Love

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes the three different types of friendships: virtue, pleasure and utility. He describes how each friendship is different and how some friendships last and some don’t. According to Aristotle, the relationship between friendships and self-love is friendships break down into self-love, the type of self-love one has determines what types of friendships one can maintain. Aristotle explains how in self-love one loves themself the most, or loves their partner the most, but should a man love himself most, or some one else?

By breaking down friendships into self-love and using the truth tables, one can find the relationship between friendship and self-love. According to Aristotle, a friendship of utility is for the old. This type of friendship is easily broken and is based on what the other person in the relationship has brought to that relationship. One is in this relationship of utility because it is beneficial to them; one gets something out of it from the other person in it. This relationship is based on the benefits one can gain from being in this relationship (Page 130).

This friendship is easily broken because when one no longer benefits there is no need for the friendship. The relationship of utility is a selfish relationship. The friendship of pleasure is to be seen in younger people. This usually involves the feelings between two lovers. This is when people get greater pleasure than when they are alone. This friendship is much like the friendship of utility where the relationship only lasts as long as the pleasure is still there. The friendship of virtue is the highest friendship one can have.

In this relationship, both artners are alike in virtue, and they wish well to each other. This relationship, unlike utility and pleasure, is hard to obtain because these types of people are hard to come by. A virtuous relationship is long lasting as well because of their moral virtue. Friendship of virtue is seen to be permanent because the people involved meet all the qualities that friends should have. (Book Viii, chapter 3). Aristotle states that there are two different types of self-love.

Many people who love themselves the most are characterized as selfish and egotistical, these people re seen as a disgrace. When people are egotistical they value things only in their personal interest Someone who is only interested in their own self-interest won’t do anything if they can’t get something out of it that will benefit them. When one looks for the greatest share of wealth, honor and bodily pleasures, their self-love is bad. It is problematic to think these are the best things. These people are motivated by greed and self-interest.

Aristotle claims if this one has the bad type of self-love then they should love their friend the most. If they can relate to their self as their own friend, then this is the self-love they should have, to love their friend the most. “A man’s best friend is one who wishes well to the object of his wish for his sake, and these attributes are found most of all in a man’s attitude towards himself, and so are the other attributes by which a friend is defined. ” (Book ‘X, Chapter 8). According to Aristotle, people who look for utility or pleasure are not treating themselves well.

One should love a friend for who they are, and one should love their self for the same eason. A person who seeks for personal goodness will aim at a virtuous life. (Page When one looks at self -love and the different types of friendships, utility, pleasure and virtue, they need to take into consideration the two different types of “or”. A friendship can be either “x/or” virtuous or “and/or” virtuous. “X/or” is when the friendship is exclusively virtuous meaning one or the other friendship, not both. The “and/or” relationship can be a virtuous relationship or another friendship exclusively and both.

One who has the bad or negative self-love can have an “Wor” virtuous relationship or an “and/or”, business and pleasure relationship. A person who has the good type of self-love is increasing virtue so they can strive to be a person who is living a life well-lived. In this self-love, one can have an “and/or” virtuous relationship. The use of the truth tables will help determine which type of “or” goes with the correct relationship. One who has virtuous friend love “and/or” self-love has a balanced life.

One who has egotistical self-love “x/or” virtuous friend love, has love or another, but the love can only increase or decrease and never grow. It is important to remember that according to Aristotle, one who is not virtuous cannot be in a virtuous relationship. Aristotle explains how the three relationships, pleasure, utility and virtue can differ. Aristotle states how each relationship needs certain characteristics in order to be obtained and who can interact in such a relationship. When one loves them self the most, a person can be in all three relationships.

When one loves their friend the most, they can only be in a virtuous relationship. The relationship of utility and pleasure both are relationships that are based on benefits and once those benefits are gone, the relationship ends. I believe that many people have friendships of utility and not so much virtuous relationships. Not many people can say they have been friends with the same person for a long time. I agree with Aristotle when he says virtuous relationships are rare because of that. According to Aristotle, the relationship between friendships and self-love is friendships break down into self- love.

1. Given that the setting for the story was during Nazi Germany, the fact that Death is telling the story is no surprise. Since many lives were taken and lost during the Holocaust, the presence of Death adds an eerie feeling to the story. Death enhances the feeling of the story by giving us an interesting point of view of what he saw during the Holocaust. In the story, instead of enjoying picking up bodies, he tells the reader that he is tired of his job and complains about the constant workloads that war puts on his shoulders.

