Social Perspectives on the Concepts of Sex and Gender

Social Perspectives on the Concepts of Sex and Gender Critically evaluate the contribution of the social perspective to our understanding of language and meaning and the psychology of sex and gender. It can be said different psychological perspectives lead to different theories providing diverse insights into the same issue i.e. language and meaning. They focus their enquiry in different ways and consequently have dissimilar objects of knowledge. Each perspective asks different questions, use different methods and data and produce therefore different theories. These perspectives can be complementary, conflicting or coexisting, whereby each perspective and theory provides a variety of ways of applying their findings to everyday psychological problems. By focusing on the social psychological perspective, this essay will initially evaluate how this perspective contributes to a greater understanding in the formation, acquisition and use of language and how this understanding co-exists with, and may be complimented by or is in contrast to, other perspectives and how this fits in with the understanding of sex and gender. Social psychological perspectives emphasise the importance of inv estigating cognition by studying how meaning is created through participation and cultural practices and through language. The evolvement, acquisition and application of language used by humans, to express meaning and pursue goals, have been a topic of study amongst the various perspectives in psychology most notably evolutionary, cognitive and social perspectives. In researching language and the development of subsequent theories, language itself is used as a medium to investigate language. This methodological reflexivity is the source of conflict between social and cognitive perspectives on language when trying to determine to what extent, if any, the necessity of responding in language predetermines what is said. Social psychologists, more specifically discourse psychologists (i.e. Parker, 1992, as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, p. 105), claims that in using language individuals do so in a social and historic context, with an audience and for a purpose. Individuals therefore will m ake assumptions about the knowledge, understanding and requirements of their interlocutors in an experimental setting which is a primary method used by cognitive psychologists to study the separate cognitive and underlying thought processes language represents in communication with others or dialog with the self. The social constructionist perspective, on the other hand, uses evidence from actual language used in day-to-day communication and therefore appears to have more ecological validity. With the use of discourse analysis, they manage to describe how individuals organise their talk and use particular strategies such as the creation of subject positions or constructions of the world, to achieve particular ends. Wieder (1974 as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, pp. 104-105) illustrated the use of language to determine behaviour amongst newly released prisoners living in a hostel by employing a method called ethnomethodology (the study of how people do things) devised by Garfinkel (1967 as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, p.103). Wieder (ibid) found that the language used amongst the individuals (called The Code) does not explain their behavior but rather was used by them to actively construct their social world and take appropriate action within it (i.e. not being a snitch). Social constructionists therefore base their understanding of language on the concept that language can be seen as a vehicle for the socially produced and sustained meaning that operates between individuals, in groups and societies (Cooper Kay, 2007, p. 113). Although providing a feasible explanation for the use of language, it does not explain how language evolved or how it is being processed individually. Evolutionary psychologists (i.e. Lorenz, 1952 as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, p. 78) offer an explanation about the evolution of language in claiming that language is an adaptive characteristic that has been acquired (through natural and sexual selection) at species level and is characterised by the ability of humans to create meanings in quite different ways of communication than that of other species. The complex interactive activation with competition (IAC) model devised by McClelland and Rummelhart (1981, as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, pp. 91-94) and subsequent studies (i.e. Moss and Gaskell, 199 8, as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, p. 93) is used by cognitive psychologists in formulating their understanding that language is part of an information processing system that resides in the brain of an individual who creates meaning when hearing others speak or when speaking themselves. The three perspectives therefore provide complimentary understandings of language based on their individual analysis being evolution, individual processing or social construction. Parker (1992, as cited in: Cooper Kay, 2007, p. 105) describe discourse as a set of symbolic meanings created through the use of language to construct an event or object in a particular way. This is evident in the claim by social psychologists that individuals construct the world as consisting of two basic types of people men and women. This is partially achieved through social identity processes as theorised in the Social Identity Theory (SIT) of Tajfel (1919-82, as cited in Phoenix Thomas, 2007, p. 62) whereby individuals devise descriptions which derive from the social group they see themselves belonging to (i.e. male or female). Individuals, according to SIT, then tend to maximise perceived similarities to others in the same group (in-group) whilst minimising it with those outside the group (out-group) e.g. the notion of opposite sex (Hollway, Cooper, Johnston and Stevens, 2007, p. 