Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Fences, Play by August Wilson Review of The Main...

Essay on August Wilson’s play Fences by Melanie Jung Troy does not want to accept the changes in the world because that would cause him to accept the death of his own dreams. After reading the play carefully it becomes pretty obvious to me that Troy, the main character in the play, a black African – American, father of two children, cannot accept the changes in the world. That is, in my opinion, the reason why he tries to fence in his family. Especially Cory, by not giving him the chance to become a successful sports player and he also can’t accept that someone is able to live as a musician like his son Lyons wants to. The storyline plays in America, in 1957, where the blacks began to stand up for their†¦show more content†¦Troy: I done seen a hundred niggers play baseball better than Jackie Robinson. Hell, I know some teams Jackie Robinson couldn’t even make! What you talking about Jacky Robinson. Jacky Robinson wasn’t nobody. I’m talking about if you could play ball then they ought to have let you play. Don’t care what colour you were. Come telling me I come along too early. If you could play . . . the n they ought to have let you play. Troy’s excuse of his attitude is that he does not want his sons to make the same disappointing experience he had to make. In the end of Act One, Scene Four, Troy makes his position clear and acts as a destroyer of dreams. Cory: Papa done went up to school and told Coach Zellman I can’t play football no more. Wouldn’t even let me play the game. Told him to tell the recruiter not to come. After a fight in Act Two, Scene Four, Cory runs away in almost the same manner Troy did it when he was only fourteen years old, where he had a big fight with his own father as well. But the difference between him and Cory is that Cory is not going to end up in jail like Troy did. He goes to the Marine and becomes a military man. We can see another example of Troy’s stubbornness in Act One, by the end of Scene One. What we see is that he cannot trust on Lyons, Troy’s oldest son by his previous marriage. Lyons begs him several times for money, usually onShow MoreRelated Racism Exposed in Fences, by August Wilson Essay1299 Words   |  6 Pages August Wilson’s play Fences brings an introspective view of the world and of Troy Maxson’s family and friends. The title Fences displays many revelations on what the meaning and significance of the impending building of the fence in the Maxson yard represents. Wilson shows how the family and friends of Troy survive in a day to day scenario through good times and bad. Wilson utilizes his main characters as the interpreters of Fences, both literally and figuratively. Racism, confinement, andRead MoreEssay about Relationships, Racism, and Drama in August Wilsons Fences1722 Words   |  7 PagesIn August Wilson’s Fences, relationsh ips were a big part of the story because every character had a different kind of relationship with each other. Troy had a relationship with every character in the play and it was not the same kind of relationship. Troy Have a complicated relationship with every character in the play because troy character is difficult and it cause conflicts with everyone character in Fences (Blumenthal). Troy has a personal relationship with his self and it was kind of a fictitiousRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Fences 1798 Words   |  8 Pages Symbol of Fences: Defying Reality August Wilson’s Fences, is a dramatic play that spotlights on the attributes of black life in the mid to late twentieth century and emphasizes the strains of society on African Americans. Focusing on the lives of normal African Americans, the author also recognizes the significance of the family ties and how they relate to the society. He mentions symbols such as sports and fences in the story to relate to many topics mainly allRead MoreStruggles and Tensions in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Fences by August Wilson1437 Words   |  6 Pagesand tensions within the lives of characters and the situations they face are important for the building of the plot and maintaining the attention of the audience. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Fences by August Wilson, the main characters of the plays face struggles which move the plot along, while adding anticipation and excitement. Willy and Troy face struggles internally and externally with society. Willy stru ggles with failing business, while Troy struggles with feelings of beingRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilson s Fences 1840 Words   |  8 Pagesexplain. For some of us we built fences to isolate ourselves from others or in some cases to protect ourselves. No matter what the issue is we, all have to struggle to be able to provide for our families. As a child I built fences when it came to my feelings. For example, growing up I was in the chunky side. Since I wasnt so skinny like the pretty girls in my class. I kinda isolated my self from the other students. That way my feelings wouldn t get hurt. My fence was to protect me from what I thoughtRead MoreThe Symbolic Importance of the Fence in August Wilson’s Fences1179 Words   |  5 Pagesthe object of the fence in August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences† symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. The author summarizes the play and uses the character Troy to ex plain the characterization of black abilities, such as Troy’s baseball talents, as â€Å"metaphoric,† which does not enable Troy to play in the white leagues as the period is set during segregation (Nadel 92). The author is trying to use the characters from the play as examples of blackRead MoreThemes Of Racism And Poverty1495 Words   |  6 Pageselements of both themes in August Wilson’s Fences, Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use,† and Gwendolyn Brooks’ â€Å"What Shall I Give My Children.† By critically evaluating the main characters in each piece, elements of racism and poverty are identified in all three texts. All three of these texts show the hardships blacks experienced and how they suffered. In Fences, â€Å"Everyday Use,† and â€Å"What Shall I Give My Children,† there are themes of racism and poverty in black America. Wilson’s Fences offers real insightRead MoreFences Father Son Relationships1325 Words   |  6 Pagesfar from the tree† or the term, â€Å"like Father, like Son?† According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, these are terms used to suggest â€Å"a child usually has a similar character or similar qualities to his or her parents.†(dictionary.cambridge.org) This is particularly evident in August Wilson’s drama, Fences. During Fences, Wilson introduces three perplexing father-son relationships. In each, the son tries to eliminate the preconceived notion that he will inevitably be like his father while simultaneouslyRead MoreThe Battle Of Wills Between Rainey And Sturdyvant, The White Owner Of The Recording Studio1773 Words   |  8 Pages When it comes to themes, the main question in the play is whether the band will complete the recording session despite conflicts among various band members and the power struggles between Rainey and Sturdyvan t, the white owner of the recording studio. The battle of wills between Rainey and Sturdyvant echoes the historical battle between capitalists and workers; only in this case, Rainey holds on to the goods (her music) that she produces until she gets what she wants from the white producerRead MoreFences Is A Family Drama Written By August Wilson1797 Words   |  8 PagesFences is a family drama written by August Wilson, which portrays the scenario of 50’s American society. The play explores the turmoil in the socio-economic situation faced by the African-American people in the period along with their experience of life, civil rights, personal relationships and racial situation. The play concentrates on describing different ‘fences’ of life, which were faced by the African-American society during 50’s. The play was set in 1950, almost a decade prior than the civil