Further more, there is even a part in the book where death indicates that he is loyal to Hitler’s causes since he took up hundreds and thousands of lives. Death attempts to resist Liesel because his hands are full. However he is unable to get away from her tragic life story, as she gives to her family and friends, and her interest in books. The ugly and beautiful thing about the characters is the war surrounded by humans is ugly and the love and friendship to survive during bombs and bullets is the beauty. 2. Liesel’s obsession with stealing books is her revenge plan to get back at Hitler.

Through the book she learns that words are powerful and very significant. She learns that books and their contents can show her the path to freedom from. She noticed that Hitler used word to get Germany against anyone who was different; consequently, she used those words to destroy what Hitler made. She noticed that Hitler used convincing words to push Germany against anyone who did not fit his list of likes. Accordingly, she used the same type of powerful, bold and convincing types of words to get back at him. 3. Death’s allure with the colors of the sky functions shows great importance in the form of imagery.

It helps portray the mood of the story, as well as create an atmosphere. By focusing on the sky’s colors at the time of human death, Death suggests that there is a connection between the human death and the climate. The idea of each person that dies has there own color of sky represents a vision of a universe which cares about humans, and isn’t indifferent to them. For Death, the colors are so edible, and he sucks on them for distraction while on the job. 4. Liesel steals The Grave Digger’s Handbook after her brother’s burial. She takes the book in as a reminder of her brother, and later sees it as reminder of her mother.

In spite of the book being stolen and not to be discovered by Hans, the title of the book was a part of Liesel’s past that she wanted to keep secret therefore she hid the book under the mattress. When Hans first discovers the book, his reaction was quite surprising but later he discovered that it was a great deal for Liesel. Later Hans goes through the trouble of teaching Liesel how to read. The second book she steals is The Shcoulder Shrug from the bon fire on Hitler’s Birthday. The reason why she steals the book is because she comes to know that her parent’s were taken away because they were communists.

This act of book thievery becomes a way Liesel can get back at Hitler for taking her parent’s. The third book she steals is The Whistler, from Ilsa’s library. The day that Ilsa refuses to take the laundry from Liesel, Ilsa offers the book to Liesel, but Liesel refuses it. Later, Liesel goes back to Ilsa’s house with Rudy to steal the book as an act of revenge against Ilsa. However, Liesel feels guilty for stealing the book because Ilsa was actually giving her the book and becomes grateful. Liesel writes a letter to Ilsa indicating that she will no longer steal from the library.

As a result, Liesel is gifted a journal by Ilsa where Liesel is able to write her own stories. Stealing the book from the mayor’s house lead to a friendship with the mayor’s wife. Each night, Liesel goes down to the basement to write. Himmel Street was bombed. Liesel’s mama and papa and Rudy were dead due to the bombings. However Liesel was saved because she was in the basement, perfecting her book. In a way, words saved her life. 5. Some people find it difficult to go through a day, not being in an angry mood. The reason why Rosa became irritated was because she lost her job as a laundry maid.

The way Rosa’s life is continuing makes her an angry and bitter woman. 6. Hans tthroughout the novel proves to be “worth a lot. ” He ends up earning Liesel’s trust and love by being the one who is there for her when she had nightmares every night. He also stayed with Liesel for many hours playing his accordion and teaching her how to roll cigarettes. Not only that, he taught Liesel how to read and was the only one to believe that Liesel had great potential. Liesel had a great attachment with Hans that made him feel like Liesel was his child.

Normally, Trudy only comes to visit during the holidays for a day or two while Hans Junior detest his father for not being in the Hitler group. Liesel is the only one that shows love, affection, and the true feeling of a daughter/child to Hans. Hans feels special when he is with her. On the other hand, Rosa appears to be a heartless bad-mouth woman. However, she is a very caring person but just doesn’t show it. The hard times of poverty and working for the rich made Rosa a bitter woman. So instead of saying “I love you” to Liesel, she calls Liesel a Saumensch.

However, Rosa also proves her love towards her foster daughter by gifting Max’s journal to Liesel. Towards the end of the book, Liesel comes to realize how beautiful Rosa really is. For example, when Hans leaves for the war, Rosa stays up all night holding on to Hans’ accordion and is quiet. Liesel learns that Rosa really does love Hans and is devoted to him. 7. Liesel sees love with abandonment because her mother left her in order to keep her safe. She understood why she was abandoned by her mother when Max abandons her, then Hans. They did not leave her because they didn’t want to be with her but because they had to.

Therefore, she was abandoned by circumstance because at the end, everybody leaves her because of the bomb. 8. Hans is guilty for Erik’s life because Erik saved Hans life. During that time, Hans was a young person who didn’t have his own family yet while Erik had a wife and a son. Hans Channels his guilt by trying to save others. Max also feels guilty because he constantly asking for Hans and Rosa’s forgiveness for putting their lives in danger. “Living was living. The price was guilt and shame. ” Erik feels guilty because he knows it’s not fair for him to ask them for food, living place, and possibly their lives.

