Author Archives: steven.katz

On November 16, 2010, New York Times published an article titled “Diana’s Ring Seals Prince William’s Marriage Plans.” This article is about the heir to the British throne, Prince William, announcing his engagement with Kate Middleton. In A Thousand and One Nights, both kings, Shahryar and Shahzaman are cheated on by their wives. Both, evidently, kill the wives and the men the wives slept with. Shahrayar starts to marry every night and kill his newly wed wife every morning. Finally one day, he marries Shahrazad. Shahrazad is acknowledged to be an “intelligent, knowledgeable, wise, and refined” (B, 414). Shahrazad postpones her death in the morning by intentionally not finishing a story, thus making Shahrayar wait with curiosity till she finished.
Kate Middleton and Shahrazad have many similarities. First, they are both educated. Kate Middleton met Prince William in University. In fact, she will become the first princess with a college education. Second, both are predeceasing a death. Kate Middleton was given the ring of Queen Diana (who died in a car crash).

On November 7th, New York Times published an article on Afghani wives titled “For Afghan Wives, a Desperate, Fiery Way Out.” This article describes the life of women in Afghanistan. Simply, in Afghani culture, the woman is property of the husband. On a more complicated side, these women are arranged to be married and to provide for their husbands at a very young age. The husbands are superior to their wives. Gul Zada, a victim to spousal abuse and a mother of six, choose the only option she had to get out of her situation, Suicide. However, her attempt at burning herself ended with her surviving with 60% of her body being burned. Suicide is the only option because “Returned runaways are often shot or stabbed in honor killings because the families fear they have spent time unchaperoned with a man. Women and girls are still stoned to death.” Gul Zada isn’t the only victim. In fact, the burn hospital has at least 10 female self-immolation cases at any one time. The hospital also added that Ms. Zada probably suffered from depression. This shows how much power the husbands have over their wives. New York Times states “The choices for Afghan women are extraordinarily restricted: Their family is their fate. There is little chance for education, little choice about whom a woman marries, no choice at all about her role in her own house. Her primary job is to serve her husband’s family. Outside that world, she is an outcast.”
In “The Pillow Book,” Sei Shonagon illustrates the life of a woman in Japan during the 10th century. In her stories and poetry she exhibits how women are treated as non equals by men. Husbands have full control over their wives since marriage. In her memoirs, she expressed “Depressing Things.” One story she tells is about a husband who fails to return home because he was with “some high-ranking Court lady” (B, 251). In medieval Japan, woman were housewives without opportunity. The major art of “The Pillow talk” was keeping it hidden. The fact it was kept hidden shows a great deal of how Japanese women were not equal to men.
Both the Afghani and Japanese women were put down by their husbands. As a whole, the male gender was and still is superior in some parts of the world.

Prince is a book on political theory. One theory The Prince strongly stresses, in Chapter 18, is “keeping your word.” A prince is only honored for keeping his word. Machiavelli also adds, a prince can still be honored if he gives off the illusion that he keeps his word. He states “And in the end they won out over those who founded themselves on loyalty” (C, 236). This quote simply means that perception and reputation is key to being a leader.  In today’s politics it’s easy to see majority of political leaders follow this motto. In recent news, President Barack Obama followed this motto precisely. President Obama won office based off a campaign he won by his popular slogan “change.” For the last 25 months Barack Obama’s reputation and his perception is falling apart, his approval ratings are at an all time low that illustrate this notion. With the reelection counting down on his priority list, he must reinstate his willingness to keep his words, dating back to his campaign. On December 3^rd he did just that, with surprising visit to the troops in Afghanistan. Once again, he reiterated his impression to start removing troops and aimed to ending foreign combat by 2014. New York Times writer Alissa Rubin states “American military forces have tripled, to 100,000, on Mr. Obama’s watch, and he has vowed to begin reducing the number of troops next July.” Publication of this story was mandatory to try to revive Obama’s perception in the United States, especially to attempt to get reelected. Machiavelli adds “Everyone sees what you appear to be, few touch what you are.” (C, 237) This quote again explains, the image you show is golden. Since only a few people personally know Mr. Obama, what he shows the majority through media is what the majority will judge him by. With the last 25 months of his presidency he expressed is lack in “keeping his word.” The loss of the house to the Republicans is directly correlated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/us/politics/04prexy.html?scp=9&sq=Obama&st=cse