To what extent is the fate of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero Essay

To what extent is the fate of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero (Nawal El Saadawi) and Chronicles of a death foretold dictated by the moral values of the culture in which they live - Essay Example These values determine the characters actions and thereby shape their fates. In Woman at Point Zero, the protagonist is manipulated and dishonored by a number of people in her life. She has no power over the events that happen to her. She gradually learns the value of power and money which enables one to gain control over others and that becomes the utmost aim in her life. Similarly honor as a moral value affects the lives of all the major characters in Chronicle of a Death Foretold as they exist in relation to a single major event. Santiago pays the price for supposedly dishonoring Angela. Angela pays the price for not being a virgin. The Vicario brothers have to commit a crime to defend the honor of their sister. Roman has to discard his wife because honor means everything to him. All the characters display a variety of emotions. They show both negative and positive streaks in their personalities. Although much of the narrative is focused on him, Santiago Nasar is an ambiguous character throughout the novel. The narrator says that â€Å"he was a child of a marriage of convenience† and that he is open hearted. His appreciation of valor, prudence, firearms and falconry comes from his father, who is no longer alive. The narrator also says that Santiago would have seduced Divina Flor, just as his father seduced her mother, Victoria Guzman. As the narrator says Angela Vicario can be said to be the main character of the story. She is center of the mystery that the narrator is trying to unravel, since she is the only one who knows who truly took her virginity, and she remains mysterious at the end of the story because she never reveals whether or not Santiago was guilty. As a young girl, she was the most beautiful of her four sisters. However, the narrator says she had a "helpless air and a poverty of spirit that augured an uncertain future for her." The narrator says that her "penury of spirit had been aggravated by the years."

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay Example for Free

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay Amy Lowells Life and Career Marcia B. Dinneen (http://www. english. illinois. edu/maps/poets/g_l/amylowell/life. htm) Amy Lowell was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the daughter of Augustus Lowell and Katherine Bigelow Lawrence. Both sides of the family were New England aristocrats, wealthy and prominent members of society. Augustus Lowell was a businessman, civic leader, and horticulturalist, Katherine Lowell an accomplished musician and linguist. Although considered as almost disreputable, poets were part of the Lowell family, including James Russell Lowell, a first cousin, and later Robert Lowell. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Lowell was first educated at the family home, Sevenels (named by her father as a reference to the seven Lowells living there), by an English governess who left her with a lifelong inability to spell. Her first poem, Chacago, written at age nine, is testament to this problem. In the fall of 1883 Lowell began attending a series of private schools in Brookline and Boston. At school she was the terror of the faculty (Gould, p. 32). Even at Mrs.  Cabots school, founded by a Lowell cousin to educate her own children and the children of friends and relations, Lowell was totally indifferent to classroom decorum. Noisy, opinionated, and spoiled, she terrorized the other students and spoke back to her teachers (Heymann, p. 164). During school vacations Lowell traveled with her family. She went to Europe and to New Mexico and California. On the latter trip she kept a travel journal. Lowell enjoyed writing, and two stories she wrote during this time were printed in Dream Drops; or, Stories from Fairyland (1887), by a Dreamer. The volume was published privately by her mother, who also contributed material, and the proceeds were donated to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Lowells schooling included the usual classes in English, history, French, literature, and a little Italian. As Lowell later noted, My family did not consider that it was necessary for girls to learn either Greek or Latin (Damon, p. 87). She would also describe her formal education as not amounting to a hill of beans (Benvenuto, p. 6). School ended in 1891, and Lowell made her debut. Described