151). Gender is consequently one of the most important and powerful social categories by which i ndividuals define themselves. Bem (1981 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 153) proposed in the Gender Schema Theory (GST) that femininity and masculinity are socially and culturally constructed dimensions absorbed by individuals to produce an understanding of gender to make sense of themselves and their behavior. Social constructionists however, argue that gender is not a set of characteristics or properties acquired by an individual but rather that gender identity is constantly established and re-established by experiences, behaviors and actions on both individual and group levels and is therefore ongoing throughout the lifespan of an individual. The study of sex and gender is thus concerned with the intricate interplay of nature and nurture in shaping similarities and differences between men and women. In studying sex and gender as a psychological phenomenon evolutionary (e.g. Clark and Hatfield, 1989, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 146) and biological (e.g. Fitch and Den enberg, 1998 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 138) perspectives emphasis’ the contribution of nature to the experiences of individuals by examining the biological and genetic structures relating to sex. Social constructionists acknowledge these influences but looks at the importance of context and culture in constructing an understanding about gender whilst the psychoanalytic perspective incorporates biological differences as well as the social and cultural meanings. The difference between these approaches is often exemplified through political tension between them in relation to their implications about the fixity of the social roles of men and woman and their personal relationships and behavior. Biological and social explanations (nature and nurture) expose a fundamental conflict whereby social perspectives echo the underlying principal of psychoanalysts questioning individual agency in claiming that biological explanations, and most recently evolutionary explanations ( e.g. Hilary and Rose, 2000, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 172), are extremely deterministic (Hollway et al, 2007, p. 171). Social constructionists explained that historical research underlines the fact that values inevitably underpin all knowledge; however, allowance should be made for new ideas incorporating change and cultural settings such as the role of women in society. The methods employed by the various psychological perspectives in studying a specific psychological issue are often complimentary as opposed to contrasting. In explaining gender social constructionists take historical and cultural situations of human beings into account focusing almost exclusively on the meaning-making activities of humans. In studying the difference in the style of sexual behavior between men and woman at an American college, Clark and Hatfield (1989 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 146) found that women, although accepting dating invitations were less inclined to accept invitations for private meetings (i.e. at the apartment of a stranger) with almost all women refusing invitations for sexual intercourse. The results were the same when women were first assured of the trustworthiness and integrity of the stranger thus accounting for fear of potential danger as a confounding variable (Clark, 1990, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 146). Clark and Hatfield (ibid) claimed from an evolutionary perspective that the results are consistent with the arguments of evolutionary psychologists about evolved optimal reproductive style (ibid) through natural and sexual selection processes. The findings of Clark and Hatfield (ibid) underline, from a social constructionist point of view, the notion that the sexual behavior of men and women is filtered through their own individual cultural lenses. Psychoanalytical psychologists (e.g. Benjamin, 1990, 1995, 1998 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p.164) argue that these external influences (e.g. identities are constructed throug h discourse and discursive practices) are over emphasised by social constructionists and therefore does not explain the agency and capacity for resistance and change by individuals. Each of these perspectives provides a valuable point of view but none is able to give a complete explanation of the findings of the study with each perspective concentrating on its own theoretical ground when analysing the findings of a study. In conclusion, it is clear that different perspectives in psychology lead to different explanations of one or more psychological issues. These perspectives can co-exist in some ways such as the fact that social constructionists and psychoanalysts both base their interpretations on meaning. Social constructionists provide a comprehensive account in formulating an understanding of language and gendered differences with a strong focus on the extraction of meaning of behavior. Although this perspective goes a long way in understanding these, and other, psychological aspects, they do not answer all aspects such as the evolution and individual understanding of language. Findings of other perspectives such as biological, evolutionary and cognitive psychology assist in providing an explanation of those items social constructionists cannot account for. Word count: 1662 References Cooper, T., Kaye, H. (2007). Language and Meaning. In T. Cooper, I. Roth (Eds.), DSE212 Challenging Psychological Issues (pp. 71-123). Milton Keynes: The Open University. Hollway, W., Cooper, T., Johnston, A., Stevens, R. (2007). The psychology of sex and gender. In T. Cooper, I. Roth (Eds.), DSE212 Challenging Psychological Issues (pp. 125-188). Milton Keynes: The Open University. Phoenix, A. (2007). Identities and diversities. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, K. Thomas (Eds.), DSE212 Mapping Psychology (pp. 43-104). Milton Keynes: The Open University.

