Society in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Essay

â€Å"Atwood’s feminism is an integral part of her critical approach, just as her concept of criticism is inseparable from her creative work† Walter Pache (1). A dystopia is a fictional society, usually existing in a future time period, in which the condition of life is extremely difficult due to deprivation, oppression or terror. In most dystopian fiction, a corrupt government creates or sustains the poor quality of life, often conditioning the masses to believe the society is proper and just, even perfect. Most dystopian fiction takes place in the future but purposely incorporates contemporary social trends taken to horrendous extremes. The novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, by Margaret Atwood focuses on the choices made by those†¦show more content†¦It has taken so little time to change our minds about things like this. Then I think: I used to dress like that. That was freedom. Westernised, they used to call it.† Offred is also envious of the women as they still have freedom of choice, whereas all she has are memories of how she used to be. â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale shares with many futuristic dystop ias, certainly ‘1984’, an interesting mode whereby our time in retrospect is heavy with nostalgia† Bernard Richards (3). ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ belongs to this genre of anti-utopian (dystopian) science fiction. It is set in the late twentieth century when democratic institutions have been violently overthrown and replaced by the new fundamentalist Republic of Gilead. In the novel the majority are suppressed using a â€Å"Bible-based† religion as an excuse for the suppression. In Gilead, members of the society are labelled by their age and economic status. The deep red cloaks, the blue embroidered dresses, and the pinstripe garments are all uniforms to define a person’s role in society. In particular, the handmaid’s cloaks also say a lot more about their position. The fact that they are like a nun’s gown, and are also called ‘habits’, signifies chastity and dedication to God. The colour red indicates that they are fertile and menstrual. However, red is also the colour of blood, death and violence, whichShow MoreRelatedTotalitarian Society In The Handmaids Tale By Margaret Atwood934 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, the story’s setting takes place in a totalitarian city, in which the government forces their will upon on the citizens and chooses what they will do in the future, especially for women. The decreasing birth rates causes the formation of this civilization, but the reader soon learn that the way the government tries to fix this problem is wrong, as it leads to more problems such as trust issues, and the inability to see others as equal. The charactersRead MoreSociety And Government In The Handmaids Tale By Margaret Atwood1411 Words   |  6 PagesAs we examine today’s society and government, there are different aspects that may lead people to agree with or be against society and government. Wh en compared to the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, civilians had little to no freedoms and abided by extremely strict regulations. The Republic of Gilead divided individuals and forced them into completing tasks and working without giving them any choice. The handmaids were forced to have sex in order to bear children, whileRead MoreThe Fine Line Between Harlot And Handmaiden907 Words   |  4 PagesHandmaiden Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a warning to the world that by classifying women by their fertility and stripping them of their rights, one can easily create a terrifying dystopia where all fabrics of society suffer the erosive consequences of female subjugation. Women have forever been classified by their fertility and by their class, which has given us such terms as baron, matronly, harlot, fertile, the help, and surrogates. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale delves furtherRead MoreThe Handmaid s Warning By Margaret Atwood1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Handmaid’s Warning What will the future bring? What will happen as feminists speak out, women work out of home, pornography spreads and is battled, and the desire for children dwindles? Perhaps life on Earth will improve. Maybe women will have the rights they demand, porn will be defeated, and people will respect women’s bodies. Maybe mothers will miraculously have the perfect number of children: just the right amount to keep the population within its limits. Or perhaps a deterioration willRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1709 Words   |  7 PagesOne of Atwood’s bestselling novel is The Handmaid’s Tale, a disturbing dystopian fiction novel. 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Dystopia flourished and took on a new importance as technology gave riseRead MoreOppression Of Women In The Handmaids Tale1732 Words   |  7 Pagesshown in The Handmaid’s Tale When describing the newly established society in The Handmaid’s Tale, the Commander states that â€Å"better never means better for everyone [...] it always means worse, for some† (Atwood, 244). This accurately describes the nature of patriarchal societies, such as the society that is described by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. The Republic of Gilead is a patriarchal society that has religious, and patriarchal values that benefit the men in the society, at the expenses