Monday, December 16, 2019

Chalice Chapter 10 Free Essays

string(29) " her concentration was gone\." She had waited what seemed rather a long time with her head bowed, hoping that he would go away, waited until she began to worry that there was some ritual gesture that was now hers to make that he was waiting for. She raised her head at last, reluctantly, and found him staring at her with an intensity she disliked a great deal. â€Å"I hoped,† he said with a diffidence she was sure was feigned, â€Å"that you might have a little time for me. We will write a custom essay sample on Chalice Chapter 10 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † Involuntarily she glanced at the book still open on the table. The driest record of a thousand-year-old court award ceremony would have been preferable to spending time with Horuld, and what she was reading did not merely interest her but drew her almost feverishly. She had not seen the Master for private speech since his first meeting with Horuld, although she often felt his presence in the earthlines, and she wondered what he thought of his Heir, and what he was, or wasn’t, doing to make his Heir acceptable to the demesne. She realised in the shock of Horuld’s unexpected and unwanted presence that part of her feverishness to learn about outblood Heirs was that she suspected the Master of trying to persuade the demesne to find Horuld satisfactory, even desirable. This was only what a responsible Master would do, but†¦. â€Å"Of course,† she said, after too long a pause. â€Å"Chalice and Heir must† – she stumbled over her attempt to find words she could bring herself to say – â€Å"be acquainted.† And she went with him. But when he offered her his arm she pretended not to see, and instead folded her own arms in the ritual shape of a Chalice without a chalice. elbows tucked closely in, wrists crossed and hands loosely clasped. It had only ever been something to do with her hands on those fortunately few occasions when the Chalice was expected to attend but with no cup to present; today it felt like warding. He had nothing to say to her; nothing of substance. She kept waiting for him to reveal his purpose – the purpose that was keeping her away from her reading – and answered as briefly as possible, almost falling into monosyllables and then remembering with an effort that she had to be polite to him; trying to prevent her mind wandering from his pointless remarks about the weather, about the picture or ornament in this or that hallway of the House, about that bird which had sat singing outside the House when he arrived. At each new topic she would jerk her attention back to focus, expecting to hear what he wished to speak about at last. The weather? Was there an omen in it? There were those who could read the future in the shape of the clouds, or said they could – although the Weatheraugur, whom Mirasol thought wistfully she rather liked, said this was nonsense. The painting of the yellow fruit outside one of the lesser meeting rooms – she’d always tho ught it rather dull herself – had it perhaps belonged to the forebear Horuld could trace his Heirship to, and he was suggesting that it should be more prominently displayed? The bird – he couldn’t be talking about a redsong, could he? Redsongs were commoner than mud in a wet season. If he was trying to imply that a redsong singing for his arrival meant the demesne welcomed him, he was a fool. He went on and on. As Chalice – and she did not plan ever to be Mirasol for this man – she could not be asked to sit and chat, so they had to stand or keep moving. They paced slowly through the House and then he took her for a stroll around the gardens, remarking on a shrub or a flower as if imparting some new perception, while she felt half mad from boredom, and from his extreme ignorance of plants. It occurred to her to wonder if anyone so ignorant could be Master; no garden would flourish under the weight of such ineptitude, which would put a greater burden on the gardeners and the rest of the Circle. And yet Horuld’s animation seemed to increase the longer he held her prisoner. He caught her eye every opportunity he had – and she felt she had to meet his eyes occasionally – and smiled as if he believed she was happy in his company. Once or twice she caught him looking at her in a way†¦she had to be imagining it; no Chalice and Master, nor Master’s Heir, could†¦but the look made her long for the heavy camouflaging Chalice’s robes, when ordinarily she was extremely grateful to be free of them for a day. She finally managed to stop at one of the gates to the garden and resist being swept any farther. She did not know how she could take leave of him; she’d been clutching the formality of the Chalice to her with her clasped hands against her breast and therefore had to maintain the Chalice’s character. She was sure a Chalice could not dismiss an Heir, but she didn’t know how to get rid of him, and he gave the impression that he would cling to her forever if she did not. So she stopped and stood and bowed her head and refused to meet his eyes for several minutes – her heart beating in her throat in fear of the terrible insult she might be offering – and at last he thanked her for the noble condescension of her company – ugh, she thought, keeping her face blank – and bowed several times as he backed away from her. Backed away from her, she thought, troubled, when he finally seemed to have gone away and left her alone, and she risked raisin g her head again. Backed away. What had she given him that he was so pleased with? She half ran back to the library, but her concentration was gone. You read "Chalice Chapter 10" in category "Essay examples" She read a little more, about mixtures to be thought of when dealing with outblood Heirs, when the Master was present and when he was not, how both to delimit and to integrate such an Heir’s place in the demesne. And then she shut the book and picked up another, smaller book that she could take with her back to her cottage. Perhaps reading within the sound of her bees would help bring her mind back to her business again; she would be positively glad of some ordinary unexpected visitor hoping for help or honey†¦. She didn’t understand why she felt such a sense of doom. All that had happened was that she had lost two hours to a nonentity†¦except that he wasn’t a nonentity. He was little enough in himself, but he was the Overlord’s pawn and a danger to her demesne, and to her Master. The walk back to her cottage settled her nerves a little; enough, at least, that she could open her new book and begin to read it without missing every other word. The amount of reading she did now was yet another of the strains of being Chalice. Her mother had taught her to read, and she had a few record books of this little corner of the demesne’s woods (she kept telling herself she should pass these on to the new keepers, but she never quite got round to it), her father’s account books, and one of the lives and meanings and symbolism of the trees of the demesne. She had used this when she had planted trees for her bees – birch, beech and hawthorn, but also a parasol tree. There hadn’t been a parasol tree outside the House gardens in generations, but the one at the edge of her meadow was already twice as tall as she was, and her bees adored its flowers. Most important she had her mother’s receipt book, which had been her grandmother’s and her great-grandmother’s before that. It contained brisk notations of three generations of beekeeping which backed what her mother had taught her and therefore made some of the inevitable moments of learning by experience a little less overwhelming. It furthermore included things like how to tan leather and how to mix clay and straw for bricks and then how to bake them, useful things that any member of the small folk of the demesne might want to know. But barring a little burst of winter weeks when she had studied the tree book she had never spent real time reading. Till she became Chalice. Her eyes were often tired now, but worse her mind was tired; she felt that the shape of her memory had been laid down when she’d learnt bees and woodcraft, and that neither shape readily held books or Chalice. She was not old, but she was old for learning something that should have begun when she was young. It was cold early this year. She got up to close the door and the windows and to light the laid fire. Other years she might have worried that her bees would stop producing honey too soon, and that she would have difficulty bringing them through the winter. Perhaps there were advantages to being Chalice after all. But then bees which had (apparently) stopped building combs for their honey so as to let it pour out for their Chalice might not remember how to start again in time to manufacture sufficient winter stores. She would have to count how many colonies she was taking honey from and do some sums. I don’t think I have enough shelf space for that much honey, if I have to feed them, she thought, let alone enough jars. The memory of the time she had spent in Horuld’s company still lay like a burden on her. But would it have been any better if she were still only a woodskeeper who also kept bees? She had always cared passionately about the demesne. Not all its folk did; some of them figured demesne business was for the Master and the great folk of the House and the Circle, not the ordinary small folk of barn and field, woodright and lake, even House kitchen and stable. But then many of the ordinary demesne folk did not feel the earthlines as she always had – as her parents both had, although not as strongly as she did. If she had not become Chalice, she would have been one of the people standing around the House doors the day the new Master had come home from Fire. And she would not have liked the look of the Heir, even as a woodskeeper. And as a woodskeeper she could have done nothing about it. The problem was that she doubted there was anything she could do about it even as Chalice. Why did this afternoon with Horuld lie on her so, as if it would stop her breath? She shivered. She went to the door and opened it. She could not hear her bees any more; they had wisely withdrawn into their warm hives. She took a deep breath of the suddenly winter air. There were even a few snowflakes falling, nearly a month earlier than usual. She found herself worrying whether the early cold had anything to do with a new Master who used to be a priest of Fire. She went back indoors again and moved the kettle over the centre of the fire. She’d have hot water with a little mead and a little honey in it, which she liked better than any tisane, and keep reading. The terrible need to learn – to learn something, she did not know what – about Heirs continued to pull at her. She didn’t know if she had brought the right book with her, but it had been the book her hand had fallen on, and she’d come to follow such signs, now she was Chalice, having no mentor to give her better guidance. It was late when she found it. She should have gone to bed over an hour before, but in her mind there was still the little nagging voice telling her to keep on, that she hadn’t found it yet, that she had to find it. And so she kept on. She was so blind to everything by then – blind with reading, blind with anxiety, blind with a too-narrow focus of concentration – that she almost missed it. And so it was that the Heir was installed to great rejoicing amongst all the folk of the demesne, and all saw that the choice of Heir had been a wise one, for all that his outbloodedness had been great, and there had been those who had doubted he could be made of the demesne as a Master must be. But the Overlord had chosen his seers well, and they had read the earthlines truly, and the earthlines had told him where to look, that the Heir-blood ran to this man and not some other. And the demesne flourished from the moment his hand was laid upon it, and there was no hindrance nor turbulence, no discontent in tree nor well, no revolt in beast nor human. And the Overlord was pleased, because this gained him both praise and power, that he should have chosen so perfectly; but there were those who had watched and considered all, who said that it was less to do with the sagacity and good judgement of the Overlord and his seers than with the profound pragmatism of the marriage of the Heir to his Chalice. This convention is not well known, for it is so awfully and fearfully against what is well known, which is that the Master must not marry nor otherwise fondly touch his Chalice in any analogous manner, for the Chalice’s power is to bind and the Master’s to rule, and mixed they create an abominable disharmony, for they make weight and stillness when there should be lightness and motion. But in a state of disharmony, as an outblood Master conjoined to a demesne, such a tie is the pair’s highest work, and creates a small harmony from a larger disharmony, from which a larger harmony may grow, in the shape of the child of their coupling who shall next be Master, and who shall call from the demesne by the strength of his inbred harmony the perfect Chalice to complement him. She had already begun to study the directions for the preparation of the cup that would enable such a connection to be made between Master and Chalice when it finally sank in what she had read. Marry Horuld! That was the reason Horuld wished to speak – had been directed to speak to her. That was the reason he had looked at her – She went to the door again and opened it, and half flung herself out into the cold clean-smelling darkness, away from the warmth of the cottage and the book she had been reading, which she suddenly felt must smell rotten, must be polluting the room it lay open in. She went back inside just long enough to shut it, tipping its cover over with the end of one finger, as if greater contact might make her ill. Then she wrapped herself in both her shawl and her cloak and went outdoors again, and walked, walked away, any way at all†¦. There was still snow in the air. She guessed it had been falling lightly, laconically, since she had first noticed it, but the ground was still too warm for it to lie. Some of the trees had a dusting of snow on their leaves. There had been no clear signs of a hard winter, and the harvest had come in safely with no more than the usual number of sudden storms. Thunderstorms, so long as they were not too destructive, were a sign of good luck; the very violence of them showed the strength in the harvest they raged over. In a harvest season with no storms the saying was that the crops were weak, and would give little nourishment. Fire of all things, she felt, was strong; she in common with many other of the Willowlands folk had feared too many storms at harvest rather than too few. The only lightning-set fire had been the one at Onora Grove. She lifted her face to the snowflakes and let them brush her skin – they felt a little like the feet of her bees – till they had swept away the murk of too much reading, till she felt like herself again. Marrying Horuld was no worry of hers. The demesne had a Master. She turned around, returned to her cottage, put an extra blanket on her bed, and slept dreamlessly. In the morning she tucked the book under her arm as if it had no power over her, and took it back to the House. There were other books to read, and she still needed to know as much as she could about outblood Heirs. The fearful little voice that had driven her to keep reading the night before had fallen silent; what she now wanted to know was if there was a way for a Chalice to say â€Å"sorry, I’m busy† to an outblood Heir who wanted to waste her time. When the shadow fell again across the door of the library, she gave an involuntary shiver, nearly a spasm, of revulsion – not again! But it wasn’t the Heir. It was the Grand Seneschal. It was no good reminding herself that a Chalice had only to stand for a standing Master; she had scrambled to her feet before she’d thought anything but uh-oh. Once standing all her possible ceremonial gestures deserted her and she merely blinked at him and tried not to worry. The Grand Seneschal did not like the library. This was a fact well known to the Housefolk, who also knew they were therefore unlikely to be caught up for it if the books were not tended properly. The result was that Mirasol had to wipe the dust, and occasional spiders, off almost every book she took down. Fortunately the House cats had no such reservations and there were no mouse nests (at least that Mirasol had found) behind decapitated bindings. She stood and blinked some more. If the Grand Seneschal had come to the library there must be some unexpected urgency for the Chalice. Uh-oh. But he only stood in the doorway and looked at her while she stood and looked at him. She was tired – she had had a very late night the night before – and she always had trouble dragging herself out of anything she was reading back into the real world, perhaps because reading was still difficult for her, or perhaps because, since she had become Chalice, she liked the real world less than she had. Eventually she tried a small bow. She’d never known him not to address her with grimmest formality, and here he was only standing there, as if he did not know how to begin. She finally thought of a suitable gesture, and touched her fingertips together and held her hands out toward him, in the ritual giving of first speech to another. Still he hesitated. At last he said, in a curious, almost jerky way, as if the words were ripped out of him, as if he had not chosen to speak at all, â€Å"I had thought you†¦concurred in my choice of Master. In my attempt to bring our Master home. Even that you welcomed him. That despite his formidable priesthood his true blood as the younger brother of the former Master was proof that he was yet best for our demesne†¦.† She was so amazed at the Grand Seneschal saying I and my and you to her that it took her a moment to translate what he was saying. The Grand Seneschal had never spoken to her directly before; he spoke forbiddingly and exclusively in the third person when he had to address her at all, and had never – she felt – let it be anything but clear that he only addressed her because she had somehow, incredible as it seemed, become Chalice, and the Grand Seneschal was, unfortunately, too often compelled to address the Chalice. And now he spoke to her directly – and as if in great grief. In his choice of Master? Those very early days of her Chalicehood were vague in her memory, with an overwhelming confusion and disbelief that even in retrospect made her wince and wish to avoid them. The Grand Seneschal’s letter had already been written and sent by the time she had begun to bear Chalice to the gatherings of the Circle, but even in her dazed and muddled state she’d been aware that not all the other Circle members had agreed with the Grand Seneschal’s decision. She could only remember hearing Prelate and Sunbrightener say as much aloud, but she was sure they were not the only ones. Perhaps the Grand Seneschal had been in the minority – he might, she thought, almost amused, be the only one, and had won his victory by mere force of character. The Grand Seneschal ranked third in the Circle hierarchy, after the Master and the Chalice, but he could not overbear the other nine – unless they let him. She had been surprised to discover that the Grand Seneschal had written to the priests of Fire, because it was not a level-headed, dispassionate thing to do. In other circumstances it might have made her like him. But there had been no level-headed thing to do, because the Master should not have died with no Heir. What else was there to do but seek his nearest blood relative? How could the Grand Seneschal think she did not support their Master? She dropped her hands. â€Å"But – I do – I would have no other Master.† She glanced at the book she had been reading, much as she had done when Horuld had interrupted her the day before; but she was not thinking that she wished to dismiss the Grand Seneschal because he disturbed her, only that she had not yet found a way to dismiss the Heir if he disturbed her again. â€Å"It is all over the demesne that you spent the day with the Heir yesterday.† â€Å"The day,† she said, appalled. â€Å"It was two hours – it felt like a century – if it had been an entire day I – I would have run away from Willowlands before sunset.† She did not think of how irresponsible (and impossible) a thing this was for a Chalice to say; only how best to express her revulsion against the Heir. Something that might almost have been a smile appeared on the Seneschal’s face, but disappeared again immediately, and the grief seemed to deepen. He did not sound accusatory when he spoke, only sad. â€Å"And that you held your hands clasped, as Chalice.† â€Å"Ye-es,† she said. â€Å"Yes – but I – I did not want to be Mirasol with that – man,† although as she said her own name she wondered if the Seneschal even knew it, or if he might think that Mirasol was some strange low slang common among minor woodskeepers. As if he did not know what else to do, the Seneschal wandered over to the table next to the one she stood beside, pulled out a chair and sat heavily down. She was clearly not bearing Chalice, so anyone might sit down in her presence without consequences, but this was still as out of character as the I and the you. Also the Seneschal always behaved with great precision, and he sat down with a thud, as if exhausted. â€Å"I feared it might be something like this,† he murmured. Louder he said, â€Å"Why did you not merely send him away?† â€Å"Send him away?† she said. â€Å"Send away the Heir? I only wish I could – that I knew how.† She looked at the book again. â€Å"I was hoping some book would tell me how, in case he comes back.† â€Å"How could you send away the Heir?† the Grand Seneschal said, almost gently. â€Å"By telling him to go. You, Mirasol, are Chalice. He is only Heir.† â€Å"But – â€Å" How to cite Chalice Chapter 10, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Jennifer Lopez (777 words) Essay Example For Students

