ENG3- Steph Boucher

elizabeth-barrett-browning

Jess B, Mel and myself were a group for the poetry project, we chose to do ours on E. B. Browning, so here’s the slideshow! (Above)

This is my slideshow…hopefully it will upload properly!

So….I can’t figure out how to upload it with this new set up, so for now here are pictures of my slides. Hope this will do for now!

Nevermind I can’t even figure out how to do that…it keeps sayng that the security something or other doens’t match…?

      In the year 1899 middles class women were not able to make their own choices and live their lives the way they wanted to, instead of the reality; how society wanted them to. Their only roles were as wives, mothers and women of society. They were to honour, respect and obey their husbands. The stories of those women from that time are what I believe Kate Chopin was trying to portray through the character of Edna Pontellier, in her novel The Awakening. This proto-feminist novel has endured a lot of criticism over the years, due to its treatment of women’s issues; it has gone from being condemned to being praised by the public. Society was not quite ready for its content when it first came out in 1899, this harsh backlash towards the novel led to publication ending after only a single edition. It took 70 years, for the public to appreciate the novel for its honest truth towards women issues. In 1969, society was more knowledgeable and open minded towards feminist ideas and the reality that it was, which is why the second edition was released. The lies, a lot of women from that time lived are much like those of Edna Pontellier. Until her awakening, she was living an unhappy and un-fulfilling life; she had no choices, before she was even born her whole life had already been decided and planned out. Much like most women, she was to be married and have kids, those were the sole reasons for her existence and her contributions to society. But her husband treated her with inequality instead of equality, Robert, who could have possibly saved her, but instead left her and the emptiness she felt when she could not finally be “awoken”, were really the last few straws. She felt stuck and unhappy, so she tried to rebel, but in the end she just could not win the battle against society and its harsh views and opinions of the lives of middle class women, and in a final attempt to escape this gruelling truth, she made the only choice she had left, and she committed suicide.

Mr. Pontellier was a good husband by definition; he loved his wife, he supported his family financially, he made sure there was a roof over their heads and food on the table, but there was something missing. There was no passion in their marriage; there was no substance. He didn’t truly care for his wife, it made no difference to him whether she was truly happy or not, as long as he was, that was all that mattered. He never asked her how her day had been; he just began telling her all about his. For example, when he returned home at eleven o’clock at night, and began to tell her about his evening, even though she was already fast asleep, he didn’t mind waking her, and when she showed little interest in what he was saying, “He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation.” (Chopin, 11) He thought that in making him happy, she would be making herself happy.

        Not only that but he treated her as an object in his possession; “You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.” (Chopin, 4) She was his to control, his own personal chew toy, she must do what he wished of her, whether it was checking on the children, making a meal, or staying home every Tuesday to greet guests.

“What are you doing out here, Edna? I thought I should find you in bed,” said her husband, when he discovered her lying there. He had walked up with Madame Lebrun and left her at the house. His wife did not reply.  ”Are you asleep?” he asked, bending down close to look at her. “No.” Her eyes gleamed bright and intense, with no sleepy shadows, as they looked into his. “Do you know it is past one o’clock? Come on,” and he mounted the steps and went into their room.   ”Edna!” called Mr. Pontellier from within, after a few moments had gone by.  ”Don’t wait for me,” she answered. He thrust his head through the door. “You will take cold out there,” he said, irritably. “What folly is this? Why don’t you come in?” “It isn’t cold; I have my shawl.”  ”The mosquitoes will devour you.”  ”There are no mosquitoes.”  She heard him moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and irritation. Another time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of the life which has been portioned out to us.  ”Edna, dear, are you not coming in soon?” he asked again, this time fondly, with a note of entreaty.  ”No; I am going to stay out here.” “This is more than folly,” he blurted out. “I can’t permit you to stay out there all night. You must come in the house instantly.” With a writhing motion she settled herself more securely in the hammock. She perceived that her will had blazed up, stubborn and resistant. She could not at that moment have done other than denied and resisted. She wondered if her husband had ever spoken to her like that before, and if she had submitted to his command. Of course she had; she remembered that she had. But she could not realize why or how she should have yielded, feeling as she then did. “Léonce, go to bed, ” she said I mean to stay out here. I don’t wish to go in, and I don’t intend to. Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you.”(Chopin, 79-81)

