Victorian Furniture of the Middle Class :: Victorian Era

Victorian Furniture of the Middle Class According to the Middle Class Victorians, less was definitely not more. In fact, in the case of the Victorians, the more ostentatious and packed a house was, the higher the status of that family. A house in the Victorian Era would most likely be cluttered until nothing else could fit. Not only was there clutter, but the rooms were "quite dark with busily patterned wallpaper (Victorian Home Life Changes)" and lots of gold garnishments. Fashions of Furniture and Their Influences Beginning in the 1830's, the first influences of Victorian furniture were from the English architect, Augustus Pugin. These were of the "Neo-gothic Design (Sometimes More is More)" characterized by dark woods, pointed arches, trefoils and other Gothic cathedral carvings. By incorporating previous influences from cathedrals, furniture represented morality in the Victorians lives (Sometimes More is More). A trefoil looks like a three-leaf clover and is found in wooden furniture. By the 1850's, a new inspiration came from the "Rococo Revival." This was a more "romantic form (Sometimes More is More). " It was characterized by "swirling lines, natural motifs like fruit and flowers, and dark woods like mahogany, rosewood and black walnut (Sometimes More is More)." The design came from France and included the use of not so dark wood and looked more natural. The Rococo Revival ended around 1870. Meanwhile, during that time period, around 1860 until 1880, the Renaissance Revival took place. Instead of having expensive, richly made furniture, the Victorians merely began placing expensive additions to inexpensive, poorly made furniture. During the 1850s, mass production of carpeting took place as well as patterned wallpaper (Sometimes More is More.) This allowed the Victorians to decorate their houses with even more colors and clutter. Who Decorated the House and What Were Some Typical Pieces of Furniture Overstuffed divans and couches were a staple in most middle class houses (Furniture).

Sor Juana

Writing Assignment Maria Zuniga Book ReportDecember 9, 2005 Corrections â€Å"Sor Juana† is a biography of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz written by Octavio Paz and translated by Margaret Sayers Peden. It is a book of 470 pages divided in six parts that besides Sor Juana’s life and work, explain the difficulties of the time for an intellectual woman. It was published by The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1988. Reading this book gave me the best opportunity to know more about someone that although has been very influential in my entire life, I didn’t know all her history.My admiration and respect for Sor Juana started since I was a child and one of my sisters used to read her poems. Through my literature classes I knew a little more about her and the admiration and respect continued growing. Sor Juana became for me a stereotype of intellect, power, femininity, persistence and freedom combined with the devotion to God. Her story ma kes me learn to follow my dreams, to be ambitious, and over all to never ever give up. Juana Ines de la Cruz was born in Mexico in 1648. She grew up in the Panayan Hacienda, which was run for her mother for more than thirty years although she never learned to read.Sor Juana started to take lessons at age or three. During a long period of her childhood, she didn’t eat cheese because â€Å"It made one slow-witted,† and â€Å"Desire for learning was stronger than the desire for eating. † By the time she was six or seven, she knew how to read and write. As she couldn’t go to the university (because she was a woman), she studied and read by herself. She used to cut-off several inches of her hair (when hair was considered one of the most important female features), as a challenge for new learning â€Å"A head shouldn’t be adorned with hair and naked of learning† If she didn’t meet the goal, then she cut it again.Sor Juana was sent to Mexico City when she was eight to live with her grandfather, who had one of the biggest libraries of those times. By age 15, as one of the most learned women in Mexico, she was presented at court with the Viceroy and his wife (maximum authorities in Mexico). As a lady-in waiting, Juana Ines would become known at court for her wit and beauty as well as for her erudite intelligence. To ascertain the extent of her learning, the Marquise gathered together some of the most astute minds of the day, poets, historians, theologians, philosophers, and mathematicians.Juana Ines answered the questions and arguments directed at her, impressing them all with her mental prowess. At age 20 she entered the Convent of San Jeronimo, known for the mildness of its discipline. The convent was not a ladder toward God but a refuge for a woman who found herself alone in the world. She lived in a two-storey cell where she read insatiably and amassed an impressive library while pursuing her writing and intellectual pursuits. She brought the elegance of the court with her by transforming the convent locutory into an intellectual salon.The next Viceroy, the Marquis de La Laguna and the Marquise Maria Luisa, the Countess de Pareda, were among the court society and literary devotees who came to talk and debate with Sor Juana. Sor Juana wrote sacred poems and erotic love poems, vocal music, villancicos performed in the cathedral, plays, secular comedies, and some of the most significant documents in the history of feminism and philosophical literature. Her use of language, though characterized by the Baroque style, has a modern essence.Her public face reveals the impiousness of an undaunted spirit who appears, not as a nun, but as an independent woman. One of Sor Juana’s archetypes was Isis, Egyptian goodness inventor of writing, a symbol of intellect. She also identified herself with maidens of antiquity, poetically divinely inspired to produce poems and prophecies thinking â€Å"There we re not enough punishment or reprimands to prevent me from reading. † The life and work of Sor Juana lines can be summed as: knowledge is a transgression committed by a solitary hero who then is punished.Not the glory of knowledge (denied to mortals) but the glory of the act of knowing. Sor Juana was a pivotal figure who lived at a unique point in history bound by two opposing world views: one the closed universe of Ptolemy and of the Inquisition, which still held sway in Mexico/New Spain; the other characterized by the new science of Copernicus, Newton, and Galileo. On her monumental philosophical poem Primer sueno/First Dream the soul is pictured as intellect, not a religious pilgrim. At the height of the journey, at the fullest understanding reason can attain, there was no vision.Instead, the soul drew back at the immensity of the universe and foundered in confusion. In 1690, requested by the Bishop, Sor Juana wrote her only theological criticism, which she insisted not for public view. However, the Bishop published and censured it with an imaginary name of â€Å"Sor Philotea. † In defiant response, Sor Juana wrote â€Å"La Respuesta de la poetisa a la muy ilustre Sor Philotea de la Cruz,† a feminist manifesto defending women’s right to be educated and pursue learning, citing over 40 women who had made significant contributions throughout history.This work ignited the church’s wrath. In a climate of intimidation and fear Sor Juana signed â€Å"Protesta que rubricada con su sangre, hizo de su fe y amor a Dios† a statement of self-condemnation in bloodShe renewed her vows and surrendered her musical and scientific instruments, as well as her library of 4,000 volumes, considered at that time to be the largest in Mexico. Two years of silence and penance followed. Then in 1695, while ministering to nuns struck by an epidemic, she herself succumbed and died.Sor Juana has been an inspirational model to follow through all the situations that she faced. She succeeded in a world that was completely against her. The lack of father, which was almost a crime in that time, the lack of freedom to study, to talk, even to think, and over all the prohibition to be herself were some of her obstacles. Every time I am facing an obstacle, I just recall her story and imagine the innumerable sacrifices she had made to get the freedom of learning.After reading her story, I see the world in a different way. Now I know that all those small decisions that I take every day, such as the cloth I wear, what to eat, to read, what to say, and even what to feel are privileges granted for marvelous people like Sor Juan Ines de la Cruz. I also know that all those people had to pay a high price for these privileges; some of them pay with their lives. I feel not just impressed, but grateful to Sor Juana, her cultural heredity, and woman’s worth.

