Biography of Christine de Pizan, Medieval Writer

Biography of Christine de Pizan, Medieval Writer Christine de Pizan (1364 to 1430), born in Venice, Italy, was an Italian writer and political and moral thinker during the late medieval period. She became a prominent writer at the French court during the reign of Charles VI, writing on literature, morals, and politics, among other topics. She  was noted for her unusually outspoken defense of women. Her writings remained influential and oft-printed through the 16th  century, and her work returned to prominence during the mid-20th  century. Fast Facts: Christine de Pizan Known For: Early feminist thinker and influential writer in the royal court of Charles VI of FranceBorn: 1364 in Venice, ItalyDied: 1430 in Poissy, FrancePublished Works: The Book of the City of Ladies, The Treasure of the City of LadiesFamous Quote:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The man or the woman in whom resides greater virtue is the higher; neither the loftiness nor the lowliness of a person lies in the body according to the sex but in the perfection of conduct and virtues.†Ã‚  (from  The Book of the City of Ladies) Early Life Pizan was born in Venice to Tommaso di Benvenuto da Pizzano, later known by the Gallicized moniker Thomas de Pizan, in reference to the family’s origins in the town of Pizzano. Thomas was a physician, astrologer, and politician in Venice – then a republic in its own right – and accepted a posting to the French court of Charles V in 1368. His family accompanied him there. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Pizan was well educated from a young age, in large part thanks to her father, who encouraged her learning and provided access to an extensive library. The French court was highly intellectual, and Pizan absorbed it all. Wed and Widowed At the age of fifteen, Pizan  married Etienne du Castel, a court secretary. The marriage was, by all accounts, a happy one. The pair were close in age, and the marriage produced three children in ten years. Etienne encouraged Pizans intellectual and creative pursuits as well. Pizans father Thomas died in 1386, with some debts outstanding. Because Thomas had been the royal favorite, the family’s fortunes were not as bright after his death. In 1389, tragedy struck again. Etienne fell ill and died, most likely from the plague, leaving Pizan a widow with three young children. With no surviving male relatives, Pizan was left as the sole supporter of her children and her mother (and a niece, according to some sources). When she attempted to claim the salary still owed to her late husband, she was forced to engage in legal battles to get what was owed. Writer at Court The royal courts of England and Milan both expressed interest in Pizans presence, but her loyalty remained with the court where she had spent nearly her entire life. The natural decision might have been to remarry, but Pizan made the decision to not seek a second husband among the men at court. Instead, she turned to her considerable writing skill as a means to support her family. At first, Pizans  output mainly consisted of love poetry in the favored styles of the era. Several of the ballads were expressions of grief over Etienne’s passing, again highlighting the genuine affection of their marriage. Pizan was highly involved in the production of her books, and her skillful poetry and embrace of Christian morals caught the eyes of many of the wealthy, titled courtiers. Writing romantic ballads was also a crucial means of gaining patrons, given the popularity of the form. As time passed, she gained many patrons, including Louis I, Duke of Orleans, Phillip, Duke of Burgundy, Marie of Berry, and even an English earl, the Earl of Salisbury. Because of her ability to utilize these powerful patrons, Pizan  was able to navigate a time of major turmoil in the French court during the reign of Charles VI, who earned the moniker â€Å"the Mad† due to his bouts of mental illness that rendered him unfit to rule for stretches of time. Pizan also wrote many of her works for and about the French royal family. In 1404, her biography of Charles V was published, and she often dedicated pieces of writing to the royals. A 1402 work was dedicated to Queen Isabeau (Charles VI’s wife) and compared the queen to the historical queen Blanche of Castile. Literary Quarrel Pizans poetry was clearly influenced by her own experience of losing her husband and being left to fend for herself, but some poems had an unusual tone that set her apart. One poem describes a fictionalized Pizan being touched by the personification of Fortune and â€Å"changed† into a male, a literary depiction of her struggles to be her family’s breadwinner and fulfill a â€Å"male† role. This was only the start of Pizans writings on gender. In 1402, Pizan  gained attention as the instigator of a famous literary debate, the â€Å"Querelle du Roman de la Rose† or the â€Å"Quarrel of the Romance of the Rose.† The debate centered on the Romance of the Rose, written by Jean de Meun, and its harsh, misogynistic depictions of women. Pizans writings defended women from these portrayals, using her extensive knowledge of literature and rhetoric to debate at a scholarly level. The Book of the City of Ladies The work for which Pizan is best known is The Book of the City of Ladies (Le Livre de la cità © des dames). In this work and its companion, The Treasure of the City of Ladies, Pizan  created an extensive allegory in defense of women, marking her as one of the earliest Western feminist authors. The central idea of the work is the creation of a great metaphorical city, constructed by and for heroic, virtuous women throughout history. In the book, Pizans  fictionalized self has a lengthy dialogue with three ladies who are the personifications of great virtues: Reason, Rectitude, and Justice. Her rhetoric is designed to critique the oppression of women and the vulgar, misogynistic attitudes of male writers of the day. It included profiles and â€Å"examples† drawn from great women of history, as well as logical arguments against oppression and sexism. Additionally, the book exhorts women of all stations to cultivate their skills and to live well. Even in the production of her book, Pizan advanced the cause of women. The Book of the City of Ladies was produced as an illuminated manuscript, which Pizan herself oversaw. Only skilled women were employed to produce it. Political Writings During Pizans  life, the French court was in considerable turmoil, with various factions constantly vying for power and the king incapacitated much of the time. Pizans writings urged unity against a common enemy (the English, with whom the French were fighting the Hundred Years’ War) rather than civil war. Unfortunately, civil war broke out around 1407. In 1410, Pizan  published a treatise on warfare and chivalry, in which she discussed the concepts of just war, treatment of troops and prisoners, and more. Her work was balanced for her time, adhering to the contemporary concept of war as divinely ordained justice but also critiquing the cruelties and crimes committed in wartime. As her connection to the royal family remained intact, Pizan  also published The Book of Peace, her final major work, in 1413. The manuscript was dedicated to the young dauphin, Louis of Guyenne, and was filled with advice on how to govern well. In her writing, Pizan advocated against civil war and advised the prince to set an example for his subjects by being wise, just, honorable, honest, and available to his people. Later Life and Death After the French defeat at Agincourt in 1415, Pizan  stepped away from court and retired to a convent. Her writing ceased, although in 1429, she wrote a paean to Joan of Arc, the only such French-language work written in Joan’s lifetime. Christine de Pizan died at the convent in Poissy, France in 1430 at the age of 66. Legacy Christine de Pizan was one of the earliest feminist writers, defending women and placing value on the perspectives of women. Her works criticized the misogyny found in classical romances and were seen as vindications of women. After her death,  The Book of the City of Ladies remained in print, and her political writings continued to circulate as well. Later scholars, most notably Simone de Beauvoir, brought Pizans works back to prominence in the twentieth century, studying her as one of the earliest instances of women who wrote in defense of other women. Sources Brown-Grant, Rosalind. Christine de Pizan and the Moral Defence of Women. Cambridge University Press, 1999.â€Å"Christine de Pisan.† Brooklyn Museum, https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/christine_de_pisanâ€Å"Christine de Pizan Biography.† Biography, https://www.biography.com/people/christine-de-pisan-9247589Lunsford, Andrea A., editor. Reclaiming Rhetorica: Women and in the Rhetorical Tradition.  University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995.Porath, Jason. Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics. New York: Dey Street Books, 2016.