Huckleberry Finn: A Free Spirit Essay -- essays research papers

Huckleberry Finn: A Free Spirit Huckleberry Finn is not an escapist, but a free spirit who only wants to live deeply disentangled from the bonds of society. An escapist is someone who flees from his/her responsibilities, while a free spirit is a person who knows no boundaries, and cannot be tamed by society. It may appear at first that Huck is an escapist, for he enjoys not having to go to school when living with his father. He escapes from the cabin and his father’s abuse; however, he escapes from his father’s cabin out of the necessity of survival, not because he didn’t want to accept responsibilities. Even though Huck did enjoy fishing and relaxing in the sun during his stay with Pap, it wasn’t the responsibility that he was escaping, but the rules that society had imposed on him. Huck didn’t mind learning new things and being knowledgeable, but he did not like to get dressed up, to have to go to school, to be well behaved and polite, and to learn good manners. â€Å"I was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing†¦and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn’t see how I’d ever got to like it so well at the widows where you had to wash and eat regular†¦It was pretty good times up in the woods there, take it all around.† (p. 31) Living in the woods is harder work, having to catch food and build fires to stay warm, but Huck doesn’t mind work as long as he can do it how he wants to. Huck is always going against society and cannot liv...

Kraft Foods and Corporate Social Responsibility

Global Challenges Individual Assignment: Kraft Foods and CSR. 2012 Global Challenges Table of Contents Table of Contents1 1. 0Introduction2 2. 0Application3 2. 1Kraft Foods Inc. 3 2. 2PESTEL Analysis3 2. 3SWOT Analysis5 2. 4Porters Five Forces5 2. 5Management at Kraft Foods Inc. 6 3. 0Corporate Social Responsibility6 3. 1Impact of CSR on Kraft Foods Inc6 4. 0Conclusion7 5. 0Recommendations7 6. 0References8 1. 0 Introduction Management is a term that is used and heard of every day and a role that is undertaken everywhere you go. It’s the ability to maintain and produce the best from a team or from a task, the activity of completing a task using the resources that are available and taking responsibility of the situation in hand. Even as individuals everyone participates in management in one form or another, whether it’s in a work environment or simply from the everyday running of life. In a business sense however, ‘management is the jobs within an organisation charged with running the organisation on behalf of the beneficial owner’ (Pg no 294, Martin, 2005). This report is going to examine the different principles and models of management, how it can be applied to individual companies and businesses and then go on further to examine Corporate Social Responsibility and how firms use this. ‘According to Mintzberg (1973) there are ten management roles, these are ‘Monitor, Disseminator, Spokesperson, Figurehead, Leader, Liaison, Entrepreneur, Disturbance handler, Resource allocator and Negotiator’. Mintzberg proposes that every manager’s role combines a number of roles, rather than ten individual roles. (Boddy, 2009) For example a CEO of a company could be a figurehead, a spokesperson, a leader as well as the negotiator; but he would assign the other roles to other specific managers or colleagues. Management involves a vast amount of planning as its sets out the direction of the work that needs to be done and the objectives that need to be achieved. According to Boddy (2011) ‘SMART acronym summarises criteria for assessing a set of goals’. This covers: Specific – Does the goal set specific targets? Measurable – Ensure you can measure the progress towards the attainment of the goal Attainable – Assuring the goals are challenging but reachable Rewarded- A reward is obtained for succeeding the goal Times – The time scale of which the goal is to be achieved in Boddy (2010) proposes that ‘’goals and objectives are the same’’. However in cases like this it could be argued that they are different in which the goal is the overall target or aim, and the plan which looks at what is involved to obtain this goal is made up of individual objectives at each level. A widely used management model used within virtually every company is the Competing Values Framework. ‘’It has been named as one of the fifty most important models in the history of business and has been studied and tested in organisations for more than twenty five years’’ (CVF, 2009). The model is made up of four components and each quadrant represents a different model and the roles that are played within the model; which can be seen in the diagram below in Figure 1. 