          Robert, another man in Edna’s life, had a great influence on her, he gave her “awakening” just the push it needed to start rolling out of control, and start a whirling wind of thoughts, emotions and unanswered questions within her. These emotions that she had never felt before, this overwhelming sense of purpose, independence, self-fulfillment and that happiness that she had been yearning for all her life, but as quick as they would come they would vanished, even quicker, just making her want it more and more as she continued to push herself further and further from her own life and the reality of it. He also taught her how to swim, giving her those first feelings of purpose, of happiness, and the eagerness to want more.

Edna began to feel like one who awakens gradually out of a dream, a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream, to feel again the realities pressing into her soul. The physical need for sleep began to overtake her; the exuberance which had sustained and exalted her spirit left her helpless and yielding to the conditions which crowded her in.” (Chopin, 82)

The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.  (Chopin, 34-35)

Edna had attempted all summer to learn to swim. She had received instructions from both the men and women; in some instances from the children. Robert had pursued a system of lessons almost daily; and he was nearly at the point of discouragement in realizing the futility of his efforts. A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand near by that might reach out and reassure her.  But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who all of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. She did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.   A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.   Her unlooked-for achievement was the subject of wonder, applause, and admiration. Each one congratulated himself that his special teachings had accomplished this desired end.  ”How easy it is!” she thought. “It is nothing,” she said aloud; “why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby!” She would not join the groups in their sports and bouts, but intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone.  She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself.  Once she turned and looked toward the shore, toward the people she had left there. She had not gone any great distance that is, what would have been a great distance or an experienced swimmer. But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome. A quick vision of death smote her soul, and for a second of time appalled and enfeebled her senses. But by an effort she rallied her staggering faculties and managed to regain the land. “(Chopin, 71-73)

        Robert made well over one mistake regarding Edna; first he launched her “awakening”, then he fell in love with her, he let her believe that there was more out there for her and that she should be searching for it. But at the same time he set her up for disappointments, first he disappeared to Mexico without even saying goodbye to her or even telling her that he was leaving. Then once he returned, he let her think that they were free to be together, and then he left again. He did more damage on Edna then anyone could have ever believed. He had such a great impact her, but the problem was, his impact on her was changing her so much as a person and as a women, it was a very dangerous impact, after all she ended up dead. He showed her what it felt like to be truly in love and care for someone, but only to leave her feeling lonelier than ever.

“Do me a favor, Robert,” spoke the pretty woman at his side, almost as soon as she and Robert had started their slow, homeward way. She looked up in his face, leaning on his arm beneath the encircling shadow of the umbrella which he had lifted.  ”Granted; as many as you like,” he returned, glancing down into her eyes that were full of thoughtfulness and some speculation. “I only ask for one; let Mrs. Pontellier alone.”  “Tiens!”he exclaimed, with a sudden, boyish laugh. “Voila que Madame Ratignolle est jalouse!”  ”Nonsense! I’m in earnest; I mean what I say. Let Mrs. Pontellier alone.”  ”Why?” he asked; himself growing serious at his companion’s solicitation. “She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously.” His face flushed with annoyance, and taking off his soft hat he began to beat it impatiently against his leg as he walked. “Why shouldn’t she take me seriously?” he demanded sharply. “Am I a comedian, a clown, a jack-in-the-box? Why shouldn’t she? You Creoles! I have no patience with you! Am I always to be regarded as a feature of an amusing programme? I hope Mrs. Pontellier does take me seriously. I hope she has discernment enough to find in me something besides the blagueur. If I thought there was any doubt — “(Chopin, 50-51)

            Middle class women in that time were not free to be their own person, to express themselves individually.  A women’s job was to please her husband, and in doing so would be pleasing herself. It was not socially acceptable at the time to find self fulfillment, be an individual, or be your own person unlike anyone else. Women were wives and mothers, nothing else. Edna was forced into marriage, in the sense that, it was her path, just like it was every other woman’s path, they could not decide their own path, choose it or change it, they were all to be married and have children. It would be their duty to be a mother and a wife, they were to obey and please their husband.