as the most popular debutante of the season, she went to sixty dinners given in her honor. Her popularity was attributed to her skills in dancing and in the art of conversation, but her debut did not produce the expected marriage proposal. Although Lowell had finished formal schooling, she continued to educate herself. Unfortunately, higher education was not an option for Lowell women. She put herself through a rigorous reading program, using her fathers 7,000-volume library and the resources of the Boston Athenaeum (her great-grandfather was one of the founders). Later Lowell would successfully speak out against the proposed relocation of the Athenaeum; this would also become the subject of a poem. Lowells love of books themselves began with her first Rollo book, Rollo Learning to Read, which her mother gave her when she was six. This gift marked the beginning of an enthusiasm for book collecting that would last throughout her life. In 1891 she made her first major purchase of a set of the complete works of Sir Walter Scott with money she had received as a Christmas gift. It was, however, her collection of Keatsiana, including a rare first edition of Lamia inscribed to F. B. from J. K. (Fanny Brawne from John Keats), that put her in the forefront of international book collectors. Following her debut, Lowell led the life of a prominent socialite, visiting, going to parties and the theater, and traveling. Her mother, who had been an invalid for years, died in 1895. A disappointment in love prompted a winter trip to Egypt in 1897-1898. Lowell had accepted the proposal of a Bostonian whom she loved, but before the engagement was formally announced he became entangled elsewhere (Damon, p. 120). The family could do nothing to protect her except guard tenaciously the name of the errant suitor (Gould, p. 65). The trip was also for health reasons. Doctors felt Lowells obesity could be cured by the Egyptian heat and a diet of nothing but tomatoes and asparagus. The regimen almost killed her and resulted in a prolonged nervous collapse. In 1900 Lowells father died, and she bought Sevenels. She also bought a summer home in Dublin, New Hampshire, that she named Broomley Lacey. The area was home to the MacDowell Artists Colony as well as to other notable painters and sculptors. In Brookline Lowell assumed her fathers civic responsibilities. Early in 1902 she spoke against the reappointment of the elderly superintendent of the Brookline public school system. She was the first woman in the Lowell family to make a speech in public (Gould, p. 77). Initially booed, Lowell continued to speak with her usual forthrightness and, at the end, won applause as well as her point. Lowell became a member of the executive committee of the Brookline Education Society and chair of its Library Board. In October 1902 Lowell became a poet. Her interest in verse had been growing beyond her childhood enthusiasm, fueled by her reading Leigh Hunts Imagination and Fancy; or, Selections from the English Poets,which she had found near the ceiling in her fathers library. The volume was a revelation to her, opening a door that might otherwise have remained shut, Lowell remarked (Gould, p. 51). She had become enamored of poetry and the poets Hunt discussed, particularly Keats. After she saw Eleanora Duse perform one October night she wrote her first adult poem, Eleanora Duse. Although some critics say that she was being too hard on herself, Lowell described the 71-line poem as having every cliche and every technical error which a poem can have. Yet she also said, It loosed a bolt in my brain and I found out where my true function lay (Damon, p. 148). At age twenty-eight she had discovered her calling: to be a poet. In 1910 four of Lowells sonnets were accepted for publication by the Atlantic Monthly. A Fixed Idea, published first, appeared in August of that year. By 1912 she had published her first book of poetry, A Dome of Many-Colored Glass; the title came from Percy Bysshe Shelleys Adonais, his elegy for Keats. It was not well received by either the public or the critics. Louis Untermeyer wrote that the book to be brief, in spite of its lifeless classicism, can never rouse ones anger. But, to be briefer still, it cannot rouse one at all (Damon, p. 92). Yet 1912 was also the year that Lowell met actress Ada Dwyer Russell. The friendship between the two women has been described as platonic by some, as lesbian by others; it was, in fact, a Boston marriage. They lived together and were committed to each other until Lowells death. Russell was Lowells companion, providing love and emotional support, as well as the practical skill