The story of an hour by kate chopin essays

The story of an hour by kate chopin essays The Story of an Hour: A Brief Analysis What may come to someones mind when it comes talking about of women? What they may think is that they are someone who takes care of the children, cleans the house, cooks good food, or simply saying that she is someone who has a full time job to look after the needs of the family. Moreover, women are the unvoiced life form in the society during the 1800s. On the contrary, people rarely think about the strength of a woman behind their wide range of emotions and sensitivity. Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour reveals that women are capable of expressing strength and independence, which contradicts the societys belief about women during the nineteenth-century. The story took place during the spring season of the nineteenth-century. Chopin mentioned the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life when Mrs. Mallard looked through the window that gave a lucid picture of the spring season. The words railroad and telegram that are used in the story clearly indicates the time frame since these inventions were commonly used during the nineteenth-century. Chopin describes the appearance of Mrs. Mallards face in the story: She was young, with a fair, calm face. Mrs. Mallard is an attractive, admirable, and a simple woman as learned from the Chopins description. There stood facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy chair connotes that she has wealthy-living. Generally, Mrs. Mallard is a refined, elegant woman during the nineteenth-century that belongs to the upper-class society. At the beginning of the story, it was known that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, which labeled her as a weak woman physically and emotionally. Her sister, Josephine and her husbands friend Richards couldnt inform her directly that her husband was dead. They are wor...

Understanding Islams Stance on Alcohol

Understanding Islams Stance on Alcohol Alcohol and other intoxicants are forbidden in the Quran, as they are a bad habit that drives people away from the remembrance of God. Several different verses address the issue, revealed at different  times over a period of years. A complete ban on alcohol is widely accepted among Muslims as part of wider Islamic dietary law. Gradual Approach The Quran did not ban alcohol from the beginning. This is considered to be a wise approach by Muslims, who believe that Allah did so in His wisdom and knowledge of human nature- quitting cold turkey would be difficult as it was so ingrained in society at the time. The first verse of the Quran  on the topic forbade Muslims from attending prayers while intoxicated (4:43). Interestingly, a verse revealed thereafter acknowledged that alcohol contains some good and some evil, but the evil is greater than the good (2:219). Thus, the Quran took several initial steps toward steering people away from the consumption of alcohol. The final verse took an unequivocal tone, forbidding it outright. Intoxicants and games of chance were called abominations of Satans handiwork, intended to turn people away from God and forget about prayer. Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90–91) (Note: The Quran is not arranged chronologically, so the verse numbers are not in order of revelation. Later verses were not necessarily revealed after earlier verses). Intoxicants In the first verse cited above, the word for intoxicated is sukara which is derived from the word sugar and means drunk or intoxicated. That verse doesnt mention the drink which makes one so. In the next verses cited, the word which is often translated as wine or intoxicants is al-khamr, which is related to the verb to ferment. This word could be used to describe other intoxicants such as beer, although wine is the most common understanding of the word. Muslims interpret these verses together to forbid any intoxicating substance- whether it be wine, beer, gin, whiskey, etc. The result is the same, and the Quran outlines that it is the intoxication, which makes one forgetful of God and prayer, that is harmful. Over the years, the understanding of intoxicating substances has come to include more modern street drugs and the like. The Prophet Muhammad also instructed his followers at the time to avoid any intoxicating substances- (paraphrased) if it intoxicates in a large amount, it is forbidden even in a small amount. For this reason, most observant Muslims avoid alcohol in any form, even small amounts that are sometimes used in cooking. Buying, Serving, Selling, and More The Prophet Muhammad also warned his followers that participating in the alcohol trade is  forbidden, cursing 10 people: ...the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought. For this reason, many Muslims will decline to work in positions where they must serve or sell alcohol. Sources and Further Reading Kamarulzaman, A., and S. M. Saifuddeen. Islam and Harm Reduction. International Journal of Drug Policy 21.2 (2010): 115–18.Lambert, Nathaniel M. et al. Invocations and intoxication: Does prayer decrease alcohol consumption? Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 24.2 (2010): 209–19.Michalak, Laurence, and Karen Trocki. Alcohol and Islam: An Overview. Contemporary Drug Problems 33.4 (2006): 523–62.Why is it forbidden to drink alcohol? Islam Question Answer, October 21, 2010.