Life of Margaret Paston, English Matriarch

Margaret Paston (also known as  Margaret Mautby Paston) is noted for her strength and fortitude as an English wife born in the Middle Ages, who took on her husbands duties while he was away and held her family together through disastrous events. Margaret Paston was born in 1423 to a prosperous landowner in Norfolk. She was chosen by William Paston, an even more prosperous landowner and lawyer, and his wife Agnes, as a suitable wife for their son John. The young couple met for the first time in April 1440, after the match had been arranged, and they were wed sometime before December 1441. Margaret frequently managed her husbands properties when he was away and even faced armed forces who physically ejected her from the household.   Her ordinary yet extraordinary life  would be almost completely unknown to us but for the Paston Family Letters, a collection of documents that span more than 100 years in the lives of the Paston family. Margaret wrote 104 of the letters, and through these and the responses she received, we can easily gauge her standing in the family, her relationships with her in-laws, husband and children, and, of course, her state of mind. Events both catastrophic and mundane are also revealed in the letters, as is the Paston familys relationships with other families and their status in society. Although the bride and groom had not made the choice, the marriage was apparently a happy one, as the letters clearly reveal: I pray you that you will wear the ring with the image of St. Margaret that I sent you for a remembrance till you come home. You have left me such a remembrance that makes me to think upon you both day and night when I would sleep. -Letter from Margaret to John, Dec. 14, 1441 The remembrance would be born sometime before April and was only the first of seven children to live to adulthood—another sign of, at the very least, enduring sexual attraction between Margaret and John. But the bride and groom were frequently separated, as John went away on business and Margaret, quite literally, held down the fort. This was not at all unusual, and for the historian, it was somewhat fortuitous, as it afforded the couple opportunities to communicate by letters that would outlast their marriage by several centuries. The first conflict that Margaret endured took place in 1448 when she took residence in the manor of Gresham. The property had been purchased by William Paston, but Lord Moleyns laid claim to it, and while John was away in London Moleyns forces violently ejected Margaret, her men-at-arms and her household. The damage they did to the property was extensive, and John submitted a petition to the king (Henry VI) in order to get recompense, but Moleyns was too powerful and did not pay. The manor was ultimately restored in 1451. Similar events took place in the 1460s when the Duke of Suffolk raided Hellesdon and the Duke of Norfolk besieged Caister Castle. Margarets letters show her steely resolve, even as she entreats her family for assistance: I greet you well, letting you know that your brother and his fellowship stand in great jeopardy at Caister, and lack vitual . . . and the place is sore broken by the guns of the other party; so that, unless they have hasty help, they are like to lose both their lives and the place, to the greatest rebuke to you that ever came to any gentleman, for every man in this country marvels greatly that you suffer them to be so long in such great jeopardy without help or other remedy. -Letter from Margaret to her son John, Sept. 12, 1469 Margarets life was not all turmoil. She also involved herself, as was common, in the lives of her grown children. She mediated between her eldest and her husband when the two fell out: I understand . . . that you do not want your son to be taken into your house, nor helped by you . . . For Gods sake, sir, have pity on him, and remember you it hath been a long season since he had anything of you to help him with, and he hath obeyed him to you, and will do at all times, and will do what he can or may to have your good fatherhood . . . -Letter from Margaret to John, April 8, 1465 She also opened negotiations for her second son (also named John) and several prospective brides, and when her daughter entered into an engagement without Margarets knowledge, she threatened to put her out of the house. (Both children were ultimately wed in apparently stable marriages.) Margaret lost her husband in 1466, and how she may have reacted historians known little about since John had been her closest literary confidant. After 25 years of successful marriage, it is likely fair to assume her grief was deep, but Margaret had shown her mettle in dire straits and was ready to endure for her family. By the time she was sixty, Margaret began showing signs of serious illness, and in February 1482, she was persuaded to make a will. Much of its content sees to the welfare of her soul and that of her family after her death; she left money to the Church for the saying of masses for herself and her husband, as well as instructions for her burial. But she was also generous to her family and even made bequests to the servants.

Essay about Brief Summary of the Movie Chocolat - 581 Words

Vianne wanders a lot with her daughter. She never lived in a place longer than 2 years. She has been in many different countries and speaks good French as well as English. This time they arrive in a very small town in France, between Toulouse and Bordeaux. They are not welcome in the village. The residents don’t like strangers. Especially the Priest. When Vianne opens a chocolaterie on Ash Wednesday, he is very mad and he decides to do anything in his power to get rid of her. He is very persuasive in the church and tells his people they have to look out for Vianne, for she is no good with her chocolate and ‘spells’. In spite of all this criticism Vianne does good business. She soon makes friends with Guillaume, Armande and Josephine.†¦show more content†¦Vianne likes him, but she thinks Josephine and Roux like each other. She’s wrong and later in the book they sleep with each other. Than Armande says she wants to have a big party for her birthday and she asks Vianne to help her with the preparations. She also tells Vianne that it’s going to be a farewell party; because she doesn’t want to live like this anymore (she’s old and has diabetes). Vianne takes care of all the food and it’s a wonderful party, the river people and the people from the villages get along with each other fine, which makes Armande very happy. The next morning she dies. The priest is angry with Vianne because she’s going to have a big chocolate festival on Easter Sunday. He tries to anticipate her. In the middle of the night he sneaks in to Vianne’s chocolaterie. He wants to destroy all the chocolate she made for the festival, but he can not find the supply. When he sees the shop-window he can not control himself anymore and begins to eat from the chocolates. The next morning he wakes up and Vianne and all the inhabitants are looking at him. He ate so much chocolate that he fell asleep in the shop. He is very ashamed by his actions and flees from the village. The chocolate festival is a big success and for the first time Vianne is probably going to stay in the village. She doesn’t want to wander anymore and Anouk wants to stay here

Nature and nurture shape our personalities Free Essays

Each person is unique and a person of worth under his/her own right. This statement defines who a person is, one s endowed with the faculties to exist and be a contributing member of society. However, how a person develops certain characteristics and traits have aroused the curiosity of the scientific and academic community. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature and nurture shape our personalities or any similar topic only for you Order Now Even parents want to know how personalities are developed so they would be able to rear their children in the proper way and become adults who have a well rounded personality. The questions remains, how do people develop their personalities and what factors influence it. Although some people believe that personalities are influenced by nurture while others believe that personalities are influenced by nature, but it is a combination of both nature and nurture that shape our personalities. The nature-nurture controversy has led to the different perspectives on how an individual’s personality develops. Relevant materials: The Boy Who Became a Girl The nature perspective says that a person comes into this world with a certain traits and characteristics which make him/her predisposed to behave and think in a certain way. The nature perspective is largely biological and genetic; wherein it is thought that personality is often passed from parents to offspring and that a child may inherit the traits of the parents (Carlson Buskist, 1997) just as they inherit their father’s eyes or their mother’s skin. Moreover, the biological perspective has said that a child is already born with certain personality traits that are enduring and stable over time. If a child has a difficult temperament as a baby, it can be expected that as an adult, that child would still be moody and temperamental. Finally, the nature perspective says that personality types are based on the gene pool of the individual, they say that aggression or predisposition to violence is genetically based, some people are just born to have the violent gene and that there is nothing that can be done to change this (Friedman Schustack, 2006). The nature perspective may seem to be deterministic and narrow, once a person is said to be shy or timid, then that person will always be shy until the end of his/her life. The nurture perspective was borne out of the reaction and revolt against the nature perspective, the proponents of the nurture perspective found the biological view close and incomplete, it was not able to account for the concept of choice and free will and that each person has the capacity to change and become better persons. The nurture perspective advocated that individuals are fundamentally good and that each person can be trained and influenced to be a better person or have positive personality traits (Friedman Schustack, 2006). Therefore, a person may come from a family of criminals or psychotics but with the right nurturing environment and love and care the child can grow up to become morally upright and compassionate. The nurture perspective places greater importance to the quality of care and the kind of environment that a child receives during his/her early years can affect the child’s personality and will form his/her characteristics and traits. The nurture perspective does not allow for any biological influence, in fact John B. Watson in his famous declaration has been known to say that he can train children to become whatever he desires them to be (Friedman Schustack, 2006). The nurture perspective is more positive as compared to the nature perspective when it comes to personality change. The perspective holds that each person with the right support and guidance will be able to change his/her personality traits for the better. As the nature-nurture debate wore on, scientists and philosophers were finding evidence that suggested that personality development is not solely nature nor nurture, but a combination of both perspectives. Relying on the nature perspective alone does not present a complete picture of how personality is developed. They say that personality traits are not observable and one cannot identify which gene carries what trait therefore the perspective lacked credence as traits are not adequately labeled. At the same time, saying that the environment alone is the sole influence that affects personality development is wrong. There is always the continued interplay between nature and nurture and in reality; personality is molded by the combination of these two conflicting views. Personality traits and characteristics are developed and molded by both nature and nurture factors wherein the individual finds him/her self. It is true that one’s biological traits affect the individual and can be used as basis to predict the behavior of the child in the future as well as what kind of personality he/she will have. Personality traits that are expressed through emotions have been found to be affected by the endorphins and the hormones that a person has (Carlson Buskist, 1997). For example, men and women differ in their personalities because women have more estrogen which activates the body into being more emotional and easily affected by feelings and situations while men who have a very low estrogen levels are hardier, more composed and calm than women. The physiology of the human brain also influence the personality of the individual (Carlson Buskist, 1997), those who have a more developed language area are more vocal, more able to express their emotions while those who have more developed logical area are more rational. Moreover, intelligence which is a key ingredient of a person’s personality is also genetically based, those who are highly intelligent will be more critical, more resilient and more introverted while those who are more socially adept will tend to be extroverted. The influence of the environment over the personality of the individual has been demonstrated by the number of cases of wherein the child has been brought up in a positive environment despite being borne in a dysfunctional family grew up to be straight and proper. In the earliest experiments of human contact which tackles the issue of nurture it was found that monkeys reared alone and without a nurturing mother was cold, lifeless and unable to relate with other monkeys. On the other hand, a monkey which was reared together with a mechanical monkey displayed more positive behaviors than the first monkey (Westen, 2003). This showed that a nurturing environment is important for the developing child, in a similar light; it was found that those children who were exposed to aggression also imitated the aggressive behavior that was shown to them (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski Eron, 2003). These underscores the double edged sword that nurture is because a positive environment may lead to positive outcomes while a negative environment may also be a threat to the development of the child. However, taking both of the perspectives explains far more completely how personality is developed and formed. A child’s genetic make-up provides for the predispositions that a child has, while the kind of environment that he/she grows up in will also form part of his/her personality. Personality tests have often found that personality traits are stable and enduring (Westen, 2003), a child may be stubborn in his/her younger age may mellow down and with the societal influences and an environment that promotes respect and obedience may tame the stubbornness, but in the end, his/her stubbornness may prevail when placed in a difficult situation or when she has to cope with a certain issue or problem. Moreover, a child may be overly active and vocal since childhood but through experience and social forces may transform the child into an adult who excels in sports or who are activists and leaders. This is also true for the other side of personality, the evil and dark side. Some children are evil and these can be observed in their behavior towards other children or other creatures, and sometimes they grow up to be criminals and sociopaths (Westen, 2003). In a same vein, children who have experienced abuse and traumatic events tend to develop personality disorders that affect their quality of life and relationships. Lastly, it has been reported that injuries to the brain have often resulted to a change in personality (Westen, 2003) and these had adverse effects to the individual and his/her family. The person’s behavior becomes erratic; he/she may have mood swings or may even portray a personality that is completely uncharacteristic of him/her. Without a doubt, personality is shaped by one’s biological predispositions and environment, each one of us have heard a small voice inside of us that shares our thoughts and feelings, while the most important persons in our lives have influenced and inspired us to dream and fulfill our ambitions in life. In the past the nature versus nurture debate was intensely championed by both sides, but at present it has been realized that acknowledging both the nature and nurture aspect of one’s development and personality provides a more complete and accurate picture of human nature. References Carlson N. Buskist W. (1997). Psychology: The Science of Behavior 5th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Friedman, H. Schustack, M. (2006). Personality: Classic theories and modern Research 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn Bacon. Huesmann, L., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C.   Eron, L. (2003). Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977-1992. Developmental Psychology, 39, 201-221. Westen, D. (2003). Psychology: Brain, Behavior, and Culture. New York: Wiley Sons. How to cite Nature and nurture shape our personalities, Essay examples