“In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.” (Chopin, 19)

            Living in that society, Edna would have never been able to find true happiness. Because the life she yearned for, is the kind of life that women are free to live today, in this time, in this society. Not then. In that time you did not see any women running for president, or being police, or firefighters, not even being in the office instead of at home. Any woman trying to realize her dreams, would not have been accepted socially.

Her marriage to Léonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. It was in the midst of her secret great passion that she met him. He fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing, and pressed his suit with an earnestness and an ardor which left nothing to be desired. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken. Add to this the violent opposition of her father and her sister Margaret to her marriage with a Catholic, and we need seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsieur Pontellier, for her husband. The acme. of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams. But it was not long before the tragedian had gone to join the cavalry officer and the engaged young man and a few others; and Edna found herself face to face with the realities. She grew fond of her husband, realizing with some unaccountable satisfaction that no trace of passion or excessive and fictitious warmth colored her affection, thereby threatening its dissolution. She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them. The year before they had spent part of the summer with their grandmother Pontellier in Iberville. Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.” (Chopin, 47-49)

             If her husband had treated her as an equal, and as a human instead of another one of his possessions, then she wouldn’t have fell for Robert; which means she would have been like any of the other women from previous summers that he had spent his time admiring, then she wouldn’t have learned how to swim, or have experienced any of her “awakenings”, she wouldn’t have been left feeling alone, empty and with no purpose to fulfil, so she would have never ended up swimming out into the sea to never return again. If her husband had treated her better, if Robert hadn’t launched her “awakening”, if she was able to be more than just a mother and wife, then maybe her life would never have come to such a brutal stop so soon, at only the age of twenty-eight years.

References:

Chopin, K. (1899) Herbert S Stone and Company. Chicago.

Thesis: Her own life is what killed her, her husband treated her with inequality instead of equality, Robert, who could have saved her, but instead left her and the emptiness she felt when she could not finally be “awoken”; she was teased with these moments or “awakenings” where she felt an overwhelming sense of  purpose, but afterwards vanished, which is what led her to swim far out into the sea just wanting and wishing for those feelings of independence, self fulfilment and happiness to come back and stay with her, forever. 

Reason: Mr. Pontellier, he was her husband but yet didn’t understand her, he didn’t understand her need for purpose, for a bigger purpose then just being a wife and mother.                       

Example: He treated her as an object in his possession, not as an equal.  

“You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.” (Pg 1)

“What are you doing out here, Edna? I thought I should find you in bed,” said her husband, when he discovered her lying there. He had walked up with Madame Lebrun and left her at the house. His wife did not reply.  ”Are you asleep?” he asked, bending down close to look at her. “No.” Her eyes gleamed bright and intense, with no sleepy shadows, as they looked into his. “Do you know it is past one o’clock? Come on,” and he mounted the steps and went into their room.   ”Edna!” called Mr. Pontellier from within, after a few moments had gone by.  ”Don’t wait for me,” she answered. He thrust his head through the door. “You will take cold out there,” he said, irritably. “What folly is this? Why don’t you come in?” “It isn’t cold; I have my shawl.”  ”The mosquitoes will devour you.”  ”There are no mosquitoes.”  She heard him moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and irritation. Another time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of the life which has been portioned out to us.  ”Edna, dear, are you not coming in soon?” he asked again, this time fondly, with a note of entreaty.  ”No; I am going to stay out here.” “This is more than folly,” he blurted out. “I can’t permit you to stay out there all night. You must come in the house instantly.” With a writhing motion she settled herself more securely in the hammock. She perceived that her will had blazed up, stubborn and resistant. She could not at that moment have done other than denied and resisted. She wondered if her husband had ever spoken to her like that before, and if she had submitted to his command. Of course she had; she remembered that she had. But she could not realize why or how she should have yielded, feeling as she then did. “Léonce, go to bed, ” she said I mean to stay out here. I don’t wish to go in, and I don’t intend to. Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you.”(Pg 79-81)            

Example: He wouldn’t let her explore her individuality, find herself or find self-fulfillment, he just would not set her free. He thought that in making him happy, she would be making herself happy.