Jennifer Lopez (777 words) Essay Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York on July 24, 1970. She was born inthe United States to Puerto Rican Parents, Jennifer considers herself to be aPuerto Rican and she is very proud of her Hispanic heritage and culture. Herfather is David Lopez, a computer specialist, and her mother Guadalupe Lopez, aKindergarten teacher. Her parents recognized Jennifers talent and enthusiasmfor performing and at the age of five the enrolled her in dance classes. Hermother said Jennifer always loved to sing, but she was also a great actressand knew that she would have a bright future ahead of her. With the supportof her parents Jennifer grew up to be a very sensible girl, who is still veryclose to her family. When Jennifer earned her million-dollar paycheck forplaying the role in the movie Selena, she bought her mom a Cadillac. Even thoughthey saw Jennifers talent at the age of five, their relationship was notalways understandable. Jennifer made a major decision and that was not to go toCollege. That decision was very disappointing to her parents who wanted her togo to law school. Her parents supported her pursuit of a career in showbusiness, they did not wanted to be in the expense of her education. WhenJennifer told her parents that she was not going to College and law school, theythought it was really stupid to go off and try to be a movie star. Her parentswho at that time could not understand the choices she made are very happy fortheir daughter and what she has accomplish. When she left her home at the middleof a fight and never went back. She said, I had to make my own way andthen lived in a Manhattan dance studio where she was training. Then she got anapartment with some friends in Manhattan Hells Kitchen. Since the time shemove out of her home she started her showbiz career as a dancer in stagemusicals and most notably in her tour to Golden musicals of Broadway and in aJapanese tour. Then she audition to be a fly girl in Foxs hit comedy Inliving Colors, she beat out 2,000 other contenders in a nation widecompetition. Then she cracked into Hollywood and she wanted to make a transitionto acting, but she followed Color producer Keenan Ivory Wayans advice to staywith the show for a while before making any attempt to move on. After a coupleof seasons spent in Living Colors, Jennifer got her shot at acting when aco-worker, whose husband was writing and producing a pilot called South Centralfor Fox, suggested her for the part. Jennifer brought her television career toan end in 1993, with the role as a heroic Nurses on the line: The crash ofFlight 7; the siren call of the big screen could not be put on hold for anylonger. In 1995, Jennifer appears in Gregory Navas critically acclaimed MiFamilia, a film that introduced the actresss talent to top film makers. In1996, she beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role of RobinWilliamss teacher in the Francis Ford comedy Jack. The movie was embarrassingfor Jennifer but she was still hot and from there she started in MoneyTrain and then Smelling like roses. In 1997 at a wrap party for the filmin San Antonio, Jennifer Boyfriend, Ojani Noa, took the microphone and proposeto her on the dance floor. Then after one year the couple got divorce. But thenin People Magazine Lopez was named one of the Fifty Most Beautiful people for1997. .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .postImageUrl , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:hover , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:visited , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:active { border:0!important; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:active , .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u25487f3e5bbcacad173e2f024d25045e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Interviewing My Roommate Essay 1997 was a good year for Jennifer Lopez she started Blood and Wine, andOliver Stones U-Turn and she beat out a bevy of a A-list actresses to theland the female lead in Steven Soderberghs steany 1998 crime film Out ofSight. Then she got ant-imated, in the Dreamworks tale Antz. Lopez now has abrand new project, a music album and with the success of the movie Selena, itgave her inspiration to make a music album. Her album went number one and thiswill probably start her second success story. Life has not been easy forJennifer because she had to work hard to make her dream come true. Herphilosophy is that there is only one way to get where you wanted to go and thoseis being aggressive and persistent and believe you could do anything you wantedto do and competing with the best. In the end hard work truly pays off and oneexample is how Jennifer made her dream come true. Once Jennifer said thatshes the best, maybe somewhat arrogant but who can fault her for feeling thisway. Jennifer has accomplished a lot and she open doors for other people whowant to go into show business.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Oregon Trail free essay sample