1. The following section will demonstrate how the framework can be applied to individual companies. Figure 1. 1 Competing Values Framework. Source: Octogram. net (2005) 2. 0 Application 3. 1 Kraft Foods Inc. Kraft Foods Inc. is the second largest food company in the world generating annual revenue of ? 54. 4 billion. The company was founded in 1903 in Chicago, North America, where their headquarters are still based, and shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991. They have over 126,000 employees in over 70 countries and they sell products to consumers in 170 countries. Kraft’s products are divided into five categories: snacks and cereals, beverages, cheese and dairy, grocery, and convenient meals. Popular household name brands include Philadelphia, Oreo and Cadburys, which they recently acquired in 2010 for $18. 5billion. The acquisition created the world’s largest confectioner, and confectionary now makes up for 28% of their net revenues. (Kraft Foods, 2012) In 2011 Kraft announced its intent to create two independent public companies by the end of 2012 as a strategic approach for growth; one being a high growth global snack business and the other a high margin North American grocery business. 3. 2 PESTEL Analysis ‘PESTEL analysis is a useful tool to understand the macro-environment in which Kraft Food Inc. perates and how these factors affect the company. PESTEL framework helps evaluate the risks associated with market growth or decline, and the position and direction of the company. ’ (Bender and Ward, 2008) It examines six different segments, which are: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. Although there are many factors which fall under each of the segments of the PESTEL analysis it is important to analyse them and select the most significant factors which have the greatest effect on the company. POLITICAL Kraft Foods Inc. s subject to various federal and state laws in the U. S relating to the protection of the environment. They also have manufacturing facilities in 70 countries and consumers in 170 countries which subjects them to individual environmental laws, health and hygiene regulations in every country which they operate. ECONOMIC As Kraft operates in 170 different countries, currency fluctuations and unfavourable exchange rates can put pressure on the company’s earnings, particularly with the current Eurozone crisis. ‘Increased unemployment in the U. S and other countries will lead consumers to cut spending on premium quality products’ such as those made by Kraft Foods Inc. (Bloomberg,2010) SOCIAL Diet patterns are rapidly changing in emerging economies like Brazil, China and India. The people in these countries are spending more on packaged food and this social drift has provided companies like Kraft to look towards emerging markets to increase revenues. (Yahoo Finance, 2010) Consumers are also getting increasingly aware about health implications of food which can cause obesity. ‘Federal Trade Commission reported that child obesity in the U. S has quadrupled in the last four decades’ (RWJF, 2008). Food and Beverage companies need to respond to these changes to maintain its market share and profits. TECHNOLOGICAL ‘Kraft is investing heavily in new technology to reduce carbon dioxide emission and protect the environment. They have adopted a policy where there is increased use of rail and barge transport instead of using trucks. ’ (Kraft Foods, 2010) ENVIRONMENTAL There is increased pressure from governments and the general public about the way companies operate and their effect on the environment. ‘In 2008 Kraft Foods Inc. ame under pressure when Rainforest Action Network asked companies such as Kraft Foods Inc. to stop buying palm oil from Indonesia to prevent deforestation. ’ (CNN, 2008) LEGAL Kraft operates in a highly regulated environment with a constantly evolving legal and regulatory framework around the world; particularly when selling products for human consumption involves inheren t risks such as contamination. ‘Cadbury, now owned by Kraft Foods Inc. had to recall 11 chocolate types in China in 2008 when at least 50,000 babies fell ill and 4 died by milk tainted with an industrial chemical. ’ (BBC, 2008) 3. SWOT Analysis Another approach that companies implement is the SWOT analysis. ‘’The core of this approach is a simple and eminently reasonable strategy that is concerned with identifying opportunities in the enterprises external environment’’ (Pg No 721, Linstead, Fulop & Lilley, 2009). This analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses internal to the company and then the external opportunities and threats. In Kraft Foods Inc. case the strengths that can be identified are that they are the world’s second largest food company and they have strong brand equity with over 100 years heritage. However their weaknesses are that the Cadburys acquisition resulted in added debt pressure and they are subject to cut throat competition from rivals such as Nestle. From the external point of view an opportunity for the company is that they could centre new products in the health related market such as introducing low fat or organic products. But on the other hand a threat for Kraft is that the Cadburys acquisition resulted in a lot of protests and bad media from the British which resulted in a drop of profit margins. 3. 4 Porters Five Forces Porter’s five forces is an analysis framework that identifies the competitiveness intensity and the five forces most relevant to the profitability of the company. ‘According to Porter (1980a) the ability to earn an acceptable return depends on five forces – the ability of new competitors to enter the industry, the threat of substitute products, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers and the rivalry amongst existing customers’ (Boddy, 2008, Pg No 93). This framework is demonstrated in the diagram below in Figure 2. 1. Figure 2. Porters Five Forces. Source: Wikepedia When looking at the bargaining power of suppliers with Kraft Food Inc. suppliers do not hold much power to enforce the company to extract their profits due to the competitive nature of the industry. Buyers however have an opportunity to extract firm profits as demand changes over the period of time. Due to intense competition in the market, there is a low possibility fo r new entrants to capture the market, and the threat of substitute products is medium as Kraft Foods Inc. hold such a large market share in the industry. Finally competitors such as Nestle and Kellogg’s are spending enormous sums of money for the promotion and advertising of their brands yet Kraft Foods Inc. is still the second largest in the world. 3. 5 Management at Kraft Foods Inc. As previously mentioned in the introduction, every business’s management model can be applied to the Current Values Framework. When analysing Kraft’s business strategy and management it is evident that their current dominant model is the Rational Goal Model. This model focuses towards maximisation of output and making a profit. Of course, the vast majority of companies would be dominantly working from this model as every company needs to make a profit in order to survive; although successful models of management relate to all four of the segments. ‘’The basic assumption of the Rational Goal Model is that clear direction leads to productive outcomes. There is a continuing emphasis on processes such as goal clarification, rational analysis, and action taking. All decisions are driven by consideration of the bottom line†. (Taylor, 1911) Kraft Foods Inc. hows elements of dominantly using this model from their hostile acquisition of Cadburys and with their intent to create two independent public companies as a strategic approach for growth. 3. 0 Corporate Social Responsibility ‘’Corporate Social Responsibility is the business contribution to sustainable development goals. Essentially it is about how business takes account of its economic, social and environmental impacts in the wa y it operates – maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides. ’’ (CSR, 2009) 4. 6 Impact of CSR on Kraft Foods Inc Kraft Foods Inc. as thrown into the media in 2010 with their hostile acquisition of Cadbury’s. Cadbury’s unions opposed to the take-over in fear that there would be big job cuts, and UK politicians even weighed in voicing their concerns. ‘Following the acquisition five senior executives of Cadburys quit and only 30% of the leadership positions were made available to Cadburys staff. ’ (FT, 2010). By the end of the acquisition over four hundred jobs had been cut by Kraft, this was deemed as an extremely bad case of CSR, particularly in the social aspect; and the company have been portrayed negatively in the media ever since. However, it is not all negative when it comes to Kraft’s CSR. ‘Over the past 25 years they have donated more than $770 million in cash and food to those suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Kraft Foods ranked 23rd in the 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility Index and were recently awarded the Gold Award for Environmental Excellence at the 4th Global CSR Awards 2012. ’   (Kraft, 2012) They work with non-profit organizations such as Feeding America in the U. S. and Save the Children in Southeast Asia as well as helping develop healthy lifestyles programs for children in the U. S. , Russia and many other places. 