Habits and Traits of the Painted Lady Butterfly

The painted lady, also known as the cosmopolitan or thistle butterfly, inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world. Schoolchildren often recognize this butterfly, as raising these butterflies is a popular science activity in elementary classrooms. Description The aptly named painted lady wears splashes and dots of colors on her wings. The adult butterflys wings are orange and brown on the upper side. The leading edge of the forewing appears black with a prominent white bar and smaller white spots. The underside of the wings is markedly duller, in shades of brown and gray. When the butterfly sits at rest with wings folded together, four small eyespots are noticeable on the hindwing. Painted ladies reach 5-6 centimeters in width, smaller than some other brush-footed butterflies like the monarchs. The painted lady caterpillars are more difficult to identify, since their appearance changes with each instar. The early instars appear worm-like, with light gray bodies and a darker, bulbous head. As they mature, the larvae develop noticeable spines, with a dark body mottled with white and orange markings. The final instar retains the spines, but has a lighter color. The first few instars live in a silken web on a leaf of the host plant. Vanessa cardui is an irruptive migrant, a species that occasionally migrates without regard to geography or season. The painted lady lives year-round in the tropics; in cooler climates, you may see them in spring and summer. Some years, when southern populations reach large numbers or weather conditions are right, painted ladies will migrate north and expand their range temporarily. These migrations sometimes occur in phenomenal numbers, filling the skies with butterflies. The adults that reach the colder areas will not survive the winter, however. Painted ladies rarely migrate south. Classification Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - LepidopteraFamily - NymphalidaeGenus - VanessaSpecies - Vanessa cardui Diet The adult painted lady nectars on many plants, especially the composite flowers of the Asteraceae plant family. Favored nectar sources include thistle, aster, cosmos, blazing star, ironweed, and joe-pye weed. Painted lady caterpillars feed on a variety of host plants, particularly thistle, mallow, and hollyhock. Life Cycle Painted lady butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Egg - Mint green, barrel-shaped eggs are laid singly on the leaves of host plants, and hatch in 3-5 days.Larva - The caterpillar has five instars over 12-18 days.Pupa - The chrysalis stage lasts about 10 days.Adult - Butterflies live for just two weeks. Special Adaptations and Defenses The painted ladys mottled colors look much like military camouflage and provide effective cover from potential predators. The small caterpillars hide in their silk nests. Habitat The painted lady lives in open meadows and fields, disturbed areas and roadsides, and generally any sunny place that provides appropriate nectar and host plants. Range Vanessa cardui lives on all continents except Australia and Antarctica and is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world. The painted lady is sometimes called the cosmopolite or cosmopolitan because of this wide distribution.

Sl Math Ia Olympics - 1372 Words

Winning Heights in the Men’s Olympic High Jumps Introduction: The Olympics are an international sporting event that is held every four years where people from around the world send their best athletes to compete and see who the best of the best is when it comes to sports. The Olympics date back to Ancient Greece where their basic events included track and field, which are like men’s high jump which is the topic of this report. In this problem we are looking at the data collected from the gold medalists in the men’s high jump in from the years 1932-1980, excluding the years 1940 and 1944 where the Olympics were not held due to World War II. Below is the data for the gold medalists in the men’s high jump from the years 1932-1980 (again†¦show more content†¦The graph of this function is shown below On the graph above you can see that both the quadratic and the line are both adequate representations of the data collected by gold medalists for the men’s high jumps in the Olympics. Both of these lines follow the plots made on the original graph and they don’t stray too far from those lines either. There only outlier for the quadratic seem to be the medalist from the 1948 Olympics because his height is far below the quadratic. There might be some problems with the exact position of where the quadratic is and where the line is because they were drawn by hand and not on the computer like the stat plots which could potentially cause problems for interpreting the data. To figure out what the predicted outcome of both the 1940 and 1944 Olympics all you have to do is plug in 1940 in to the equation y=3.02x+191, which was what was used in the graph that showed just the linear equation, to figure out this answer for the 1940 Olympics. You can do this because in this case the x represents the year and when you place in the year and solve out the equation you get what the predicted height would be for 1940. When you plug in all the numbers you get 200.6 cm as the predicted height for 1940. In the case of 1944 you would do the exact same thing but instead of plugging in 1940 in for x you would plug 1944 into the equation. For the 1944 the predicted answer for the height of the men’s long jump would be 200.3 cm. The problem also