He feels guilty for asking and the response of yes. He feels a little ashamed that he can’t do these things for himself like he used to. 9. Liesel and Max are both haunted by their dreams. Liesel on one hand, dreams of her dead brother. On the other hand, Max dreams about the way he left his family. They’re both victims of Hitler’s hate. Max gives Liesel’s life purpose because he helps her learn the power of words. As the days pass, Liesel and Max become really good friends. Max later gives Liesel “The Stanover Man” for her birthday to show his appreciation for her friendship.

The significance of the story is that he writes his little book with the pages of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. 10. To face Hitler it takes an immense amount of courage. During the time of the Holocaust Germany was a very dangerous place to live for people who opposed the Nazi party. Since the supporters of the Nazi party were the majority in Germany at that point in time, they also had an enormous amount of power. They could destroy the lives of people who opposed them in merely seconds. Thus, to oppose the Nazi’s while living in Germany took a large amount of courage.

In the Hubermann’s house everyone showed the trait of courage tthroughout the book. For example, Rosa and Hans showed courage by hiding a Jewish person in their basement. Doing at the time could have cost both Rosa and Hans their lives. In addition Liesel shows courage by keeping the secret of the Jew in their basement. This can be called a courageous act because; if they were caught Liesel would have died along with her family. Rudy also showed an example of courageousness, not many boys have the courage to ask a girl to kiss them. 11. Liesel and Rudy started out as being neighbors and soon became best friends.

Rudy loves Liesel and continuously tries to get her to kiss him. Though the truth is that Rudy is afraid of the day she will actually kiss him. On other hand, Liesel simply sees Rudy as a brother in the beginning. The two continue to be friends and steal together as well as go through tough times through out the book. Towards the end, when Liesel confesses to Rudy about Max she realizes how much she truly is in love with him. In my opinion Liesel had a hard time learning her true feelings about Rudy because, of the fear of abandonment by Death like her brother. Deaths statement describes that Rudy truly loves Liesel.

The definition of romanticism is noted as a romantic spirit, outlook, tendency, etc. or the spirit, styles, and attitudes of, or adherence to the Romantic Movement or a similar movement contrasted with classicism and realism. Now, to complete this definition we must define the Romantic Movement. The Romantic Movement was the revolt in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries against the artistic, political, and philosophical principles that had become associated with neoclassicism: characterized in literature, music, paintings, etc. freedom of form, emphasis on feeling, originality, and creative imagination.

Also on the artists own personality and sympathetic interests in nature, medevilism, the common man and so forth. This basically explains the content of this essay. The essay will be a deeper explanation of these things related to four of the main themes in romanticism. Specific examples of revolution, individuality, nature, and love will be included. The leading item in romanticism was passion. Almost everything, whether it be art, music, or literature, was shown with extreme passion.

This could very well be the reason for calling it the Romantic Period. Love has a somewhat difficult definition, due to the fact that it is a feeling. Love had an immense role in romanticism. Love in art was mainly shown in ballet. It gave great importance to women not only as artists but mythical figures as well. The ballet showed men and women in an equality of roles, but also gave men a chance to show that they too could accomplish extravagant dance steps. Ballet also stressed exoticism, fantasy, nature and most importantly love.

An example of common love theme in ballet would be the unrealizable love for an fleeting lady or fatal love for a temptress. Paris was the center of romantic ballet. A poet by the name of Theophile Gautier wrote the story for twhat is considered the greatest ballet of all time called “Giselle”. This ballet is still popular with modern audiences. This particular ballet was based upon a German legend of a girl who loves to dance and falls in love with a shepherd boy. Her mother warns her of her fate by saying “Unhappy child! You will dance forever, you will kill yourself, and when you are dead, you will become a Wili (dancing spirit).

Her prophecy eventually becomes truth when Giselle kills herself after finding that her beloved is a duke in disguise and is already engaged to a noble lady. The woman who danced the lead (Carlotta Grisi), as told by Gautier himself, danced the role “With perfection, lightness, boldness, and a chaste refinement and refined seductiveness, which placed her in first rank.. .she was nature and artlessness personified. ” In literature Madame de Stael’s novel “Corinne” is about a poetic genius who suffers and eventually dies of unrequited love, a very passionate and common theme in the Romantic Era.