How to Use the French Adverb Enfin (At Last, Finally)

How to Use the French Adverb Enfin (At Last, Finally) Enfin, pronounced a(n) feh(n), is a French adverb that means at last, finally, in short, at least. It is usually used in a declarative manner, but it can also be an exclamation: Enfin ! Finally! Note that in informal speech,  enfin  is often  abbreviated  to a single syllable:  fin. A Common French Expression Enfin  is among the most common French expressions, such as: Allons-y !  (Lets go!)Bon appà ©tit !  (Enjoy your meal!)  Ce nest pas grave. (No problem.)De rien. (Youre welcome.)Jarrive ! (Im on my way!)Nest-ce pas  ? (Right?)Oh l l.   Oh dear, oh no.Plus à §a change...   The more things change...Sans blague.   seriously, all kidding asideTout fait   absolutely, exactlyVoil  Ã‚  there is, thats it Expressions and Usage of 'Enfin' Here are some of the ways enfin is used: Enfin seuls ! Alone at last!Elle y est enfin arrivà ©e. She has finally succeeded.Enfin...(interjection)   well, at least, lets say, all in all, in a word, I meanIl est intelligent, enfin, malin.  Ã‚  Hes smart, or at least shrewd.Jai perdu mes clà ©s, quelquun ma volà © la voiture, jai à ©tà © virà ©Ã‚  : enfin, pas une bonne journà ©e. I lost my keys, someone stole my car, I got fired: All in all, not a good day.Jen veux deux, enfin, trois.   Id like two, I mean three of themEnfin  ! Depuis le temps  !   Finally ! About time too !Un accord a à ©tà © enfin conclu.   An agreement has at last been reached.Enfin, jaimerais vous remercier de votre hospitalità ©.   Well, I would like to thank you for your hospitality.Enfin in short, in brief, in a wordElle est triste, mais enfin elle sen remettra.   Shes sad, but still / after all, shell get over it.Oui mais enfin, cest peut-à ªtre vrai.   Yes, after all it might well be true.Elle est jolie, enfin, mon avis. [valeur restrictive]   Shes pretty, (or) at least thats my opinion. Enfin  ! Cest la vie  !   Oh well, such is life !Ce nest pas la mà ªme chose, enfin  !   Oh come on, its not the same thing at all !Enfin, reprends-toi  !   Come on, pull yourself together !Enfin quest-ce quil y a  ? What on earth is the matter ?Cest son droit, enfin  !   Its his right, after all !Tu ne peux pas faire à §a, enfin  !   You cant do that !Un meurtrier pourrait facilement  maquiller  une strangulation par une pendaison post-mortem.  Ã‚  A murder could easily  cover up  a ligature strangulation with a post-mortem hanging.Je vais me faire coiffer et  maquiller.   Im off to have my hair and makeup done.

