a character through Aylmer because science erases nature’s imperfections. He used science to fix the one thing he found wrong with Georgiana. Unlike Aylmer, Georgiana did not view her birthmark as an imperfection until the negative influence Aylmer reflected on her. Further, the theme of the story is human’s obsession with perfection and human beauty. Everything in nature if flawed in some way. So, after erasing Georgiana’s birth mark, he viewed their love as immortal. Similarly, her birth mark symbolizes mortality. With Georgiana’s birthmark, Aylmer is reminded that she is mortal and so is their love.

Arlow, Phyllis, and Merle Froschl. “Women in High School English Literature.” Women’s     Studies Newsletter, vol. 3, no. 3/4, 1975, pp. 18–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40041908. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.  

The article explores the overwhelming sexism in secondary education English literature. It utilizes statists to explore the topic of the majority of female characters in literature being overlooked or underplayed. Additionally, the article talks about the clear distinction of male and female authors from the 19th century. The authors go in depth about how female authors are portrayed and how the same female authors are consistently used. Moreover, the article gives dozens of examples about how women in 19th century literature are used as unrealistic doormats to their husband. These examples were used to highlight the texts the need for justice in secondary education.

Keady, Sylvia H. “Richard Wright’s Women Characters and Inequality.” Black American Literature Forum, vol. 10, no. 4, 1976, pp. 124–28. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3041611. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024. 

The article highlights how literature often mirrors the world around it. By doing so, literature unjustly places male pursuits and needs above women’s. The article highlights the role of women in 19th century literature to justify and enhance male problems. Further, the article talks about Wright’s display of female characters. He often makes them stupid, childlike, and sexually appealing to his readers. Keady goes on to give multiple examples of Wright’s stories on how they put down women and disgustingly look for one end goal.

Rosenberg, Roberta. “Unlocking the Door in a Post-Patriarchal World: The Study of Gender in the Contemporary Literature Classroom.” College Literature, vol. 17, no. 2/3, 1990, pp. 109–20. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25111856. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

The article questions the grueling experience of being “locked in” or “locked out.” Rosenberg asks her readers to look at both sides, having to fight patriarchy or having to pay the price of being the powerful purveyor of knowledge. She insinuates that as much as women did not pick their gender, neither did males. Further, Rosenberg goes into depth about role equality and believes their can never be full equality without change. However, she contests that stereotypes are hard to change because they are conveyed everywhere in literature. She uses the descriptions of many literature pieces to show the “everlasting” stereotype.

SLY, DOROTHY I. “TRADITIONAL VIEWS OF WOMEN.” Philo’s Perception of Women, Brown Judaic Studies, 2020, pp. 11–42. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvzpv4w5.6. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

The article questions whether women are inferior to men by challenging traditional gender roles. She reveals that although male physics might make men look and seem more powerful, women are very woke spiritually. Additionally, the article uses the difference between social views of men and women in the 19th century. Using biblical and philosophical sources, the author advocates women’s importance in the stability of a family and even society. She openly argues against the traditional gender and household norms and uses a more evolved point of view. It is known that these traditional views reflect the views of one’s ancestors and can be thoroughly examined throughout history.

Wolff, Cynthia Griffin. “A Mirror for Men: Stereotypes of Women in Literature.” The Massachusetts Review, vol. 13, no. 1/2, 1972, pp. 205–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25088222. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

The article highlights how real-world traditions and values turn into fictional ideas that are often taught or read. By doing this, it puts male aspirations and hobbies above women and partakes in the gender division in literature. Further, the author explains that women characters have starred in many literature pieces, however, they are usually portrayed as weak and vulnerable. Moreso, women’s attributes and roles are mainly used to determine how it will affect the men around them. Wolff entails that their problems involve childbirth or being a good mother and wife. This is because they are seen to have no outside dilemmas besides the one that involves a traditional household.

