Two Faces of Man - Literature Essay Samples

William Golding was inspired by his experiences in the Royal Navy during World War II when he wrote Lord of the Flies (Beetz 2514). Golding has said this about his book:The theme is an attempt to trace the defeats of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. (Epstein 204)In the novel he displays the two different personalities that mankind possesses, one civilized, the other primitive. Golding uses the setting, characters, and symbolism in Lord of the Flies to give the reader a detailed description of these two faces of man.The storys setting is essential for the evolution of both sides of man. When an airp lane carrying a bunch of school boys crashes on an island, only the children survive. The island the children find themselves on is roughly boat-shaped (Golding 29; ch. 1). It is ironic that the children are stuck on an island shaped like the thing that could save them (a boat). Despite this irony, they are trapped. They are surrounded by ocean and no one knows where they are. The boys, isolated from society, must now create their own.The children soon realize that there are, No grownups! (Golding 8; ch. 1) This means that the boys must fend for themselves until they are rescued. There are no parents or adults to give the boys rules or punish them if they do wrong, so they must learn how to control and govern themselves. Their first attempt mimics the society that they have grown up with, that of a civilized democracy (Michel-Michot 175). A conch shell is used to call assemblies and decisions are voted on (Golding 17, ch. 1). The fire that they try to keep going on the top of the mountain is a symbol of their civilized society because it represents their hopes for rescue and a return to their ordinary lives (Michel-Michot 175).Unfortunately, the children soon grow tired of this civilized life. They want to have fun and quickly lose interest in whatever job they are doing. Ralph states the problem when he says to the group of children, ÂÅ'We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they dont get done. We were going to have water brought from the stream and left in those coconut shells under fresh leaves. So it was for a few days. Now theres no water. The shells are dry. People drink from the river. (Golding 79; ch. 5) All of their resolutions soon degrade and fall apart. The society gives into its more primitive side and now only concerns itself with having fun. Hunting, which originally was only a practice of getting food so that they could survive until they were rescued becomes all important. (Michel-Michot 175-6) All of the childrens fears become condensed into a monster that they fear and awe. They make sacrifices to the beast to appease it and keep themselves safe (Golding 137; ch. 8). In the end, their grand society becomes no better than a bunch of savages in this lush island setting.The island is abundant in resources, with lots of fresh water and plentiful fruit ripe for the picking. He walked with an accustomed tread through the acres of fruit trees, where the least energetic could find an easy if unsatisfying meal. (Golding 56; ch. 3) Although rich with natures splendor, the children are sorely lacking in the technology with which they have become accustomed to. They do not even have matches. If not for Piggys specs, they would not be able to create fire (Golding 42; ch. 2). This lack of technology both hinders their attempts to be civilized and hastens their progression towards savagery.The storys characters serve as archetypes that displ ay the struggle between mans quest for civilization and his urges to become primitive. The most important characters in the story are Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack. Roger, Sam, and Eric, although not as important as the others, also serve to add color to the story and lend to its progression towards savagery.Ralph is the storys protagonist. He is a natural leader because of his superior height, strength, and good looks (Rosenfield 172). He is also the democratic man, the keeper of the civilized ways (Spitz 173). He was chosen chief by a vote from his peers and strives to maintain order, to rule through persuasion, with the consent of the governed. (Spitz 173) Ralph is every man and his body serves as the battle ground between reason and instinct. (Rosenfield 172) Ralph loses this battle and eventually starts to regress to a primitive state. This is shown near the end of the story when he has trouble reasoning things through. Then, at the moment of greatest passion and conv iction, that curtain flapped in his head and he forgot what he had been driving at. (Golding 163; ch. 10) Ralphs regression continues until he is no more than an animal, who uses its most basic instincts to escape the fire which threatens to burn the island down and the rest of the tribe who want to hunt him down (Babb 11). He [Ralph] shot forward, burst the thicket, was in the open, screaming, snarling, bloody. (Golding 199; ch. 12)Piggy is fat, nearly blind, and asthmatic. He also embodies reason and intelligence. Piggy represents