 “He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation.” (Pg 11)

“He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? He himself had his hands full with his brokerage business. He could not be in two places at once; making a living for his family on the street, and staying at home to see that no harm befell them. He talked in a monotonous, insistent way.” (Pg 12)           

Reason: Robert had a special connection with Edna, they both understood each other, and it was he who gave her “awakening” just the push that it needed to start rolling out of control.                       

 Example: He launched her “awakening” into effect and started a whirling wind of thoughts and unanswered questions within her. He also taught her how to swim, giving her those first feelings of purpose and of happiness, and the eagerness to want more.

“Edna began to feel like one who awakens gradually out of a dream, a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream, to feel again the realities pressing into her soul. The physical need for sleep began to overtake her; the exuberance which had sustained and exalted her spirit left her helpless and yielding to the conditions which crowded her in.” (Pg 82)  

“In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels. perhaps more wisdom than the Holy Ghost is usually pleased to vouchsafe to any woman. But the beginning of things, of a world especially, is necessarily vague, tangled, chaotic, and exceedingly disturbing. How few of us ever emerge from such beginning! How many souls perish in its tumult! The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace. “ (Pg 34-35)

“Edna had attempted all summer to learn to swim. She had received instructions from both the men and women; in some instances from the children. Robert had pursued a system of lessons almost daily; and he was nearly at the point of discouragement in realizing the futility of his efforts. A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand near by that might reach out and reassure her.  But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. She did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.   A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.   Her unlooked-for achievement was the subject of wonder, applause, and admiration. Each one congratulated himself that his special teachings had accomplished this desired end.  ”How easy it is!” she thought. “It is nothing,” she said aloud; “why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby!” She would not join the groups in their sports and bouts, but intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone.  She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself.  Once she turned and looked toward the shore, toward the people she had left there. She had not gone any great distance that is, what would have been a great distance or an experienced swimmer. But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome. A quick vision of death smote her soul, and for a second of time appalled and enfeebled her senses. But by an effort she rallied her staggering faculties and managed to regain the land. “ (Pg 71-73)

 Example: He fell in love with her, and let her do the same. He’d let her in, only to disappear to Mexico, and come back to her, only to break her heart, and to leave her feeling more lonely than ever. “Do me a favor, Robert,” spoke the pretty woman at his side, almost as soon as she and Robert had started their slow, homeward way. She looked up in his face, leaning on his arm beneath the encircling shadow of the umbrella which he had lifted.  ”Granted; as many as you like,” he returned, glancing down into her eyes that were full of thoughtfulness and some speculation. “I only ask for one; let Mrs. Pontellier alone.”  “Tiens!”he exclaimed, with a sudden, boyish laugh. “Voila que Madame Ratignolle est jalouse!”  ”Nonsense! I’m in earnest; I mean what I say. Let Mrs. Pontellier alone.”  ”Why?” he asked; himself growing serious at his companion’s solicitation. “She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously.” His face flushed with annoyance, and taking off his soft hat he began to beat it impatiently against his leg as he walked. “Why shouldn’t she take me seriously?” he demanded sharply. “Am I a comedian, a clown, a jack-in-the-box? Why shouldn’t she? You Creoles! I have no patience with you! Am I always to be regarded as a feature of an amusing programme? I hope Mrs. Pontellier does take me seriously. I hope she has discernment enough to find in me something besides the blagueur. If I thought there was any doubt — ” (Pg 50-51)            

 Reason: A women in that time was not free to be her own person, to express individuality.  A woman’s job was to please her husband, and in doing so would be pleasing herself. It was not socially acceptable at the time to find self fulfillment, be an individual, or be your own person unlike anyone else. Women were wives and mothers, nothing else.                       

 Example: Edna was forced into marriage, in the sense that, it was her path, just like it was every woman’s path, they could not decide their own path, choose it or change it, they were all to be married and have children. It would be their duty to be a mother and a wife, they were to obey and please their husband.