What I know Women didn’t have it very easy on the Oregon Trial. They had many chores/jobs they had to get done. And those jobs were no walk in the park. They were hard, laborious, and dirty jobs. They were also often â€Å"handed† these jobs. Women were often taken granted for. In the men’s minds, they were trivial, but that was far from true. If women hadn’t gone on the Oregon Trail, it probably wouldn’t have gotten that far. Women and girls play a big rule in Women and girls had to adjust to very rough conditions. Part II: What I want to know I would like to know why were women treated lesser than men? How did women adjust so quickly and â€Å"silently†. I want to find out if women ever were thanked for the things that they did on the Oregon Trail. Furthermore, I would also like to know why women were given the jobs they got. We will write a custom essay sample on Oregon Trail or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition to that, I would like to find out how much time for women to learn how to do their jobs. And lastly, I want to know why women let themselves â€Å"suffer silently†. Part III: The Search Women had many jobs, that weren’t very easy. They had to cook, long hours hunched over the fire, often times making something for their family to eat out of nothing. Their long dresses could catch fire and hurt them. Now, that would be bad considering they had to walk about 15 miles the next day. The next job was that they had to clean. The trails were dirt, so could you imagine how much dust would collect in the wagon after a day’s walking? A whole bunch and the women had to clean (or dust) all of that dust. Women also had to do the laundry, which was a problem. It was a problem because most of the time there were no streams or rivers; and another thing that women had to do was unpack and repack all the things on the wagon so hey could cross rivers and such. And on top of all that, Women weren’t allowed to complain, despite the hard circumstances that they were put under. But the Oregon Trail was a good thing to. Before heading west, all women would do was sit around at their house doing nothing more than visiting, needlework, and the occasional gardening (Pioneers West Women). By the year 1869 when the first transcontinental railroad was done, 350,000+ pioneers had taken the trip on the Oregon Trail. Several of these people were women and most of the women were accompanied with children (Pioneers West Women). Many men just told their wives that they were going to go start a new life in Oregon (or one of the other places that the pioneers went to) (Pioneers West Women). In other families, women had a big influence on whether or not they went on the Oregon Trail (Pioneers West Women). Many women kept diaries or journals explaining their life on the trail, they would write in them when they had some â€Å"downtime† (CJonline. com). Education-wise, men usually left it to the women. But some of them couldn’t read, so they couldn’t read the Bible to them (or any book for that matter). Even before starting the Oregon Trail journey, the wagon had to be packed. That task usually fell to the women, (naturally,). Packing the wagon usually started with making a list of the most basic things. This, for the women, was the first hardship. They found out that personal items didn’t mean as much as the necessities and that they couldn’t take them with. The things that were deemed unneeded were sold off to help pay for the trip west. Most women on the Oregon Trail weren’t â€Å"women†. Girls had to grow up fast, and if they didn’t, they were forced to. Girls as young as 14 were married and either convinced their husbands to go on the Oregon Trail, were forced to, or agreed to. Towards the end of the Trail, women had left more than just furniture to heavy to keep. Often times, they had to bury their children (Pioneers West Women). Women had many children on the trail to help with chores and things like that. Women did have to burry more than one of their children, though. Women adjusted very well to the conditions of the Trail, though. They faced the hardships with courage. Even agreeing to go on the Oregon Trail was considered courage. Women had a very prominent effect on the Oregon Trail, which will not be forgotten. They were probably what made the journey successful. Because think about it, what would happen if women hadn’t gone? There probably wouldn’t be any â€Å"home†-made meals, and it would just be rolls with bacon or something. Men probably wouldn’t have done very well on the other side, too. The affect that women had on the trail was bigger than you could imagine, and I think that we just overlook them most of the time. Women who convinced their husbands to go on the Oregon Trail journey were very courageous. They were courageous because they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, and still wanted to go anyway. Now, in my opinion, that is true courage. Pioneer women, in my opinion too, were probably the most courageous people that I know of. They went on the Oregon Trail even though they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into; and knowing that the end result would be worth it. Women’s jobs on the Oregon Trail weren’t easy. Women were often given the unpleasant jobs, but they persevered. They made it through the rough terrain and dusty Oregon Trail. Part VI: What would the Oregon Trial been like without women? If women hadn’t gone on the Oregon Trail, it probably would’ve been unsuccessful. This would’ve been the outcome because women did all the cooking, cleaning, took care of the children, and all the while, stayed out of the men’s way. These jobs were a women’s to do because not many men would’ve had the patience or time to do the things that women had to do. Also, most men didn’t know how o cook, and with that being said, they would’ve had to have packed the wagon with more non-perishable food. Next, the cleaning issue would have to be dealt with. There was a lot of dust on the trail and dusting was an almost every day thing. All in all, it would’ve been a complete and utter disaster if women hadn’t gone on the Oregon Trail.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Typing Spanish Accents and Symbols in Ubuntu Linux

Typing Spanish Accents and Symbols in Ubuntu Linux Typing Spanish characters on a computer keyboard laid out for English speakers can be cumbersome - but Ubuntu Linux offers a way to to make it easy with little interference to your English typing. The key to easily typing non-English characters - especially those from European languages including Spanish - is switching to different keyboard layout than the default. A more cumbersome method using the Character Map is also available if you type Spanish infrequently. How To Switch to a Spanish-Capable Keyboard The procedure for typing Spanish accents, letters and symbols as explained here is based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus), the most recent stable version for long-term use. It should work in other distributions using the Gnome desktop. Otherwise, details will vary with the distribution. To change or add the keyboard layout in Ubuntu, select Preferences from the System Tools menu, and then select Keyboard. Click on Text Entry (other versions may say Layouts) to add or change the keyboard layout. For U.S. residents using English as a first language, the best choice (and the one explained here) is the USA International (with dead keys) layout. The USA International (with dead keys) layout gives you two ways of typing Spanish letters (and the letters of some other European languages) with diacritical marks, the dead-key method and the RightAlt method. Using Dead Keys The keyboard layout sets up two dead keys. These are keys that seem to do nothing when you press them. But what they actually do is affect the following letter you type. The two dead keys are the apostrophe/quotation key (usually to the right of the colon key) and the tilde/opening-single-quote key (usually to the left of the 1 key). Pressing the apostrophe key will place an acute accent (like on the à ©) on the following letter. So to type an à © with the dead-key method, press the apostrophe key and then the e. (To make a capital accented É, press and release the apostrophe, and then press the shift key and e at the same time.) This works for all of the Spanish vowels (as well as some other letters used in other languages). To type the à ±, the tilde key is used as the dead key. Press the shift and tilde keys at the same time (as if you were typing a stand-alone tilde), release them, then press the n key. (The location of the tilde key varies but is often to the left of the 1 key in the top row.) To type the à ¼, press the shift and apostrophe/quotation key at the same time (as if you were typing a double quotation mark), release them, and then press the u key. One problem with the use of dead keys is that they dont work well for their original function. To type an apostrophe, for example, you have press the apostrophe key and follow that with the space bar. Using the RightAlt Method The USA International (with dead keys) layout gives you a second method of typing the accented letters, as well as the only method for Spanish punctuation. This method uses the RightAlt key (usually to the right of the space bar) pressed at the same time as another key. For example, to type the à ©, press the RightAlt key and the e at the same time. If you want to capitalize it, you need to press three keys simultaneously: the RightAlt, e and shift keys. Similarly, the RightAlt key can be used in conjunction with the question mark key to make the inverted question mark, and with the 1 key to make the inverted exclamation point. These methods do not work the the Alt key on the left side of the keyboard. Here is a summary of the Spanish characters and symbols you can make with the RightAlt key: - RightAlt a- RightAlt Shift aà © - RightAlt eÉ - RightAlt e Shiftà ­ - RightAlt ià  - RightAlt i Shiftà ± - RightAlt nÑ - RightAlt n Shiftà ³ - RightAlt oÓ - RightAlt o Shiftà º - RightAlt uÚ - RightAlt u Shiftà ¼ - RightAlt yÃÅ" - RightAlt y Shift ¿ - RightAlt ? ¡ - RightAlt ! « - RightAlt [ » - RightAlt ] Unfortunately, the USA International (with dead keys) layout doesnt appear to offer a way to type the quotation dash (also called a long dash or emdash). Those who are familiar with Linux can modify the xmodmap file or use various utilities to remap a key on the keyboard to make that symbol readily available. How To Switch Between Standard and International Keyboards If you spend most of your time writing in English, the dead apostrophe key can become annoying. One solution is to install two keyboard layouts using the Keyboard configuration tool described above. To easily switch between layouts, install the Keyboard Indicator in one of your panels. Right-click on a panel, select Add to Panel and then select Keyboard Indicator. Once its installed, you can click on it anytime to switch layouts. Using the Character Map The Character Map provides a graphical display of all the characters available and can be used to select characters one-by-one for insertion in your document. In Ubuntu Linux, the Character Map is available by selecting the Applications menu, then the Accessories menu. The Spanish letters and punctuation can be found in the Latin-1 Supplement listing. To insert a character in your document, double-click on it, then click Copy. Then you can paste it in your document in the normal way, depending on your application.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Medium vs. Media

Medium vs. Media Medium vs. Media Medium vs. Media By Sharon Medium originates from the Latin meaning middle, midst or means and this sense has carried through its various meanings. The 16th century meaning of intervening substance gave rise to the 19th century meaning of enveloping substance, a term often used in scientific experiments. Since the 18th century, medium has also meant intermediate agency (which no doubt is responsible for the medium who communicates with the other side). The mass media also share this origin. Radio is a medium (or means) of communication. With the advent of national broadcasting of radio programs in the 1920s, the term mass media was born. Given its Latinate origin, many people wonder about the correct plural of medium. Merriam Webster Online states that media is the correct plural of medium in almost all cases. However, many people also use media as a singular noun when referring to the mass media. Here are some quotations from newspapers: platform, Periscope, as a gathering place for gamers. Facebook has also been scrambling to get in on the growing medium, courting individual gamers and adding the ability to tip streamers on Facebook Live as part of its â€Å"gaming (www.nytimes.com) News media finally calls out Trump on his lies. Outrage over the Trump administrations policy of separating children from their parents at the border is clearly growing, and it looks as if the media are a driving force behind it. Finally, were saying what everyone has known for Were quick to condemn the culture of entitlement for sports prima donnas, but weve created the same cozy cocoon for media stars. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph Examples10 Colloquial Terms and Their Meanings20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity

Thursday, November 21, 2019

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 4 - SLP Essay

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 4 - SLP - Essay Example he objective to educate them about the common emotional and physical health issues faced by infertile couples and role of a caregiver in this situation. Below explains the method of assessment of the impact of the above workshop. The participants are given a question paper with 10 questions (combination of both multiple choice and open ended questions) to answer immediately before starting the programme. The questionnaire is consisted of the questions which help to identify the pre-exposure knowledge and the typical practice of the participants related to emotional and physical health issues of infertile individuals. The same questionnaire will be given to the same participants at the end of the workshop. Questions are given marks according to a scale and mean total scores of pre and post exposure questions will be statistically compared to find out possible significant improvement. Statistical significance indicates the efficiency of the workshop. This assessment helps to find out whether the things learned at the workshop effectively practiced by the participants at the institution and whether they really help to beneficiaries to overcome their problems. A random sample of 20 infertile individuals treated at the institution are selected. They are interviewed face to face to find answers to pre prepared questions. This will be done within a week before the workshop. The questions are carefully prepared to understand the current physical and psychological support received by the infertile individuals by primary caregivers and the effectiveness. Between one to two weeks after the workshop a random sample of 20 infertile individuals (not the same individuals selected for the first sample) is selected and face to face interview is scheduled to cover the answers to same questions about practice of the primary health care

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Effect of the Charities Act 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effect of the Charities Act 2006 - Essay Example The Statute of Elizabeth, referred by many to as The Statute of Charitable Uses 1601 was the first legal conception of the charities trust. The Act defined charity in its preamble as, land, profits, and goods set aside for the benefit of the society from soldiers to school going children and the poor and elderly1. The Mortmain and Charitable Use Act 1888 changed a lot of the Statute of Elizabeth but maintained the introductory part of charities as per the Act. In a court ruling in the Goodman v Saltash Corporation [1882] 7 App Cas 633 case, the court was in favor that, goods were given to people in a town or village as charitable2. The Charities Act 1960 revoked all the previous statutes on charities leaving the interpretation of the term charities to fall under the purview of the law of England and Wales. Â  The designation of a charitable organization in the United Kingdom’s statute law, according to the Charities Act 2006, is an institution whose establishment is for charitable purposes alone. Some of the charitable purposes according to the Act include; the advancement of education, religion, and prevention of poverty. The charitable purposes also include the advancement of citizenship, health, animal welfare, arts, culture, heritage, and amateur sport, among others3. However, for the purposes of convenience in classifying the aims of charity, Lord Macnaghten in 1891 when ruling the Commissioners for Special Income Tax v Pemsel [1891] AC 531 case put the aims under four heads. These heads are; the reprieve of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, and any purposes that are of benefit to society4. In order for an organization to be fully a charitable organization, one ought to be able to identify benefits rising from organizations to the advantag e of the society.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Personality Theories Essay Example for Free

Personality Theories Essay This paper will compare the Psychodynamic Theory and the Humanistic Theory. A description of each theory and its leading theorist will help in pointing out both their differences and similarities. Psychodynamic Theory, developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1900s, believes that most human behavior stems from their unconscious. That personality comes from beliefs, memories, feelings, and instincts of which the individual is not aware of (Feldman, 2010). According, to Freud the personality is made up of three major components; the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id is the raw inborn part with sole purpose is to reduce tension caused by aggression and irrational impulse, operating according to the pleasure principle (Feldman, 2010). Ego acting as a buffer between the Id and the outside world, the Ego is developed soon after birth and strives to balance the desires of the Id. The Ego operates according to the reality principle, making decisions permitting problem solving at a higher level than the Id is capable of (Feldman, 2010). While the Superego is part of the conscience representing right from wrong in society, thus being handed down by one’s parents, and teachers, the Superego keeps one from improper behavior by causing one to feel guilty. Freud suggest that personality development has several distinct stages; Oral (birth – 18 months), Anal (18 months – 3 years), Phallic (3-6 years), Latency (6 years to adolescence), and Genital (adolescence to adulthood) (Feldman, 2010). Another huge part of Freud’s theory is the defense mechanisms which include: Repression, Regression, Displacement, Rationalization, Denial, Projection, Sublimation, and Reaction formation. These defense mechanisms are used to cope with life’s anxieties. Humanistic Theory believes that it is at the conscience level that all people have the drive and tendency to move forward. Both Maslow and Rogers is theorist that believe in the Humanistic Theory, believing that we all have a basic need of self- fulfillment to reach our highest potential in our own unique ways. This Theory suggest that people see and judge themselves through the eyes of others causing one to become preoccupied with what others think. This is why unconditional positive regard from family and friends is so important to how one feels about themselves. The acceptance one gets from others has a direct effect on both emotional and cognitive development. Maslow believes a person grows in stages based on needs: beginning with physical needs such as food, and sexual needs, than safety needs, a secure safe place to live or an organized life, on to a sense of belonging, where one feels connected or loved. Maslow believes these needs have to be met in order to have self-esteem which drives one to be all they can be (Feldman, 2010). The Humanistic Theory suggests that personality is more about one’s unique self and freedom of choice. In comparing the Psychodynamic Theory and the Humanistic Theory, the most noticeable difference is that the Psychodynamic believes that the determinants of personality are of the unconscious, while the Humanistic believes more of the opposite in that personality determinants are of the conscious. The Humanistic suggest that it is the interaction of both nature and the environment that set the path for personality, while the Psychodynamic believes that personality is more inherited that nurture factors. These two theories are opposite in their believes of free will, Humanistic stresses the freedom of individual choices, and Psychodynamic stress the view that behavior is directed by factors outside of one’s self (Feldman, 2010). Psychodynamic suggest that a person’s personality keeps the same characteristics throughout a person’s life. On the other hand Humanistic believes that personality characteristics remain flexible and resilient throughout one’s life. Assessing personality can be done in many different ways. There is psychological test that are used to help people understand more about themselves. Psychological test are based on norms which are created by giving the same test to a large number of people and comparing their answers. Self-Report measures personalities by asking a person to explain a sample of their behavior, these reports are than used to look for particular characteristics. Projective testing is done by showing an ambiguous stimulus and asking that the person tell a story about the stimulus. The responses are considered to be projections of one’s personality. These are just a few of the ways personality can be assessed. While the Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories are different in their beliefs they both hold valid aspects at evaluating human personalities. Just as there is no one way to test personality there is no one theory. Reference (Feldman, 2010) Feldman, R. S. (2010). Psychology and your life. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Dance of The Body without Organs Essay -- Electronics Essays

The Dance of The Body without Organs My current project employs the concept of the Body w/o Organs as a model of artistic process to undermine social, scientific, and political hierarchies used in organizing our states of consciousness and embodiment. By arriving at a location of stillness, or â€Å"zero intensity† through this process of dislocating normative structures; new structures, configurations, and organizations will emerge that reflect local, emotional, or irrational consistencies. The project exists in several instantiations, including immersive virtual environments, networked art, 3-D modeling, and texts. Body w/o Organs, Deleuze and Guattari, Artaud, Virtual Reality, Virtual Environment, Irrationality, Surrealism, Visible Human Project 1.0 Situating Subjectivity â€Å"My mind became a place of refuge, an sanctuary, a room I could enter with no fear of invasion. My mind became a site of resistance.† (hooks, 1991) Located as a privileged subject relative to race and gender; I am at a transitional place regarding power relations. My upbringing as a white male of a middle class family in a line of Scottish farmers immigrating to the rural Midwestern US roots me in the blood-soaked soil of the Klu Klux Klan. I was born and raised 20 years after and 30 miles from Marion, Indiana, site of countless barbaric lynchings of African Americans. My sympathies betrayed the hegemonic classifications of my own body and color of flesh. I lined up with the victims, not with my kin. My desire to be done with the coding of the politics of identity in my flesh increased my sense of disembodiment. My own betrayal of skin and kin accompanied by the undeniable privilege afforded me by the embodied coding of race has created a ... ...cal and theoretical issues related to the technologies of immersive virtual reality, netart, and avatars; specifically with respect to issues of identity, embodiment, and human sentience. He has presented and exhibited his work in numerous international venues, including Ars Electronica, Invencao, Consciousness Reframed, Webs of Discourse, CADE, as well as museums, galleries, and alternative spaces. His essay, â€Å"A Manifesto for Avatars† was published in Intertexts in 1998. At present he is a visiting researcher at the Virtual Reality Centre at the University of Teesside, and at the CAVE Lab, New Media Center, The University of Michigan. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Art/New Media at Bowling Green State University, and an Assistant Professor of Art at Kent State University. http://www.stark.kent.edu/~glittle http://www.oberlin.net/~glittle