rationality, logic, science, and the ways of thinking that a civilized society depends on (Taylor 170). He has a strong urge to distinguish and to order until reduced to a manageable system (Magill 826). He insists on collecting the names of all the stranded children, using the conch to call assemblies, and having meetings (Babb 11). Piggy is the brains behind Ralphs leadership. Piggy is the first one who suggests using the conch Ralph found to assemble the others (Golding 17; ch. 1). He is the one who brings Ralph back to the topic at hand near the end of the novel when Ralphs reasoning starts to deteriorate under the constant pressure of trying to remain civilized (Babb 22). He assumes that civilized society is all powerful because it seems more reasonable for people to co-exist with rules and mutual respect, rather than obedience and terror (Beetz 2515). ÂÅ'Which is better- to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill? (Golding 180; ch. 11)Simon is the Christ figure of the book and the voice of revelation (Spitz 172). He consistently reveals a kindness that no one else seems to possess whether it be through his comforting of Ralph, offering of food to Piggy , or getting fruits for the younger children (Babb 24). He is the most self-conscious of the boys, and prefers to withdraw into solitude for lonely mediations (Magill 827). He is the first to suggest that there is no beast, that, ÂÅ' . . . maybe its only us. (Golding 89; ch. 5). Simon seeks to confront his fears and comes to accept the evil that exists both in him and in everyone (Babb 30-1). He does this by speaking to a pig head that was put on a stick and climbing the mountain to find that the beast is really just a dead pilot (Golding 137; ch. 8). Simon is mistaken for the beast when he comes back to explain to the rest of the children what he found and is ironically killed by those he wished to save (Golding 152; ch. 9).Jack is the novels antagonist. He is the opposite of Ralph, distinguished by his ugliness and red hair (Rosenfield 172). He loses both elections when voting on who will become the leader of the group and is obsessed with power. This is why he is so intent on hunting, it is a way of imposing his will upon a living thing (Babb 9).Jacks rise to power first begins when the younger childrens fears start to distort their surroundings: twigs become creepers, shadows become demons, etc. (Rosenfield 173). Jack u ses this fear to become the younger childrens protector. If they do what he says, the beast cannot get them. Jack soon decides to form his own society. It becomes based on this kind of ceremonial obeisance to himself and is shown by those sacrifices by which the tribe creates its beast, thereby sanctifying the fear and irrationality that govern the childrens actions (Babb 21).Roger is Jacks henchman. He has a sadistic soul and delights in tormenting others. An example of this is when he throws stones at a younger child when nobody is watching (Golding 62; ch. 4). As the childrens society degrades, Roger slowly loses the inhibitions that society has imposed upon him. Where once he was afraid to hit a child with a stone when no one was around, he soon becomes a deadly enforcer. He kills Piggy by pushing a bolder on him while in plain sight of everyone and also tortures Sam and Eric until they tell him where Ralph is hiding (Golding 180-1; ch. 11). Roger gladly enacts the evil deeds that help the story progress in its downward spiral towards savagery.Sam and Eric are identical twins in this novel. In the beginning, they are two separate beings, but as time goes on they merge into one being, Samneric (Golding 182; ch. 11). They represent the average man of good who will stick to his principles for as long as possible, but will eventually join the majority when it becomes too hard to stand alone on his own ground (Michel-Michot 177). This is shown by their fierce loyalty to Ralph, even when almost all of the other kids have abandoned Ralphs group for Jacks fun tribe. Only after being tortured do they agree to become part of Jacks tribe (Golding 188; ch. 12).The symbolism in the story lends a deeper meaning to the chain of events that eventually unfurl. Most of these symbols can be divided into two groups: symbols that represent civilization and order, and symbols that represent chaos and savagery.The conch used to regulate the assemblies is the symbol of democracy and free speech. Although adequate when used to gather the boys together, it holds little power when confronted with violence and tyranny (Michel-Michot 176). This is shown to us when Roger destroys the conch with the same bolder that kills Piggy, effectively destroying the last remnants of Ralphs civilized society (Golding 181; ch. 11).The signal fire, and Piggys glasses (which are used to light the fires), are also symbols of civilization. The signal fire represents rescue, but it is also a distant end that will only be reached at the price of an everyday effort (Michel-Michot 176). Like most things in our society, culture and education to name a few, it is a duty that must be done for no immediate end (Michel-Michot 176). