This thesis offers a typology of Postmodern women�s discourse from a sociological perspective. By focusing on the reading of Gioconda Belli�s Sofia de los presagios, Isabel Allende�s Paula, and Anacristina Rossi�s La loca de Gandoca, it examines how each writer achieves, thanks to the process of dialogism and the carnivalesque, a critique of social and aesthetic values, associated with Eurocentric discourse. Thanks to these two processes, the values associated with the marginalized position of women in Latin America, are brought to the surface, offering a better understanding of the relation that exists between women�s literary production and the cultural environment. Chapter one offers an overview of the concepts associated with Posmodernism, and its relevance in the Latin American context. This chapter also outlines the key concepts associated with dialogism and the carnivalesque. Chapter two examines the use of the carnivalesque in two plays by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Los empenos de una casa and Amor es mas laberinto as antecedents of subversive writing in Spanish American women�s writing. It discusses how Sor Juana through appropriation and inversion, transforms her texts into a critique of marginalized social groups. This chapter proposes that Sor Juana sets the model for the subversive nature of Spanish American women�s writing. Chapter three offers a reading of Cristina Peri Rossi�s El libro de mis primos as an example of radical feminist discourse produced in the 60�s, focusing on the use of parody and irony as means of transgressing patriarchal discourse. Chapter four examines Gioconda Belli�s Sofia de los presagios, and the incorporation of ancestral and modern myths, to accentuate women�s marginality and the conflicting and contradictory nature of Nicaraguan society. Chapter five focuses on a reading of Isabel Allende�s Paula in which the techniques of magical realism and the carnivalesque are brought together to criticize social and cultural practices that marginalize women. Chapter six examines Anacristina Rossi�s La loca de Gandoca. It focuses on the way Rossi makes use of popular music, romantic literature, poetry, and bureaucratic discourse, to denounce the exploitation and destruction of Costa Rica�s natural resources through ecotourism.

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This thesis offers a typology of Postmodern women�s discourse from a sociological perspective. By focusing on the reading of Gioconda Belli�s Sofia de los presagios, Isabel Allende�s Paula, and Anacristina Rossi�s La loca de Gandoca, it examines how each writer achieves, thanks to the process of dialogism and the carnivalesque, a critique of social and aesthetic values, associated with Eurocentric discourse. Thanks to these two processes, the values associated with the marginalized position of women in Latin America, are brought to the surface, offering a better understanding of the relation that exists between women�s literary production and the cultural environment. Chapter one offers an overview of the concepts associated with Posmodernism, and its relevance in the Latin American context. This chapter also outlines the key concepts associated with dialogism and the carnivalesque. Chapter two examines the use of the carnivalesque in two plays by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Los empenos de una casa and Amor es mas laberinto as antecedents of subversive writing in Spanish American women�s writing. It discusses how Sor Juana through appropriation and inversion, transforms her texts into a critique of marginalized social groups. This chapter proposes that Sor Juana sets the model for the subversive nature of Spanish American women�s writing. Chapter three offers a reading of Cristina Peri Rossi�s El libro de mis primos as an example of radical feminist discourse produced in the 60�s, focusing on the use of parody and irony as means of transgressing patriarchal discourse. Chapter four examines Gioconda Belli�s Sofia de los presagios, and the incorporation of ancestral and modern myths, to accentuate women�s marginality and the conflicting and contradictory nature of Nicaraguan society. Chapter five focuses on a reading of Isabel Allende�s Paula in which the techniques of magical realism and the carnivalesque are brought together to criticize social and cultural practices that marginalize women. Chapter six examines Anacristina Rossi�s La loca de Gandoca. It focuses on the way Rossi makes use of popular music, romantic literature, poetry, and bureaucratic discourse, to denounce the exploitation and destruction of Costa Rica�s natural resources through ecotourism.