Madame de Stael’s statement on poetic inspiration is chiefly known for its portrayal of women and for its romantic glorification of inspired genius. Here is a portion of that statement: “Sometimes my impassioned excitement carries me beyond myself; teaches me to find in nature and in my own heart such daring truths and forcible expressions as solitary mediation could never have engendered. ” This is a excellent example of so many of the themes in romanticism. It tells of passion, nature, love, and also individualism. These are all necessary components of romanticism.

The roles of women in the Romantic Period were quite contradictory. They were liberated and independent, predatory and dangerous, domestic and subservient, and even ethereal and mystical. These are all ways that women were portrayed at this time, mostly the oppinions of men. Women, as writers, often went under male pen names due to the controversy of women writing. Some archetypes of women writers in romanticism were: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelly (the woman who married the poet Shelly and wrote the story of “Frankenstien”).

There were the Bronte sisters and Mary Ann Evans (under the name George Elliot) in England, Germaine Necker (Madame de Stael)and Aurore Dupin (George Sand) in France, and in the United States the extraordinary writers Margaret Fuller and Emily Dickenson. These are only a few of the many female writers in romanticism. These women were courageous and as passionate, if not more so than men, in their writing. They faced restrictions and struggled to be recognized as respectable writers in their time, they eventually did, but did not live to see this happen. The revolutions of both Europe and the United States greatly impacted romanticism.

Romanticism is occasionally known as a revolutionary movement due to the extreme changes in politics, taste, feeling, behavior, thought and social and domestic relations. There are many examples of revolutionary and romantic ideas mixed. In Spaniard Francisco de Goya’s painting “The Third of May” (1808) there are obvious romantic qualities. The eloquent way that the figures are posed in motion and with the intensely contrasting and dramatic colors. All of these elements were typical in romanticism. This painting was also a political statement of the injustices and the slaughter of innocent citizens after an uprising against a French invasion.

This painting was painted in 1814 after king Ferdinand was restored to the Spanish throne. In literature Schiller’s famous poem “Ode to Joy” written on the eve of the French Revolution showed his firm beliefs in human rights to dignity and freedom plus his hopes for universal brotherhood. He is placed in the transition between the Enlightenment and The Romantic Era. His poem is eternally recognized and was the inspiration for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony written almost thirty years later. This poem and the symphony have become one of the great statements of romanticism.

As for politics and society, Jean Jacques Rousseau had a very considerable impact in this area at the time. He is the single most important figure for understanding the transition between the Enlightenment and romanticism. He was revered as a forefather of the revolution due to his analysis of social injustices and beliefs in human dignity and freedom. He raised individuality to a state of “prime importance”. His thoughts on individualism seem to be the philosophical foundation for the American republic (the largest territory having a government proclaiming people to be free and equal).

During the Enlightenment, nature meant human nature, but in the Romantic Period nature meant unspoiled natural scenery such as forests, lakes, mountains, the ocean, etc. There came a desire for these objects in romanticism. Rousseau was yet again greatly influential. He questioned the value of civilized society. His followers believed that the natural and free life of the Natives in America were superior to that of the Europeans who settled in America. Another thought of his became a romantic view. It was that the black African was a noble and proud individual who had faced the tyranny and oppression of old Europe.

In Rousseau’s “Reveries of the Solitary Walker”, he describes the beauty of the Swiss landscape and his feeling of communion with it. He relates his feelings of the joy of “pure sensation”, an abandonment of oneself. His notion of “the abandonment of thought and feeling oneself in unison with nature” shows a true romantic ideal. Romantic artists tended to depict nature as a reflection of sensations on their own souls. An example of romantic “natural” art would be John Constable’s “The White Horse”. This painting has great emphasis on nature, even in the title. It hows a small white horse and an enormous amount of scenery.

The accent on the natural world is extraordinary. His style was the forerunner of the modern approach to painting. Another very naturalistic painting would be Francisco de Goya’s “The Dog”, which shows only a dog’s head and almost no definite scenery, but very natural colors and content. The body of the dog is hidden behind something that almost resembles sandstone. This painting is also quite modern, Goya was similarly on the brink of the Modern Era of art. In Literature Keats, Dickenson, and Wordsworth were all very naturalistic in their approaches to writing.

In a poem named “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, natural objects are used to express a feeling of loneliness. Here is an excerpt from that poem to help prove this point. “I wandered lonely as a cloud-That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; beside the lake, beneath the tree, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. ” Simple, yet so lovely, a perfect example of how much nature was used in romantic literature. No matter if the writing was about life altering experiences or an ordinary day, many times the romantic poet expressed feelings through nature and with profound passion.

