Jane Eyre Essay -- essays papers

Jane Eyre The novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte delivers a strong feminist message. Jane was a strong woman in a time when women were not meant to be strong. She was very out spoken (even as a child) and very sure in her values and opinions. She would not change them for anyone. She did not even let men control her, which is what was expected of women in this era. Jane’s father died when she was a little girl, leaving her basically on her own. The only kin she had that she knew of was an aunt that saw her as nothing but a burden and treated her cruelly. Her three cousins were just as bad, which further distressed her situation. Jane’s only escape from living with these awful people was the solitude she found in books. Any time she had spare time she would read. It is Jane’s love for reading and the knowledge she gained from them that gives her the power to finally stand up to her aunt. Her aunt ultimately gets rid of Jane by sending her to a very strict boarding school designed for orphans called Lowood. At Lowood Jane befriends a girl by the name of Helen Burns. When she first meets Helen, she sees her being punished in front of her entire class for virtually no reason. After witnessing this incident, Jane talks to Helen about it because she does not understand why she did not resist the teacher she says: You are good to those who are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we sho... ...he now has complete financial independence which I believe makes her more secure in returning to Thornfield because she is in need of nothing but peace of mind in knowing that Mr. Rochester is alright. When she gets to Thornfield she finds it burnt to the ground. Mr. Rochester has gone blind and is very deformed after he went into the fire to try and save his wife from the burning house. His attempt had failed and his wife died. So in the end, Jane can now be with the person that she loves - Mr. Rochester. The irony of their marriage is that Jane will be the one taking care of Mr. Rochester instead of the other way around. Throughout the novel, Jane stands up for what she believes in even though in some cases it hurts her very badly. By her not being scared to do what it takes to follow her beliefs she went from a girl who had nothing to a woman who had it all.

