To Conquer Fear an Essay on the Short Story First Confession Essay Example

To Conquer Fear an Essay on the Short Story First Confession Paper To Conquer Fear In the short story, â€Å"First Confession,† by Frank O’Connor, a young boy named Jackie finds himself having to conquer his fear of giving his first confession. He realizes by the end that he really had nothing to be afraid of and it was a silly fear. Jackie, scared to death of confession, tries to fake an illness to avoid it, ends up surprising the priest when he does go, and learns that ultimately, perception is scarier than reality. Although it doesn’t seem like it at first, the reader and Jackie learn that in order to conquer fear, one must face it. Jackie, a young seven year old has been told stories by a woman named Mrs. Ryan that really worry him. One story is about a man who gives a bad confession and essentially eternally burns in hell. Mrs. Ryan also tries to give Jackie and the others a sense of what hell is like: â€Å"She lit a candle, took out a new half-crown, and offered it to the first boy who would hold one finger in the flame for five minutes Then she asked were we afraid of holding one finger in a little flame for five minutes and not afraid of burning all over in roasting hot furnaces for all eternity† (O’Connor 26). We will write a custom essay sample on To Conquer Fear an Essay on the Short Story First Confession specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To Conquer Fear an Essay on the Short Story First Confession specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To Conquer Fear an Essay on the Short Story First Confession specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Mrs. Ryan tells stories and plays mind games like this, she’s basically scaring the children into giving a good, complete. However, with Jackie, this is too much, and he is frightened even more that he’ll mess up accidentally and go to hell. Instead of conquering his fear, he runs from it. The day confession comes around doesn’t go. He says, â€Å"I was scared to death of confession. The day the whole class went I let on to have a toothache, hoping my absence wouldn’t be noticed† (27). Mrs. Ryan has done her job well, to the point where Jackie is worried beyond belief. He decides to fake sick so as not to go, but as readers later find, this idea comes back to haunt him. If he had originally gone and faced his fear, the ordeal would already be over. Like many children, Jackie finds it easier to avoid the fears in life rather than confront them. This, however, is not a successful way to live. Since Jackie doesn’t go to confession with his classmates, he receives an order to go alone with his sister. As Jackie enters his church, it’s as if all his worst nightmares are becoming a reality and he’s leaving anything he ever loved: â€Å"The door hut behind me, the sunlight went out and gave place to deep shadow, and the wind whistled outside so that the silence within seemed to crackle like ice under my feet† (28). This imagery shows how even though Jackie is finally beginning to conquer his fear of confession, it’s like a descent into hell. As he walks into the church everything becomes gloomy, creepy, and ominous. This shows how the process of overcoming his trepidation is difficult even though in the long run it will be worthwhile. Once Jackie is in the confessional, he talks too quietly for the priest to hear and everything continues to get worse: â€Å"It was matter between God and me, and He had all the odds† (29). Jackie is facing his fears and so far he’s failing miserably. Of course, if he had not avoided confession in the first place, he would not be struggling. It’s not until the very end of the story that Jackie realizes how beneficial it is to face your fear. Once Jackie and the priest are settled, Jackie slowly begins to open up to the priest and feels more comfortable. The priest makes Jackie feel welcome: â€Å"Feeling I might as well get it over while I had him [priest] in good humour, ‘I had it all arranged to kill my grandmother†¦ I tried to kill Nora too’† (32). Readers finally understand why Jackie is so afraid of confession. Firstly, he didn’t know what would happen if he told and secondly, he was worried if he didn’t tell about his plan to kill his grandmother he’d go to hell. However, the priest only gives Jackie three Hail Mary’s, a small consequence, and it makes him feel like he did the right thing; suddenly it’s all worth it. By the time Jackie leaves he has a complete change of heart. Jackie says, â€Å"He had me there for a full 10 minutes talking†¦ I was genuinely sorry to part with him, because he was the most entertaining character I’d ever met in the religious line. Outside†¦ the sunlight was like the roaring of waves on a beach; it dazzled me† (33). Jackie realizes that there really was nothing to be worried about. The priest knows how to take care of him. When he walks outside again, the imagery changes from gloomy to overjoyed. Jackie is relieved because his burden of the idea of killing his grandma has been lifted and his fears have been subdued. Readers now see that this trepidation that was haunting Jackie has been lifted because he faced it; he didn’t hide from it. In â€Å"First Confession† by Frank O’Connor, readers are shown that facing fears can only help, not hurt. Jackie is excellent proof of this because although he was terrified at first of confession, he ends up finding it enjoyable and relieving. Readers learn that fear itself can be worse than the actual event.