The significance of individualism in the Romantic Era was astonishing. There are countless songs, poems, and paintings featuring this point in romanticism. Rousseau wrote, “If I am not better than other men, at least I am different! ”. This is a terrific example of the individualistic thought at this time. The painting “The Dog” by Goya (used once before in this essay) is an almost disturbing example of individualism. The dog’s head is there all alone surrounded by an almost nothingness. The significance of the individual was ever present in art, but this painting shows almost a sadness about it, a sense of loneliness in its creativity.

Literature was also full of individualistic thought. Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” shows this very boldly, the title alone gives that away. The way that he talks about the fashion in which his body naturally works made many people uncomfortable and shocked many as well. Whitman writes: “Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy Whatever I touch or am touched from The scent of these armpits aroma finer than prayer This head more than churches, bibles and all the Creeds. ” This is obviously the extent of what people felt at this time, but this writing even shocks us today, probably because we have become more modest.

In conclusion then, the Romantic Era was a period filled with love, passion revolution, individualism, nature, and many more themes like these. This period of time had spawned great literary works, paintings, plays, ballet, and much, much more. Passion and feeling are the most important elements in romanticism, practically everything was done passionately and with intense feeling, much like todays soap operas, which makes the Romantic Period one of the most impressive, most beautiful, and most extraordinary eras of all time.

When he cares for someone, he shows it and oneself, h?s not a shy type of person and maybe just a little bit lazy think. He looks like a vampire because he hates going out in the morning because as what I’ve said, he’s too conscious with his skin’s color. He hates cheese but he likes chocolate a lot. He looks so cute when his sleeping he looks like a little child. Unlike the other boys, he’s not fun of playing basketball and other ball games think. This someone is not just like an ordinary someone for me.

Someone will remain someone, no name will be mention. Not all someone means unknown. Persuasive essay: Have Many Friends gut Are They All Real All of us have a friend, that’s normal. But do you think if you have many friends, all of them are true friends? No, no, no. You what more friends, for what? Having many friends is not the basis Of having a real one. Friends are those person whose there during the time that you really need someone to talk to and someone to be with, not that person who are just there when they need something from you. , you, us, we don’t need many friends when in fact, all of them are just fake and can bring us in trouble. Just look for the person who you think really deserves to be your friend. The person who you think it is and the person can really trust. Being friendly is actually nice. But actually you don’t need all of them. At least having some people in your life is enough. Don’t ask for more, just be contented with the friends you have because you just don’t know they are the real one. Not all the time that the merrier is better.

Narrative Essay: The Family Have The people who will always be there for you, who will acceptor whatever and whoever you are. Who will think of things for your own good and make you safe, not the things that can harm you. The best gift you receive from God, the only one who will be there when you feel nothing. Family, the one hose there during the hard, sad and happy times in our life. Where we first learn how to love, how to care, and treasure important things we have, and where we first experience the feeling of being love.

Like other people, I have my own family which is composed of my mother, sister and of course me. You’ve noticed there’s no father right? Yeah, all of us have father but not all of us experience of being love of a father and I’m one of that. Yes, I have father but never feel his presence even hi so I conclude 3 members of a family Is enough. I already feel contented even without a father. My mother raises me and my sister alone. I saw how my mother did her best just to provide our needs, just to make us live. Appreciate everything that my mother did.

She’s the best mom lye ever wish for, just like my sister. My sister is just like me, a disobedient but a loving child. Maybe that why we’re really close. But despite of that she is a very good sister and she’s the best. She cares for me that much. I can say it’s really nice to be the youngest daughter and sister. I’m very honor to have them as my family. To have my mother as my teacher as the same time my adviser and my sister as my best friend. Having a family like them, you won’t wish for anything else. I just wish, May God blessed me and my family and guide us.

Expository Essay: Influence High school graduating students will soon be studying in college. Do you know that almost 50% to 70% of the graduates will choose their course with the influence of their friends than their family? Graduating students will choose their course for their college. But observations say that friends give greatest influence to students on what they will choose. Parents have less influence to their children because they want their children to choose on their own. Influence can either be good or bad. It depends upon the people who will believe.

The narratives of the short stories “The Lover” and “How I Met My Husband” depict a striking similarity in that they both involve romantic relationships that begin so strong but end up being futile. In “The Lover,” a 27-year old wealthy Chinese man meets and falls in love with a 15-year old girl from a poor family.

The girl had experienced a rough upbringing because her mother was a bankrupt widow and could not afford much of the things they required to live a decent lifestyle. Compelled by these circumstances, the girl disregarded the age difference and began a sensual affair with the rich Chinese man who in return provided financial support to her family.

Apparently, the affair had the potential of turning into a huge scandal had it gone public since the girl was underage and the social gap between the two would not allow such a relationship to thrive in that society. Eventually, the two were forced to separate when the girl’s family returned to France where the girl begins a new life, settles and starts a family.