of organizing Lowells busy life. Biographer Richard Benvenuto observed that Lowells great creative output between 1914 and 1925 would not have been possible without her friends steadying, supporting presence (p. 0). The following year Lowell discovered some poems in Poetry by Hilda Doolittle, signed H. D. Imagiste. Lowell felt an identification with the style of H. D. s poetry and determined to discover more about it. Armed with a letter of introduction from Poetry editor Harriet Monroe, Lowell traveled to London to meet Ezra Pound, head of the imagist movement. In London Lowell not only learned about imagism and free verse from Pound, but she also met many poets, several of whom became lifelong friends. Over the years Lowell would develop many literary friendships that resulted in an enormous volume of literary correspondence, requiring Lowell to employ two full-time secretaries. Lowell not only supported and encouraged other poets with her writing, such as her favorable review of Robert Frosts North of Boston in the New Republic (20 Feb. 1915), but also with money and gifts. Lowells poems began to appear in increasing numbers in journals, and she was becoming a prolific writer of essays and reviews. Pound had requested the inclusion of her poem In a Garden in his anthology Des Imagistes(1914). Later Lowell and Pound would have a falling out over the direction of the imagist movement, and Pound would call the movement, as adapted by Lowell, Amygism. Lowell became the spokesperson of imagism, leading the fight for the renewal of poetry in her homeland (Francis, p. 510), and her efforts were tireless. She traveled throughout the country, selling the new poetry. Her own volume Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914), written in free verse and polyphonic prose, a Lowell invention, brought her an instantaneous phenomenal rise to fame (Gould, p. 139). Lowells first book of criticism, Six French Poets (1915), based on a series of her lectures, was also well received. Lowell was publishing a book a year, alternating between volumes of short verse and longer poems. Men, Women and Ghosts (1916) was highly regarded and contained Patterns one of her most famous poems. In it an eighteenth-century woman, walking in her garden, contemplates a future that has suddenly become empty because of the loss of her fiance in battle; she mourns the fact that the Patterns of her role required her to remain chaste before marriage. The next year she published another critical volume, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry, which included essays on six contemporary poets: Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, Carl Sandburg, H. D. , and John Gould Fletcher. Lowell also published anthologies of imagist poets in 1915, 1916, and 1917. Her next volume of poetry, Can Grandes Castle (1918), included four long poems; the title was taken from the name of the refuge where Dante, the Florentine exile, wrote portions of his Divine Comedy. Inspired by her lifelong interest in the Orient, Pictures of a Floating World (1919) is a translation of the Japanese word ukiyo-e, a term commonly associated with a form of eighteenth-century Japanese painting. It includes 174 short, free verse lyrics, considered by some as overtly erotic. For example, A Decade and The Weathercock Points South are described as a celebration of lesbian devotion. Legends (1921) contains eleven longer poems, and Fir-Flower Tablets (1921) is a collection of poems based on translations of ancient Chinese verse. Since Lowell did not read Chinese, she was dependent on English translations by Florence Wheelock Ayscough, which Lowell then turned back into poetry. A Critical Fable (1922) is a long, humorous poem, evaluating the state of contemporary poetry. Originally published anonymously, the poem pokes fun at fellow poets and at Lowell herself in lines of rhymed couplets. The poem was modeled on James Russell Lowells A Fable for Critics (1848). Her last publication was the momentous biography , John Keats (1925). In 1921 Lowell had given an address at Yale honoring Keats on the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth. The lecture stimulated her to write the book, which minutely examines Keatss life and corrects some long-standing misconceptions about him. Lowell was also the first biographer to see Fanny Brawne in a favorable light. The book was well received in the United States but not in Britain, where she was accused of writing a psychological thriller rather than a literary biography. Lowell was angry and heartbroken but in typical fashion determined to confront the critics on their own turf.

