That's my last duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will't please you sit and look at her? I said
"Frà Pandolf" by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 'twas not
Her husband's presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps
Frà Pandolf chanced to say "Her mantle laps
"Over my lady's wrist too much," or "Paint
"Must never hope to reproduce the faint
"Half-flush that dies along her throat": such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart how shall I say? too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, 'twas all one! My favor at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men good! but thanked
Somehow I know not how as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech which I have not to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, "Just this
"Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
"Or there exceed the mark" and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and make excuse,
E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will't please you rise? We'll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master's known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay we'll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
This has been one of my favorite poems for a long time. I'm not sure why - maybe the actor in me is keen on the idea of a dramatic monologue. But the feminist in me is not exactly keen on the idea of the woman being portrayed as the villain.
Still, this portrayal is more Browning's way of expressing the Duke's sentiments for women than anything he himself felt towards the fairer sex.
That being said, most of the time, if a woman has a lead role in something - play, movie, poem - she is usually cast as the villain, a seductress that leads the hero into a downward spiral.
Macbeth, Hamlet, and an assortment of action/superhero movies.
I can only wonder why this is such a stereotype!
Just food for thought :)
Peace
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Pre-School Scientific Rant..
Salutations, cyberspace!
Since my body apparently doesn't understand the concept of getting over jetlag, I thought I might update you on what happened over my winter break and what kind of thoughts it put in my head.
The big thing that is kind of essential to the rest of the blog post (and which I will come to later, patience) was my acceptance to the Georgia Institute of Technology. Seeing as it is one of my top choices, and in my home town of Atlanta, an acceptance letter made me extremely happy. But I'll get to that.
I spent the first few days of my winter break in the quaint little town of Dexter, Michigan, which is about twenty minutes away from the University of Michigan, which is located in Ann Arbor (also another top choice school). Having heard so many horror stories about the Mid-West from my father who had lived in Chicago a while back, I did not, at all, in the slightest way, believe that I was actually going to like Michigan.
But, as I was quick to find out, appearances can be deceiving, and I loved it. Of course, true to all stories, Michigan is extremely cold, but if you're stupid enough to think you can go out in a t-shirt in the winter anywhere further North than Raleigh...maybe you should reassess your life decisions a bit.
Michigan also has some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life - and this is coming from a gal who is from a region of the US known for hospitality!
So I guess my first point is...go to the Mid-West. Go. People are nice. Don't let other people stop you from doing something because they don't like it!
I spent the rest of my break visiting relatives in Georgia. Now, there are many things I love about Georgia - the red clay, the fact that you can wear shorts on New Year's Eve, my family doing a Jewish Christmas dinner that includes ham, hanging out with my cousins and friends - to name a few.
But the one thing, that for the life of me I cannot stand is the weird looks I get from my family when I tell them what I want to do with my life (as if having an English accent didn't single me out enough, right?)
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to do something at least a little more interesting and news-worthy than my parents. Being the 'smart kid' of the Jennings family meant that I was expected to do well, and when, at 17, I finally landed on the gold, and figured out what I wanted to do, everybody I knew looked at me funny.
I'm a novelty among my gender, it seems, in that I like math, and science, and Star Wars, and basically all things pertaining to that realm of the universe. Having grown up in a family where I was both the youngest and the only girl in the entire Jennings clan, the fact that I became a tom-boy shouldn't really have surprised anybody.
Following on from that logic, when I told my cousins that I wanted to double major in some sort of science and aerospace engineering, the look of shock was not really one that I was expecting nor aiming for.
A girl in LSA? Okay, fair enough, she might end up an english major
A girl in physics, math, and engineering? Slow down!
Never mind that I got straight As in Math and Science all throughout high school. Or that I'd been accepted to one of the premier engineering schools in the country.
That's one of the main reasons why I would love to go to the University of Michigan, (which at the moment seems unlikely, as I'm yet to be accepted, and even if I were, my mom wouldn't pay for it) they have one of the only programs that allows you to double major in LSA and engineering.
Still, a girl in engineering. They give out scholarships if you're female and want to be an engineer or a physicist.