Gender Inequality Boys vs. Girls Essay - 2289 Words

Gender Inequality: Boys vs. Girls Sex-role stereotyping creeps into the life of the school throughout the entire day. In elementary schools every subject children learn and every period they experience can contribute to preserving out-moded, sex-biased attitudes and limitations. (Shapiro, et.al., 1981) Bias books represent girls and boys in different roles. Gym classes have boys lifting weights for strength and girls involved in aerobics for flexibility. Math classes contend girls against boys on games like math jeopardy. History presents men in leadership positions and women in supporting roles. Every child knows by school age what male/female role expectations are. A male should be strong, silent, logical, brave, and competitive.†¦show more content†¦(Davidson, 2002) Related to these inequities in the classroom is the fact that boys are more inclined to call out in the classroom without punishment. Supporting the brave, competitive aspect of male behavioral expectations. In opposition to boys, girls get less attention because teachers often view them as needing less one on one attention. When a girl calls out, she is often reprimanded and told that calling out is â€Å"inappropriate behavior†. This inattentive approach to educating young girls could be associated with the fact that on standardized achievement tests girls typically surpass males in writing ability, reading achievement, and certain other verbal skills. (Bleuer Walz, 2002) Despite the fact that there lies only a small difference between girls and boys on logical, mathematical task teachers’ perceived boys to be significantly more able than girls. (Gray Leith, 2004) Girls often internalize this gender favoritism promoting hostility, alienation, poor school performance, failure and despair. These often-unconscious acts by teachers could play a role in the shocking statistics that nationally girls are 50 percent more likely to suffer from depression than boys are. (Morgan, 2002) Insensitive behaviors towards girls on the part of the female authority figure in the classroom sends a powerful message to little girls that boys should be assertive and girls should be passive. (Davidson, 2002) Consequently, girls spend more time listening and watchingShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality Between India And India1225 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality in India is referred to as fitness, education, political possibilities inequality bet. Diverse worldwide gender inequality indices rank India in a different way on each of these factors, as well as on a complicated basis, and those courses are arguable. Gender inequalities, and its social causes, impact India s intercourse ratio, girls s health over their lifetimes, their academic attainment, and monetary situations. 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The Laptop Trail free essay sample

As part of a sometimes-difficult symbiosis, the Taiwanese company makes roughly one-quarter of the worlds portable computers, which are then sold by brands such as H-P and Dell Inc. Quanta collects components from countries around the world and assembles them at its Quanta Shanghai Manufacture City complex. A look inside the making of a modern laptop PC shows how the process has evolved into the epitome of hyperefficient global production while also navigating a maze of corporate and geopolitical sensitivities. U. S. omputer brands now farm out much of their manufacturing to Taiwanese concerns, which also are starting to design more of these products as well. The Taiwanese companies pull together parts to build the computers in China and then ship them to the purchaser, all in a matter of days. Within that finely tuned cycle is a series of delicate balancing acts. Big U. S. brands must weigh the cost benefits of extensive outsourcing against the dangers of ceding too much control to their suppliers, a system that could devolve into creating look-alike or perform-alike products. The contract manufacturers, meanwhile, are struggling with steadily shrinking profit margins as their U. S. customers press to cut prices. To lower labor costs, these Taiwanese assemblers have shifted almost all of their production in recent years to China, despite the continuing tensions between the two sides. Officials in Taipei and Beijing have yet to hash out a resumption of direct transportation across the Taiwan Strait. So executives traveling from Taipei to