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Seeking to navigate and explore diasporic identity, as reflected in and by transatlantic narrative spaces, this thesis looks to three very different novels birthed out of the Atlantic context (at different points of the Atlantic triangle and at different moments in history): Our Sister Killjoy or Reflections from a Black-eyed Squint (1977) by Ama Ata Aidoo, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People (1969) by Paule Marshall and Crossing the River (1993) by Caryl Phillips. Recognising the weight of location – cultural, geographic, temporal – on the literary construction of transatlantic identity, this thesis traces the way in which Aidoo, Marshall and Phillips use fictional texts as tools for grappling with ideas of home and belonging in a world of displacement, fracture and (ex)change. Uncovering the impact of roots, as well as routes (rupta via) on the realisation of identity for the diasporic subject, this study reveals and wrestles with various narrative portrayals of the diasporic condition (a profoundly human condition). Our Sister Killjoy presents identity as inherently imbricated with nationalism and pan-Africanism, whereas The Chosen Place presents identity as tidalectic, caught in the interstices between western and African subjectivities. In Crossing the River on the other hand, diasporic identification is constructed as transnational, fractal and perpetually in-process. This study argues that in the absence of an established sense of terra firma the respective authors actively construct home through narrative, resulting in what Erica L. Johnson has described as terragraphica. In this way, each novel is perceived and explored as a particular terragraphica as well as a fictional lieux de mémoire (to borrow Pierre Nora’s conception of “sites of memory”). Using the memories of transatlantic characters as (broken) windows through which to view history, as well as filters through which the present can be understood (or refracted), are techniques that Aidoo, Marshall and Phillips employ (although, Aidoo’s use of memory is less obvious). Tapping into various sites of memory in the lives of the fictional characters, the novels themselves become mediums of remembering, not as a means of storing facts about the past, but for the ambivalent purpose of understanding the impact of the past on the present. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ’n poging om diasporiese identiteit te karteer en te ondersoek, betrek hierdie verhandeling drie uiteenlopende romans wat in die Atlantiese konteks, naamlik vanuit die verskillende hoeke van die Atlantiese driehoek en verskillende geskiedkundige Atlantiese momente, ontstaan het. Die drie romans sluit in: Our Sister Killjoy or Reflections from a Black-eyed Squint (1977) deur Ama Ata Aidoo, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People (1969) deur Paule Marshall en Crossing the River (1993) deur Caryl Phillips. Deur die belangrikheid van plek – kultureel, geografies en temporeel – in die literêre konstruksie van transatlantiese identiteit, te beklemtoon, spoor hierdie verhandeling die manier waarop Aidoo, Marshall en Phillips fiktiewe tekste aanwend na om sin te maak van idees oor tuiste en geborgenheid in ’n wêreld van verdringing, skeuring en (ver)wisseling. Deur die impak van die oorsprong op, asook die weg (rupta via) na, die verwesenliking van identiteit vir die diasporiese subjek te toon, onthul en worstel hierdie tesis met verskeie narratiewe uitbeeldings van die diasporiese toestand (’n toestand eie aan die mens). Our Sister Killjoy stel identiteit as inherent vermeng met nasionalisme en pan-Afrikanisme voor, terwyl The Chosen Place identiteit as tidalekties uitbeeld – vasgevang tussen westerse en Afrika-subjektiwiteite. In Crossing the River word diasporiese identifisering egter gekonstrueer as transnasionaal, fraktaal en ewigdurend in ’n proses van ontwikkeling. Hierdie studie voer verder aan dat die onderskeie skrywers tuiste aktief deur narratief konstrueer in die afwesigheid van ’n gevestigde bewustheid van terra firma, of onbekende land of plek. Die gevolg is ’n voortvloeiing van wat deur Erica L. Johnson beskryf word as terragraphica. Vervolgens word elk van die romans gesien en verken as ’n spesifieke terragraphica asook ’n fiktiewe lieux de mémoire, gegrond in Pierre Nora se konsep “sites of memory”. Die benutting van transatlantiese karakters se herhinneringe as (gebreekte) vensters waardeur die geskiedenis bespeur kan word en filters waardeur die hede verstaan (of gerefrakteer) kan word, is die tegnieke wat Aidoo, Marshall en Phillips aanwend – alhoewel Aidoo se gebruik van geheue minder ooglopend is. Deur verskeie terreine van geheue in die lewens van die fiktiewe karakters te betrek, ontwikkel die romans tot mediums van onthou, nie in die sin van feite van die verlede wat gestoor word nie, maar met die dubbelsinnige doel om die impak van die verlede op die hede te verstaan.