Which gets me to thinking. I'm a good student, on a good day I'd hazard to say I'm a really good student. But I am, by no means, exceptional. I know that the fact that I am a good student and I do work hard is the reason why 4 universities have already accepted me.
But still, a girl, in science? That's weird. Weird enough for a university to accept me? Possibly.
I'll make it clear to you all here that UMaryland and UMichigan are the only schools where I could double major in engineering and not have to apply to their engineering program.
So okay, a girl in science, is not quite as out of place as a girl in engineering would seem to be.
But I think it's funny that despite this so-called social equality we seem to have, it still seems out of place for someone of my gender to do something traditionally male. Like math, or physics, or biology, or engineering.
Girls can add too, yknow.
I'm just saying.
Discuss Women's rights
Since my body apparently doesn't understand the concept of getting over jetlag, I thought I might update you on what happened over my winter break and what kind of thoughts it put in my head.
The big thing that is kind of essential to the rest of the blog post (and which I will come to later, patience) was my acceptance to the Georgia Institute of Technology. Seeing as it is one of my top choices, and in my home town of Atlanta, an acceptance letter made me extremely happy. But I'll get to that.
I spent the first few days of my winter break in the quaint little town of Dexter, Michigan, which is about twenty minutes away from the University of Michigan, which is located in Ann Arbor (also another top choice school). Having heard so many horror stories about the Mid-West from my father who had lived in Chicago a while back, I did not, at all, in the slightest way, believe that I was actually going to like Michigan.
But, as I was quick to find out, appearances can be deceiving, and I loved it. Of course, true to all stories, Michigan is extremely cold, but if you're stupid enough to think you can go out in a t-shirt in the winter anywhere further North than Raleigh...maybe you should reassess your life decisions a bit.
Michigan also has some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life - and this is coming from a gal who is from a region of the US known for hospitality!
So I guess my first point is...go to the Mid-West. Go. People are nice. Don't let other people stop you from doing something because they don't like it!
I spent the rest of my break visiting relatives in Georgia. Now, there are many things I love about Georgia - the red clay, the fact that you can wear shorts on New Year's Eve, my family doing a Jewish Christmas dinner that includes ham, hanging out with my cousins and friends - to name a few.
But the one thing, that for the life of me I cannot stand is the weird looks I get from my family when I tell them what I want to do with my life (as if having an English accent didn't single me out enough, right?)
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to do something at least a little more interesting and news-worthy than my parents. Being the 'smart kid' of the Jennings family meant that I was expected to do well, and when, at 17, I finally landed on the gold, and figured out what I wanted to do, everybody I knew looked at me funny.
I'm a novelty among my gender, it seems, in that I like math, and science, and Star Wars, and basically all things pertaining to that realm of the universe. Having grown up in a family where I was both the youngest and the only girl in the entire Jennings clan, the fact that I became a tom-boy shouldn't really have surprised anybody.
Following on from that logic, when I told my cousins that I wanted to double major in some sort of science and aerospace engineering, the look of shock was not really one that I was expecting nor aiming for.
A girl in LSA? Okay, fair enough, she might end up an english major
A girl in physics, math, and engineering? Slow down!
Never mind that I got straight As in Math and Science all throughout high school. Or that I'd been accepted to one of the premier engineering schools in the country.
That's one of the main reasons why I would love to go to the University of Michigan, (which at the moment seems unlikely, as I'm yet to be accepted, and even if I were, my mom wouldn't pay for it) they have one of the only programs that allows you to double major in LSA and engineering.
Still, a girl in engineering. They give out scholarships if you're female and want to be an engineer or a physicist.
Which gets me to thinking. I'm a good student, on a good day I'd hazard to say I'm a really good student. But I am, by no means, exceptional. I know that the fact that I am a good student and I do work hard is the reason why 4 universities have already accepted me.
But still, a girl, in science? That's weird. Weird enough for a university to accept me? Possibly.
I'll make it clear to you all here that UMaryland and UMichigan are the only schools where I could double major in engineering and not have to apply to their engineering program.
So okay, a girl in science, is not quite as out of place as a girl in engineering would seem to be.
But I think it's funny that despite this so-called social equality we seem to have, it still seems out of place for someone of my gender to do something traditionally male. Like math, or physics, or biology, or engineering.
Girls can add too, yknow.