Motivational Reasons for Failure in School Essay Example

Motivational Reasons for Failure in School Essay Example Motivational Reasons for Failure in School Essay Motivational Reasons for Failure in School Essay In August of 2009 two boys began their school year at public schools in Southeastern Idaho. Both boys had been raised in similar settings of a two parent home, average income, and raised in a demographically rural community. These boys have had equal opportunities in the educational system of supportive parents and teachers and after school programs. Intellectually both boys have the ability to succeed in school. This tale of two Southeastern Idaho boys, and of millions of children just like them, raises the question of why some students educationally excel and others do not. If both boys in this scenario have the same opportunities, the same environmental settings, and the same level of intelligence then why will one excel and the other not? Research has shown that motivation reasons, such as fear of failure, incuriosity, and lack of ambition, can cause low classroom achievement. Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure. Many of us have probably experienced this at one time or another. The fear of failure can immobilize – it can cause us to do nothing, and therefore resist moving forward. But when we allow fear to stop our forward progress in life, we are likely to miss great opportunities along the way. According to the Reiss Motivational Profile, fear of failure in the number one reason for low achievement in school. Students that display this fear of failure often feel that failure hurts less if they don’t try to succeed. Signs that a student may have a fear of failure are a reluctance to try new things or get involved in challenging projects, procrastination, and low self-esteem or self-confidence. We have defined the emotion and identified the symptoms, now how can we help overcome. Students with fear of failure may be at their best when parents and teachers stand behind them and encourage them. Positive encouraging words and actions are observed and taken in. Students will respond if the classroom atmosphere is uplifting and rewarding. Students should be made aware that in everything they do, there’s always a chance that they will fail. Facing that chance, and embracing it, is not only courageous, but it gives them a fuller, more rewarding life. According to Steven Reiss incuriosity scored as the second motivational reason why students have low achievement is school. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary incuriosity is define as lacking a normal or usual curiosity: uninterested. Students in school seem to regulate how much thinking they do. Some need to think a lot, these students need many interests to satisfy their high need for intellect. Others aim to think very little. It is not just one or two topics they hate thinking about, they just dont like to think for any length of time. At least, that is what they say and how they behave. These school children need many practical activities to gratify their need to minimize thinking. They hate school because it makes them do something [think] they dont want to do for longer than a few minutes at a time. Teachers need a general sense of how long each individual student needs to think versus how long he/she needs to rest from thinking. Incurious pupils enjoy thinking for below-average periods of time and need long periods of rest. Teachers should break down the material into small bites and to give emphasis to the practical application of the curriculum. Lack of ambition was rated number three for motivational reason why students have low achievement in school. Lack of ambition is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as absence of the desire to strive toward achievement. For students in school, it manifests as an inability to consistently take action toward goals – or even the inability to create goals in the first place! Without accepting full responsibility for the direction of their life, students will not be able to commit to a plan of action, and will ultimately remain sitting on the fence. These students find it easy to blame people and situations for their failure to move forward in life. Students can be motivated differently for a variety of reasons, from age to culture to special needs. Teachers will need to incorporate various scenarios. Some motivations might work better than another or a combination of the two is a better approach. Individual students respond differently, some may respond to tangible rewards, stickers, and praise. Motivation for others will be a sense of accomplishment, responsibility, and pride. The tale of the two junior high boys in Southeast Idaho illustrates the role that fear of failure, incuriosity, and lack of ambition plays in low achievement at school. Both boys had equal opportunities educationally and environmentally. Their internal self shaped the outcome of their achievement. Teachers can encourage and inspire our children to overcome these setbacks of fear, incuriosity, and lack of ambition. Success can be a