Communication Competence free essay sample

The importance of being able to communicate well is vital for everyone and even more so for health care providers. In the health care profession the ability to be a competent communicator is truly a necessity and essential for good health care. Angela Perry author of Talking to Your doctor writes, â€Å"The highest level of satisfaction with medical care and the best treatment outcomes occur when both doctor and patient communicate openly and honestly and work together closely to achieve shared goals† (2). While this is proven to be true, we all too often hear and read about the lack of communication skills healthcare providers posses when dealing with their patients. This leaves us wondering, â€Å"What does it take for health care providers to communicate effectively and efficiently? † The â€Å"art of communication competence† is something that has been studied and looked at carefully for many years. Crowley and Heyer informed us, â€Å"It is an activity that goes back about one hundred thousand years ago as our early ancestors communicated through nonverbal gestures and has evolved into a complex system of spoken language (7). Beyond that, we now also realize that communication is much more than just language. It is multifaceted and consists of many different things. Thousands have even made a living trying to decide what makes a high-quality, competent communicator, and hundreds of books and movies show us the importance of first-rate communication and ways in which it can best be obtained. A well known movie that looks at the importance of competent communication in both health care and life is called â€Å"Patch Adams†. It takes a deep look at the magnitude of and different styles of communication frequently seen in the healthcare system. While viewing this movie and watching the relationships Robin Williams has with his patients, one can definitely see the significant role that competent communication has on a person’s social needs, identity needs, practical needs, and most of all, a person’s physical needs. The film leaves the viewer asking the same questions analysts all over the world ask, â€Å"How can we become a nation that realizes the importance of communication and all become competent communicators? † The answer may not come easy for everyone, but the communication style and relationships that the doctor shares with his patients in this movie reminds us that communication competence is achievable. All too often when people hear the words communicate, they think we are talking about language. While language is definitely an important part of communication, it is only a small piece of the whole puzzle. The text by Adler, Rosenfeld, and Proctor, reminds us that â€Å"Human communication is a complex process with many components (7). Even when we take a close look at language alone, we can see the many different aspects it is composed of and its importance. Despite the fact that it is not the only contributor to communication competence, it is a big one and throughout the movie, Patch Adams, you can’t help but notice the way in which Robyn Williams uses language to connect with his patients. In order to bridge the gap that often lies between patient and doctor, Patch uses language carefully, using â€Å"I† language in order to clarify messages, avoiding ambiguous language and dialectical tensions, and by using simple techniques like convergence in order to deeply connect and identify with others. For example, in the middle of the movie he meets a patient that is dying and lashes out furiously at Patch. Patch shows his ability to communicate well by staying calm and showing that it is important to,† Speak with honor and personal integrity even when the other person behaves badly† (Lerner 17). By giving an empathetic response he enables the patient to feel important, cared about, and understood; a concept often forgotten by physicians who tend to use divergence to separate themselves from their patients. This form of disconfirming communication leads the patient to feel as if they are not of value, and this may be one of the reasons why we frequently hear things like that doctor is very â€Å"business like†. Williams showed us that using language that puts you on the same level as your patient, and does not make the individual think you feel you are above or superior to them, definitely allows for better communication. It is without a doubt that language can reflect a person’s interest and sincerity towards another person. In the book Conversationally Speaking writer Alan Garner puts it simply like this, â€Å"The interest you show will frequently lead people to expand upon comments. The fact that you aren’t critical of their thoughts and feelings will help them to feel comfortable and to self-disclose more and in greater depth than they other wise might† (45). Another attribute that Patch possessed that allowed him to be a competent communicator was the ability to truly listen to others. This is not as simple as one might think. Michael Nichols stated it just right when he wrote, â€Å"Listening is so basic we take it for granted. Unfortunately most