Julia the Elder

During both the Roman and Persian Empires, women played an important and pivotal role in their societies. These women held both public and political positions in their empires, and possessed the authority that women in previous times had never had before. Both the Roman and Persian women who obtained this power did so in different ways, and these women also both conducted themselves differently once obtaining this uncommon privilege. Livia and Esther were both some of the first patricians in their respective ancient societies. They served under both emperors and a king, and through both their sexuality and intellect, they rose to a prominent and powerful position. Livia was known mostly for her relationship with Augustus Caesar, born Julius Caesar Octavian, and was a “noble woman described as beautiful and wise” (WTWA 65). Livia was a pregnant mother of one, her son Tiberius, when she agreed to an arrangement to leave her first husband for Octavian, and in return both parties received political gains. Livia and Octavian were married for over fifty years until he died in fourteen CE. Dio stated that Livia “occupied a very exalted station, far above all women of former days” (66). She, unlike other women of the time, could hear people ranging from regular citizens to senators at her home. Based on recent historical documents, Dio’s research found that she thought of herself as the superior to Augustus, shown by the assumption of credit for Tiberius eventually becoming emperor…

Julia took another large sip of her white wine. The date she was one—the fourth date in the span of a week—was proceeding at a pace Julia perceived as very slow. She looks down at her phone to check the time, and sees it has only been a minute since her date—Claude—left to take a phone call. “Gods and goddesses, please make this more bearable,” Julia grumbled underneath her breath seconds before her date appeared again at their table. “So, where was I?” Claude asked, returning to his seat,…

Onkonkwo states clearly that he wants to distance himself as much as possible from his father. He believes his father is weak and lacking any quality of a strong warrior or contributor to the clan, he is effeminate. Therefore, Okonkwo endeavors to be a strong warrior and a powerful elder with many titles. It is then understandable that the Umuofia, and in particular Onkonkwo, would distain the whites for making their young lazy and reliant on the whites. When Okonkwo's own son joins the…

Barbara Gowdy’s collection of short stories from We So Seldom Look on Love revolves around the foils and tropes of the disabled child, or those who are coined as the ‘other’. This essay will focus on Gowdy’s short story “Body and Soul”, which can be read in regards to the Julia Kristeva’s literary theory of abjection. This is because the short story begins with Terry’s abjection as an infant, and ends with Julie being disposed to a psychiatric home. Arguably, Gowdy’s short story can be perceived…

It was a beautiful night. Starry, with a pitch black sky, firmly stretched across the village. I switched on the television as i entered. Except for the sound of the news presenter that blasted, the room was completely silent. “The first female Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, has visited the Rwamiko school in Rwanda earlier today.” I glanced at the screen, riveted by the fiery, red headed middle aged woman that appeared alongside numerous children and a Regal sunbird that watched over…

to the revelation that vampires exist and want to become a visible part of the community. However, vampires must deal with abjection as they enter society: “We had all the other minorities in our little town-why not the newest,” Sookie Stackhouse, the novel’s protagonist, thinks, locating the vampire as the other. The normative boundaries are breaking down for both Sookie and the community where she lives as they are forced to incorporate the peculiarities of the vampires. It is this…

the birth of Julia Pastrana are somewhat blurred, it is likely that she was born somewhere on the Western slopes of Mexico’s Sierra Madre. It is believed that she was born in the year 1834. At that time, her physical characteristics of thick lips, wide ears and excessive hair growth caused great confusion: Some individuals theorized that she was the offspring of a human and an ape, a bear or a baboon, which led to her nicknames, ‘The Bear Woman,’ ‘The Baboon Lady’ and ‘The Ape Woman.’ Author…

Robin Roberts is a co-anchor of ABC's “Good Morning America”. She is adored by many fans and people in the industry. Although she had highs and lows, Robin Roberts has had an interesting journey of her becoming a newscaster. Born in 1960, Roberts grew up in a small town in Mississippi. Her father, Lawrence E. Roberts, was famous for being a black fighter squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen. Her mother, Lucimarian Tolliver, is the first African-American to head the Mississippi Board of Education. The…

serious harm (Gosselin, 2013). Elder abuse is defined as an intentional, unintentional, or negligent act or abandonment by a caregiver or any other persons that causes serious physical, emotional, or psychological, or sexual harm, self-neglect and financial exploitation on an older or vulnerable adult (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living, 2015). Wayne Sperling and Lorinda Bailey, parents of boys ages 2, 4, 5, and 6 of Denver, Colorado face four…

Fifteen minutes till she needed to be on set. Today she was teaching the world how to make Homemade Onion Soup. All the ingredients, utensils, and random things all laid out nicely. The knives sharp, and the onions ready to be chopped. Everybody working getting the cameras ready. Julia came out just barely 2 minutes till they would start. Workers yelling out “places, places everyone.” Then the cameraman yells out 5..4..3..2.. “Hello…” Julia Child changed many people's lives with her cooking,…