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Essay - 1

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Allergan pertaining to their Botox Product - Essay Example Allergan has been into discovery of innovative products the like of Botox,and marketing them through prescription by doctors in the specialty markets for a long time. It boasts of a research & development wing involved in discovering and producing specialty segment products such as BOTOXÂ ® Cosmetic, which is a prescription medicine that is injected into face muscles for improving the look by reducing or fully eliminating frown lines between the eyebrows in people in the age group of 18 to 65 years temporarily. SWOT Analysis Internal – Strengths Botox not only removes frown lines but is equally effective in other many ailments such as in treating migraine headaches, chronic neck and back pain, sweating overly, and probably spastic disorders also. Allergan internal strengths are many. Its 8000 employees worldwide are its major strength. Allergan has reached to its current customers via its vast network of workforce. R& D investment in the making of the product i.e. Botox has b een the internal strength of the company and the product both. Being a multispecialty healthcare company into discovering, developing and commercializing pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices, it is deeply rooted into manufacturing of specialty products such as Botox, which has brought it to the front runners’ line by capturing a niche market worldwide of its customers belonging to all walks of life. Botox being an innovative product, it is comparatively safe from generic erosion, as the medicinal formula of developing the medicine is a well-kept secret, which insulates the medicine from being sold by copying the drug development process. Internal – Weaknesses Botox is not a fully safe drug, as it paralyses facial muscles to the point beyond the earlier natural condition of the muscles where they can no longer react to outside changes emerging from symptoms such as age, use and wear. Forehead muscles can’t express emotions like anger. The community of a ctors and stars, mostly habitual to using Botox can no more show their emotions above the eye through acting. An emotionless face can transform humans into zombies. Botox has a number of side effects like drooping eyelids, drooling mouth, and slurred speech. These side effects are quite serious in nature affecting the personality of a person. Some temporary side effects such as nausea, allergic reactions, headaches, respiratory infections, flu symptoms, and redness and swelling around the injected area could be visible in some or all patients for a short duration. Another weakness of the medicine is that its impact on the related area is not permanent. The treatment remains effective only till six months of taking the Botox injection. It is a very costly treatment and is effective for a short duration compelling consumers to visit the clinics in regular intervals to maintain their visage. External – Opportunities Sales opportunities have increased greatly. Botox can be market ed globally through advertisement to the probable users for cosmetic uses of the product; earlier permission to advertising the product was not granted. Latest fashion trends provide a boost to the sale of Botox, as the product has become very popular in high profile society. Advertisement in the TV and popular magazines has increased the sales of Botox significantly as on an average a person views such ads 10 times a year. Ophthalmic market offers huge business potential for sale of Botox. Dermatology is another area where Allergan has opportunities waiting as use of Botox in dermatology provides possibilities of expanding by acquiring new formulas or by buying licenses from foreign producers, as it is relatively more cost-efficient than developing through R & D. The company can leverage through spending on marketing efforts from the revenue earned in dollar on other products to fight competition. Huge sales opportunities exist in primary segment

Marketing Business Analysis of Costa Coffee Company Term Paper

Marketing Business Analysis of Costa Coffee Company - Term Paper Example Costa is currently the leading coffee chain in the UK in an industry that is highly competitive and rapidly growing. In spite of the current contraction forces within the global and UK economies, Costa has been able to expand sufficiently in the emerging economies as well as in its domestic market in the UK. Costa's brand focus on its various renowned coffee brands has been equaled with portfolio growth and development into new areas of service. Costa operates from the civil parish and market town of Dunstable as its main headquarters, situated in Bedfordshire England. Although leading its major competitors in terms of physical stores, it comes second to Starbucks regarding market share. Costa is completely owned by Whitbread. Among its major competitors, it has cut out its market niche by being the only coffee chain that offers hand-made coffee products to its clients. Costa Coffee has many brands, among them Miscela, Macinatura, Macchina and Manna. Costa specializes with Italian made coffee as their products suggest. All Costa coffee shops have been installed with Italian made Espresso machines. All these machines have been perfectly tuned to a long period to attain wide volumes of flawless coffee. Their special blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee is slowly roasted to perfection, much to the satisfaction of their clients. Towards the end of the year 2010, Costa acquired a market share of 37.7% to become the biggest coffee franchise within the UK. Bruno Costa and Sergio started the company in the year 1971, which later became part of the Whitbread franchise in 1995.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Immigration in the United States Essay