In this investigation key elements of the mysticism of Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906) are compared and contrasted with the mysticism of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and as a result, the true nature of the relationship between their respective mysticism is elucidated. Key doctrines which exhibit a remarkable consonance are: the trinitarian foundation of their mysticism, the indwelling of the Trinity in the human soul, asceticism, desert spirituality, sacrificial love, liturgical spirituality, scriptural spirituality, deification and the doxological nature of their mysticism. Elements of divergence exist within the following: election and predestination, apophatic versus cataphatic mysticism, the Roman Catholic dogma of the immaculate conception of the virgin Mary, and the mode of God's presence in the human soul. Elizabeth's relevance for today is also considered, namely, her ecclesial mission which she now continues in heaven: to intercede for people seeking union with God and to draw people to interior recollection. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.

This thesis offers a detailed account of early polio epidemics (between 1918 and 1945) in Johannesburg, where the disease was particularly severe. At this time, little was known about the poliovirus, and such limited understanding affected the public health and medical initiatives taken during this period. These actions are highlighted in the thesis, along with the responses of the media and lay public to the disease. The effect of war on the management of the disease is also examined, as it siphoned off vital medical personnel and jeopardised disease control. It also lent an emotional overlay to the way the disease was perceived, as `battle' rhetoric became the parlance used against polio, which was personified as the `enemy' of innocent children who were disabled at the whim of the virus. The epidemic of 1944-1945 was the first to be systematically investigated, by Dr James Gear as part of his groundbreaking polio research; he later became part of an international team of researchers who contributed to the development of a prophylactic vaccine within a decade of this epidemic. / History / M.A. (History)

Current society is much diversified as regards its culture of customs and trends encountered also in the eating habits of people. Our health-care facilities provide treatment to a good number of patients of different religions and, consequently, different eating habits. We certainly do not want the patients to be only passive recipients of medical care. That is why the nurses have to put some effort into learning about the individual eating habits of their patients. A nurse informed about food that a patient wishes or does not wish to be given is able to use her own initiative in providing what is needed to satisfy the requirements. In this way the nurse will involve the patients in the treatment and boost their confidence in the health-care staff. The theoretical section investigates primarily nutritional habits of believers of some selected religions, namely Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Roman Catholic Church and Brethren Church. Other parts of the theoretical section analyzed some alternative nutritional trends. Also mentioned was food provision at health-care facilities and the competences of nutrition therapeutists and assistants. The empirical section formulated four objectives: (1) to specify the main features of nutritional trends met in the selected religions; (2) to measure the level of nurses' expertise in the eating habits associated with the selected religions; (3) to find out whether the nurses in providing the care respect the clients' nutritional trends as related to the selected religions; and (4) to investigate the importance and observance of specific nutritional trends in the selected religions as perceived by the clients and the nurses. The methodology relied on a quality-oriented survey performed through controlled interviews with the clients, and a quantity-oriented survey conducted through questionnaires distributed among clients and nurses. The qualitative survey was to answer these questions: What eating habits can be encountered in clients professing the selected religions? Does proper observation of the clients' eating habits make the clients satisfied with the nursing care? The quantitative survey was based on assumptions that (1) nurses ignorant of the nutritional trends will make the clients unhappy about the nursing care, and that (2) proper attention paid to varied eating habits in different cultures will make the job of nursing teams in health-care facilities a more burdensome task. The survey has been conducted in the regions of South Bohemia and Central Bohemia. Judging from the results, the objectives have been met, the hypotheses confirmed, and the research questions objectivized. The work resulted in an Education Sheet to be used by both nurses and the public.