“In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.” (Pg 19)                       

Example: Living in that society, Edna would never be able to find true happiness. Because the life she yearned for, was the kind of life that women are free to live today, in this time, in this society.

“Her marriage to Léonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. It was in the midst of her secret great passion that she met him. He fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing, and pressed his suit with an earnestness and an ardor which left nothing to be desired. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken. Add to this the violent opposition of her father and her sister Margaret to her marriage with a Catholic, and we need seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsieur Pontellier. for her husband. The acme. of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams. But it was not long before the tragedian had gone to join the cavalry officer and the engaged young man and a few others; and Edna found herself face to face with the realities. She grew fond of her husband, realizing with some unaccountable satisfaction that no trace of passion or excessive and fictitious warmth colored her affection, thereby threatening its dissolution.She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them. The year before they had spent part of the summer with their grandmother Pontellier in Iberville. Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.” (Pg 47-49) 

Conclusion: If her husband had treated her as an equal, and as a human instead of another one of his possessions, then she wouldn’t have fell for Robert; she would have been like any of the other women from previous summers that he had spent his time admiring, then she wouldn’t have learned how to swim, or have experienced any of her “awakenings”, she wouldn’t have been left feeling alone, empty and with no purpose to fulfil, so she would have never ended up swimming out into the sea to never return again. If her husband had treated her better, if Robert hadn’t launched her “awakening”, if she was able to be more than just a mother and wife, then maybe her life would have never come to such a brutal stop so soon, at only the age of twenty-eight years.

STILLS

There are many different kinds of stills; column still, pot still, reflux still, solar still. The pot still has a single heated chamber and a vessel that collects purified alcohol. It only has one stage of distillation, which will create an incomplete separation of the alcohol but for some distilled beverage such as whiskey it tastes better this way.  The reflux still is the most popular still; it has a fractionating column, which is made by filling copper vessels with as many glass beads that can fit, to create a greater surface area. This column allows the alcohol to boil, condense, and re-boil. The most common types of alcohol made this way are Vodka and Rum. They make many different types of whiskey in still, such as, corn, grain, and sour mash. 

One of the processes the ethyl alcohol, in the still goes through is distillation. Distillation is used to produce strong alcoholic drinks. The stills are best if made out of copper because it removes sulphur-based compounds from the alcohol, which would otherwise have a bad effect on the taste of the alcohol. Although, modern day stills that you would see today are actually made out of stainless steel, but they do copper plates on the insides of the walls. There is more than one advantage to the modern stills; the copper only needs repairs every 8 years due to erosion that is unavoidable, but if the entire still is made with copper than it would need repairs more frequently, and the cost of making and maintaining the still is much cheaper. 

Whiskey is made through pot stills, in which is goes through batch distillation. During batch distillation heat is directly applied to the pot which contains the whiskey. Alcohol boils at 78 degrees Celsius, which creates a lot of vapours in the alcohol, and with these vapours the liquid itself actually contains more alcohol. In the pot still, the alcohol and water vapours, combined with the many other aromas of the components like esters. This gives alcohols, such as wine its aroma, it evaporates and flow from the still through condensing coils. 

The largest pot still in the world, making whiskey is in the Old Middleton Distillery in Ireland. It has a capacity of 140,000 litres; unfortunately it is not in use anymore. 

In the 1920’s in America, the consumption of alcohol was being prohibited so they started to revoke alcohol license from big companies and organizations. At first it seemed to work, but then as more and more illegal supplies were being brought into the company, the consumption started on its way back up to where it had been. They had tried to reduce the consumption of beer, but what they actually did was increase the consumption of hard liquors. If you ask me, their efforts didn’t accomplish too much.  

The Cotton Strike of 1933           

  In 1933, cotton workers were now being paid merely 40 cents per 100 lbs; it had dropped from 1 dollar. This decline in their wage had lead to a strike in October of that year, when 1800 workers walked out. Three quarters of them were Mexican and the remaining quarter was all blacks or whites. The growers tried to fight back and they started with firing all members of the strike from company owned labour camps, but this didn’t force the strikers to back off, it only pushed them further.            

