Antigone On Women Essays - Operas, Antigone, Civil Disobedience

Antigone On Women Although ancient Greece was a male-dominate society, Sophocles' Antigone, portrays women as being strong and capable of making wise decisions. In this famous tragedy, Sophocles uses the characters Ismene and Antigone to show the different characteristics and roles that woman are typical of interpreting. Traditionally women are characterized as weak and subordinate and Ismene is portrayed in this way. Through the character of Antigone, women finally get to present realistic viewpoints about their character. The sexist stereotypes presented in this tragedy address many perspectives of men at this time. Creon the arrogant and tyrant leader is, the very character that exemplifies this viewpoint. Antigone's spirit is filled with bravery, passion and fury; which allow her to symbolize the very essence of women. She is strong enough to do what her conscious tells her despite the laws of the land. Many examples in the play prove that Antigone's character is very capable of making her own decisions in the name of justice. First, Antigone opposes Creon's law and buries her slain brother; because in her mind it was immoral not to. She does this because she is compassionate and loves her brother very much. Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent any type rebelling. He is even more infuriated when he learns that a woman has broken his laws. He tries to show Antigone who's in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment. Secondly, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride. She does not try to hide that she is responsible for breaking Creon's laws, moreover, she takes all the credit. All the while she maintains her strength because she truly believes in her actions. These sorts of actions ultimately prove that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to men, which was completely against the norm at this time. Her spirit refuses to submit to the role of a helpless woman like her sister Ismene's character does. Ismene is a coward and refuses to help her sister because she feared men. This fear propels her to turn her head to the disrespect that is been shown to her brother, Polyneices. Her character is a close representation of the viewpoints of the male gender regarding women. She is subordinate and weak-willed. She refuses to stand up to Creon even though in her heart she knows that his laws are morally wrong. This type of demeanor in famous works of art is very common for women to behave like, according to the position of men. Ismene proclaims, "We are only women, we cannot fight with men, Antigone!" (Sophocles, pg.187) Proving that she is unwilling to do the right thing if it means standing up to a man. Another example of how spineless Ismene is portrayed is when she tries to take credit for burying her brother with Antigone. She is so scared that she will be left all alone with out Antigone that she is willing to die with her. Creon demonstrates his lack of respect for women again when he tries to accuse Ismene of aiding Antigone. Then when he realizes she had no part in the crime does he describes her as, "....she never had a mind at all." (Sophocles, pg.208) The play is also filled with instances of a sexist male viewpoint. Creon is the leader of the Theben throne a position he highly regards. He believes that he has a divine rule and therefor his laws are just and fair. He rules the kingdom with an iron fist and demonstrates his prejudices towards women throughout the play. First, Creon is so upset that his laws are broken by Antigone that tries to hurt her as much as possible. He tries to act as prideful as possible, he states, "No woman shall seduce us. If we must lose, Let's lose to a man, at least. Is a woman stronger than we?" (Sophocles,pg.212) This is proof that Creon does not see women as equal to the authority of men. He feels that women have no common sense and, therefor, must be punished for their irrationality. He eventually realizes that he has offended the Gods with his actions as ruler of Thebes. It is not until his own wife kills herself because of his tyranny against humanity does he realize his mistakes. This of course is way too late to redeem his lost loved ones or take back his contempt toward women. The Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles is