of us think of ourselves as better listeners than we really are† (11). In the movie we saw numerous doctors that never really listened to their patients. On the other hand, Patch Adams full heartedly listened to each and every one of his patients. He was never a stage hog, an ambusher, or a selective listener. He had every characteristic that a â€Å"true listener† possesses and authors Adler, Rosenfeld, and Proctor remind us of what that is when they wrote, â€Å"In truth, listening- especially mindful listening- consists of five separate elements: hearing, attending, understanding, remembering, and responding† (181). Patch had all five elements. Another author, Michael P. Nichols, wrote an explanation of a competent listener that I think really describes Patch as well as any skilled listeners, â€Å"Genuine listening means suspending memory, desire, and judgment- and for a few moments at least, existing for the other person† (64). Looking at the wonderful examples of true listening Patch Adams demonstrated to viewers and thinking about what makes a truly competent listener should make us all realize that this is one area that we can all improve in since, â€Å"effective communication isn’t achieved simply by taking turns talking; it requires a concerted effort at mutual understanding† (Nichols 114). Patch Adams (Robyn Williams) had another quality that I noticed right away that made him the competent communicator he was, and that was the ability to use a multitude of positive nonverbal communication behaviors and skills in order to communicate well. One that caught my attention immediately was what scientists have studied for years and call hepatics or the study of touch. â€Å"Often touching expresses sentiments that words alone can’t convey at all† (Garner 146). Touch gives an unspoken message of warmth and liking and touch is really a remarkable thing when used at the right times and for the right reasons. When thinking about the importance of touch, I can’t help but remember when my sister gave birth to her twins over two months early. The hospital staff constantly encouraged her to touch and talk to them because it has been proven that premature babies that are touched a lot, especially by their mother, have a better chance for survival. Furthermore, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports the following to be true in regards to touch, â€Å"We also know it simulates the immune system, gastrointestinal tract, and improves circulation. Studies have shown that light gentle massage can help reduce nausea, pain, diarrhea, and other side effects of cancer. † Yes, to sum it up is easy; the power of touch is simply extraordinary and a great instrument in communication competence. The other nonverbal communication skill I noticed that played a large part in Patch’s communication competence was the way he kept eye contact with the individuals he was communicating with. Keeping good eye contact conveys a very important message to others. Eye contact shows a person that you are interested in them and what they are saying. â€Å"It says to your conversational partners, â€Å"I’m more interested in you right now than I am in anything else† (Garner 147). It can make someone feel important and powerful. The opposite effect happens when you avoid eye contact with someone. A person may then feel they are being rejected, are unimportant, or that you are dishonest, non-caring, or anxious. Author Kendra Van Wagner reminds us that â€Å"Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest, and attraction†. With that said, it is easy to see the importance of eye contact. Now, I will mention the one nonverbal communication skill that I, and most people, feel is extremely important in effective communication; a smile. Patch Adams did this constantly. He combined it with laughter in order to get people to relax and feel that he cared. He understood that a smile allows people to feel comfortable and self-disclose when they may not otherwise. This type of action also has a way of starting a positive communication pattern and preventing defensiveness and other negative communication problems that frequently occur. When we don’t smile we tend to look unfriendly, unreceptive, unresponsive and all together unapproachable. Remember the saying, â€Å"A smile is contagious†, it is true. All around the world people smile to send positive messages to others. Adler, Rosenfeld, and Proctor report, â€Å"Smiles and laughter are a universal signal of positive emotions, for example, while the same sour expressions convey displeasure in every culture† (152). Plus, we should all remember it’s easier anyway. Garner reminds us of that by pointing out , â€Å"It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, but only twenty-three to smile and smiling has much more pleasurable results† (149). Patch Adams and all great communicators understand that and know that a smile is truly a universal language and should be done regularly. Focusing on the communication skills Patch Adams possessed when communicating with him patients truly summed up what it takes to be a competent communicator. He practiced active listening and avoided communication tensions by truly caring and practicing positive communication skills. He worked hard to achieve deeper levels of understanding communication so he could become the best communicator possible.