Chapter 4’s main focus is talking about Igneous Rocks, which we also talked about in the lecture. Igneous Rock is formed when liquid rock freezes into solid rock. The molten rock, also known as lava, is sometimes found where the geological processes cause melting. This magma is the magma that forms igneous rocks and erupts from volcanoes. When lava hits the surface it cools quickly, therefore fine-grain volcanic igneous rocks form. On the contrary, magma cools slowly on the surface creating coarse-grained igneous rocks. Further, igneous rocks get classified by composition and texture. The composition in the igneous rock is made up of four things: felsic, intermediate, mafic, and ultramafic. Many of these are made up of different minerals and materials. Igneous rocks are very common in geological record. Igneous bodies are found all over the bedrock of the world. Lastly, crystals can grow large based on the slow cooling process. However, since they have small grains, you cannot see them from a plain view. 

• Start with a question.

• Write your initial answer.

• Develop your answer.

• Refine your thesis statement.

include the author's name, the publication year, the title of the work, the publication details (like journal title, book publisher, or website), and relevant page numbers

Arlow, Phyllis, and Merle Froschl. “Women in High School English Literature.” Women’s     Studies Newsletter, vol. 3, no. 3/4, 1975, pp. 18–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40041908. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024. 

Before I went to bed I was fascinated by the book, Are You My Mother? Every night throughout the span of first grade, I begged my mother to read it one more time. Now that I can reflect on my obsession, I realize that I loved this book indefinitely because it was always consistent in my life. I needed stability when my home life was falling apart and Are You My Mother was the one place I could always find it. Evidently, throughout my childhood, I found a strong comfort in books. However, as I reflect on my past, it has become transparent to me that I would never branch outside of my comfort books. I vividly remember my young mind memorizing my favorite books. When I first mentioned this assignment to my mom, she was hysterical when recounting her memories of Are You My Mother. Still, she does not know how much reading that book meant to my younger self. My mother is a key reason I would like to expand my knowledge and teach other young minds how to find their passion for English. No matter what grade I teach I will encourage my future students to find a book that sparks their interest. Similarly, I will include silent reading time to help stimulate their minds before class starts.

                                      Separated Family United Me

From a very young age, I detested “get to know you” worksheets and discussing my upbringing. I would read prompts on the paper in my first-grade class: “Describe your mom in one adjective.” I felt as though I defied many social norms when it came to my family. “Where was the line for my stepmom?” I asked Mrs. Goldstein. She looked at me with sappy eyes while the whole class listened in, wondering why I needed an extra slot. Instead of describing my regular household family like my peers, I explained to the class my unique family situation. Expectantly, my upbringing never had the same effect on them as it had on me. With it being the first day, I was just beginning to make friends and learning how to form new connections to others at school.

 Unfortunately, I would soon find out school was also a place that I would struggle. I learned that my parents’ separation took a toll on my schoolwork from that day on. Whenever I would write about home or be caught in another all about me worksheet, I would often have to reflect about the complexity of my situation. I never really had a home, just two houses fighting for my attention and leaving me and my siblings in the middle of it. I often wondered how much easier it would be if there were two of me.

Leaving one parent to stay with the other brought me confusion and left my mind racing with questions I was “too young” to hear the answer to. I hated the fact that the word family did not have a positive connotation to me at that age. I took all my anger out on school and the difficult icebreakers that did not fit my family dynamic.

Moreover, my first holiday between two households, I felt emotions that I could not understand or even put into words yet. The holidays became more stressful or “sad,” as my younger-self would say. The magic started to disappear before it was supposed to. It was also difficult to pack all my things up and be expected to carry on with my life in a new home with only one parent. The worst of all, however, was being dragged into the fighting and miscommunication between my parents. I began to feel like I was a pawn in their game, and I felt it was my fault for the hatred they felt for each other.

On the contrary, all the difficult times and situations taught me how to preserver through obstacles that came up along the way. As for having two holidays, I discovered that, evidently, I get double the presents. When having to pack everything up for a weekend stay, I learned to treat it like a fun getaway and value the time I got to spend one-on-one time with each of my parents. As for the constant fighting and miscommunication, it taught me how to stay out of drama and deal with difficult and hostile situations with a positive attitude. Along with that, I adopted the concept of leaning on others and became closer with my two siblings, as they were going through the same thing and could help me navigate this new lifestyle.

Although I’ll never have a standard all about me worksheet on the first day of school, I am grateful that family is more than blood in my world. The adversity I experienced throughout my parents’ separation helped me solidify myself. I am now able to grasp the idea that I do not have to fit every social norm to feel like I belong