In a similar manner, “How I Met My Husband” illustrates a 15-year old girl named Edie that falls in love with a pilot called Chris after his plane crashes in their neighborhood. When Chris was leaving, he promised to write to Edie who would then begin going to the mailbox every day to check whether the letter had arrived.

When she finally gives up hope after many trips to the mailbox without receiving a letter, the mailman opens up to her and asks her out on a date. This would turn out to be a lasting relationship that led to marriage and children. In this paper, the progressive identities of the narrators in “The Lover” and “How I Met My Husband” will be analyzed comprehensively to draw a conclusion about each of the characters involved.

In both novels, the narrators exhibit humble beginnings and depict naivety due to the fact that they hail from lower-class families. In “How I Met My Husband,” the narrator, Edie appears to be a good-natured village girl who came from a disadvantaged background. In the beginning of the story, we discover that she was a house girl working for Doctor Peebles and Mrs. Peebles who had acquired an old house outside of town. Further, we learn that Edie was a fifteen-year-old high school dropout at the time she began working for the Peebles. It was also her first time away from her home.

Almost everything Edie saw in the Peebles’ house was unordinary to her. She had experienced a true change in lifestyle compared to the one back home where she was raised. In fact, she seemed to have been valuing working at the Peebles because the equipment that was available in their house eased her work and was also enjoyable to use.

From the bathroom, to the kitchen, to the bedroom, everything she described appeared to make her life and work exciting, unlike how it was back in their home. In fact, it is out of the curiosity she had that she finally decided to try out wearing Mrs. Peebles dress and cosmetics when they were not around. Edie’s behavior clearly reveals that she was curious to see herself looking beautiful in clothes and make-up she could never have afforded back at home.

By the way she narrates, it appears that she had never tried beauty-enhancers and good-looking clothes before in her life. She writes, “The heat of the day and the weight of the satin and all the excitement made me thirsty…” (Munro 652). As such, it was an exciting experience to look beautiful in a nice dress and make-up, something she was not accustomed to. Further, we learn that Chris was attracted to her and even confused her with the owner of the house.

However, she had never been dressed this way before and had never been told by a man that she was beautiful. After this incident, her identity as a woman began forming.In a similar fashion, in “The Lover”, the protagonist is a 15-year-old girl raised in a poor family in Southeast Asia. To begin with, her mother was a teacher who had not gone past high school. As such, she wanted her daughter to get more education than herself, specifically a mathematics degree at the University.

The way she dressed clearly indicated that she originated from a poverty-stricken family. On the initial day the narrator met with the Chinese man, the girl had worn a tattered dress and to add to that, she tied it with her brother’s leather belt. Even though it seemed the young woman’s style could not make any man admire the girl, the Chinese man was dazzled by her. In fact, the narrator reveals she was well-aware it was not her attire which attracted the man when she said, “I know it’s not clothes that make women beautiful or otherwise, nor beauty care, nor expensive creams, nor the distinction or costliness of their finery” (Duras 18). This moment marks the first time the narrator explores love and her independence.

In both stories, the narrators are reflecting to reconnect the chain of events that led to whom they are now. They both were very beautiful when they were young, but then again, they were not well-versed in the concept of beauty and, therefore, they did not comprehend their true identities. In the beginning of “The Lover,” the narrator says, “I often think of the image only I can see now, and of which I’ve never spoken.

It’s always there, in the same silence, amazing. It’s the only image of myself I like, the only one in which I recognize myself, in which I delight” (Duras 3-4). Clearly, the narrator admires her past as a young girl because it reveals a perfect image of herself, yet, she did not realize all this when she was at a young age. In other words, she was unsure of her identity in the past when she was young and beautiful.

Similarly, in “How I Met My Husband,” Edie finds herself unable to comprehend the concept of beauty despite wearing Mrs. Peebles dress that makes her look beautiful. Coincidentally, the first instance Chris saw Edie, she had just put on the dress, applied rogue and lipstick and made her eyebrows, all using Mrs. Peebles cosmetics. In fact, after dressing up and applying the make-up, the last thing Chris would have thought after seeing her for the first time was that Edie was a house girl at the Peebles place.

After the two set eyes on each other, Chris complimented Edie by telling her she looked so nice and beautiful. Surprisingly, Edie was not even aware of it as she puts it in the narration by saying, “I wasn’t even old enough to realize how out of the common it is, for a man to say something like that to a woman, or somebody he is treating like a woman. For a man to say a word like beautiful.

I wasn’t old enough to realize or to say anything back, or in fact to do anything but wish he would go away” (Munro 652). Both narrators were unaware of their identities at this point, but from the events, they slowly began understanding their beauty and how it was an aspect of attraction to men.

