Status and Society

Compare and contrast the ways in which Atwood in the the Handmaids tale and Chaucer in the Wife of Baths tale explore status in society.

Within the Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, we see the institutions of Gilead through the eyes of Offred. The institutions are oppressive to women and they are based on an unyielding and authoritarian class system.

In the Wife of Bath we hear about her life story from her own personal perspective and views. The Wife lacks attractive physical feature and tries to compensate for this flaw by wearing fashionable clothing which she makes her self; moreover, the Wife gets pleasure from looking superior to her peers.The Wife of Bath wears bright red sticking whilst when she foes on Pilgramages, the red denotes a colour and connotes passion, desire, lust and promiscuity. " Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet red ful striete yteyd, and shoes ful miste and newe". The pre modifier "scarlet: emphasises the shade of red worn, also the whole quote is in thrid person and for that motive someone is

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Sorority Row :

Synopsis : During a party in the Theta-Pi sorority house, the sister Megan plays a prank with her unstable boyfriend Garrett simulating an OD after using pills. Her sisters Jessica, Claire, Ellie, Cassidy and Garrett's sister Chugs suggest to dump her "body" in a lake and the stressed Garrett sticks the tire iron through the Megan's chest killing her. Cassidy decides to call the police, but the sisters are convinced to dispose the body in a shaft and keep in secret under the leadership of Jessica that blackmails Cassidy. Eight months later, in their graduation party, the sisters receive a creepy message with the picture of the tire iron in the beginning of a nightmarish night.

Women in this film are dominant and therefore in control within this movie over men. However this film ends with one of the girls boyfriend being the killer getting his revenge on the other girls. The girls get killed off one by one, starting with the less innocent ones. The whole idea that only the non virginal girls disappear first connoting that being a non virgin is a bad thing. The target audience demographic is aimed at teenagers to young adults. They are represented as college girls who like to party, drink and play pranks. The stereotypes are effective because it fits in with the typical/conventional college horror film. In addition, one horror convention used is the use of small communities. It is set on a college campus which is a small community with people that will be closely knit. It makes use of a lot of sound effects to build tension and the use of lots of different camera angles and shots, such as the use of a worms eye shot. Iconography of blood is used aswell as lots of special effects. This thriller movie represnets women to be split in to two sub categories, 1. virginal, innocent, worthy of living 2. non virginal, worthy of dying, too out going and hence a negative representation.

I know what you did last summer : Four teens are in great danger one year after their car hits a stranger whose body they dump in the sea.

This movie follows a group of teenagers who accidentally kill a man whilst driving around acting foolish. After a year we return to the teenagers lives in a high school. At this point the movie follows one of the teenage girls when she receives a note consisting of : 'i know what you did last summer'. being the innocent one and wanting to go to the police she is the last one to be targeted. Whereas her 'pretty-pagean queen' friend is the first to get targeted. This representation is quite a pessimistic perspective of 'pretty girls', and therefore, a positive perspective of innocent and virginal girls.

Script Homework

Location : A quiet patisserie

Two friends are out having late breakfast

Characters : Tom, Emma

Emma : (eating her croissant) We have not had a decent talk in ages, since you got married in fact, So how are things? How's work? How are your children? How is your wife?

Tom : What is with all the questions Emz? How about you answer all of them and I will answer them after (cocky manner and tone). Emma this may sound random but getting married is the best thing that I have ever done, you should get a wife (laughs)

Emma : (quickly swallows the food in her mouth and drink her tea, nearly choking on her croissant) Why Tom (in a suprised and astonished tone)

Tom : Having a wife is excellent. My wife is sensitive to my sexual needs, she does all the shopping, she picks up after me, she does not complain, who would someone not want a wife (sarcastically)

Emma : (in an abrupt manner) Excuse Tom, BUT a man should contribute

Tom : fair enough, but I work all day, I pay the bills, I pay for the clothes she wears, I keep a roof over her head. (sarcastically) She owes me

Emma : TOM what century are you living in....

Tom: it is

Emma (interuppting) do not even answer that. Your children are half yours and half your wifes responsibility, you should contribute

Tom : I do, I contribute financially (takes an animalistic bite in to his croissant, getting crumbs all over his lap)

Emma : Tom seriously.... eat like an human being. And this conversation is going no-where, you are hard headed, stubborn, narrow minded, and you do not give a toss about anyones feelings but yourself (drinks her tea) (gets up)

Tom : wait.... EM.... wait.... Can we talk about it?