their factory must fly through Hong Kong or third destination, turning what would be a flight of less than two hours into one that can be a nearly eight-hour trip. Taiwan and China separated in 1949 amid civil war and the Communist takeover of the mainland, but Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island and has threatened war to stop it from formalizing its de facto independence. Throughout the 1990s, Taiwans government banned manufacturing in China as part of broader restrictions aimed at preventing excessive economic dependence on its massive adversary. By the early part of this decade, Quanta and other manufacturers pushed to tap Chinas cheap labor. Taiwan lifted the ban in 2001, and the migration of manufacturing was swift. This year, 85% of Taiwanese notebook makers output is expected to come from China, compared with 4% in 2001, according to Taiwans government. Quanta, which was founded in 1988 and started production in Shanghai in 2001, now has more than 90% of its output there, using more than 20,000 Chinese employees. Last year, it ended most of its remaining notebook production in Taiwan. Michael Wang, Quantas chief operating officer, says that manufacturing in China was unavoidable. We had to move the production over there. 1 Chinas government has encouraged the trend, seeing investment by companies like Quanta as a way to provide jobs and technological know-how. As a result, the technology industry has become important to Chinas economy, with foreign electronics manufacturers employing hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers. In fact, eight of Chinas 10 biggest exporters by value last year were foreign ventures making PCs or other tech gadgets, according to Chinas Ministry of Commerce. Quanta was No. . For years, H-P and others made laptop computers, also known as notebooks, in more-advanced countries like the U. S. , Japan, and Singapore. In the 1990s, to cut costs, they began outsourcing to Taiwanese companies that combined cheap labor with in-house engineering and design services. Quanta made nearly a quarter of the roughly 49 million notebooks shipped last year a share the company expects to grow to a third this year. Including smaller rivals like Compal Electronics Inc. , Inventec Corp. and Wistron Corp. Taiwanese concerns now produce as much as 80% of the worlds laptops. 2 Outsourcing to low-cost, high-quality Taiwanese manufacturers has helped make Dell and H-P the worlds top two PC companies in terms of sales. International Business Machines Corp. , which outsourced less than half of its laptop production, according to Merrill Lynch, and operated its own factory in China, consistently lost money on its PCs. It sold the business this year to Chinas Lenovo Group Ltd. , which has used Taiwanese companies to make most of its notebooks in China. But the relationship between U. S. computer firms and their third-party manufacturers can be tricky. In the struggle to retain an element of control over their suppliers, H-P, Dell and others play contract manufacturers against each other to keep prices falling and ensure no supplier gains too much leverage. Roger Bahalla, director of H-Ps laptop supply-chain strategy, says H-P typically works with a half-dozen third-party manufacturers at any one time. Its a way to keep the business competitive, says Mr. Bahalla, who adds that 98% of H-Ps notebooks are made in China. Theres an optimal number of partners to deal with. We dont want any one partner to be too small or too big. Dell says it still plays the main role in making its laptops. Lionel Menchaca, a Dell spokesman, says the Round Rock, Texas, company obtains partly built laptops from contract manufacturers, but does final assembly at its own factories in Ireland, Malaysia or China, where microprocessors, software and other key c omponents are added. Those finished products are then shipped to Dell-operated distribution centers in the U. S. where they are packaged with other items and shipped to the customer. Mr. Menchaca says Dell assembles about 60-70% of the overall cost of our notebooks itself. Theres a misperception that Dell isnt much involved in the manufacturing process [of laptops], he says. Were the ones who control the whole build-to-order process. Mr. Bahalla of H-P also takes pains to emphasize that his company isnt just handing off its laptops to contract manufacturers. The Palo Alto, Calif. , tech giant retains much control over the process, he says. It orders many of the key components itself, such as hard drives and display panels. And H-P provides the base design of the laptop and has established design centers in Shanghai and Taipei to collaborate with its manufacturers. For an informed consumer, that the laptops are made in China [by a third party] shouldnt be an issue, says H-Ps Mr. Bahalla. The key is whether H-P stands behind the products or not. And we do. While outsourcing has helped Quanta and others grow rapidly, their profits are under constant pressure. While Quanta saw revenue more than quadruple from 1999 through last year, to about $10. 