Monday, November 11, 2019

St. Augustine and Virgil’s Influence in Dante’s Inferno

Reaching an epiphany after a lengthy, perilous journey may seem like the content pertinent for mythological legends. However, the epic poems of St. Augustine, Virgil, and Dante share similar themes and have an important relevance to Christianity. Virgil's The Aeneid follows the story of Aeneas who encountered hardships and travels to the underworld to maintain his destiny of establishing Rome. Dante's Inferno follows a spiritually indigent Dante through the nine rings of hell with the purpose of realizing simplicity and reuniting with his wife in heaven. Finally, St. Augustine's Confessions are an autobiography that details the life of its author in search of a spiritual awakening. An exploration of Dante's Inferno comprises inspirations and influences from the other two pieces of literature copiously in setting and subject matter.Virgil's InfluenceVirgil's The Aeneid influences Dante's work through a definition of a hell that is composed of multiple stages and punishment intensities for its unfortunate inhabitants. Dante's Inferno reveals a journey through the nine rings of hell (Hunt et al. 369). Through his journey, Dante identifies different parts in hell where people are suffering from different punishments Minervino 2 based on their sins. In this hell, he journeys more in-depth into the rings to the pit that holds the most villainous characters in religious history s uch as Judas and Lucifer (Dante, Longfellow, and Dore 212). Comparably, Virgil had developed this narrative in his works, which were written before Dante's. Virgil's The Aeneid shows Aeneas travel through different avenues of hell such as the Field of Mourning where adulterous suffered a horrid punishment (Puchner et al. 999). As they travel deeper into the underworld, Aeneas and Sybil come across a fortress where Rhadamanthus punishes the evilest people with intense torture (Virgil and Fagles 189). Virgil's formation of the underworld has recognizable bearings on Dante's explication of hell. The structural and operational similarity is an affirmation of Virgil's The Aeneid's influence on Dante's Inferno. Moreover, Virgil's narrative necessitates the assistance of a spiritual guide, a trope that Dante incorporated into the Inferno. The Aeneid's protagonist, Aeneas, follows a Sybil also referred to as a priestess through the underworld (Virgil and Fagles 172). Similarly, Dante follows the ghost of a deceased poet called Virgil (Dante, Longfellow and Dore 4). One significant similarity between the guides is their wisdom and strength (Puchner et al. 1465). They are decisive and very powerful such that they can travel around hell with little culmination to themselves and their special formulations. Dante's comparison of Virgil is an satirical guidance of Virgil's clarification of the Sybil.St. Augustine's InfluenceSt. Augustine's Confessions also has a notable influence on the subject matter shown in Dante's Inferno. Unlike Virgil's work, these two pieces of literature detail colossal ramifications concerning religion. Dante and St. Augustine's works are journeys to spiritual clarity (Enr ight Minervino 3 33). Dante's Inferno originates with a lost Dante wandering in a dark forest (Dante, Longfellow and Dore 1). However, he is unable to reach the light prompting him to turn back where he meets a guide, who promises to help him achieve righteousness and see his wife in heaven. Similarly; St. Augustine travels the world without much purpose other than engaging in materialistic pleasures such as sexual exploration (Puchner et al. 1127). However, upon reaching the garden in Milan, he achieves clarity and conversion (St. Augustine and Pusey 106). Dante also achieves a similar epiphany upon exiting hell into the earth. This understanding suggests that St. Augustine's Confessions had a profound ramification on Dante's Inferno.ConclusionSt. Augustine and Virgil's works of literature had a profound influence on Dante's work. Virgil's The Aeneid developed a conceptualization of hell that Dante later adapted to his work. The visualization of a portioned hell that caters to sins differently based on their intensity appears prominently in either author's work. On the other hand, St. Augustine's Confessions has an important influence on Dante's subject matter of a journey to redemption and eventual spiritual empowerment. Therefore, St. Augustine and Virgil's works were important in developing the Epic poem Dante's Inferno.?

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Crystals Research Paper Essay

Crystals form in the depths of the Earth to the extension of the clouds in sky. Some think that crystals elude the sight of people’s eyes everyday in life, but they are everywhere including ingredients for food, construction materials, and even in ice-cold weather. The crystals in this experiment are ammonia-generated crystals that can be created right in a home. The experiment will be testing the different effects and products on crystals in different temperatures and forms of light. Different measurements will be recorded throughout the experiment such as mass and length. But first the crystals must grow. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is called crystallography. All over the world, though the different ages of man, crystals have been found to take their place throughout different cultures, countries, and religions. Not only were crystals used for a part in the currency of some ancient economies, but also they date back as far as 1500 BC as a source of healing and medicinal uses. â€Å"The ancient Egyptians strongly believed in the healing and protective power of crystals. Many pharaohs wore crystals on their headdresses and many crystal amulets have been found in their tombs.† Pharaohs of ancient Egypt often believed that the use of crystals in the masks and jewelry gave them the effect of bettering their rule. Amazonite and Lapis were reoccurring crystals found in the tombs found in Egypt, particularly King Tut where Lapis was actually apiece in the famous mask he wore. Cleopatra’s favorite jewelry was supposed to be a ring made of the crystal am ethyst. The ancient Chinese are also found to be users of the healing purposes of crystals. In two hundred different occasions, crystals are referred to in the bible. New Jerusalem, God’s heavenly city, was said to be built on top of crystals. â€Å"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.† Tibetan monks also viewed quartz crystal spheres as holy objects and worshiped them. The monks often referred to quartz as the â€Å"crystal of enlightenment†. Alexander The Great included a large emerald crystal encrusted in his battle helmet to insure a victory in the battle. The Shah Jahan, monks who built the Taj Mahal, wore talismans similar to Alexander The Great. Overall, There is a reoccurrence of crystals used for different purposes such as healing, sacred items, and fine jewelry. There are many different structures of crystals based on the formation of them. The different forms are Cubic, Isometric, Tetragonal, Orthorhombic, Hexagonal, Trigonal, Triclinic, and Monoclinic. Cubic and Isometric are similar but don’t always have to be cubes. They can be found in forms of octahedrons and dodecahedrons as well as cubes. Tetragonal form double prisms and double pyramids due to one axis being longer than the other. Orthorhombic form dipyramids and rhombic prisms. Hexagonal are six-sided prisms and when viewed from a certain angle, the cross section is a hexagon. Trigonal, instead of having a 6-fold axis like the hexagonal, it has a 3-fold, thus making it trigonal. Triclinic has no set shape so these kinds of crystals can come in any shape and strange ones as well. Monoclinic are very similar to tetragonal crystals except they are skewed a bit so they don’t form good angles. These formations of the atoms and molecules in a crystal are all part of what is called the crystal lattice. The crystal lattice is the repetition of a pattern in three dimensions. The atoms and molecules of crystals form in such a way that in all three dimensions, they are repeating a certain pattern. The shapes of the microscopic atoms can determine the shape of the macroscopic crystal. So, Cubic, Isometric, Tetragonal, Orthorhombic, Hexagonal, Trigonal, Triclinic, and Monoclinic atom formations repeat in different crystals to make them the shape they are. Crystals can also be grouped by their properties. The property arrangements include covalent, metallic, ionic, and molecular crystals. Covalent crystals have many true covalent bonds connecting all the atoms in the crystal. Covalent crystals tend to have very high melting points. Some covalent crystals include zinc sulfide and diamonds. Metallic crystal’s atoms sit on a lattice, therefore the outer electrons of the atoms in the crystal are free to move around and float whichever way they want. Metallic crystals have a high melting point like covalent crystals but just not as high. Ionic crystals are bonded together by ionic bonds just as covalent crystals are held together by covalent bonds. Ionic crystals have high melting points like the other crystals and are usually very hard. An example of an ionic crystal is salt (NaCl). Molecular crystals are very recognizable in terms of their molecular structure. They are bonding by hydrogen bonds or non-covalent bonding. Molecular crystals are usually soft and have lower melting points compared to the other crystals. Relating the properties of crystals to the atom structure (crystal lattice) will allow one to realize how the structure correlates to the property. They’re ere 2 different types of structure in the crystal lattice, crystalline and non-crystalline. Crystalline structures are the atom structures that contain the repeating patterns. While non-crystalline structures contain miniscule faults in the patterns and are not perfect. Ionic crystals contain a crystalline structure and therefore are very hard and dense. The more crystalline the structure, the more compact the atoms are arranged. And the more the compact the atoms are, the more dense and hard the crystal becomes. Molecular crystals tend to have a weak, non-crystalline structure of the atoms. This results in the Molecular crystals being weak with low boiling points. The atoms in Molecular crystal tend to be spread out over farther distances in contrast to ionic crystal’s structure. Different wavelengths and colors of light can affect the color of the crystal itself and the wavelength output of the crystal. Different crystals are different colors due to the different chemicals in each one and how each one absorbs light. Many crystals reflect a certain color of light depending on the chemicals. So, crystals absorb one color of light or wavelength of light, and reflect a different color of light. So the idea of complimentary colors comes into play. Complimentary colors are the colors that the crystals absorb to then reflect a different color of light. There are many examples such as if a crystal is yellow, it is reflecting yellow light but the light it absorbs is blue. Also, if a crystal is red, it is reflecting red light but it is absorbing green light. Normally, crystals will grow much faster in the light, but these crystals will be much weaker than crystals grown in the dark. This is due to the time it takes for each to grow. In dark rooms crystals grow at a much slower rate but are significantly stronger than crystals grown in light. Crystals are found all over and all inside the Earth. In some rock cavities, whether it is close to the surface or deep and closer to the core of the Earth, mineral-rich solutions contain the essential elements to grow crystals. Thus, in these rock cavities, many different crystals can be found, and some are very old. Crystals can also be found around volcanoes and past eruption areas because after a volcano erupts, the cooled magma forms crystals. In many caves, rock walls contain similar solutions as rock cavities and form similar crystals. Crystals can also be found where there are mineral-rich vapors present, such as deep caves and rock formations. Many different crystals can form in various environments. Such as the location of turbulent water such as pipes and quick paced streams. Also, crystals can be found in the presence of evaporating salt water, where salt crystals will form. Crystals are also formed in the process of condensation, or in clouds for that matter. Every time it snows, the water has frozen into microscopic ice crystals that are the snowflakes. Also, Crystals can form under water and many on the Earth have not been seen because of this. Crystals grow and form in different and various ways. Crystals begin growing in a process called nucleation, which contains 2 different types, unassisted and assisted. Unassisted nucleation occurs when a â€Å"proto-crystal† forms in the solution that has been added to a solute. The solute is the solid and the solution is the liquid surrounding the solute. When molecules in the solution begin to attract to one another they combine and sometimes are separated by intermolecular forces but sometimes they stay together. When these molecules stay together they begin to attract different molecules of the solution to join and this is the â€Å"proto-crystal†. The â€Å"proto-crystal† then attaches itself to a couple other molecules or other â€Å"proto-crystals† in the solution and the actual crystal begins to form. In assisted nucleation, the solution is provided with a solute that the molecules of the solution can attach or adsorb to. When this occurs it attracts molecules just as in unassisted nucleation and the crystals begin to form. Because of the ability for crystals to grow from the build up of the solute molecules in the solution, crystals are able to grow at their highest when the solution being used is saturated with the solute being use. The more material to build up, the more the crystals are going to be able to grow and grow to full extent. Crystal formation is very slow, so it must be given a long geological process to form. Depending on the kind of crystal, the times of formation vary, so some form faster than others. This is where super saturation comes into play. Super saturation is the presence of more dissolved material in the solvent that could be dissolved in normal conditions. When a solution is supersaturated, it contains many particles and molecules of material to begin the nucleation process. When the supersaturated solution is under the correct conditions, crystallization begins to occur more rapidly. But this is not the case for all liquids or solutions. Some solutions may be saturated at one temperature but supersaturated at another so temperature is able to affect this as well. Temperature plays a huge part in the growth and the rate in which crystals grow. The growth rate of crystals changes depending on the temperature they are in. But some crystals grow faster in warm temperatures than in cold temperatures. This is because of the process of evaporation. When a saturated solution is in a warm environment it begins to evaporate. When the liquid begins to evaporate, overtime the material that was once dissolved in the solution will begin to bunch up and crystallize the more the liquid evaporates. But this process is a lot quicker than in cold environments so this leads to less stability and weaker crystal strength. In colder environments, the opposite process is used to begin the crystallization process. The process of precipitation is used. This process takes a much longer time than the evaporation process. Since this process takes a much longer time, it has the ability to create well formed and high quality crystals that are much stronger than crystals formed in hotter temperatures. Mainly crystals grown in the dark take much longer to grow. Because of the absence of light, there is not as much heat than crystals in light. Crystals in light receive much more heat. But this is not the case for all types of crystals; in some cases the rules for temperature are switched. For example Borax, these are crystals that usually generate faster in colder temperatures. If the Borax solution is saturated at room temperature or at any temperature higher than room temperature, the crystals grow faster in colder temperatures. This is due to the molecular structure of the Borax solution and the movement of the molecules causes the saturated solution at room temperature to become a supersaturated solution at colder temperatures. And the super saturation leads to faster crystal growth. So growth rates vary depending on temperature, kind of crystal, and kind of solution being used in the experiment. Bibliography 1.†Crystal.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 2.†History of Crystals.† History of Crystals. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 3. â€Å"A Brief History of Crystals and Healing.† History of Crystals and Healing. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 4.†Basic History of Crystals.† Holistic Apothecary. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 5.†Types Of Crystals.† About.com Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 6.†The Structure of Crystals.† The Structure of Crystals. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 7.ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 8.†Temperature and Crystal Growth.† Temperature and Crystal Growth. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012. 9.†UCSB Science Line Sqtest.† UCSB Science Line Sqtest. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2012.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Euhemerism and the Gods