Childhood Depression :: essays research papers

Childhood Depression In recent years, we have heard of depression and the affects of the disorder, and what medications and theories help to prevent depression in adults. Many people are not aware that not only is depression diagnosed in adults, recently studies show that depression is diagnosed in adolescents. Not only adults become depressed. Children and teenagers also may have depression. Depression is defined as an illness when it persists. Childhood depression is one of the most overlooked disorders. Depression probably exists in about 5 percent of children in the general population. Children under stress, who experience loss, or who have, learning or conduct disorders are at a higher risk of depression. Studies show that depression is more likely to show up in boys than in girls. Depression in men and meal adolescents most of the time is over looked are misdiagnosed. Men for instance, have higher rates of drug abuse and violent behavior that do women or young female adolescents do, and some researchers belie that this behavior masks depression or anxiety (Canetto, 1992; Kessler al., 1994). Some Psychologists believe that the reason that young males are more likely to suffer from depression because of the stigmatism of being a male and being taught by adults that expressing there feelings are wrong. According to Carol Wade, Travis, Depression (Major Depression) is a disorder that is sever enough to disrupt a person’s ordinary functioning (Physiology filth edition, 586). The diagnoses of depression might be the same for adults and adolescents, but the behavior of depressed children and teenagers differs from the behavior of depressed adults. Child and adolescent psychiatrists advise parents to be aware of signs in there youngsters such as persistent sadness, A major change in sleeping and eating patterns and increased activity or irritability. Depression is accompanied by physical changes as well. Frequent complaints of physical illness such as headaches and stomachaches A child who used to play often with friends may now spend most of the time alone and without interest. Things that were once fun now bring little joy to the depressed child. Then symptoms could trigger antisocial personality, a disorder characterized by antisocial behavior such as sealing, lying and sometimes violence: a lack of social emotions and impulsively. Children and adolescents and adolescents who are depressed may say they want to be dead or may talk about suicide. Depressed adolescents may abuse alcohol or other drugs as a way to feel better.

The Mind of Someone Who Uses Drugs :: essays papers

The Mind of Someone Who Uses Drugs In the mind of someone who does drugs there is always a reason to take that hit of acid, that pill of ecstasy, that line of coke or that bump of crystal. Justification is a powerful tool of persuasion, it’s a manipulation tool that others can use on you but more commonly you use on yourself. You don’t have to go to work for ten hours and the acid trip will only last about seven hours so as long as you don’t go to sleep you’ll be fine. You’ll not sleep for twenty-four hours and you’ll be cracked out as all hell at work but hell, it’s worth it. Most people that do drugs will say that they have great will power and only do a drug when they know they have the time and energy. I have heard and said that phrase so many times. The more drugs you do the less will you have to say no and the easier it is for people to persuade you to take that pill with them. Friends don’t persuade you because they want you to be â€Å"bad† like they are or any of that other crap you see on anti-drug commercials on television. Your friends want you to be there so that they can have fun with you while on the drugs together.. It is generally true that I have had most of my drug experiences with friends and it is also true that I have made some true bonds with people while on drugs. The question I use to always ask myself is â€Å"who are my real friends and who were friends that I made simply because we were on a substance†. It is so easy to bond with someone while on drugs, especially ecstasy. On the drug ecstasy it’s possible to bond with someone while that you have never gotten along with and probably never will again. My girlfriend who I dated for about three months, while knowing that I was gay, I met through drugs. Since she and I were generally high on something at all times our relationship was completely ( what does this meanthrough) and because of drugs. I have not spoken to her for over five months and if we did speak we would probably have little interest in each other.