Examine the extent to which children have rights in a particular area Essay

Examine the extent to which children have rights in a particular area of law and provision (Abortion) - Essay Example The UK is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Children’s rights held in the month of December in the year 1991. The Convention acts as a basis for protection of children’s rights in all member states. (Every Child Matters, 2008) The convention provides that all children have the right to life. This brings up a vital question; can a foetus be considered as a child? The United Kingdom recognises viable foetuses as those ones who have exceeded twenty four weeks. (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2004) This is why the Abortion Act of 1967 allows abortions before a pregnancy has reached that stipulated time. In relation to this, the UK only allows abortion in cases where the unborn child will affect his mother’s health both physically and mentally. By providing such a restriction, the unborn child’s right to life is protected because mothers may not terminate their pregnancies for minor reasons. This ensures that unborn children’s rights are protected in the most viable way possible. The Abortion Act of 1967 also provides that abortions should only be carried out after obtaining consent from two medical practitioners. (Abortion right, 2007) The purpose of this stipulation is to further ascertain that abortions are only carried out in extreme conditions and that a child’s best interests are protected even before they are born. However, certain human rights groups like the Society for the protection of the unborn child claims that these laws are not doing enough to protect the unborn child. They argue that all abortions should be made illegal through repealing of the abortion acts relevant to women in the UK today. (Arthur, 2007) Experts agree that the United Kingdom’s abortion laws are quite severe to women but protect unborn children through its restrictions. In comparison to other countries in that area, unborn children take precedence over women. In countries like

Report on the statistical trends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Report on the statistical trends - Essay Example Bibliography 13 7. Appendix 14 MA7414 Mortality 1. Introduction: 193 United Nations member states and over 23 international organizations have been and continue to work on the Millennium Development Goals campaign since the year 2000. The campaigns are to achieve eight international development goals by the year 2015. The eight goals range from eradicating extreme poverty to improving child health and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Millennium Summit of the United Nations had set the target for MDGs as the reduction of the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. ( 1 )This research project evaluates the impact of the recent economic crisis whose impact was felt all world over, on the successful implementation of the MDG-4, reduction of child mortality, among the six WHO regions, and the global index on the same. In addition, two countries from the African region, Mali and Niger, have been picked and progress in there assessed too. Of great importance are the overall trends in successful implementation of this MDG value, and any possible shift in trend since the on-set of the economic turmoil. Infant mortality rate and the under-five mortality rate data obtained from the WHO have been used for trend analysis. Following the turmoil, it is estimated that the emphasis laid on the reduction of child mortality has reduced globally as emphasis shifts to other urgent and more immediate threats. Understandably, the implementation of the MDGs has to go hand in hand with the management of emerging roles. The impact of the threat of shifting emphasis forms the basis of this investigation. 1.1 Source of Data The infant mortality rate is the probability of a child born alive to die within 1 year of their birth, and under-five mortality rate is the probability of a child dying by age 5 per 1000 live births which is a measurement of child survival. The mortality data is published by the world health organization and the tables give the under-five mort ality rate of a given year and region.[3] The regions include Africa(AFR) , Americas(AMR), South-East Asia (SEAR), Europe(EUR), Eastern Mediterranean(EMR), and Western Pacific(WPR). The global values have also been provided. 2.1 The statistical trend of infant mortality within the WHO region: Figure 1 the line of infant mortality rate among the WHO regions Figure 1 shows the downward trend of mortality rate for infants ( per 1,000 live births) between 1990 and 2011 in six different regions. In general, the mortality rate for each region has a downward trend. Globally, the death rate for children under one has decreased by 40 per cent over the study period, from 61 to 37 deaths per 1,000 births. Three WHO regions have higher infant rates than the global rate, and they are thus the main focus of the MGDs. These regions are Africa (AFR), South-East Asia (SEAR) and Eastern Mediterranean (EMR). In the regions with high level death rate for infants ( above the global infant mortality rate ), South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean have seen reductions of about 40 per cent and followed a similar trend over the period. Meanwhile, the number of children in South-East Asia who died before they could reach age one dropped from 77 to 42 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2011. In addition, the highest mortality rate of infants is found in Africa, where, above one in ten infants died before their first