One of the biggest attractions of the tropics is its stunning diversity; the origin and determinants of this diversity are amongst the most important questions in evolution and biogeography. There are two ways of looking at diversity: diversity as observed in clades on the tree of life and diversity as distributed in space. Various processes drive patterns in clades leading to a gradient of evolutionary radiations. These radiations are amongst the major contributors to Earth's biological diversity and act as good model systems to test the relative significance of processes governing macroevolutionary patterns of diversification. My research presented here revolves around one such evolutionary radiation of frogs that we uncovered from the Western Ghats, a tropical mountain system in Peninsular India. The broad aim of my thesis is to understand the causes and consequences of diversification, the primary process that drives evolutionary radiations and diversity differences in clades. The ultimate goal is to use a model system in a regional setting to explore diversification process¬es in clades against the backdrop of existing theory and ultimately paint a broader picture to further our understanding of diversity patterns in space. I have organized this thesis into six chapters. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the concepts, models and problems addressed, while chapters two to five form the crux of this thesis, and the final chapter pro¬vides a synthesis of results and directions to carry this research forward. In the first chapter, I have provided a conceptual link between diversity in Glades, evolutionary radiations and diversification and its drivers, all of which form the backbone for the following chapters. I review the potential historical processes that acted independently or in combination to give rise to one of the global biodiversity hotspots, the Western Ghats of the Indian sub-continent. I also introduce the model system, bush frogs, and provide a brief overview of their current taxonomic and systematic status. Finally, I have described the goal and questions addressed in this thesis. In chapter 2, I address the problem of delimiting lineages and provide a base for the remaining chapters 3, 4 SE 5, which form the core of this research. In this chapter, I address two major issues in biogeography. namely the 'Linnean shortfall' (the problem of undescribed lineages) and the 'Wallacean shortfall' (the lack of distribution data), and use an extensive sampling regime and a phylogenetic framework to delimit lineages. When I began my sampling, 21 lineages had been described from the Western Ghats. Three years of sampling across 13 major massifs has led to an increase in the number of the lineages to 70. These lineages were delimited using a hierarchical multi-criteria approach using a haplotype phylogenetic tree, genetic distance, geography and morphology. Lineages recovered in this study range from shallow to deep divergences and are spatially distributed from lowlands to Massif summits. Further, inclusion of geography as a variable in the hierarchical approach increased efficacy in delimiting lineages. This approach was used to establish a working hypothesis of lineages for later chapters, where I address questions related to the drivers behind the diversification of these Lineages. The goal in chapter 3 was to examine the evolutionary and biogeographic processes underlying in-situ Glade diversification in the bush frog clade at broad temporal and spatial scales. First, I examined the Glade for characteristics of an evolutionary radiation. One of the fundamental challenges in characterizing evolutionary radiations is to discern independent colonization from in-situ diversification. Phylogenetic reconstructions shows that bush frog lineages in the Western Ghats belong to two clades: a larger Glade composed of 67 lineages, with their ancestral origin centered in the Western Ghats Escarpment, and a set of three lineages with their distribution in Western Ghats, but phylogenetically nested within the Sri La.nkan bush frog Glade. The larger Western Ghats clade recovered here lends strong support for in-situ radiation of bush frogs, the origin of which can be dated to Eocene - Oligocene boundary. The bush frogs are a relatively young radiation compared to recent reports of ancient lineages and potential radiations whose origins date to the Cretaceous. Within the Western Ghats, bush frogs make up the largest vertebrate radiation, and when considered with the sister clade in Sri Lanka, constitute the largest vertebrate radiation in South Asia. These clades attain greater significance because of the limited geographical space in which the whole radiation has occurred. Temporal patterns of line-age diversification in the Western Ghats bush frog Glade show strong signatures o f an early burst, considered as one of the characteristic features of evolutionary radiations, especially adaptive radiations. Considering that a similar pattern could arise from the initial formation of geographical isolates, I tested the Glade for the role of regional biogeographic barriers in the initial diversification of the Glade. Ancestral range reconstruction showed that the initial diversification of the bush frog Glade is coincident with the Palghat Gap, a prominent geographical break in the Escarpment. Two sister clades, North and South, could be discerned, with their respective centres of origin north and south of the Palghat Gap. There was limited dispersal across the gap and a number of these dispersal events resulted in diversification in the adjoining regions. These results, for the first time, lend strong evidence for the biogeographic significance of the Palghat gap for amphibian diversification. The discovery of the North and South sister-clades, apart from elucidating the