Theories of First and Second Language Acquisition

There are various theories that have been put forward to describe first and second language acquisition. This paper outlines similarities and difference between first and second language acquisition. Additionally key theoretical points on second language acquisition have been identified. Finally, an explanation of how I intend to use my understanding of language acquisition theory to inform my teaching practice will also be included. Similarities of First and Second Language Acquisition Rod Elis (1984) examined the concept of developmental sequences.Studies have revealed that both first and second language learners follow a pattern of development, which is mainly followed despite exceptions. Elis outlined three developmental stages: the silent period, formulaic speech, and structural and semantic simplification. Both L1 and L2 learners go through the silent stage. In this stage, children acquiring a first language will go through a period of listening to the language that they are be ing exposed to. This period is used to discover what language is. Second language learners usually opt to remain silent for a period when immediate production is not required of them.The usefulness of the silent stage in second language acquisition is not agreed upon by researchers. Gibbons (1985 , as cited by Ellis, 1994)argues that this is a stage of incomprehension while Krashen (1982) argues that it builds competence in learners via listening. The second stage identified is formulaic speech. It is defined as expressions which are learnt as â€Å"unanalyzable wholes and employed on particular occasions (Lyons, 1968, cited in Ellis, 1994).According Krashen (1982), these expression can have the form of whole utterances learned as memorized chunks (e. g.  I don’t know) and partially unanalyzed utterances with one or more slots (e. g. Where are the______? ). The expressions can also consist of entire scripts such as greetings (Ellis, 1994). In the third stage, the first and second language learners apply structural and semantic simplifications to their language. For instance, they may omit articles and other grammatical forms as is the case with structural simplifications. Semantic simplifications take the form of omitting content words (e. g. nouns). These simplifications occur because learners may not have yet acquired the necessary linguistic forms.Another reason is that they are unable to access linguistic forms during production. In both first and second language acquisition there are particular structures that are acquired in a set order. Research shows that a learner’s first language has an effect on acquistional sequences which either slows their development or modifies it (McLaughlin, 1987). Individual variation in how individuals acquire language (such as communication strategies) may mask acquisitional sequences for certain constructions (Mclaughlin, 1987).Based on the morpheme studies in L2 acquisition, Krashen (1982) put forward th e Natural Order Hypothesis which claims that the rules of language are acquired in a predictable order. This acquisition order is not determined by simplicity or the order of rules taught in the class. It seems that there exists an order of acquisition in both first and second language acquisition. In both first and second language acquisition, learners may over generalize vocabulary or rules, using them in contexts broader than those in which they should be used.For instance, a child may say ‘eated’ instead of saying ‘ate’ for past tense of ‘eat’, and same thing may happen in second language acquisition an adult may say ‘holded’ instead of ‘held’ for the past tense of ‘hold’. Differences between First and Second Language Acquisition Nearly everyone acquires a first language but this is not the case with second languages. Acquiring a first language happens naturally, while acquiring a second language often requires conscious effort on the part of the learner.Another difference between first and second language learning relates to input, specifically the quality and quantity of input. According to the connectionist model the language learning process depends on the input frequency and regularity. Second language learners may have limited exposure to the target language that may be restricted to a couple hours a day where as first language learners are immersed in the language consistently. In first language acquisition, the basis for learning is universal grammar alone (Chomsky, 1968 as cited by Murray & Christison, 2006).In second language acquisition, knowledge of the first language serves as the basis for learning a second language. As a result of this, there may be both positive and negative transfer between the first and second language in second language learning. Key theoretical points that inform second language acquisition Various theories have been used to study the acquisit ion of a second language. These theories have strengths and shortcomings in their explanations of how second languages are acquired. I will attempt to highlight a few key points made by some of these theories.The behaviourism theory assumes that a person learns a second language by transferring habits formed in first language acquisition. These habits may sometimes interfere with the new ones needed to acquire a second language or the habits can be transferred to aid second language acquisition. However, further research has found that the influence of the learner’s first language may be more than a transferral of habits but involves a process of identifying points of similarity, assessing the evidence in support of a particular feature and reflecting on the feature’s relevance to the target language (Lightbown & Spada,2006).This theory is believed not to provide adequate explanations about how second language are acquired. However, there is value in the notion that an individual’s first language has an effect on second language