The Bloody Chamber Essay Example

The Bloody Chamber Paper Within My Last Duchess, The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, there is evidence to suggest that women within the gothic genre as portrayed as victims of male authority, as well as evidence to disprove this argument, instead suggesting that it is the women within the Gothic genre which makes themselves victims. Angela Carter is particularly interested in the portrayal of women as victims of male aggression as a limiting factor in the feminist perspective of the time’[i] Carter, with her modern twist on traditional fairytales places a particular focus on women characters and the hardships they endure perhaps due to their own natural behaviour, whereas Stoker with his tale of vampires is more traditional with the female becoming victims, through his male authority. My last Duchess enhances this by showing how women in the gothic genre are victims of male authority, through her suspicious death and the duke’s obsession with her beauty. Angela Carter’s, The Bloody Chamber,’ when read as a young women’s initiatory quest for knowledge rather than as the story of an overly curious girl who makes a disastrous marriage, provides its readership with a women-centred perspective that both reflects and allows for social change through individual liminal experience’[ii]. The Bloody chamber takes different forms throughout the book, but continues to serve the same symbolic purpose; it is a place of transformation for the heroine that changed irrevocably. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bloody Chamber specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Bloody Chamber specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Bloody Chamber specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Each of these chambers is connected with violence and the blood shed when a woman looses her virginity and when she menstruates. Carter uses the chamber to make the connection between women’s sexuality, and the violence that they experience. This brings up the question of whether it is the men who make the women victims or whether it’s a woman’s natural body and mind which makes them victims. After all it is the women who carry the children and are naturally more delicate, so perhaps it’s not the men who make them victims in the gothic genre but the women themselves. It is the time in which Carter writes which allows her to separate the bloody chamber from stereotypes, as it is a modern poem and therefore she is able to empower the women. In The Bloody Chamber, the chamber is marquis’ room of torture and death. First, ‘the Marquis mentions the custom, no longer followed in what he rather smugly calls ‘these civilised times’ of hanging the bloody bridal sheets out of the window to prove the bride’s virginity’ [iii]. The heroine finds the chamber and puts herself in danger by doing so, she is an innocent girl who knows nothing of the world. ‘The bride appears to be a blank page; she was, she says, a mere seventeen, a girl who know nothing of the world when she married’[iv] The effect of finding the room gives the audience a thrill of the unknown, as well as suspense of whether she will be liberated or if this knowledge will lead to her doom, She later calls herself ‘only a baby when her husband entrusts her with his keys’[v] . Therefore it could be argued that it is the women who put themselves in the situation of being the victim, because of their natural traits such as innocence, curiosity and fragility, rather than the men in the Victorian era making them victims. This can also be seen in Stoker’s Dracula, it is the natural behaviour of the women in the Victorian era, and it is their innocence which ultimately leads the women into the hands of Dracula. These traits include the women’s beauty and the innocence of life, rather than the male authority putting them there. In The Bloody Chamber, she realises Marquis’ obsessive objectification through her loss of virginity. She describes it as painful experience and refers to it as a ‘one sided struggle’[vi] this shows how it is the women’s natural traits which lead to their victimisation; it is her ‘naivete which gives him profound pleasure’[vii]. At this point she simply finds no other way but to accept the stereotypical view of a young innocent girl in a relationship with an experienced man, another example of women being victims of male authority. The key to the bloody chamber is the key to her selfhood and subjugation that will ultimately kill her. The protagonist’s husband clearly considers her an object of exchange and plans to inscribe upon her his continuing tale of punishment for wives’ disobedience’[viii] again showing how women make themselves victims of their own behaviour, Helen Simpson’s interpretation is that ‘I really cant see what’s wrong with finding out about what the great male fantasies about women are’ [ix] The heroine fights against the victimisation, and indeed reverses role with