significance of Palghat gap as a barrier in the initial diversification of the Glade, provided a unique setting to gain further insights into diversification processes. using the sister clades. The South Glade shows support for the models of early burst and subsequent diversity-dependent decline, while the North Glade did not differ from a constant pure-birth model of diversification. The sister clades also showed strong differences in the number of lineages and in the ecological and morphological diversity of component lineages. In terms of the ecological diversity of the clades, the lineages in the South Glade are predominantly closed canopy dwellers and occupy all the vertical strata of the forest from understorey to canopy. In contrast, the North Glade is characterized by the absence of canopy lineages and also in the relative increase in the number of open canopy lineages. I excluded area as a causal factor, considering the relatively smaller area of the region of the South Glade, south of Palghat Gap, compared to the North Glade. Taken together, an early burst in lineage diversification, high species richness and Glade-level endemism, narrow geographical range of the Glade, restriction of canopy lineages to this Glade and persistence of a historical rainforest refugium in this area suggested a potential role for ecological opportunity in the adaptive radiation of the South Glade. The results from Chapter 3 brought out the strong contrast in the ecological diversity of extant lineages among the bush frog sister clades occurring in this region. One major ecological pattern is the predominance of closed canopy lineages in the South Blade, while the North Glade was characterized by relatively more open canopy lineages. However, what caused the origin of open canopy lineages and the predominance of such lineages in the North Glade was not known. In chapter 4, I explore whether signatures of the global climate mediated emergence of open canopy biomes can be discerned in the habitat shift and in the observed contrast in ecological disparity between the sister clades. The results show multiple habitat shifts among bush frog lineages in the Western Ghats, with a strong contrast between the sister clades; the North Glade exhibited a greater number of habitat shifts compared to the South Blade. A unique shift to the bamboo reed Ochlandra could be discerned in the South Glade. The study provided the first evidence for independent shifts to grass associated habitats among bush frogs and frogs in general. Examination of ecomorphology brought out further interesting insights. For the same body size, lineages occurring in grass-associated habitats, Oehiandra reeds and grasslands have independently evolved smaller hind limbs compared to lineages that occur in the forest and shrub-land habitats. This convergence in limb-size and a. pattern of reduced limb-size provides support for the adaptive nature of this trait in relation to grass associated habitat shifts among bush frog lineages. Examination of this morphological trait in time, using disparity through time plots, showed high disparity within the North Glade as expected from the patterns of greater habitat shift. These results lend support for orbitally forced habitat dynamics as a driver for the intra-cladal patterns of ecological disparity in bush frog sister clades. Researchers in the past have largely tested evolutionary radiations for adapt signatures under the assumption of ecological opportunity. One of the drawbacks of temporal models of diversification is the exclusion of geography. Mountain systems slid-the -Western Ghats provide an ideal setting to explore diversification in space. In chapter took a biogeographic approach and tested the relative importance of Quaternary glaciatic ecological gradients and Earth related processes on the spatial patterns of lineage and s dada! diversification in a mountain setting. This was done using a set of a-priori predict', on the phylogenetic, spatial and temporal patterns of lineage diversification based on geological and climatic history of the Western ghats. These were tested using sister-lines and latitudinal and elevational range data obtained from field sampling across 13 mass Independent methods were used to test for the alternative processes. A majority of recer diverged bush frog sister - lineages were characterized by non-overlapping geographi ranges, and were isolated on adjacent massifs, indicating allopatric speciation eves Independent transitions along elevational gradients among sub-clades during the Mioc' lend support for diversification mediated by the uplift of the escarpment. In-situ diversificat in the montane zone of the two highest massifs shows the effect of past - climate media forest-grassland dynamics, but divergence times lend less support for the role of Quatern glaciations. These results highlight the important role of geological processes in the line; diversification of bush frogs. By examining patterns in a large radiation, I was also able bring out the temporal and spatial significance of different processes. Diversification in s Glades shows that recent non-adaptive processes have masked the effect of initial adapt radiation. Based on these findings, we recognize the massifs in this Escarpment as cent of lineage diversification and generators of diversity and the lowland and medium elevat habitats in the southern Western Ghats, with deeply divergent lineages, as museums. Through this research, I have provided a number of insights — many for the first time — into the macroevolutionary patterns and historical processes behind this large vertebrate radiation in a global biodiversity hotspot. The thesis also sets a foundation to explore the processes driving ecological and biogeographic patterns — species richness, endemism and community assembly — in space.