Essay on Political Drama in Henry IV and Henry V -- Henry IV Henry V E

Political Drama in Henry IV and Henry V  Ã‚        Ã‚   The contention that Shakespeare’s histories are in fact political drama appears to fall uneasily on the ears of modern readers.   One reason for this could be the fact that we, as a society, have blurred the connotation of politics to the vaguest of notions – narrow at times, yet far too inclusive.   A young reader is likely to view politics as election and debate, a sort of ongoing candidacy.   Indeed, this may be a valid modern definition, if somewhat limited.   For our purposes, however, this definition is not sufficient to establish a starting point from which to examine Shakespeare’s presentation of political drama. If we define politics as the acquisition and exercise of the power of the state, we can see that each play in the Great Tetralogy is inherently political.   In terms of plot, the action of each play revolves around the concept of succession, the passing of political power from one king to the next.   Henry IV wrests the crown from Richard II, then is forced to defend it against enemies who would in turn take it from him.   Prince Hal inherits the throne from his father, becoming Henry V, then goes on to seize the throne of France for himself.   At the end of Henry V, we are told that yet another Henry will be â€Å"in infant bands crowned King† (epilogue 9). But while the histories’ plots are largely concerned with the acquisition of political power, their themes can be said to focus more on the exercise of such power.   At its heart, the Great Tetralogy is a discourse on the qualities of the ideal ruler.   A comparison of Richard II and Henry V, and the way each wields political power, will serve to illuminate this point.   Ultimately, Henry V is an effective king bec... ...ion, elaborate speeches with minimal stage direction.   One acts; the other is only an actor. Works Cited Bevington, David, ed.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare.   4th ed.   New York: Longman-Addison Wesley Longman, 1997. Hollister, C. Warren.   The Making of England.   7th ed.   A History of England.   Ed. Lacey Baldwin Smith.   Vol. 1.   Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1996. McDonald, Russ.   The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare.   Boston: Bedford-St. Martin’s, 1999. Rosenblum, Joseph.   A Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare.   New York: Salem Press-Barnes & Noble, 1999. Shakespeare, William.   The First Part of King Henry the Fourth.   Bevington 763-803. ---.   The Life of King Henry the Fifth.   Bevington 849-92. ---.   The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth.   Bevington 804-48. ---.   The Tragedy of King Richard the Second.   Bevington 721-62.      