I'm just saying.
Discuss Women's rights
Friday, December 10, 2010
Make 'em laugh.
Just a quick tribute post to one of the inspiring women out there.
Readers, I present to you...
Natalie Tran.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AOuUQWfDXQ&feature=related
You know you're a crocker.
Discuss Women's rights
Readers, I present to you...
Natalie Tran.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AOuUQWfDXQ&feature=related
You know you're a crocker.
Discuss Women's rights
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
NOW.
Today, I wanted to discuss an institution that is very close to my heart.
The National Organization for Women, or NOW, was founded in 1966, on the premise that women should be "into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men."
In its modern form, NOW acts not only as a means of ensuring equal rights for women in the workplace and society, but as an organization that stands against all oppression, fighting against not only sexism, but homophobia and racism.
NOW's largest issues range from the right to abortion to promoting diversity.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Just another website/foundation for women to complain on, right?
What sets NOW apart from many other organizations is that it is not simply an organization that "talks." It "walks."
NOW has meetings. Local organizations. And most importantly, a means to get involved.
All you have to do is enter your zip code.
Enter your zip code and the site will tell you exactly who your representatives in Washington are. Enter your zip code, and you are able to submit a letter or an email about an issue to someone who can fight for you. Five seconds, and you can make a difference.
No annoying emails. No fees. Just action.
Discuss Women's rights
The National Organization for Women, or NOW, was founded in 1966, on the premise that women should be "into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men."
In its modern form, NOW acts not only as a means of ensuring equal rights for women in the workplace and society, but as an organization that stands against all oppression, fighting against not only sexism, but homophobia and racism.
NOW's largest issues range from the right to abortion to promoting diversity.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Just another website/foundation for women to complain on, right?
What sets NOW apart from many other organizations is that it is not simply an organization that "talks." It "walks."
NOW has meetings. Local organizations. And most importantly, a means to get involved.
All you have to do is enter your zip code.
Enter your zip code and the site will tell you exactly who your representatives in Washington are. Enter your zip code, and you are able to submit a letter or an email about an issue to someone who can fight for you. Five seconds, and you can make a difference.
No annoying emails. No fees. Just action.
Discuss Women's rights
Friday, December 3, 2010
Inspirational Quote of the Day
Men are irrelevant. Women are happy or unhappy, fulfilled or unfulfilled, and it has nothing to do with men. ~Fay Weldon
In today's day and age, women have more possibilities than we have ever had before. We can vote, hold office, make just as much money as our male counterparts, and be just as successful.
Yet the world is still full of stereotypes that weigh us down.
It is still weird for a girl to want to study physics and math instead. It is still weird for a girl to want to become a CEO. A man feels threatened if his wife or girlfriend earns more money than him, or owns her own apartment, or has a better education. Yet a woman is not allowed to express that she might feel the same threat if the situation was reversed.
As a gender, we may be equal in the practical sense, but we are still unequal in the emotional sense.
The woman's movement of the 60s resulted in massive change - the right to abortion, equal pay and suffrage. It was a movement of thousands of women, who were impassioned and inspired to make a change.
So why has this passion dwindled?
A wise person once said that "The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Women are now just as educated and successful as men. Why do we not rise up and fight against stereotypes? Why are we content to just sit back, and not strive for the changes we seek?
Our mind is the best mechanism we have to initiate change. Why don't we use it?
Yet the world is still full of stereotypes that weigh us down.
It is still weird for a girl to want to study physics and math instead. It is still weird for a girl to want to become a CEO. A man feels threatened if his wife or girlfriend earns more money than him, or owns her own apartment, or has a better education. Yet a woman is not allowed to express that she might feel the same threat if the situation was reversed.
As a gender, we may be equal in the practical sense, but we are still unequal in the emotional sense.
The woman's movement of the 60s resulted in massive change - the right to abortion, equal pay and suffrage. It was a movement of thousands of women, who were impassioned and inspired to make a change.
So why has this passion dwindled?
A wise person once said that "The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Women are now just as educated and successful as men. Why do we not rise up and fight against stereotypes? Why are we content to just sit back, and not strive for the changes we seek?
Our mind is the best mechanism we have to initiate change. Why don't we use it?
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