Positive and Negative Aspects of Immigration in the United States - Essay Example However, the earlier immigration at the beginning of the twentieth century had a comparatively greater impact because the United States was less populated at that time (Saiz 14). â€Å"If current immigration rates are sustained, two-thirds of the population growth in the United States could be accounted for by immigration by 2050† (Saiz 14). The arrival of new immigrants is creating severe opposition as well as spirited defense for immigration. Every year, the debate on the benefits and adverse effects caused by immigration grows increasingly heated, and its political discourse is likely to be a major issue in the future (Isbister 1). Philip Martin and Elizabeth Midgley argue that a significant issue is an illegal immigration which began rising in the 1970s. This was the first main immigration issue debated in Congress in the 21st century (Martin and Midgley 3).   The arrival in the United States of large numbers of foreigners from various countries can either be a cause for concern or a trend to be welcomed. â€Å"There is no single answer, which helps to explain why Americans are ambivalent about immigration† (Martin and Midgley 3). The United States has always celebrated its immigrant heritage with mass naturalization ceremonies on July 4; these ceremonies associate immigration with the founding of the United States. American leaders have reiterated the renewal and rebirth caused by the advent of newcomers in America considered as the ‘land of opportunity’. This implies that immigration enables individuals to improve their lives and also strengthen the United States at the same time (Martin and Midgley 11).   