Emma : NO, your perspectives and my perspectives are very different, you have made your views very clear GOOD DAY Tom(leaves abruptly)

Commentry : I chose to create a very calm, cool and collective which then turns in to a tense and un easy atmosphere. The two characters have very opposing views and perspectives which makes the radio piece interesting, it also gives it a flow (it moves the narrative along). I have used stage directions so it is very how the characters are speaking, although you can not see them eating or drinking you can hear them, hence this gets the audience involved. The article is based on "Why I want a wife" by Judy Syfers, I have used similar lexis choices such as the list of routines, to add emphasis on how Tom's wife actually does for him and the family.

Radio: Different voices : sarcastic, happy, surprised, angry,

They give the audience a chance to create their own story in their heads

Why I want a wife by Judy Syfers INCOMPLETE

What is satire

How is satire used in the text

Why is it used and to what effect

The word satire is an adjective which connotes sarcasm and ridicule.

In 'Why I want a wife' by Judy Syfers, satire is applied very effectively through the use of the wife speaking from a mans point of view and repetition. The idea that the wife is speaking from a males perspective is satirical in its self and she opens the article by representing stereotypical roles of a wife "I was ironing one evening" although she claims that she was ironing she may have included it to create a sense of satire and irony.

Also repetition is used throughout the article

starter : connotations

What are the connotations of these words?

Wife: married, in love, caring, housewife, domesticity, nagger, understanding, passion, ring, gossip.

Mother: children, loving, children's primary caregiver, married, caring

Husband: married, wife, works hard, breadwinner, adulterer, cheater, in control, dominant

Father: children, loving, business man

Women: single, free, business women, independent

Man: single, bachelor, messy, not married

The Bitch Manifesto Autobiography

I wonder who decided on categorising and stereotyping women who are physically tall, loud, harsh, awkward, to being 'bitches'

I am considered to be a bitch, not a human being or a female but a bitch, well I suppose I am a bitch, I can not deny being a Bitch. I am aggressive, assertive, strong headed, abrupt, but I have been made to be like this. It is not my choice to be a 'bitch' this is what I am and tough luck to who it bothers.

He is married, I know I shouldn't like him but I do. There is something about him, I think he likes me too, because I am a 'bitch' I can have him. I walk up to where he is sitting, it is a park bench, I sit down not caring how or where I place my legs.

I can hear him breathing heavily, I lean in and kiss him I know I should not but I am because I am a 'bitch'. He kisses me back but when he realises that I people are around he stops and pulls back.

I look at him, he looks away. I think he knows that I am a bitch. He is scared. I stand up and walk away like nothing has gone on, he watches me.

Commentary:

I have included the repetition of the possessive personal pronoun 'I' connoting that she is self centred, egoistic, domineering, obnoxious,. They represent who she is as a person.

I have also included loads of short sentences to create a sense of masculinity, dominance, tough, turbulent,. Because she is not like other women, she is a bitch, and is androgynous. She possesses more masculine traits.

The use of syndetic listing elongates her 'bitchiness' and that there are many reasons as to why she is a bitch

Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs

Write a magazine article for "Good Housekeeping" a magazine for women, in which you argue whether married women should work. 300-400words

25marks

Audience: Women who are married therefore the writing will need to be quite formal and maybe creating a conversational tone.

It should be up to the woman whether she works or if she does not. If the couple has offspring then the woman might want to consider staying at home until the children are able to fend for themselves, because offspring are dependent on their mother. But the father should help out the mother such as: doing the washing, cooking dinner, putting the children to sleep, cleaning up after the offspring, moreover all the things which 'used' to be a woman's duty and what she was expected to do.

Men should get involved with the children, women should not be expected to do everything but work.

In addition the offspring belong to both of the parents and therefore they should both spend equal amounts with them and doing things for them, the majority should not be put on to the women.

In 1964 when women were given 'allowances' by their husbands and they were not allowed to work because of the whole patriarchal society, women were dependent on their husbands for money and financial security. In addition if they worked they would have the right to spend the money they would earn on what they would, whether it be on their offspring or a new coat it would be there choice.

Why should women get burdened with all the children while the man get the privileges of going to work?? The woman needs a break from being at home all the time; going to work may give her the opportunity to get a break from the children and spend time on her own.

Women are not the property of their husbands and moreover they should not be treated like they are inferior and only only worthy to cook, clean, look after the offspring, and tidy up after the offspring.

Women should have the right of whether they want to work or stay at home it should not be down to society.