acquisition efforts. The innatist’s perspective put forth the concept of Universal Grammar (UG). According to White (2000) Universal Grammar offers the best perspective to understand the acquisition of a second language. The concept of UG supports the belief that individuals have an innate language competence that is not taught to them formally.This competence is altered by the acquisition of a first language. This results in the need for second language learners to get direct information about what is not grammatically acceptable in the second language (Lightbown &Spada, 2006). Otherwise learners may assume that some first language structures are also present in the second language when they are not. This perspective encourages investigation into learners’ language competence and gaining an understanding of what learners know about the language rather than how they use it.The monitor model offers a c ouple valid points about second language acquisition. This model proposes that second language acquisition follows a predictable sequence. It also suggests that second language acquisition will occur when learners are exposed to language that is comprehensible and that contains the level of language already known along with language that is just a step beyond that level. There also different psychological theories that offer explanations for second language acquisition.Researchers who subscribe to the information processing model see second language acquisition as the construction of knowledge that can be called on automatically for speaking and understanding (Lightbown &Spada, 2006). Learners will have to use cognitive resources to process any aspect of the language that they are attempting to understand or produce. The connectionism perspective claims that learners gradually build up their knowledge of language through exposure to countless instances of linguistic features that th ey eventually hear (Lightbown & Spada,2006).When learners hear language features in specific situational or linguistic context constantly, they develop a network of connections between these elements. There are many other theories that are used to explain second language acquisition. After considering these theories, it is apparent that there is no one theory that adequately explains how individuals acquire second language. Using language acquisition theory in ESL practiceIt is apparent that there is no one theory that fully explains how language is acquired, so as an instructor, I have to consider the aspects of language acquisition that different theories have in common. I would then use these to inform my practice. For instance, it has been established that a learner’s first language affects their second language learning efforts. So as an instructor, it is my responsibility to identify the features of the first language that are interfering with the student’s secon d language learning as well as provide the student with the necessary material overcome that obstacle.I also understand that adult language learners do not acquire second languages as quickly as children. The Critical Period Hypothesis supports this claim. With this knowledge, I know that I will have to be patient with my adult students. I also know that there are stages of acquisition that they have to go through even if it is at a slow rate. So my intention is to use the information that has been established in my practice. I also have to be open minded as well be willing to make adjustments for individuals who are operating outside of the norm.

Gangs and Police in Colors essays

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The comparison of My Last Duchess and The Laboratory Essay Example

The comparison of My Last Duchess and The Laboratory Essay Example The comparison of My Last Duchess and The Laboratory Paper The comparison of My Last Duchess and The Laboratory Paper Arrogance and Betrayal. The ominous and menacing atmosphere of these two poems reveal these abstract nouns in negative lights and sinister situations; hidden amongst these is the powerful sense of control, whether it’s the need to control a situation or person. In ‘My last Duchess’ this sense of control is reflected in the Duke and his obsession in power, although him and the Lady in ‘The Laboratory’ share this desire, the woman in the apothecary seems to have a stronger, more manic need for it than the duke. Throughout both poems it is quite clear that Browning and layered his poems with deep emotions causing the reader to explore different meanings to the story, but the more you layers you uncover the darker the meanings get†¦ While reading these two poems the influence of a male perspective is vividly shown which is to be expected as the author of the monologue is Sir Robert Browning. Two types of women are illustrated in the poems, in Browning’s monologue of ‘My Last Duchess’ it seems that the duke enjoys protecting the girl and wrapping her around cotton wool which may explain his jealously when his bride received other gifts. However In ‘The Laboratory’ the angry wife seems to be deranged as a result of being ignored from her husband. Either way the poems both reflect on the dominance of the male in a relationship, indicating the reason of taking advantage of their partner. This may also be why men think they can cheat on their spouse, which drives them towards the deranged state that is portrayed in The Laboratory. Throughout both poems Browning covers four main emotions; love, paranoia, betrayal and arrogance, which act as base for romance; not the stereo-typical type, in fact this may the kind of romance that maybe experienced in everyday life. Both monologues show the narrator in negative light, that is true, but there are two perspectives here to analyse. Lets take My Last Duchess as an example; the duke may as well be portrayed as a jealous, arrogant, controlling murderer who enjoys to abuse his power. Or you can view him as victim who is trapped in