Agrarian Reform: a Struggle for Social Justice

The paper entitled â€Å"Agrarian Reform: A Struggle for Social Justice† aims to give the current status of agrarian reform in the Philippines. It also aims to provide the struggle of Filipinos for social justice in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). This paper aims to explain why land reform is slow here in our country. This will also try to shed light on what agrarian reform is and will give the clear and precise Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. Furthermore, this paper will also tackle the issues involving the fairness of social justice in the agrarian reform. A part of this paper is also given for the land conversions and other ways to circumvent CARP.OutlineI. Introduction & Objectives A. Specific objectives II. Background Information A. Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the Philippines 1. History 2. Definition 3. Purpose B. Social Justice in the Philippines 1. History 2. Definition 3. Purpose III. Analysis & Discussion A. Issues on the agrarian reform implementation in the Philippines B. Reasons for the slow implementation of agrarian reform C. Land Conversions and other ways to circumvent CARP IV.Conclusion V. References Cornista, L. B. (1987). The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program: An Analysis of its Policies and Processes. Laguna: University of the Philippines.Lopez, A. P. (2003). Batas: The Uncompleted Historic Mandate, Quezon City: DAR.Sebucao, J. T. (1995). The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as critically viewed by the DAR officials and beneficiaries: its economic and educational contribution.Annotated Bibliography1. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program : an analysis of its policies and processesThis book provides information about the policies and processes of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.2. Batas: The Uncompleted Historic MandateThis book is about Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in the Philippines and provides information on the history of land ref orms in our country. This also provides information on the government policies regarding land reform in our country.3. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as critically viewed by the DAR officials and beneficiariesThis book provides the analysis of DAR officials and beneficiaries on what the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is.