4 billion, its net profit margin fell to 3. 6% from 12. 2% in the same period. This is a very lean margin area, so youve got to do everything right to make a profit, says Quantas Mr. Wang. Many of the laptops most valuable components are still imported to China. H-Ps Pavilion zd8000, which lists for $1,199 (after rebate) on the companys Web site, includes a microprocessor the computers brain made by Intel Corp. of the U. S. It also comes with a graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies Inc. of Markham, Ontario, that is manufactured in Taiwan. Companies in South Korea and Taiwan typically provide the liquid-crystal-display screens for laptops, as well as much of the memory chips that store data temporarily. Hard-disk drives, for long-term storage, often come from Japan. Within a manufacturing facility like Quantas, there are typically two assembly lines, executives familiar with the process say. One consists of a conveyor belt where a laptops underlying guts are put together by robots. 3 When an order comes in, workers configure the semi-assembled laptops to a consumers specifications on a second assembly line, adding the desired amount of memory and a region-specific power cord, for instance. At the end of the line, workers add an instruction manual, warranty information and promotional materials. The laptops are then boxed, grouped with other orders and put onto an air-cargo plane. At the point of entry, they are shipped to customers by an express company such as Federal Express, UPS, or DHL. Quantas Mr. Wang says the company ships 98% of its orders within two days. Having moved production to China, Quanta and its competitors are finding it difficult to squeeze more costs out of PC production. To keep growing, many have expanded into new products. Quanta, for instance, also makes cellphones and flat-screen LCD televisions at the Shanghai plant. Meanwhile, a growing share of laptop-component production is also shifting to China, which is likely to help keep PC prices falling. Seagate Technology Inc. , a big U. S. hard-disk-drive maker, now produces most of its laptop drives near Shanghai. Even some of the most costly parts such as LCD screens and memory chips are starting to be made in China.

Nazi War Criminals Still Out There Essays - Nazi Hunters

Nazi War Criminals Still Out There Nazi War Criminals Still Out There As you walk by and look at hundreds of people everyday, just think, one of these people could have helped Hitler's Nazi Party. One of them could have been in charge of sentencing thousands of Jew's to death each day. These heartless terrible people could be walking around in disguise. They could even be living next door. These people are the thousands of Nazi war criminals that escaped from Germany, dodging being prosecuted for their crimes. Lot's have been caught, but there still many remain. Hermine Braunsteiner, one of the most cruel woman guards, was known for her terrible torturing of women at Ravensbruck and Maidenek concentration camps. She dodged the, and escaped to Canada where she found a husband. Then she moved to the U.S., and even got American citizenship. It was that easy for her to do so. She lied when a question on the citizenship form asked her about past experiences, and just like that she was a true American citizen. It was so eas y for these criminals to do exactly what Hermine Braunsteiner did. Most of them just lied about there past and the country didn't take the time to check out there past. The criminals that had the easiest time escaping were the ones that weren't known of. Hitler had many organizations working for him secretly. These organizations had no trouble escaping. You would think that these people could live without fear, but there's one person they had to fear. Simon Wiesenthal the great Nazi Hunter, is always on their trail. Simon Wiesenthal has no respect for these criminals, and hunts them for pure revenge. No one really knows exactly what part he played during World War II, and the age of the Nazi's, but he holds quite a grudge against Nazi's. Men and women fear him all over the world thinking that someday they may be the one he's after. They have a good reason to be since he is responsible for the capture of over 1,000 former SS men. He's been searching from his Jewish Documentation Cent er in Vienna for the past 40 years. He's been awarded with many honorary degrees including Germany's highest decoration. He's also been praised by former president Carter as one of this centuries True Heroes. This great man has caught so many, but won't quit on his quest for revenge. Here's some people are known of thanks to Simon Wiesenthal right now. Jonas Stelmokas was an officer in the 3rd auxiliary Lithuanian Police Battalion. He played an active role in prosecution and murder of 100's of Jew's in Alytus. He's living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was recently stripped of his American Citizenship History Reports