his own authority and his 900 year-old name. Hence forth when he sees his bride happy and smiling all the time while he is miserable, the duke may act out of jealousy or maybe even depression. Now if we take the two outlooks of The Laboratory we will recognize the same situations here. If the woman in the apothecary was a villain then readers would see her as an envious, paranoid, vengeful women with a disintegrating marriage; on the other hand she could also be viewed as a victim. A mentally unstable women deranged by betrayal, public humiliation and lack of attention from her husband. Adding on to the victim hypothesis the women may be controlled by her partner, maybe a threat of divorce? To avoid public humiliation she would do his bid? She could have had enough of the commands and decided to take her own actions? It is likely that the victim theory to be the correct one for just by the womens presence in the apothecary symbolizes her lifestyle. Why? Due to the ban and death sentence that comes with it, an apotheosis sells and makes poison at a extremely high price, implying her wealth ,lifestyle and status. That may be why she is so self-conscious, scared what people may think. Thus the woman at the apothecary and the duke are not at all un-a-like. The sharing of dark qualities is very clear in the two monologues because after you read both the room feels trapped in a eerie atmosphere. This may be due to the cleverly picked choice of words which give the poems both a feeling of passion and mystical madness. In The Laboratory Browning incorporated very delicate and feminine nouns whereas in the other verses he demonstrated the use of masculine sounds. In the fourth verse of the poem the women is simply awed at the products in the shops, â€Å"That in the mortar you call it a gum? Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come! And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue, Sure to taste sweetly, is that poison too? † The soft, feminine sounds let the poem take a lyrical and enchanting twist but when one focus on the words the whole thing becomes maniacal and macabre. When you listen you can her the adrenaline and crazed tone as she watches with wonder on ponders on the beauty of it all. This is what establishes that sinister ambiance. The verse above has the same principle but the masculine sounds of the words some how blunted and make the women’s intentions more direct, increasing the impact of the shudder-some effect that follows. â€Å"Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste, Pound at thy powder, I am not in haste! Better sit thus, and observe thy strange things, Than go where men wait me and dance at the Kings. † Again by analysing Browning’s choice of words for his My Last Duchess monologue you can tell that in between the lines is the emotion of envy. The Dukes anger and pain are also made clear of, why is this? It seems that the duke feels trapped in his own wealth, power and status. He can-not be free of societys pressure for if he does 1000 great deeds and one mistake surely that one mistake will never be forgotten. Unless, he demands authority through fear. But how can society fear the duke when it seems that his newest wife never takes her role seriously? How can they fear him when all she, his other half, does is smile at everyone and accept foolish gifts such as mules and cherries? How dare she compare his gift, a 900 year-old name, with a four legged animal? It had to stop or the duke would lose his command and supremacy. He had to make an excuse for her death. And he succeeded. Was his love for her true? No. That is clear in the poem, its as if you can picture his smug grin, his satisfied tone when he says; â€Å"Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. † Punctuation can tell us much in poem. How the person is feeling, their tone of voice or intensions. In The Laboratory the poet has cleverly used his knowledge to pinpoint all of the above. For example when he has inputed commas and thus adding pauses it builds up tension and suspense encouraging interest and curiosity from the reader. Dashes are also used for pauses but they have a completely different effect, in fact when a dash is used it is either followed with a question mark or a exclamation mark. This indicates that the woman is excited and full of adrenaline but also impatient as she wants the task to be done with. On the other hand with My Last Duchess Browning cleverly used the same punctuations but caused them to produce different effects. By combining dashes and exclamation marks with the text we get a taste of the dukes bitterness and anger which he is trying hard to conceal. Those are when we see the real duke. In the monologue the duke tends to quote people but hinting sarcasm or making them a victim of ridicule. When using the comma the poet makes sure that the duke sounds composed, but also as if he is trying very hard to keep emotion out of his voice. Surprisingly by using the same technique of punctuation Browning has created to entirely different mind-frames for both narrators. In The Laboratory the women doesnt seem to care about expressing her feelings whereas in My Last Duchess the duke can think of nothing else other than concealing his emotions and thoughts. In conclusion My Last Duchess and The Laboratory are very similar. They both cover the four main emotions (love, paranoia, arrogance and betrayal) which results into the common eerie atmosphere. Their structures are the same but the perspectives of the characters are different ever though they may live the same wealthy lifestyle and last but not least both poems are focused on women. Whether its to do with deranged wives or abused ones, the poems reflect on the dominance of men in the world and the little things womenkind do to break loose from that firm hold. It may be poisoning lovers or refusing to be tamed. Whatever it may be this is a mans world but surely it is time for a change?