4. 0 Conclusion In conclusion the above shows us how the management theory helps us to analyse an organisation, and we can see how Kraft Foods Inc. operates successfully using the Rational Goal Model. They do however operate in a highly competitive food sector, where margins are diminishing, and they have to face tough competition from branded food as we ll as generic food manufacturers, particularly in this economic slowdown. Although the company does partake in a lot of CSR activities, a bad image always remains with customers for a lot longer than a positive one, and they still have a negative image portrayed on themselves from the hostile takeover of Cadburys. 5. 0 Recommendation Kraft Foods Inc. could benefit from repositioning their brand image in the markets to communicate with customers to remove the negative thinking from their minds which arose after Cadburys acquisition. They should also consider moving towards the Human Relations model in the CVF which emphasises commitment, cohesion, and morale. The key values are participation, conflict resolution, and consensus building. In this model the organisation takes on a team-oriented climate in which decision making is characterised by deep involvement. ’ (Quinn, 1988) This would be beneficial in gaining trust and respect from the employees after all the conflict and job losses that arose from the acquisition of Cadburys. Another option for t he company, as mentioned before in the SWOT analysis, is the expansion into new and developing markets which will aid the company in earning more profits to meet their debt requirements. With the consumer market becoming more health and environmentally conscious, organic and reduced fat content products could be a niche in the market for a confectioner such as themselves. 6. 0 References BBC (2008). Melamine found in Cadbury goods. September 2008. Available: www. bbc. co. uk Accessed 12 May 2012   Bender, R. and Ward, K. (2008). Corporate financial strategy. 3rd Ed. London: Macmillan p. 52-55. Bloomberg, Homan, T. R. (2010). U. S. Employers Add Fewer Jobs Than Forecast. December 2010. Available: www. Bloomberg. om Accessed 24 April 2012. Boddy, D (2011). Management, An Introduction. 5th ed. Essex: Pearson. CNN, Gunther, M (2008). Eco-police find new targets. August 2008. Available: www. money. cnn. com. Accessed 23 May 2012. CSR. gov. uk (2009). Available: http://webarchive. nationalarchives. gov. uk/+/http://www. berr. gov. uk/whatwedo/sectors/sustainability/corp-responsibility/page45192. html/ Accessed 22 May 2012. CVF. (2009). Competing Values Framework: An Intr oduction. Available: http://competingvalues. com/competingvalues. om/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/The-Competing-Values-Framework-An-Introduction. pdf Last accessed 12 May 2012. FT. Elizabeth Rigby. (2010). Kraft hit by exodus of Cadbury executives. Available: http://www. ft. com/cms/s/0/1dad970a-69c1-11df-8432-00144feab49a. html#axzz1viuO14PA. Last accessed 18 May 2012. Kraft Foods, About us (2012) Available: http://www. kraftfoodscompany. com/About/who-we-are/index. aspx Last accessed 28 April 2012 Kraft Foods CSR (2012) Community Involvement Available: http://www. kraftfoodscompany. om/About/community-involvement/community-involvement. aspx Accessed 22 May 2012. Kraft Foods, Document Sheet (2011) Available: http://www. kraftfoodscompany. com/SiteCollectionDocuments/pdf/kraft_foods_fact_sheet. pdf Last accessed 20 May 2012 Kraft Food Q1 Financial Figures – http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=129070&p=irol-EventDetails&EventId=4756026 Linstead, S, Fulop, L and Lille y, S. (2009). Management & Organization. 2nd ed. London: Palgrave McMillan. Pg No 721. Martin, J (2005). Organizational Behaviour and Management. London: Thomson Learning. Octogram. (2005). CVF Framework. Available: http://www. octogram. net/quinn-model Last accessed 6 May 2012. Porters Five Forces, Wikepedia. Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Porter_five_forces_analysis Accessed 22 May 2012. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2008). Food and Beverage Marketing to Children and Adolescents: What Changes are Needed to Promote Healthy Eating Habits? October 2008. Available: www. rwjf. org Accessed 22 May 2012 Taylor,

The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Grapes...