the male in the story, as it is Marquis who dies and it is the female who leaves this chamber and finds happiness. The Snow Child, another short story within The Bloody Chamber, is ambiguous. In this small story there are two victims, both of them women, in this case the bloody chamber could relate to the hole in the snow that the countess and count ride past, or it could relate to the vagina and virginity of the girl. This expresses how the role of the women within the gothic genre is ultimately as victims, sometimes through their naivety and innocence and sometimes through male authority. The count sees both of the bloody chambers present as objects for his pleasure, therefore enforcing the role of the men as figures of authority; this is also shown in Stokers Dracula, because it is Dracula and the men of the time who take their pleasure by controlling the women. However, it is the countess who gains the knowledge, not the heroine. The countess is a striking figure ‘glittering’[x] and ‘shining’[xi], she is dressed in ‘pelts of black foxes’[xii], this is an anthropomorphic image of her sly and cunning sexuality, this again is evidence to suggest that women make themselves victims of male authority, by their beauty and behaviour. The girl dies because she is a victim of male fantasy; the picking of the rose by the countess is a symbolic combination of the perfection of natural beauty and the town as a metaphor, for the inevitable pains of loving. The count fails to protect the girl from the jealously of his wife and the girl dies bleeding and screaming in pain, again showing how women make themselves victims by their own behaviour. The scene of graphic necrophilia ‘unfastened his breeches and thrust his virile member into the dead girl’[xiii] that follows it ‘perhaps the most extreme image in the whole collection’[xiv] as it expressed the victimisation of women by male authority. Carter suggests that this image shows that ‘women know men would rather indulge themselves with dead fantasies than accept women as they really are, a depressing and morbid view of human relationships’ [xv] The ending of this tale is also ambiguous, the countess discovers that the rose ‘bites’[xvi] however it is unclear if she dies like the girl or whether she lives. This could be evidence to show that women make themselves victims of male authority within the gothic genre because of their behaviour, that it was the countess action of killing the girl that ultimately lead to her death, and not the count’s male authority. The time in which the stories were written determine the aspect they portray, The Bloody Chamber was written by Carter in a modern time and therefore she is able to liberate women and be blunter, something Stoker wouldn’t have been able to do within Dracula, because in era in which it was written, it would have been socially unacceptable to do so. Another one of Carter’s tales is The Lady of the House of Love, a story from Carter’s collection, The Bloody Chamber. This differs from Dracula as it is the lady vampire who is preying upon men whereas in Dracula it is the male Undead which prey upon women. However, The Bloody Chamber is also similar to Dracula in the outcome of the tale, that it is the woman who is the victims. The young officer’s virginity, something which is represented by the women in Dracula, is a powerful device which means that the power is shifted from the male to the lady in this story. In his innocence, he changed the order of her deck of tarot cards, replacing Death with the Lovers. She expects to devour him but, for the first time ever, her ritual does not follow the usual pattern and find herself becoming human. The officer is making the women, who usually are the hunter, his victim by humanising her ‘kiss it better’[xvii], he puts her to bed and when he awakes, he discovers that his new lover has died as an old woman. So it is the man who once again who makes the female a victim of his authority , by committing whatever act he wants, in this case for her to be his love. However, it could be argued that she puts herself in the situation to become a victim of male authority, through her previous behaviour of devouring young innocent men. Stoker portrays women in the gothic genre as victims of male authority, this is similar to Carter in, The Bloody chamber, but differs in the way that they portray this image. The tale is told in sections written by different characters: Jonathan’s and Mina’s journals, Lucy’s diary, Steward’s diary, a record by van Helsing. The cumulative method would once again seem to add up to the truth revealed. The very vagueness of the significance of the vampire prevents a final, neat conclusion about the novel. ’ [xviii] Whereas The Bloody Chamber is told in short stories, the purpose of doing this is to enhance the point of Carter; the message is portrayed through different women and their different situations rather than just one long story like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Dracula