Edward Weston Essay Example For Students

Edward Weston Essay Weston is, in the real sense, one of the few creative artists of today. Hehas recreated the matter-forms and forces of nature; he has made these formseloquent of the fundamental unity of the work. His work illuminates mansinner journey toward perfection of the spirit. Ansel Adams, Date UnknownEdward Weston (1886-1958) may seem like he was a confused man in trying to findhis photographic goal(s). Just like many other photographers, both of his timeand now, he strove to find what truly satisfied his talent and the acceptance ofhimself. He generated something for all photographers. This was success andrecognition as a grand master of twentieth century photography. This was alegacy that tells an interesting tale; it tells a tale of a thousand plussuccessful and loved photographs, a daily journal, and a life with its ups anddowns and broad dimensions. He was born in Highland Park, Illinois, and thus hewas an American photographer. His mother died when he was five, possibly thereason for h is skipping out of his schooling. At the age of sixteen (1902), hisfather bought him a Kodak box camera (Bulls-Eye No. 2). Soon he was savingmoney to buy a better 5x camera with a tripod. Taking photographsinterested and obsessed him. He wrote, I needed no friends now. . .Sundays mycamera and I would take long car-rides into the country. . . In 1906, twothings happened. First, a submission of his was printed in the magazine Cameraand Darkroom. This photograph was called simply Spring. Secondly, he movedto California to work as a surveyor for San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt LakeRailroad. From that time on, his interests lied in everything that wasunorthodox (astrology, the occult, nudism, vegetarianism, etc.). Maybe he neverwas much of an orthodox type man or photographer. He went back to Illinois forseveral months to attend the Illinois College of Photography. The inspirationbehind this was to show his girlfriend, a daughter of a wealthy land-owner thathed make money for them. He th en headed back to California for good. Thislead to marriage in 1909 and to two sons soon afterwards. During this time,Weston also became the founding member of the Camera Pictorialists of LosAngeles. 1911: Began a portrait studio in Tropico, California. This studio wouldstay open until 1922. Also 1911: He started writing articles that were publishedin magazines. One of these magazines was called American Photographer. His thirdand fourth sons were born in 1916 and 1919. Weston had always enjoyedphotography as an art, but, in 1915, his visit to the San Francisco PanamaPacific Exhibition began a series of events that would lead him to arenouncement of pictorialism. At the exhibition, he viewed abstract paintings. These caused him to vow to capture the physical quality of the objects hephotographed with the sharpest truthfulness and exactitude. Thus began adissatisfaction with his own work. In 1922, he traveled to Ohio and tookphotographs of the Armco Steel Plant and then went to New York. There he metAlfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Charles Sheck and Georgia OKeefe. After that,he renounced pictorialism all together. He often traveled to Mexico during the1920s, and his photographs included nudes. One of these nudes, named TinaModotti, would turn into his own personal love affair, breaking up his marriage. He made many photographs in Mexico. Some were published in the book Idols BehindAltars by Anita Brenner. During this time, he also began to photographseashells, vegetables and nudes. In 1929, his first New York exhibit occurred atthe Alma Reeds Delphic Studios Gallery and later showed at Harvard Society ofContemporary Arts. His photographs were shown along with the likes of WalkerEvans, Eugene Atget, Charles Sheeler, Alfred Stieglitz, and many others. In1932, he became a Charter member, along with Ansel Adams, of the Groupf/64 Club. The club was also founded that same year. The goal of this clubwas to secure maximum image sharpness of both foreground and distance. In1934, Weston vowed to make only unretouched portraits. He strived to be as faraway from pictorialism as he could. In 1935, he initiated the Edward WestonPrint of the Month Club. He offered photographs for ten dollars each. In 1937,he was awarded the first Guggenheim fellowship. In 1940, a book calledCalifornia and the Wes t featured his photographs and the text of Charis Wilsonhis new wife (not the nude, Tina Modotti). In 1941, Weston was commissioned bythe Limited Editions Club to illustrate a new edition of Walt Whitmans Leavesof Grass. Weston started suffering from Parkinsons disease in 1946. That sameyear the Museum of Modern Art in New York City featured a retrospective of hiswork; three hundred prints were on display. To sort of sign-off fromphotographing, Weston went to his favorite photographing spot at Point Lobos. .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .postImageUrl , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:hover , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:visited , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:active { border:0!important; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:active , .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21 .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3716fe71b5a1434632115d1abc0f3e21:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Harrison bergeron by kurt vonn EssayThere he would take his last photographs (1948). For the next ten years, hesupervised his two sons in the printing of Edward Weston life works. Also, in1952, he published a Fiftieth Anniversary Portfolio. He died in 1958 at his homein Carmel. From his famous studies of the green pepper to his favorite spots atPoint Lobos, Weston was mainly concerned in photographing nature. Thats whyhis photographs encompassed still-lifes, seashells, tree stumps, eroded rocks,female nudes, landscapes, and other natural forms. His 1936 compilation ofphotographs of California sand dunes is considered by many to be his finestwork. Many feel he brought regen eration to photography, and maybe he did. It seems, whether he liked it or not, that pictorialism never left him. Nomatter how sharp and truthful his photographs became or were, they seemed toalways have a pictorial feel. Maybe someday Ill read through the dailyjournal he kept, called Daybooks. It was published, most of it after his death. Maybe then I could get a feel for what Point Lobos meant and what the shapes ofthe vegetables, seashells, and the rolling dunes meant. Maybe I could understandhis obsession with female nudes and their shapes and his brief period ofindustrial scenes. The tale is told. Weve seen the photographs, few amongthousands. Weve seen the broad dimensions that encompassed his life. Wevealso seen the journal, his daily pouring out. It is indeed a true legacy,a legacy that lives on through the sharp, up close-and personal photographs. BibliographyBiography of Edward Weston. (1995-99). Internet (http://www.photocollect.com/bios/weston.html). Photo Collect. Layout and design by PanoramaPoint. Edward Weston: With an Essay by R.H. Cravens. (1988). 1997 Edition. Aperture Foundation, Inc. Weston, Edward (1886-1958). (2000). Internet(http://www.orsillo .com/photographers/edward.htm). Orsillo of Nottingham, NewHampshire. Weston, Edward: American, 1886-1958. (1986). Internet(http://www. masters-of-photography.com/w/weston/weston_articles1.html). Textfrom The Encyclopedia of Photography.