Euhemerism and the Gods Euhemerism and the Gods Euhemerism and the Gods By Maeve Maddox As long ago as the 4th century B.C.E., a student of religion and myth named Euhemerus theorized that the gods and their stories had their origins in actual historical events. His name has given us the term euhemerism [yÃ… «-hÄ“mÉ™-rÄ ­zÉ™m]: interpretation of myths as traditional accounts of historical persons and events OED Much later, an Icelandic student of the Norse myths, Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), suggested that the gods began as human war leaders. He speculated that cults grew up around the burial sites of kings and renowned warriors. The living visited the sites called upon the departed for help in battle. Eventually the dead heroes were remembered as supernatural beings with the power to bestow victory in war. Related words are: euhemerist: noun, one who follows the method of Euhemerus euhemeristic: adjective, ) of persons: Inclined to euhemerism; (b) of things: Of the nature of or resembling euhemerism euhemerize: verb, To subject to euhemeristic interpretation; To follow the method of Euhemerus. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Types of RhymeTime Words: Era, Epoch, and EonNominalized Verbs

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

15 Quotes for Christmas Decorations

15 Quotes for Christmas Decorations Decorating your home during Christmas can be a lot of fun, especially when done with your loved ones. It is a great way to bond with family and friends. Colorful festoons, fairy lights, snowflake cutouts, and ribbons can make the atmosphere festive. So work up your imagination, and create magic with Christmas decorations. Theme-based decorations are a big hit with kids, regardless of age. You can even bake a cake with the theme, to add a dash of excitement. Instead of posting  Christmas cards  with your family photographed hugging each other, you can do something better. If you are a whiz at art and craft, you can make your own Christmas decorations rather than using store-bought trinkets. Get your family and kids to participate in making Christmas decorations and make this a family project. Besides saving money, you will also enjoy doing the project together. Hang photographs of your family during childhood, adulthood, best days and worst days. Take your friends for a  walk down memory lane with old pictures. Nothing is more charming than reminiscing good old days with a bunch of friends. These quotes from the famous and not so famous can inspire you decorating ideas that can help make your home and Christmas tree stand out in the neighborhood. Eva K. Logue A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; it makes no noise at all, but softly gives itself away; while quite unselfish, it grows small. Burton Hillis The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: The presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet / The word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men! Charles N. Barnard The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect! Larry Wilde Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. Roy L. Smith He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. Lenore Hershey Do give books- religious or otherwise- for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal. Ashley Tisdale Love Christmas, not just because of the presents but because of all the decorations and lights and the warmth of the season. Mary Ellen Chase Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. Charles M. Schulz Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. G. K. Chesterton When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? Peg Bracken Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. Richard Paul Evans The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood. Norman Vincent Peale Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Kin Hubbard Nothing’s as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors Assignment

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors - Assignment Example This paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of the interaction of the Morrison’s Supermarkets with its environment and its implication on the performance of the firm. In addition, the stakeholders of the firm are analyzed in terms of the potential conflict of interest. Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc Morrison’s Supermarket is a grocery retailer in the United Kingdom and is one of the largest retail business which has a large share of the food market. The supermarkets supply food ingredients to its customer base and it aims at providing fresh supplies as its selling point. This has greatly has contributed to its immense success. The supermarket has skilled and experienced food specialists who have enabled fresh food ingredients are provided to the customers. The interaction of the firm with its environment gives it a competitive edge over its competitors. Supply chain The Morison’s has its own supply chain which has enabled it to have a competitive advantage over businesses which supply the same products. In addition, Morrison’s has its own production plants for its food products which means they manufacture, pack and grade their own products before they are supplied to the customers. ... The Political and Social Environment Needle The consciousness of the society on healthy living has increased tremendously and this has impacted on the strategies used by retailers in promotion and marketing of their products. There is an increased prevalence of obesity in the United Kingdom which has led to the involvement of the government in attempting to reduce the obese cases in the country. According to Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc (2009), 23% of adults within the United Kingdom are classified as being obese. Pressure groups in the UK have attacked the retail market arguing that misleading labeling on foodstuffs by supermarkets are to blame for the unhealthy lifestyles in the country. Many families have therefore found it hard to balance their diet through proper food lifestyles. The regulation of the government on the food products of the Morrison’s include the determination of the sugar, salt and fat content of the food which is produced and sold to the public . This is due to the increased campaigns on the benefits of a balanced diet that have caused the public to be conscious of the number of nutrients in the foods sold in supermarkets. Because supermarkets act as the major source of food supply to the public, they are blamed for the poor health among the majority of the UK citizens. Some segments of the UK food market are unable to access and supply healthy food to the public. As a result, the Morrisson’s have utilized this opportunity by providing the healthy and fresh ingredients at a reasonable cost to its customer which has made the firm to be among the top suppliers of food ingredients in the United Kingdom.  