Inspired by their poor families, both narrators begin to understand the beauty in them as a powerful tool that may make men, including the rich, to admire them. Through this understanding, they begin to establish their identities. They realize that dressing provocatively or nicely attracts men.

They begin to understand that they too can look attractive especially with make-up on. The narrator in “The Lover” reveals how she had noticed men’s attraction towards her by saying, “For the past three years white men, too, have been looking at me in the streets, and my mother’s men friends have been kindly asking me to have tea with them while their wives are out playing tennis at the Sporting Club” (Duras 17). Further, the narrators establish the power of beauty in them by the reaction of other people towards their relationship with rich men. They understand that their beauty is a threat to others from how they react after learning about their relationship with rich people.

In “The Lover,” rumors about the relationship between the Chinese man and the girl spreads very fast in town. The people condemn the relationship and talk ill of the girl’s family. The narrator writes, “The mother has no idea, and none about how to bring up a daughter. Poor child. Don’t tell me that hat’s innocent, or the lipstick, it all means something, it’s not innocent, it means something, it’s to attract attention, money” (Duras 88). They are surprised, and they envy how a poor girl caught the attention of such a rich man. As such, they react by condemning the mother for raising her child inappropriately branding the girl as a prostitute.

A similar instance appears in “How I Met My Husband” but this time it involved Edie, Loretta and Alice. After learning that Edie and Chris were close, Loretta condemned her and said young girls like her are husband snatchers. Alice was also furious when Edie had mistaken and accepted that the time they shared with Chris was intimate.

She called her a “loose little bitch” and further remarked, “Girls like you are just nothing, they’re just public conveniences, just filthy little rags!” (Munro 659). In the end, both writers have established their identities and they now understand that the relationships they had were necessary in shaping their lives. Even though both narrators were no longer with their initial lovers, they both appreciated the fact that it was from those relationships that they are where they ended up.

Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that the character Edie in “How I Met My Husband” learnt to move on with life instead of getting stuck at one place waiting for what she was not certain about. After waiting for the letter at the mailbox for many days without a sign, she thought to herself, “I imagined me making this journey day after day and year after year, and my hair starting to go gray, and I thought, I was never made to go on like that” (Munro 661).

Edie’s newfound identity shines through profoundly in her realization that, “if there were women all through life waiting, and women busy and not waiting, I knew which I had to be” (Munro 661). On the same note, it can be concluded that the narrator in “The Lover” has a fragmented history whereby she has moments in her life that she cannot quite remember which makes it generally hard to put together in an autobiography.

This statement is proven when the narrator writes, “The story of my life doesn’t exist. Does not exist. There’s never any center to it. No path, no line. There are great spaces where you pretend there used to be someone, but it’s not true, there was no one” (Duras 8). Here, the narrator feels as though her autobiography is fragmented and she cannot remember many of the events that happened in her life from the past.

Works Cited

1. Duras, Marguerite. The Lover. First Pantheon Paperback ed., Pantheon, 1998.
   Munro, Alice. “How I Met My Husband.” The Art of the Short Story.
2. By Dana Gioia and R.S. Gwynn. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 649-661. Print.

Lacuna’s arrival to the convent, Gertrude appears and her life story takes up the following two chapters of the novel. Gertrude grew up at a time when a woman had two choices in life: the first was to find a spouse and have children while the other option was to become a nun. As a child, Gertrude had no desire to become a nun, but rather dreamt of the day when she could finally fall in love. Gertrude father indirectly forced his daughter into becoming a nun by giving her dolls dressed as nuns, sending her to Sunday school, and having her read the bible.

The brain washed child grew up to having no choice but to move to a convent and take on the life long commitment of becoming a nun. The ceremony in which Gertrude accepts her future being a life devoted to God, she ponders her decision for a moment with conflicting thoughts rushing through her mind. She debates with herself on whether this is the life she wants or if this is the life society wants. When the church asks her if Gertrude has chosen to devote her life to God because of her own desire she causes while looking at her father.

After another inner battle with her emotions, Gertrude finally vows to become a nun. Later on in Gertrude life, she goes to live in a convent located in an Italian town called “Amazon”, thus taking on the name “The Nun of Amazon”. Here she spends her days praying during the day, but living a completely different life during the night. As time goes on she falls in love and develops a forbidden relationship with a man named Goodie whom she has a child with. In her daily fife at the Covent, Gertrude always shows signs of rebellion after having found love.

One example of her rebellious attitude is portrayed by a loose strand of hair falling from her veil. The strand of hair is a symbol of Gesture’s hate and disgust towards the church for having made her once free life a life filled with unhappiness and restrictions. The smiling child she once was becomes an angry and troubled soul after years of feeling like a prisoner of the church.