The influential factors behind the growth of globalisation

The influential factors behind the growth of globalisation Current business environment is more volatile and dynamic. There are different reasons behind this transformation in the world. Globalisation is one of the main factors that behind the above change. We can define globalisation as a process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of massively increased trade and cultural exchange. Earlier existed boundaries between countries in the world have been dramatically reduced due to the globalisation. This is seen as more than simply a way of conducting business- it can be considered as a continues process. This is not a new force that emerged few years back, it has been taking place for hundreds of years but it has speeded up enormously over the last half-century. In History, in a similar manner, the techniques of industrial manufacturing lead to create the process of industrialisation, now that process has linked with the globalisation and has created new environment of operating businesses. There are few influential factors behind the growth of globalisation. Increase in communication technology is one of them. TV, telephony and the internet have permitted information and ideas to travel quickly. As an example USA businesses can have a call centre in Philippine or India answering calls from local customers. Another factor is improvements in the transportation sector. It has become more quick and cheap. People can go for holiday all around the world. Workforce can seek for a job opportunity available in another country. Businesses can easily ship their product and raw materials all over the world. Another main influential factor behind the growth is trade liberalisation. This has been excelled due to the Laws restricting for free trade and fo reign investment movements have been relaxed between countries. Some governments even offer grants and tax incentives to attract foreign companies to invest in their country. These actions have lead to create free trade zones in the world. In other words theses are known as trade blocs where groups of nations who form an economic union or customs union. Governments follow friendly rules and regulation within those regions for trading purposes. For example the European Union (EU) aims at not just a customs union but also economic union by way of harmonisation of taxes, establishing a common monetary policy and moves towards a single currency. EU has now expanded over 26 member countries and benefited to combined population of 356 million. Trading blocs generally increase the integration and interdependency of the member economies which is speed up the globalisation process. As a result of trading blocs trade amongst the members has increased, which ultimately increase the world trade capacity. Further it gives the opportunity to businesses better access to effective capital and labour markets which increases the movement of labour within the countries and increase investments. For example Poland workers have been well recognized in the UK and Ireland labour markets. As result of the globalisation process international trade has increased dramatically in the 20th century. Many countries get more chances to participate in the world trade. As a result of increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) many labour oriented countries get access to capital market and vice -versa. Their natural resources value has increased and countries have more capability to use them to manufacture export oriented goods. Increase in international trade brings better standard of living through access to many ways of satisfying their needs and wants. Further it is argued that current development of trading blocs help international trade through making global negotiations easier, in the case of trade negotiations.   For example the EU will negotiate as a single trading block making it easier to push through practises which increase free trade. As per the following graph it is arguable that benefits of international trade have been equally distributed among the world population. Globalisation and increase in international trade is probably helping to create more wealth in developing countries and has affected to the balance of international trade. However globalisation is having a dramatic effect on the organisations for good or ill. Some positive impacts are as follows; Increase greater access to capital market. Inward investment by MNCs helps organisation to start new businesses locally and in foreign countries. This will provide new jobs and skills for local people. Companies can bring wealth and foreign currency to local economies when they buy local resources, products and services. Release of government regulation and establishing better infrastructure in the local economy attract foreign investments. China is well known for cheap labour compared to western countries labour cost. This has become a main reason for many organisations moving their businesses to China. Further investment friendly environment through strong financial support (Tax benefits, financial institutes) for new businesses, attract their cheap resources for other countries. Most of the western countries resources are fully utilised and market have become more matures, but there are emerging economies like China, India, Brazil and Russia which consist many untapped cheap resources. Therefore as a result of pressure built up from the Western markets, businesses now moving for those emerging markets. This process has been made easier and more comfortable due to the globalisation. The extra money created by these investments can be spent on education, health and infrastructure of the countries. (Corporate Social Responsibility activities) Achieve economies of scale. Economies of scale means the increase in  efficiency of production  as the number of goods  being produced increases.  Economies of scale lowers the average cost per unit through increased production since fixed costs are shared over an increased number of goods. Initially Adams Smith identified division of labour and specialization are the main factors that lead to economies of scale. However as Globalisation process increases companies get other opportunities to reduce their production cost and achieve economies of scale. Access to lower inputs and specialized inputs in different countries would bring the economies of scale. Costly inputs such as research and development, advertising, managerial expertise and skilled labor now can be outsourced to specialized countries and it will result in increased efficiency and lead to a decrease in the average cost of production and selling. Therefore economies of scale provides  big companies  access to a larger market with lower cost of production and greater margin for their products.    Globalisation increases awareness of events happening in the world. For example, the USA was quickly made aware of the 2011 tsunami in Japan and sent help rapidly in response. Globalisation may help to make people more aware of global issues such as deforestation and global warming and alert them to the need for sustainable development. The sharing of ideas, experiences and lifestyles of people and cultures. People can experience foods and other products not previously available in their countries. Globalisation has resulted in many businesses starting or buying operations in other countries. Companies that operate in several countries are called multinational corporations (MNCs) or transnational corporations (TNCs). Presence in different countries brings interaction with different cultural and social values. On this case business practices that are successful in local country could be act as negatively or positively under different cultural and social values. Therefore it is advisable to find answer to following questions before starting a new venture with another country. What are the main difference between cultures?, Are they matter of learning a new handshake, or do they go deeper than that?, Can cultural differences really have that much impact on the business deal? Etc. Finding solution for those questions is helpful for organisations to handle cultural differences in business expansions. For example language differences, the way they perceive time, traditional and religious believes etc. play a big role in Asian countries. When US and European base organisations move towards the Asian countries the above cultural factors could act as barriers for entry to those markets. In terms of communication US and Europeans are considered as low context cultures, language is direct and explicit, but when it comes to Asian countries they are known as high context cultures where language is indirect. Further as per certain cultural and social practices men dominate in the business sector than the women but in European organisation everyone gets equal opportunity to participate in the operations. Therefore when companies setup new business in a different culture, that company need to customise their corporate culture as per the local cultural values. As an example the US fast food chain McDonalds, large MNC which has nearly 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries, had a problem of sell ing beef burger in India due to the religious believes. Further they launched Mc Rice in Sri Lanka since rice is the main food in the Sri Lankan culture. Likewise multinational companies tend to customise their strategies to overcome certain social and cultural restrictions as well as implement new thing to take advantageous. In current business environment sometimes it is difficult to follow a global strategy for their operation in throughout the world. Therefore most companies tailor their management strategy and organisational structures to respond to the local factors. In other words local responsiveness is essential when a psychic distance is higher in two different countries. As a result of this new relationships will occur in managing businesses globally. Joint venture agreements, alliances etc. are common relationships that business partners follow to reduce their risk exposure in the current business environment. Designing of organisational structure and management style is important capture the opportunities available in the market. Some companies follow decentralised structure to increase the speed of decision making in the particular market. Some other companies follow a selective approach by some functions are retain in with the parent country and others establish in different markets. As exa mple GAP Inc.s designing function is conducted in centrally and manufacturing function has been outsourced to Asian countries. This mechanism has benefitted them through utilising Asian countries specialised capabilities of manufacturing to convert their design into practical product. Therefore globalisation process brings new organisational designs and management styles to the market. Local markets work force have now increased and well interact with the MNCs. Earlier they were only involved for lower level operations but now management representation also has increased. This is a good advantage for MNCs to take advantage of innovative skills of the local employees since they have more experience in the particular market. Microsoft has given more concentration on Indian market since that workforce well recognised for IT skills. From employees perspective also this will be a good opportunity for them to utilise their skills effectively. Recognition, income level, career opportunities, opportunity to obtain foreign exposures etc. will be increased through working in multinational company. Their innovative concept could bring to the world market through the help of MNCs. So far this report addressed only the good side of the Globalisation and not that mean it doesnt have a dark side. Following are few negative impacts of globalisation Globalisation operates mostly in the interests of the developed countries, which continue to dominate world trade at the expense of developing countries. The role of developing countries market has become to provide the North and West with cheap labour and raw materials at lower cost. There are no guarantees that the proper benefits from inward investment will benefit the local community in developing countries. Often, profits are sent back to the MNCs parent countries. This has become easier for them due the tax relief offered by the local governments. Further these MNCs with their massive economies of scale, possibility to drive local companies out of business. After that If these MNCs realised that it becomes cheaper to operate in another country than the current one then they move for better opportunity by closing down the factory and make local people redundant. This would be a major hit for the local economy. Increase environmental population due to the high industrialisation. Globalisation is viewed by many as it affects to the worlds cultural diversity and it feared that it may westernise the local traditions and languages. After considering the above negative sides of the globalisation we can state that it is not helping to close the gap between the worlds poorest countries and the worlds richest. In the case of trading blocs, it is argued they create conflicting parties fighting for regional interests not for every ones benefits. As per the World Trade Organisations statistics, the worlds poorest countries share of world trade has declined by more than 40 per cent since 1980 to a mere 0.4 per cent and the poorest 49 countries make up 10% of the worlds population, but account for only 0.4% of world trade. (Online, www.gatt.org) This clearly shows benifits of globalisation has not been distributed equally. Further its doubt that MNCs pay fair amount for the developing countries resources. As a result of these negative reasons poor peoples living standards remain same and the gap between poor countries and rich countries wont reduce. Conclusion Globalisation has a major impact on the business environment as well as the people general life pattern. Within the current knowledge economy, knowledge workers have more opportunities due to the globalisation. Their career is not static as compared to the traditional workers. They always seek better opportunities in the market and as a result of globalisation their career path has extended even for different countries. However, as a MNC, they have more responsibilities and accountability for their actions in the different markets. As a good corporate citizen they must give their focus on improving local social and educational life the local people also. Further they must ensure fair consideration for the resources utilised the developing countries. These will ultimately useful to break the bridge between rich and poor countries.