expresses how it is the men who make the women within the Victorian era victims because of their behaviour and attitudes. The vampire figure has the haunting quality of nightmare and its association with sexuality is an important indication of the direction the exploration of psychological evil was taking. Mac Andrew argues that ‘The association of evil with sexuality probably reflects a gradually increasing awareness of the importance of sexuality in man’s nature. [xix] Again corresponding with the statement that, women within the Victorian era are made victims of male authority, Mina Murray is portrayed as the embodiment of the virtue of her age ‘one of God’s women, fashioned by his own hand to show us men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that it’s light can be here on earth’[xx], this differs with Mac Andrew’s argument by suggesting that it is the women within the Victorian era who make themselves victims, for example Mina is described by the men within Dracula as ‘So true, so sweet, so noble’ [xxi] Again giving the suggestion that it is not just the men who make the women victims within the gothic genre, but it’s the women who make themselves victims through their natural behaviour and attitudes for example innocence. Yet it is the male authority which takes advantage of this and therefore ultimately makes the women within the gothic genre victims. ‘Mina Mur ray is also shown as a model of domestic propriety while her sexuality remains enigmatic throughout the whole of Dracula’[xxii]. The fact that Mina never gives a voice to anything resembling a sexual desire or impulse means that she continues to retain her purity, a social aspect requires of all women in the Victorian era. Mina is portrayed as a successful wife and mother, yet all successes are always in the service of men, this is another way that she is portrayed in the gothic genre as victims of men. Lucy is opposite to Mina in many ways; she is a paragon of innocence and virtue but remains sexualised throughout the story ‘Lucy looks pale and haggard. Mina attributes this to Lucy fretting about something’[xxiii] this is portrayed as fragile women showing that she is weaker than Dracula. This method is shown continually throughout Dracula, it makes the women look more like victims, this contrasts to The Bloody Chamber where carters makes the women look strong ‘you never saw such a wild thing as my mother’[xxiv] Un-dead Lucy is expressed as a wanton creature of ravenous sexual appetite, which is against the acceptable behaviour of women within the Victorian era. Lucy stands as a dangerous threat to men and their tenuous self-control, yet when she is killed by the men, the purity on her face ensures the men that the world and its women are exactly as they should be. In Victorian England, women’s sexual behaviour was dictated by society’s extremely rigid expectations. This is shown within Dracula and My last Duchess as the women are made victims of male authority through the limitations which are placed upon them. There were only two options for women, they were both a mother and wife or they were a virgin, a model of purity and innocence. If women were not either then they were considered a whore and thus no consequence to society, the impending battle between good and evil within Dracula would hinge upon the female sexuality’[xxv]. Dracula makes the women victims of himself and other men within society, by threatening to turn the two women into their opposites, into women notes for their voluptuousness unapologetically open for sexual desire. ‘Gothic fiction is preoccupied with sexual assault. With the vampire it no longer deals only with sexual innocence in the victim and evil in this victimizer’[xxvi] this brings up the question of sexuality itself the innocent become the victims their own sexuality. In Stoker’s novel the forces of science and religion combine to destroy the innocent thus awakened- Lucy dies as Dracula drains life from her[xxvii]. ’ Whereas in The Bloody Chamber it is the mythical and supernatural beliefs, that make the women ultimately victims of male authority within the gothic genre; through fear of the unknown. In Stokers Dracula, when Lucy becomes a threat by transforming into a vampire vixen, Van Helsing and the other men see no other option but to destroy her , in order to return her to a purer, more socially acceptable state, this differs to carter’s bloody chamber as the women do not have expectations upon them but fight against these traditions. The men within the Victorian era are intensely invested in the sexual behaviour of women because they are afraid to associate with the socially scorned ‘your girls that you all love are mine already, and through them you and other shall yet be mine’[xxviii] voices of male fantasy have made women victims since Adam and Eve. The vampire figure has the haunting quality of nightmare and its association with sexuality. Both Dracula and The Bloody Chamber have