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Principles of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Principles of Marketing - Essay Example ace’ component of the marketing mix this paper will discuss what distribution strategies are used in the industry, with an analysis of how much information is given during the adverts. Lastly this paper will discuss whether or not the adverts tell us anything about distribution and if the product utilizes a push or pull strategy. According to National Geographic (2010) the annual expenditures on cosmetics globally is approximately U.S. $18 billion annually. According to a study conducted by the UK based cosmetic store ‘Superdrug’ it is the case that 70% of women in the UK do not leave the house without makeup (Oneindia.com, 2010). Given the size of this industry and the demand for product there is little question that there are a number of different players have carved out a niche in the mascara industry. While the history of mascara may go back over a century, in the modern context some of the largest players in this market are L’Oreal, Revlon and Maybelline. Moreover, there are a number of smaller independent cosmetics makers that create niche products in the market such as Mary Kay. As it is the case there are different firms with different strategies it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what strategy is employed for each individual company. With aggressive strategies In terms of the promotion mix, advertising plays a very important role with the utilization of most media outlets such as television and radio adverts, billboards, in-store displays, direct marketing campaigns, web-content and even product placement. According to Peachey (2002) Revlon spent  £5m to play a pivotal part in the storyline of the American soap opera, ‘All My Children’ which frequently references the Mascara product offerings of the company. In the example of Mary Kay the company utilizes an aggressive ‘personal selling’ strategy so that an element of expert advice can be provided to help educate consumers of what product offerings can best meet the needs of the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Summaries on Chinese Yuan Currency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Summaries on Chinese Yuan Currency - Assignment Example There is also a growing middle class in China that also benefits economic indicators. The article ‘White House Reviewing Proposed U.S. Legislation on the Yuan, Carney Says’ investigates potential policy legislation aimed at the Chinese yuan. White House press secretary Jay Carney has indicated that the Obama’s administrations views on the Chinese yuan currency is that the Chinese government has significantly undervalued this currency as a means of establishing Chinese economic gains. Specific measures in this policy would allow United States companies to seek duties on imports from China as a means of compensating for the unfair advantage Chinese businesses receive from the undervalued yuan currency. In terms of current statistical elements, the article indicates that, â€Å"China’s yuan rose after the central bank set a record daily reference rate, fueling speculation policy makers will favor currency gains as a means to tame inflation and support global exports. The currency gained 0.08 percent to 6.3938 per dollar in Shanghai, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.† It’s also indicated that China’s current economic policies have resulted in the United States losing more than 2.8 million jobs since 2001. It remains to be seen if this legislation will have a bipartisan character. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch has not rejected the potential legislation but has indicated that he will need to learn more about its specific elements. The article ‘Yuan Has Monthly Drop as Europe Debt Crisis Spurs Dollar Demand’ examines volatility related to the Chinese yuan. The article indicates that the Chinese yuan has declined for the first time since January. The currency has declined as Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis will worsen bolstered demand for dollars. The Yuan trading volume greatly decreased in Shanghai as the Chinese government has set its strongest reference rate on record as a means of preventing further investment slide towards the dollar. The pervading notion in these regards is that investors feel the European sovereign debt crisis will slow Chinese economic growth because of strong investment between the nations; the subsequent expansion failure creates an investment environment where the dollar is a more stable investment option. In terms of global outlook in this context of discussion the article notes that, â€Å"European leaders have struggled to contain the region’s worsening debt crisis amid growing concern Greece will default. The International Monetary Fund cut China’s 2012 growth forecast to 9 percent from 9.5 percent on Sept. 20 on credit tightening and faltering demand for its exports.† Still, the Obama administration continues to note that the Chinese yuan remains substantially undervalued even though the currency appreciated 10 percent adjusted for inflation since June 2010. It’s believed that if more volatility and turmoil continue in relation to the yuan the People’s Republic of China will peg the yuan to the dollar. The article ‘Becoming number one’ considers how China’s economy could potentially overtake America’s within the next decade. Within this context of understanding it’s indicated that in 2010 the Chinese economy overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy. Analysts indicate that it

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Types of Traditional Chinese Dance

Types of Traditional Chinese Dance Dance is one of the oldest art of humankind, and expresses the feelings and thought of art through rhythmic, refined and organized human movements. China has one of the oldest and continuous cultures in the world, with over 5,000 years of recorded history. Dance is an inseparable part of the Chinese history. With traditional dancing in China dating back to the Zhou Dynasty, numerous transformations have befallen the practice both positively and negatively. After several dynasties, the Tang Dynasty has marked the peak of the practice with thousands of singers and artist coming up with more than sixty compositions outdoing the recorded figure at the time. However, with the onset of the foot binding custom, women dancers were restricted in their movements, and this led to the downfall of the dancing traditions. Also, at the time, social values and morals that limited the dancing of women were put in place further worsening the tradition. The Song Dynasty as the name suggests revived the tradition and to date has been through multiple evolutionary stages (Van Zile 54-55). Due to the long history of China and many minorities, there exist many different kinds of traditional dances in China, and have been grouped into three: classical dance, folk dance, and opera dance. Classical Dance Chinese classical dance has a very long history. Originated in ancient China, broad and profound, it combines a lot of martial arts, opera in the action and shape, with particular emphasis on the role of the eyes in the show. It emphasizes the coordination of breathing, full of rhythm and sense of style, unique oriental Hardness, and beauty of the dance, intoxicated. Chinese classical dance mainly includes body rhyme, shenfa, and skill. The rhyme is the connotation of Chinese classical dance, the charm of each dance is different, two people jump the same action, and the appeal is different. Shenfa is the dance and action. Rooted in the traditional Chinese culture fertile soil classical dance is much stressed that both shape and spirit, physical and mental integration, internal and external unity, the body rhyme. Charm is the soul of Chinese classical dance. God in the shape of the outside, to God collar shape, to form the gods, the feelings of the mood made the actual meaning of the body rhyme. In ancient times, classical dance belonged to court dance. The court had a dedicated dance team for the emperor. Most of the classical Chinese dance music using Chinese different folk musical instruments, such as guzheng, erhu, pipa and so on. Chinese classical dance clothing antique, according to the specific requirements of the dance also have their characteristics, most of the Han and Tang Dynasties dance traditional Chinese dress. The classical dance is characterized by the unique body movements, the intimate relationship between the body motion and the inner feelings of the dancer, and its utilization of only natural body strength and muscles. The body movements associated with the classical dancing combined with different facial expressions express different inner feelings articulately without confusion to the audience. These feelings could be love, peace, joy, anger, and disappointment among others. Also, it is the internalization of these feeling that guides the motions and movements of the dancer who in turn does not require greater than the standard muscle power obtained through various daily activities to perform the dance. Unlike in many other dances, the classical dance does not require the dancers to have built their muscles. The flip move obtained from martial arts is the most common classical dance move with almost all performers incorporating it in their dance regularly. Folk Dance Folk dance is probably the oldest of the Chinese dancing culture having been created by the fathers of long gone days in line with the different belief of the day then. Folk songs were mainly ritualistic and geared towards receiving favors from the supernatural which would have included successful hunting expeditions, good farm harvests, and are dated to as early as the fourth millennium BC from archaeological evidence recorded of hunting art scribbled on a pot. Folk dances differ in the different ethnic groups and often depict the groups religious, social and cultural customs. Performers are clothed in colorful, choreographed costumes, and the dances though different from ethnic group to the other also show some similarities. Jealousy, forgiveness, love and communal unity are some of the shared themes and play a significant role in strengthening the bond between the community members. Today, folk dances still exist and have paved its way to the Chinese formal theater. However, the j ourney has been long and has seen the transition of the dance. War and struggle for survival nearly saw its end but was revived soon after. There are three popular folk dances that have stood the test of time; lion dance, the court dance, and the dragon dance. Lion Dance The lion dance is accredited the most popular of all the folk dances. It is based on the perception of the male lion among the Chinese. In the North, the dance is performed in red and orange costumes and is full of the ferocity and agility showed by the animal. Its mostly done by acrobats. In the south, on the contrary, the dance is performed in no particular color and does not involve acrobats. Its meant to show the role of the animal which is to guard (Hays). The Court Dance This dance involves several dances all falling under the same. The common are the Prince Qins Cavalry dance performed to celebrate the imperial army.It passed a call to courage and preparedness for battle and involved a huge number of actors. Nichang Yuyi was another court dance inspired by the Tang Dynastys emperor from visions encountered in a dream he had and turned out to be an excellent piece (Jung-rock 17-55). Dragon Dance The dragon and lion dance to date are still the primary performances in any festivity among the Chinese. The Dragon symbolizes wisdom, dignity, and power. The dancers animate the huge long creature, and their number is dependent on the size of the mock dragon. Fire might also be incorporate in the dance to bring out the animals fierce breath effect on the audience (Hays). Opera Dance Just like the other dances, the opera dance can be traced to have begun long ago in China. It attained its maturity later in the Song dynasty and is characterized by the incorporation of various styles including martial arts, songs, literary art, and acrobatics all in one. The performers of the dance have their faces painted in different colors bearing different meanings to show the characters emotions, fate, and role. For example, the color white is painted on villain characters depicting their credulity, evil and craftiness. Green and red represent impulsiveness and bravery respectively. Chinese opera is categorized into several branches with the main difference being due to location variation. They include Cantonese opera, Beijing opera, kunqu Opera, Shaoxing opera and Lvju opera. Today, this dance is not as common as other dances and is only staged on the formal opera house and in some festivities but not a primary dance. The Chinese dances are a very broad form of representing, conveying and preserving their culture. Within the three most important categories of the dance, there exist several subcategories, and they differ within different ethnic groups. Performances of the dances follow different styles including acrobats and martial arts with the characters dressed in costumes to match the dance. Over the past, these dances have played a significant role not only preserving the culture but also preaching peace and unity among the communities. With time, the dances have transformed and may not portray the rich culture that was passed through generations but still hold meaning to the people. However, the communities should strive to ensure the continuity band originality of the dances.