She was beautiful to last. One day, when she was taking a stroll, she met a young prince who happened to pass by. The prince was very handsome. When she first saw the prince she felt a strong sensation for him. So did the prince for her. They exchange pleasantries and search each other’s feelings out. Everyday from then on they would go out together, until one day the prince revealed his true feelings to the princess. So since the princess had long et her heart for the prince, she didn’t hesitate anymore and at once accepted his love for her.

One afternoon after their usual walk together, the two engaged in a most intimate conversation under the sweet-scented plants kept by the princess. “Marring Magna”, how lovely your flowers are, but the flowers in our kingdom are far more beautiful and fragrant. None of those here could compare with them. ” “Really? Tell me where your kingdom is? ” “Yonder in those parts where no mortals can go. After a little while more, the prince bade goodbye with a sad look in his face. This prompted Marring Magna to ask the prince the reason why. “Well it’s because the prince couldn’t find the right words to explain himself. Well, because of what? What seems to be the trouble? ” the princess kept skins, suspecting something was wrong. “l must return home, if not, I will not be able to return home to our kingdom anymore. I want very much to bring you along with me, but such is not permissible. Your kind is not allowed in our kingdom. Thus, farewell, my love. ” “Come back tonight will wait for you here in the garden. Please, you’ll come back? ‘ “I’ll try, Marring Magna,” the prince promised. It was close to midnight when the prince came. He was greeted by the princess who waited for him inside the garden.

They talked for hours and hours. Their conversation almost touched on every subject. All the time, the princess wrapped herself tightly around the arms of the prince, never letting go. Suddenly, the prince stood up and announced, “l must leave at once, Marring Magna! It’s about midnight. If don’t depart at once I won’t be able to return home. Stay put. But I want you to remember you’re the one love,” as he threw a gentle kiss on the petal lips of Marring Magna. The princess tried to stop the prince as she grabbed his arms with all her might.

She could not bear the fact his lover would abandon her. While tugging at each other, suddenly the prince disappeared and left his arms behind held teen the palms of Marring Magna. The princess was shocked at this that she runs quickly to a corner of the garden and buried the arms. A few days after, there sprouted a strange plant on the spot where she buried the arms. It had wide leaves but no branches. A few days more, the tree shed flowers, everyday thereafter, she would visit the plant. Then a few days later, it bore fruits in the place of its flowers.

The fruits came in bunches, each bunch looked like fingers set side by side and laid parallel to each other. These became known as the first banana fruits in the world. A very long time ago, in what is now the town of Cantina in Racial, there lived a woman named Jamaican who was well-known not only to the people of her native town but also to those of the neighboring towns. She was greatly admired for her beauty and wealth as she belonged to a rich family. But above all, she was very much loved and was highly respected by everyone for she possessed a king and generous heart.

Charity was something inborn in her. Even as a little girl she would give kindly to each and every beggar who would pass by their house to ask for alms. She would also often go out of her way to invite the poor children in the trees to the house and let them play with her toys. As she grew up, she continued on with his charitable acts. It became a usual scene every Sunday morning when she came home after mass to see a long line of beggars, waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. With open hands and an understanding heart, she would see to it that their needs are attended to.

She would personally hand in food, toys, clothes, money and the like according to what each of them would ask from her. Her goodness was very much appreciated by her town mates who made her more endeared to them. Unfortunately, Jamaican was not as lucky in love as most other beautiful omen her age were who got married and had children. She didn’t fall in love again when her first love got sick and died. She remained an old maid even after her parents have both died and was left alone in the house. Instead, she devoted her time and wealth caring for the needy.

To openly express their gratitude and respect she truly deserves as would be fitting to one as elderly a woman she has come to be regarded, people began addressing her as “Aka Anta” – “Aka” woman and “Anta” which is short for Jamaican. Altogether, “Aka Anta” became more than just a name; the name itself became a symbol of “salvation to the needy”. One Christmas day, like all previous Christmas, many poor folks flocked to the home of Aka Anta for the usual yuletide giveaways. Short of their expectations, Aka Anta was not by the open window for the first time in years.

They called out to her but there was no reply, nor did anyone come to the window. They tried altogether to call out to her several times, but again there was no response. Anxious and all that, a number of them decided to enter the house if anything was the matter. As the door opened, they see Aka Anta lying on the floor. Certain she was dead, the women began to scream, the men made the sign of the cross. There followed loud weeping as they affectionately cried out her name, “Aka Anta! Aka Anta”. The more they were moved to tears when they noticed the gifts lying on the floor Aka Anta had prepared for them.

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