Weakness in the Articles of Confederation essays

Weakness in the Articles of Confederation essays The Articles of Confederation, active from March 1, 1781, to June 21, 1788 was the first constitution established in the New World. The articles were drafted by the British colonists in order to help unify the 13 colonies under a common government. This document expressed the form of government the early Americans used until June 21, 1788 when the present constitution was drafted. The articles came out of a need for the colonies to unite after being freed from British rule, and in this need, the articles were effective in putting into words the colonists desire to establish a centralized government. Unfortunately, through the colonists desires to establish a centralized government that was nothing like that of the government imposed on them in England by the King, a central government without sufficient power to govern effectively was created. Along with this major weakness, many other weaknesses followed. The governments lack of power rendered it unable to regulate trade and levy taxes to the colonies. Finally, a unanimous approval was required to pass laws, leaving the ability to change or to pass laws at the mercy of one state when all twelve other states agreed. First of all, the governments inability to regulate trade was a huge problem. The states, without any government regulation, were free to set their own taxes on goods. There was not a set tax on certain goods; taxes on the same goods were different in every state. This inflated state of taxes, fluctuating from state to state, made interstate commerce very expensive. Tariff wars resulted when one state would raise its taxes after getting mad at other states for having high taxes on goods. As a result, interstate commerce almost completely diminished as tax inflation became too high for trade to flourish. Interstate commerce was furthermore hampered by the existence of different currencies in every state. Trade became very tough an ...

18 Types of Spanish Verbs

18 Types of Spanish Verbs There may be as many ways of classifying Spanish verbs as there are people doing it, but discovering how Spanish treats different verbs differently is nevertheless a key part of learning the language. Heres one way of looking at the types of verbs, keeping in mind, of course, that verbs can fit into more than one classification. 1. Infinitives Infinitives are verbs in their most basic form, the way you find them listed in dictionaries. Infinitives by themselves tell you nothing about who or what is performing a verbs action or when. Spanish infinitives- examples include hablar (to speak), cantar (to sing), and vivir (to live)- are the rough equivalent of the to form of English verbs and sometimes of the -ing form. Spanish infinitives can function as verbs or nouns. 2, 3, and 4. -Ar, -Er, and -Ir Verbs Every verb fits into one of these types based on the last two letters of its infinitive. In Spanish there is no verb that ends in anything other than one of these three two-letter combinations. Even verbs that are made up or imported such as surfear (to surf) and snowboardear (to snowboard) require one of these endings. The distinction among types is that they are conjugated based on the ending. 5 and 6. Regular and Irregular Verbs The vast majority of -ar verbs are conjugated in the same way, and the same is true for the other two ending types. These are known as regular verbs. Unfortunately for Spanish students, the more used a verb is, the more likely it is not to follow the regular pattern, being irregular. 7 and 8. Defective and Impersonal Verbs The term defective verb is usually used to refer to a verb that isnt conjugated in all its forms. In traditional Spanish, for example, abolir (to abolish) has an incomplete conjugation set. Also, soler (to usually do something) doesnt exist in all tenses. Most defective verbs are also impersonal verbs, meaning that their action isnt performed by a distinct person or thing. The most common such are the weather  verbs such as llover (to rain) and nevar (to snow). Since theres no logical reason to use forms that mean something like we rain or they snow, such forms dont exist in standard Spanish. 9 and 10. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs The distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs is important enough to Spanish grammar that the classification is given in most Spanish dictionaries- vt or vtr for verbos transitivos and vi for verbos intransitivos. Transitive verbs require an object to make a complete sentence, while intransitive verbs do not. For example, levantar (to lift or raise) is transitive; it must be used with a word that indicates what is lifted. (In Levantà ³ la mano for He raised his hand, mano or hand is the object.) An example of an intransitive verb is roncar (to snore). It cannot take an object. Some verbs can be transitive or intransitive depending on the context. Most of the time, for example, dormir is intransitive, as is its English equivalent, to sleep. However, dormir, unlike to sleep, can also mean to put someone to sleep, in which case it is transitive. 11. Reflexive or Reciprocal Verbs A reflexive verb is a type of transitive verb in which the verbs object is also the person or thing performing the action of the verb. For example, if I put myself to sleep, I could say, Me durmà ­, where durmà ­ means I put to sleep and me means myself. Many verbs that are used in a reflexive way are listed in dictionaries by adding -se to the infinitive, creating entries such as dormirse (to fall asleep) and encontrarse (to find oneself). Reciprocal verbs take the same form as reflexive verbs, but they indicate that two or more subjects are interacting with each other. Example: Se golpearon uno al otro. (They beat up on each other.) 12. Copulative Verbs A copulative or linking verb is a type of intransitive verb that is used to connect the subject of a sentence with a word that describes it or says what it is. For example, the es in La nià ±a es guatemalteca (The girl is Guatemalan) is a linking verb. The most common Spanish linking verbs are ser (to be), estar (to be), and parecer (to seem).  Verbs that arent copulative are known in Spanish as verbos predicativos. 13. Past Participles A past participle is a type of participle that can be used to form the perfect tenses. Most past participles end in -ado or -ido. As in English, past participles can also usually be used as adjectives. For example, the past participle quemado , from the verb quemar, meaning to burn, helps form the present perfect tense in He quemado el pan (I have burnt the bread) but is an adjective in No me gusta el pan quemado (I dont like burnt bread). Past participles can vary in number and gender like other adjectives. 14. Gerunds Present adverbial participles, often known as gerunds, end in -ando or -endo as the rough equivalent of English -ing verb forms. They can combine with forms of estar to make progressive verb forms: Estoy viendo la luz. (I am seeing the light.) Unlike other types of participles, Spanish gerunds can also function much like adverbs. For example, in Corrà © viendo todo (I ran while seeing everything), viendo describes how the running occurred. 15. Auxiliary Verbs Auxiliary or helping verbs are used with another verb to give it vital meaning, such as a tense. A common example is haber (to have), which is used with a past participle to form a perfect tense. For example, in He comido (I have eaten), the he form of haber is an auxiliary verb. Another common auxiliary is estar as in Estoy comiendo (I am eating). 16. Action Verbs As their name suggests, action verbs tell us what someone or something is doing. The vast majority of verbs are action verbs, as they include the verbs that arent auxiliary verbs or linking verbs. 17 and 18. Simple and Compound Verbs Simple verbs consist of a single word. Compound or complex verbs use one or two auxiliary verbs and a main verb and include the perfect and progressive forms mentioned above. Example of compound verb forms include habà ­a ido (he has gone), estaban estudiando (they were studying), and habrà ­a estado buscando (she will have been seeking). 10, 20, and 21. Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative Verbs These three forms, known collectively as referring to a verbs mood, indicate the speakers perception of a verbs action. Simply put, indicative verbs are used for matters of fact; subjunctive verbs often are used to refer to actions that the speaker desires, doubts or has an emotional reaction to; and imperative verbs are commands.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 18