Confidence Intervals

The confidence intervals represent upper and lower bounds of variation around each reference forecast. Values may occur outside the confidence intervals due to external shocks, such as extreme weather, structural changes to the economic system, geopolitical events, or technology development. The confidence intervals increase in width throughout the forecast period due to the increasing level of uncertainty in each subsequent year.The upper and lower bounds were based on one to two standard deviations of the historic values, indicating at least a 68 percent probability that future values would be expected to fall within the confidence interval. The confidence interval for the first forecast year is based on one standard deviation and grows linearly until it reaches two standard deviations, or a 95 percent probability. =====================================================================================For example, if we have polled a number of respondents from the home owners let†™s say 3500 respondents, and from those only 1190 are using electricity to heat their homes, this means that 34. 0% are using electricity to heat their homes, p? = 1190/3500 = 34. 0%. And we know that a second sample of 3500 home owners wouldn’t have a sample proportion of exactly 34. 0%. If another group of home owners has taken and we found that they have a sample of proportion of 38. 0%, So the sampling proportion will be the key to our ability to generalize from our sample to the population.Now, we know that the sampling distribution model is centered at the true proportion, p, of all home owners who use electricity to heat their homes. But we don’t know p. it isn’t 34. 0%. That’s the p? from our sample. What we do know is that the sampling distribution model of p? centered at p, and we know that the standard deviation of the sampling distribution is SE(p? ) = v p? q? /n = v(. 34)(1-. 34)/3500 = 0. 008 Because our sample (3500) is large, we know tha t the sampling distribution model for p? should look approximately like the one shown below The sampling distribution model for p? s normal with a mean of p and a standard deviation we estimate to be v p? q? /n. because the distribution is normal, we’d expect that about 68% of all samples of 3500 home owners taken in a specific time would have had sample proportion within 1 standard deviation of p. and about 95% of all these samples will have proportions within p  ± 2 SEs. But where is our sample proportion in this picture? And what value does p have? We still don’t know! We do know that for 95% of random samples, p? will be no more than 2 SEs away from p. so let’s reverse it and look at it from p? ’s point of view. If I am p? there is a 95% chance that p is no more than 2 SEs away from me. If I reach out 2 SEs, or 2 x 0. 008, away from me on both sides, I am 95% sure that p will be within my grasp. Of course, I won’t know, and even if my interva l does catch p, I still don’t know its true value. Now, We don’t know exactly what proportion of home owners using electricity to heat their homes, but we know that it’s within the interval 34. 0%  ± 2 x 0. 8%. That is, it’s between 32. 2% and 35. 6%. † this is getting closer, but we still can’t be certain. We can’t know for sure that the true proportion is in this interval-or in any particular range.We don’t know the exactly the proportion of home owners that use electricity to heat their homes, but the interval from 32. 4% to 35. 6% probably contains the true proportion. † We’ve now fudged twice—first by giving an interval and second by admitting that we only think the interval â€Å"probably† contains the true value. That last statement is true; we can tighten it up by quantifying what we mean by â€Å"probably. † We saw that 95% of the time when we reach out 2 SEs from p? , we capture p, s o we can be 95% confident that this is one of those times, after putting a number on the probability that this interval covers the true proportion,We are 95% confident that between 32. 4% and 35. 6% of home owners using electricity to heat their homes, this is now an appropriate interpretation of our confidence intervals. It’s not perfect, but it’s about the best we can do. Level of Confidence = 95% =1- ? = 0. 05 Sample size (n) = 3500 Sample proportion (p? ) = 0. 34 P complement (q? ) = (1-0. 34) = 0. 66 Sample standard error of a proportion = SE(p? ) = v p? q? /n = v(. 34)(1-. 34)/3500 = 0. 008 Z Score(1 – ? ) = Z Score95% = NORMSINV (1 – ? /2) = NORMSINV (1 – 0. 025) = NORMSINV (0. 975) = 1. 96 Width of Half the Confidence Interval = Z Score(1-? *  S(q? ) = 1. 96 *  0. 008 = 0. 01568 Confidence Interval Boundaries = p? +/- Z Score(1-? )*S(p? )= 0. 34  ± (1. 96) * (0. 008) = 0. 34  ± (0. 01568) = 0. 32432 to 0. 35568 = 32. 43% to 35. 57% We can be 95% certain that the percentage of home owners using electricity to heat their homes is between 32. 43% and 35. 57% 0. 01568 0. 01568 0. 316 0. 3243 0. 332 0. 34 0 . 348 0. 3557 0. 364 0. 316 0. 3243 0. 332 0. 34 0 . 348 0. 3557 0. 364

Controversy about Virtual Classrooms in Middle School Free Essay Example, 1500 words

In America, public schools mainly get funds from property tax. This factor makes schools in the rich neighborhoods benefit the most. The result is that schools in the rich neighborhood tend to perform better than the poor ones (Colvin Kwinn, 2007). The poor students are already struggling with other issues of life and therefore, being at the same level with others may be a mere dream. Certainly, education is the engine of mobility and therefore, embracing new technologies in learning seems to be the way forward in realizing mobility in the modern society. However, due to differences in societal issues affecting education, virtual learning comes in handy albeit with some challenges. In order to standardize learning, should virtual classrooms be adopted? Virtual classroom has both advantages and disadvantages if adopted in an institution. Traditional classroom methods will be compared to the virtual classroom method in the hope of shedding more light into the debate on the applicabil ity of virtual classrooms especially at lower levels of learning. At the end of this research paper, recommendations on which way to follow regarding virtual classrooms will be provided. We will write a custom essay sample on Controversy about Virtual Classrooms in Middle School or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page