Society expects people to fall in love. That is, society expects people to find a life partner, get married, and have children. Those who do not follow the pattern are generally seen as hermits who sit in their houses with multiple forms of pets to keep them company. This burden life throws at human beings growing up, turns into a moral value. People want to find someone that makes them so happy that their heart hurts when they’re not with them. This would be the case if one does actually fall in love. Love can be a wonderful thing. However, sometimes it can be a devastatingly evil form of torture. Even though it is expected to make one feel content and comforted, love can make anyone feel more alone than ever before. Love is presumed to†¦show more content†¦Steinbeck also touches base on how gender affects love and moral values through Rose of Sharon in The Grapes of Wrath. Rose of Sharon is Toms younger sister. She is married to Connie Rivers, and has been staying with his family. She is pregnant with their first child, and she [is] all secrets now she [is] pregnant, secrets and little silences that seemed to have meanings. She [is] pleased with herself, and she complain[s] about things that [dont] really matter (Steinbeck 13.52). She dreams of living comfortably in California with her husband, going to see movies on the weekends, and buying pretty clothes for her baby. She worries constantly about her babys health, and relies on her mother for information. While the family encounters obstacle after obstacle, Rose of Sharon cant seem to shake her self-centered perspective of the world. As their journey progresses, Rose seems to be willing to help more often than not. It is almost as if she has accepted her womanly duties and hopes that in return she will be loved and cared for by Connie. Her plan does not fold out. As the family gets settled into their first camp site, Connie disappears. Rose’s husband leaves her, while she is pregnan t, on a massive trip to California, where she had hoped to start a better life with him and the baby. Love is torturing her. Now that she’s alone, she knows she has to take full responsibility for the life she is carrying. She works herself toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Orwell s The Lord Of The Rings 747 Words   |  3 PagesJ.D Sallinger 5) The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald 6) The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe by C.S Lewis 7) Lord Of The Flies by William Golding 8) Animal Farm by George Orwell 9) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 10) The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck 11) Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 12) Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 13) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 14) One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey 15) A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 16) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret byRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pages A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Gesture Life Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Ghosts The Scarlet Letter Great Expectations Sister Carrie The Great Gatsby The Sound and Fury Gulliver’s Travels Sula Heart of Darkness The Sun Also Rises Invisible Man Their Eyes Were Watching God Joe Turner’s Come and Gone The Things They Carried King Lear The Turn of the Screw Major Barbara Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf 2004 (Form B):Read MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 PagesBrief Survey of American Literature 1. Beginnings to 1700 Great mixing of peoples from the whole Atlantic basin Bloody conflicts between Native Americans (or American Indians) and European explorers and settlers who had both religious and territorial aspirations - Native American oral literature / oral tradition - European explorers’ letters, diaries, reports, etc., such as Christopher Columbus’s letters about his voyage to the â€Å"New world†. - Anglo (New England) settlers’ books, sermons