Assignment - Essay Example ?The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education† and â€Å"School and Society† were the most critical readings.The books served to introduce the contexts of how schools served to promote social values. This paper will present a reflection of the critical things I learned throughout the course. The first chapter of â€Å"The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education† introduced an interesting concept that helped me to understand the purposes for the different systems of organizations evident in schools today. For a long time, I had been wondering why American schools have adopted the modern system of organization. Chapter 2 of the same book helped me to recognize the structures and dynamics of schools that qualify them to be social organizations. Worth noting is the fact that students from different backgrounds have an opportunity to interact freely with the school systems. In addition, the school content covers certain critical social concepts that shape the perception of the students. It emerged to me that schools are critical social organizations explaining why it is important to develop an effective curriculum for the American schools. In the third chapter of the book, I gained familiarity with the social impact that schools have on children. Notabl y, the interactions between different children in the school setting lead to an exchange of social and cultural values. For many students, it is impossible to resist the social impact experienced in schools. Therefore, there is a salient need for teachers to promote positive socialization within the school system in an effort to avoid negative social impact. From a personal experience, schools can affect an individual in different ways. During my early school days, I gained familiarity with different cultural aspects. For this reason, I have first-hand experience that schools have a critical social impact on students. The content discussed in the school system also served to shape my social

DB 4 Carminsl Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DB 4 Carminsl Justice - Essay Example To that end, significant research is being conducted to find out ‘what works’ to end the cycle of recidivism. In recent years, various strategies have been tried. During the next ten years we must capitalize on what we have learned, and use the hard-earned tax-payer money that we are spending in ways that will be both cost-beneficial and socially responsible. (Maurer, Susan L. 2001). Crime control must be examined in relation to the community roots of social problems like poverty, unemployment, drugs, and inadequate housing. Penal reform should be planned in relation to societal reform in areas like education, economic opportunity and racial equality. We need a new paradigm for sentencing and corrections. The continued reliance on imprisonment is costing society a tremendous amount of money, wasting lives, and doing little to prepare offenders to be successful in the community. To face these challenges, three steps should be taken: 1) Create a task-force to examine corrections. 2) Study the problems. 3) Prepare an action-oriented strategic development plan, to ensure that critical problems will be addressed. Among the basic theories relating to criminal justice and its relation to individual rights and social control, is community justice or restorative justice. Restorative justice is future-oriented, focuses on restoration for the victim and society, and is less expensive for the taxpayer. Victims have historically been left out of the criminal justice process. Only recently have programs been started to assist victims and ensure that their voices are heard throughout the process. Also, taxpayers do not have to spend large amounts of money to punish and incarcerate non-violent offenders, who represent little risk to their communities. Restorative justice emphasizes that they should â€Å"make right† the harm that they