Ce mémoire se penche sur les processus de constructions des relations fraternelles auprès d’adultes qui ont précédemment vécu dans une famille recomposée. Il a pour point de départ un constat ressorti des études antérieures sur les fratries : celles-ci portent majoritairement sur la situation des familles dites « intactes » où les liens biologiques sont pris pour acquis dans la définition de ce qu’est une fratrie. Or l’augmentation des familles recomposées, phénomène observé dans la plupart des pays occidentaux et au Québec en particulier, met en présence des fratries dont les liens débordent du cadre biologique. Quelles spécificités présentent ces « fratries recomposées » par rapport à ce que les études nous apprennent du fonctionnement des fratries « intactes », notamment à l’âge adulte ? Deux concepts sont particulièrement mobilisés dans ces études, ceux de temps et de mémoire. Ces concepts nous sont apparus des plus pertinents pour comprendre comment s’établissent les relations fraternelles en contexte de recomposition familiale à l’âge adulte. Cette étude exploratoire a pour objectifs de comprendre les formes que prennent les relations fraternelles à travers le temps jusqu’à l’âge adulte et d’identifier les moments clés dans le parcours des frères et sœurs qui ont marqué leurs relations. La méthodologie est de type qualitatif, inspirée de la méthode du récit de vie. Ainsi, nous avons recueilli les récits de quatorze participant.es ayant vécu dans une famille recomposée durant l’enfance et/ou l’adolescence. L’analyse de ces discours met en évidence le fait que les liens établis entre frères et sœurs en contexte de recomposition familiale ont une portée tout aussi significative que les liens existant dans les familles où frères et sœurs sont reliés exclusivement par le sang. Des spécificités apparaissent certes, mais au-delà du statut biologique ou recomposé des liens, c’est davantage l’expérience du temps, d’une histoire partagée et d’une mémoire commune qui contribuent à la configuration et au maintien ou non des relations entre frères et sœurs à l’âge adulte. Le caractère exploratoire de l’étude ne permet évidemment pas de généraliser ces résultats, il reste que ce mémoire invite à élargir le regard sur cet objet trop peu étudié en sociologie de la famille que sont les relations entre frères et sœurs. / This master thesis focuses on the construction process of relationships between adult full-, half- and step- siblings who previously lived in a stepfamily. This research originates from observations made from earlier studies on siblings: they focus mainly on full sibling relationships in non-divorced families, in which biological links are taken for granted in the definition of siblings. Conversely, the increase in stepfamilies, a phenomenon observed in most western countries and particularly in Quebec, suggests that siblings from different family backgrounds are prone to live together. This implies that their links extend beyond the biological framework. How does these full-, half- and step- sibling relationships differ from findings on studies of full siblings in adulthood? From these researches on adult full siblings, two concepts particularly stand out: time and memory. Drawing from these findings, we speculate that these concepts are most relevant when examining the establishment of relationships amongst full-, half- and step- siblings in adulthood. This exploratory study aims to understand the construct of adult full-, half- and step- sibling relationships over time and to identify the key moments in their life course which impacted their relationships. The methodology used was qualitative in nature and based on life stories. Therefore, we collected the life stories of fourteen participants who lived in a stepfamily during their childhood and/or adolescence. The analysis of their speeches highlights that the bonds established between brothers and sisters in stepfamilies are as important as the bonds existing in families where siblings are exclusively related by blood. However, we found that sibling relationships in stepfamilies go beyond their sharing of biological ties: it is more the time experienced in stepfamilies, a shared history and a shared memory which contribute to the configuration and maintenance or not of their relationships in adulthood. Even though the exploratory nature of this study clearly does not allow the generalisation of our findings, we believe that this research invites us to broaden our focus on sibling relationships, an understudied object in the sociology of family.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Wharton’s heroines are ordinary women who fight to secure material comfort and create selves that satisfy their emotional and sexual needs. These women often find that the two goals are mutually exclusive, since society strictly dictates appropriate behavior. This code of behavior stems from their relation to men: as objects to be won, as wives, and as mothers. In many instances, women are not even aware of their prescriptive roles and confuse their search for self with a search for security. Material comfort does not nurture Wharton’s heroines’ inner selves and they feel a metaphysical dissatisfaction, often seeking to find contentment through divorce or affairs. What they find in either case is that the cure to their ennui is not material, but mental. Wharton’s women seek a transcendent self—a self that is not dependent upon popular notions of respectability; a spiritual state that is independent from any attachment to social imperatives.