 When the police started to shoot the strikers down, they held their ground in front of the county jail, trying to fight for freedom for the strikers already arrested. The police shot eleven and two died.       

Twenty-four days had passed since all the workers had walked out; their wages had now been increased to 75 cents per 100 lbs and so the strike ended. Even though they did not get everything they wanted, such as union recognition and ending the labour contractor system.                       

For the rest of the 1930’s, workers fought for their right for a union, and they were beginning to be successful. They were doing this under the CIO and were trying to push for pro-labour legislation, like the National Labour Relations Act.            

The cotton strike was neither the longest nor the most brutal, but it was very well important. Because of the cotton strike and many other strikes in the early 1900’s, such as the Salinas strike and many others, the workers today, which is a very large part of  the population today, would not have the privileges that they do to day. There would be no unions and no one to protect all the hard labourers of today.    

The Pastry Castle

Employee Weekly Schedule

Employee Pay Scale

Lauren Conrad-Full Time Cake Decorator-$21.00 an hour.

Lo Bosworth- Full Time Cake Decorator-$21.00 an hour.

Stephen Collettii-Full Time Baker-$19.00 an hour.

Brody Jenner- Full Time Baker-$19.00 an hour.

Justin Bobby-Full Time Maintenance-$9.00 an hour.

    WINDMILLS

The most basic definition of a windmill is a machine that through the power of the wind creates other forms of energy. It does this by rotating blades or sails, and it can even create such forms of energy as electricity for example.

The first wind powering machine was build as early as the first century. There are two types of windmills; vertical axle windmills and horizontal axle windmills. The first vertical axle windmill was first seen in the ninth century in Persia, but as for the horizontal windmill it wasn’t seen till the end of the twelfth century. The horizontal windmill was used mainly for grinding grains.

In 1745, in England, Edmund Lee invented the fantail, which is a smaller windmill that is mounted at right angles to the main sails which will automatically turn the heavy cap and main sails into the wind. There are many more types of windmills, such as the smock mill; an older variation of the tower mill, grinding mills; for grinding grains, and sawmills; which pumps water for land drainage or water supply.

In 1772, Andrew Meikle, a Scottish millwright developed the spring sail. It was made from a series of connected parallel shutters, which depending on the speed and power of the wind, opened and closed.  In 1789, it was Stephen Hooper that invented the roller reefing sail; it allowed adjustments of the sail while still in motion. In 1807, it was the Norfolk engineer William Cubitt that invented the patent sail; in which there was a chain and rod that passed through the centre of the windshaft. These new and improved sails no longer required constant supervision unlike the previous, they combined the inventions of Meikle and Hooper; it had the shutters of the spring sails and the automatic adjustment of the roller reefing sails.

Over the years, the industrial revolution and the importance of windmills have changed. Primary industrial energy sources have been replaced by steam and internal combustion engines, polder mills were replaced by steam and diesel engines. Some historic mills have been preserved for their historic value.

Modern mills are most commonly referred to as wind turbines or wind generators today. They are mostly used to generate electricity. The largest today, generates up to 6WM of power. It is a renewable energy source, and is becoming more popular, since fossil fuel consumption is becoming an increasingly more of an environmental concern. 

This is what my poster board looked like:

Chapter One                                         

Martin Luther King Jr.

“I have a dream” speech 

 Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and a leader during the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1955 he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in 1957 he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and is most remembered from when he stood in front of over two thousand people on the steps of Lincoln Memorial, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and spoke his “I have a dream” speech. His message was clear; that one day, blacks and whites could coexist in peace, and that they would all be treated as equals. He was trying to raise awareness of the civil rights movement that was taking place.

He started with his pre-written speech, and later went on improvising on the theme of “I have a dream”. Throughout his speech he used biblical illusions, for example: “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” This was taken from Amos 5:24. He also uses some anaphoras; the most common in the speech would have to be “I have a dream”.

Martin Luther King Jr. is the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, he was rewarded this in 1968 for his efforts in leading the way to the end of racial discrimination, racial prejudice and segregation, through civil disobedience and other non-violent ways. He has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and in 1986 Martin Luther King Jr. day was made a national holiday.