significant gothic elements, they both discuss issues which could be dismissed as untrue, such as the fairytale structure in The Bloody Chamber and the superstitious beliefs of the peasants in Dracula. These elements contribute into making women victims of the male authority within the gothic genre, through male fantasies and the authority in which they control women. My last Duchess, by Robert Browning also, portrays women and victims within the gothic genre. My Last Duchess is about a portrait of the duke’s late wife, she is shown as a mere object that existed only to please him and to do his bidding ‘That piece a wonder, now’[xxix] he refers not only to the painting but also the wife as she was in life, a mere object, he now regards his wife as a wonder in the painting but was something less when she was alive. The Duke loves the portrait because it only reveals her beauty ‘ pictured countenance’ and none of the qualities that annoyed him. He now has complete control of the portrait and uses it as a pretty object that he can show the visitors. The Duchess is a victim of male fantasy, he only want her to look nice and did not want her around when he was alive. The Duchess’ general fault in the duke’s eyes was that her heart was ‘too soon made glad’[xxx]. She related easily to that which was around her such as the creatures, fruits and beauties of nature as well as to people of all ranks. Women are victim of male authority particularly here, a woman who loves everything around her and seems to complain of nothing, is a pain to her husband; the duchess is punished for simply being herself. This links to The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, as it is suggested that the women makes themselves victims because of their behaviour, and natural traits, rather than by male authority. The Duke suggests that the Duchess enjoyed the company of other men and implied that she was unfaithful but this is uncertain. The Duchess died in a suspicious death, possibly poisoned on ‘April 21st 1561 at the age of seventeen’[xxxi], although it is not clear what the duke did to his wife. The painter’s fate is also left obscure through ‘all smiles stopped together’ [xxxii] suggesting a common fate of the pair. Once again showing women in the gothic genre as victims of male fantasises. The technique of the writing of the poem means that it offers anyone reading it out-load a range of possible emphases and hence an interpretation of the Duke’s character. The poem itself is written in pentameters, arranged in couplets. One reads individual lines to oneself out loud; rhyme in couplets imposes a stately place appropriate to the duke’s dignity’[xxxiii] By writing in Pentameters it means that the rhyme of the poem is at a spread suitable for it to be read as a poem, for example ‘the curtain I have drawn for you, but I’[xxxiv] this is a grammatical error, the pronoun should be me and nor I, but I rhymes with By on the previous line, meaning It flows better. The use of alliterations also used within the poem also adds to the effect of the poem, it helps to exaggerate a particular point ‘The dropping of the daylight in the west’[xxxv] The man he addresses, in My Last Duchess, is the emissary of a certain count whose daughter to duke now wishes to marry. In return for his ‘nine-hundred-years-old name’ the duke confidently expects a large dowry. But the man he addresses is warned that the counts ‘fair daughter’[xxxvi] has better understand that she must submit completely to the duke’s will, again showing how women are victims of male authority and male fantasises to have pretty, young attractive women in their company. This would have seemed quite typical to readers in Britain c, 1850. ‘The marriage market persisted in the upper levels of society. Conventionally a suitable gentlemen- an old name was a great help’ took another gentlemen’s daughter off his hands in return for dowry in cash, kind or both. ’[xxxvii] The husband would then have full control of the wife’s income as well as her person, divorce was extremely rare and always scandalous, so that husbands might, and a lot of the time did, resorted to various cruel ways of punishing unsatisfactory partners. The Duke takes an extreme patriarchal and possessive view of women common enough in Victorian Britain, again showing the women as victims within a male society. This is similar to Dracula through the expectations of women, and how the behaviour of men towards women has not altered, but perhaps worsened within the Victorian era. Therefore, it could be argued that the women are made victims of male authority, in the gothic genre, because of the harshness endured by them due to the will of the men, such as the murder of vampire Lucy by the local men. Whereas it also could be argued that it is the women themselves who make them victims of male authority because of their natural traits such as innocence and naivety, as well as the blood of childbirth and menstruation which makes them look weak.