Passive Women in Chaucers Canterbury Tales? Essay examples -- Chaucer

Passive Women in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales? One argument that reigns supreme when considering Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is whether or not there is an element of anti-feminism within the text. One thread that goes along with this is whether or not the women of The Canterbury Tales are passive within the tales told. This essay will explore the idea that the women found within the tales told by the pilgrims (The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale to name a few) are not passive at all, but rather influence the turn of events within the stories. It is seen even in the first tale told – The Knight’s Tale – that the women portrayed within it are not passive at all, but, as previously stated, manage to persuade the males in charge to help them or do what they feel should be done. In the tale itself, the weeping of women is seen twice, and both times their weeping influences the men’s actions. The second example of weeping within the tale, as shown here: The queene anon, for verray wommanhede / Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye / And all the ladyes in the compaignye. / Greet pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle / That evere swich a chaunce sholde falle†¦ â€Å"Have mercy, Lord, upon us women alle!† And on hir bare knees adoun they falle / And wolde have kist his feet ther as he stood; / Til at the laste aslaked was his mood / For pitee renneth soon in gentil herte. (Benson p. 49.) influences Theseus to agree to a battle to the death for the knights as opposed to simply beheading them as he was about to do. If these women were truly passive, then they would have not spoken up at all, or Theseus would have ignored them in favor of following through with his own wishes. Instead, he is ... ...of the women presented within Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are passive and allow anything to happen. Indeed, quite the opposite is true and can be seen in just the few tales presented as well as many others. Though there are obvious signs of anti-feminism within the text, or anti-feminism that can be read within the text, there is also the opposite counterpoint of the activity of women within the text versus the passivity of women within the text. Works Cited Benson, Larry D. ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Huppe, Bernard F. Rape and Woman’s Sovereignty in the Wife of Bath’s Tale. Modern Language Notes. Vol. 63, No. 6. June 1948. pp. 378-381. Mann, Jill. Feminizing Chaucer. Patterson, Lee. â€Å"For the Wyves love of Bathe†: Feminine Rhetoric and Poetic Resolution in the Roman de la Rose and the Canterbury Tales. Speculum. Vol. 58, No. 3. July, 1983. pp 656-695.