The Significance Of The Philadelphia Convention

Despite its comparatively condensed existence, America has swiftly scaled the summit of world power. This could not have been accomplished without the written constitution that was drawn up at the legendary Philadelphia convention. The convention was a secretive gathering, which brought together representatives of twelve of the thirteen states for the â€Å"sole and express purpose of revising the articles of confederation†. It began in May 1787, having been proposed the previous year at an assembly in which five states took part. Fifty-five state representatives took part, although there were rarely more than thirty-five at any one session. It was held in the State House at Philadelphia; â€Å"the city of brotherly love†, an appropriate location for the establishment of the new America. The delegates worked in small groups, six days a week, five to six hours a day, under the experienced gaze of presiding officer George Washington. After four months of exhausting talks, the delegates emerged having drawn up a completely rewritten constitution that now required ratification from nine states to come into effect. Removal of British rule had left America without an effective government. Although the articles of confederation had been devised to replace the British government in America, they were â€Å"nothing more than a treaty of amity, of commerce and of alliance between independent and sovereign states. It was soon apparent that the articles were unable to adequately overcome the problems that arose. Many leading figures became anxious over this issue and the need for reconsideration ensued. The convention acknowledged this and allowed the opportunity for the most prominent figures in America to rectify the predicament. In early post-independent America, many unforeseen difficulties had occurred. Disputes over trade routes and in particular war debt repayment had materialised due to separate state government. Between 1785 and 1786 seven states had issued paper money, which quickly became worthless, to repay their debts. In certain states, creditors were even compelled to accept the paper money. The central government had to rely on state generosity for its funds and authority, and a unanimous vote if key decisions were to be passed, which did not function satisfactorily due to self-interest. This rendered America as a mere collection of isolated states, vulnerable to attack by natives or rival colonists. The disjointed effort of states to solve their individual problems was becoming worryingly uncoordinated. The short-term trigger of Shays†s rebellion embodied these flaws. Massachusetts had raised taxes to repay its debts, and this hit the poor (who were already struggling in the aftermath of the war of independence) hard. Daniel Shays†s, a discontented war veteran turned farmer, led a mob consisting of over one thousand equally dissatisfied farmers in an assault on the Springfield armoury. Although easy put down, the incident had caused widespread concern over America†s weaknesses, resulting in the necessity for the convention and the changes it would incur. America†s problems in the mid 1780†³s stemmed from an inadequate central government. Due to a lack of control over states and individuals, congress was incapable to regulate America†s economy sufficiently, neither was it empowered to effectively defend not only its territory but also the rights of the individual. Thus the convention was significant as it intended to address the causes of these problems, not the symptoms. Thomas Jefferson, though absent from the convention serving as an envoy to France, played his part. He famously assigned the description â€Å"an assembly of demi-gods† to the gathering. Although this may not have been entirely appropriate, the delegates were certainly formidable; among their number such legends as Franklin, Hamilton, Madison and Washington were to be found. The extensive reputations and abilities of these men are tribute to the importance and prominence of the convention. The collective qualities of the convention also included diversity; there were federalists and anti-federalists, speakers and listeners, idealists and realists. Most of the delegates were comparatively young like James Madison; the average age was forty-four, but there remained ample room for experience in the form of Benjamin Franklin among others. George Washington played a substantial role at the convention. Being revered Commander-in-Chief of the victorious American army during the war of independence augmented his already impressive national stature. He commanded colossal respect over his fellow Americans, demonstrated by his immediate and unanimous election as presiding officer at the convention. He applied this influence wisely, quickly settling disputes and safeguarding America†s best interests while maintaining the atmosphere of goodwill. As a fledgling nation, divided into states and possessing only a loose political system, America was in need of a formal and comprehensive but flexible and durable document under which it was to be run. The convention recognised this fact and accordingly created the Constitution of the United States. The constitution compromised the authority of state and federal governments; for every branch of federal government there was a corresponding arm of each states† government. The constitution also handed supreme power to the central government; the right of individual states to make treaties, coin money, declare war or maintain an army and it required approval from the federal government over regulation of trade. Federal law took precedence, and congress now had sufficient power over taxes, defence, commerce and legislation. The supreme federal court also had the power to overrule the decisions made by state judiciaries, although states still retained everyday management of their legal systems. Although the federal government now had supreme power and authority over important areas such as defence, it was generally perceived that the states would be predominant in organising and managing themselves, albeit under the supervision of the federal government. It was also necessary to compromise over the issue of state representation. To satisfy both larger and smaller states, the house of representatives was to be based upon a system of proportional representation while each state would be equally represented in the senate. These concessions were acceptable to both small states such as New Jersey and larger states like Virginia and thus one of the most frequently debated issues of the convention was settled. The constitution created a sufficiently robust federal government that was now able to rectify the previous difficulties over taxes, debts, security, law and the economy. Although the American system was now comparatively democratic, it was not excessively so; only one-in-six adult males could vote so the fears of democracy arriving too abruptly were allayed. Both state and federal governments were to be deftly balanced. Each branch of government was responsible for regulating the others and could never possess a dominance of authority. For example, the president could make most key decisions, but could be overruled by the senate if the vote was adequate. He possessed much authority but due to the democratic method by which he was elected, it was unlikely that he would abuse it and congress were able to remove him if it proved necessary. Thus the constitution was also engineered to avoid its abuse and ensure that no section of America†s government could grow too powerful. America†s future as a viable nation hung in the balance following its political severance from Britain. Its governmental system was previously untried and thus susceptible to defects. The situation in the North American continent was potentially a very difficult one. There were huge expanses of land mainly to the east still under contention from Indians, the French and the Spanish. Europe was undergoing a great many changes; consequently America†s links with Europe would possibly be compromised. Thus America needed a strong position with which to confront forthcoming problems, and the new constitution provided this.

Martin Luther, And His Concept Of Christianity - 1644 Words

This is an essay about Martin Luther, and his concept of Christianity. As a student and a unbiased Christian, I enjoy studying all types of religions, and elements that encompass them. Luther began his religious career as an Augustinian Monk in the Roman Catholic Church. So, Luther was initially loyal to the papacy, and even after many theological conflicts, he attempted to bring about his understanding with the Church. But this was a contradiction not to suffer because in his later years, Luther waged a continual battle with the papacy. Luther was to become a professor of biblical exegesis at Wittenberg where, in 1957, he posted his critique of the Roman Catholic Church s teachings and practices. This is otherwise known as The Ninety-Five Theses, which is usually considered to be the original document of the Reformation. The Reformation was very controversial then, and, from a historical viewpoint, it still is today. Luther played a large part in the movement, and I was interested I doing a research to uncover what was the issue with religion. Basically, this document was an indictment of the venality of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the widespread practice of selling indulgences in association with the sacrament of penance. Luther s beliefs on the matter were that after confession, absolution relied upon the sinner s faith and God s Divine Grace rather than the intervention of a priest. Martin Luther was a man that made a huge impact not only on those inShow MoreRelatedProtestant Reformation Essay1711 Words   |  7 PagesHave you aver questioned authority or superior forces than yourself? Martin Luther and John Calvin, two famous theologians deeply questioned their times authority, the Catholic Church. These two had created a new way of thinking and voicing it out, especially when it comes to religion. 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