Biography of Ruth Handler, Inventor of Barbie Dolls

Biography of Ruth Handler, Inventor of Barbie Dolls Ruth Handler (November 4, 1916–April 27, 2002) was an American inventor who created the iconic Barbie doll in 1959 (the doll was named after Handlers daughter Barbara). Barbie was introduced to the world at the American Toy Fair in New York City. The Ken doll was named after Handlers son and was introduced two years after Barbie debuted. Handler was the co-founder of Mattel, a company that manufactures a variety of popular toys. Fast Facts: Ruth Handler Known For: Handler founded the toy company Mattel and invented the Barbie doll.Born: November 4, 1916 in Denver, ColoradoParents: Jacob and Ida MoskoDied: April 27, 2002 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaSpouse: Elliot Handler (m. 1938-2002)Children: 2 Early Life Handler was born Ruth Marianna Mosko on November 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado. Her parents were Jacob and Ida Mosko. She married Elliot Handler, her high school boyfriend, in 1938. Mattel With Harold Matt Matson, Elliot created a garage workshop in 1945. Their business name Mattel was a combination of the letters of their last and first names. Matson soon sold his share of the company, so the Handlers, Ruth and Elliot, took full control. Mattels first products were picture frames. However, Elliot eventually started making dollhouse furniture from picture frame scraps. That proved to be such a success that Mattel switched to making nothing but toys. Mattels first big-seller was the Uka-a-doodle, a toy ukulele. It was the first in  the line  of musical toys. In 1948, the Mattel Corporation was formally incorporated in California. In 1955, the company changed toy marketing forever  by acquiring the rights to produce the popular Mickey Mouse Club products. The cross-marketing promotion became common  practice  for future toy companies. In 1955, Mattel released  a  successful patented toy cap gun called the burp gun. Invention of Barbie In 1959, Ruth Handler created  the Barbie doll. Handler would later refer to herself as Barbies mom. Mattell founders Ruth and Elliott Handler with a barbie doll. Courtesy of Mattel   Handler watched her daughter Barbara and friends playing with paper dolls. The children used them to play make-believe, imagining roles as college students,  cheerleaders,  and adults with careers. Handler aspired  to invent a doll that would better facilitate the way young girls were playing with their dolls. Handler and Mattel introduced Barbie, the teenage fashion model, to skeptical toy buyers at the annual Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. The new doll was very unlike the baby and toddler dolls that were popular at the time. This was a doll with an adult body. What was the inspiration? During a family trip to Switzerland, Handler saw the German-made Bild Lilli doll in a Swiss shop and bought one. The Bild Lilli doll was a collectors item  and  not intended for sale to children; however, Handler used it as the basis for her design for Barbie. The Barbie doll’s first boyfriend, the Ken Doll, debuted two years after Barbie in 1961. Handler said Barbie was a symbol of freedom and possibility for young girls and women: â€Å"Barbie has always represented that a woman has choices. Even in her early years, Barbie did not have to settle for only being Ken’s girlfriend or an inveterate shopper. She had the clothes, for example, to launch a career as a nurse, a stewardess, a nightclub singer. I believe the choices Barbie represents helped the doll catch on initially, not just with daughters- who would one day make up the first major wave of women in management and professionals- but also with mothers.† The Story of Barbie Handler created a personal story for the very first Barbie doll. She was named Barbie Millicent Roberts and she was from Willows, Wisconsin. Barbie was a teenage fashion model. Now, however, the doll has been made in many versions connected to over 125 different careers, including president of the United States. Barbie came as either a brunette or blond, and in 1961, a red-headed Barbie was released. In 1980, the first African-American Barbie and Hispanic Barbie were introduced. The first Barbie was sold for $3. Additional clothing based on the latest runway trends from Paris were sold as well for between $1 and $5. In 1959, the year Barbie was released, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold. Today, a mint condition #1 Barbie doll can fetch as much as $27,000. To date, more than 70 fashion designers have made clothes for Mattel, using in excess of 105 million yards of fabric. There has been some controversy over Barbies figure ever since it was realized that if the doll were a real person, her measurements would be an impossible 36-18-38. Barbies real measurements are 5 inches (bust), 3 1/4 inches (waist), and 5 3/16 inches (hips). Her weight is 7  ¼ ounces, and her height is 11.5 inches. In 1965, Barbie had bendable legs and eyes that opened and shut. In 1967, a Twist N Turn Barbie was released that had a movable body that twisted at the waist. The best-selling Barbie doll of all time was the Totally Hair Barbie of 1992, which had hair from the top of her head to her toes. Other Inventions After fighting breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy in 1970, Handler surveyed the market for a suitable prosthetic breast. Disappointed by the options available, she set about designing a replacement breast that was more similar to a natural one. In 1975, Handler received a patent for Nearly Me, a prosthesis made of material close in weight and density to that of natural breasts. Death Handler developed colon cancer in her 80s. She died on April 27, 2002, at the age of 85. Handler was survived by her husband, who died on July 21, 2011. Legacy Handler created one of the worlds most successful toy companies, Mattel. Her Barbie doll is one of the most popular and iconic toys in the world. In 2016, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris had a Barbie show featuring hundreds of dolls alongside artworks inspired by Barbie. Sources Gerber, Robin.  Barbie and Ruth: the Story of the Worlds Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her. Harper, 2010.Stone, Tanya.  The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: a Dolls History and Her Impact on Us. Paw Prints, 2015.

The USSR's Voracity for Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The USSR's Voracity for Power - Essay Example The two powers distrusted each other. America resented Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship and communism in the USSR. The USSR, also referred to as the Soviet Union also distrusted America for not accepting them into the international community. They were also unhappy with America’s delay to participate in the World War II, leading to the death of many Russians. Therefore, even though the Soviet Union and the United States fought during the Word War II as allies, they had only joined hands to fight a common enemy, the Nazi Germany. The major cause of the Cold War was the move by the Soviet Union to try and gain power and influence in East European countries. After the World War II ended, the Soviet Union separated itself from the Western allies. The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin initiated aggressive policies in order to gain influence in east European countries. The United States intervened to stop the Soviet Union’s expansion, and this resulted in the Cold War. Afte r Stalin’s death, the Soviet Union was taken over by Khrushchev and later by Brezhnev. These leaders implemented various foreign policies. This discussion explores the Soviet Union’s voracity for power and influence as the chief cause of the Cold War, and the impact of Khrushchev’s and Brezhnev’s foreign policies. Origination of the Cold War Before World War II began, the United States and the Soviet Union had several differences. Firstly, the two nations supported different types of governments. The United States supported democracy while the Soviet Union favoured communism. There were also economic differences whereby the United States supported world free trade. However, the Soviet Union was against international trade as the Russians felt it would bring in influences from the west that would threaten their dictatorial system. Moreover, when Europe was weakened in World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States were the most influential powers and each of them wanted to control the other. When the World War II ended, the distrust between the Soviet Union and the United States was heightened by the domination of the USSR in Eastern Europe and the confrontational and domineering attitude of the United States to international matters, as well as their possession of an atomic bomb (Painter, 1999: 15). The Soviet Union had gained considerable influence in Eastern Europe even before World War II ended. The Red Army was in control of some parts of Eastern Europe by 1944. The Soviet Union also obtained the control of eastern Germany and obtained a new border line with Poland at the Yalta Conference in 1945. Towards the end of the war in 1945, the Soviet Union actively dominated the eastern European control and influenced the elections to ensure communist domination in their governments. Moreover, communists in these countries took charge of the most significant ministries of Military and Defence. The Soviet Union also influenced Wes tern Europe’s post-war elections in countries like France and Italy in 1946 (Phillips, 2001: 123). Stalin consolidated the Soviet authority in east European countries and used the Soviet Union’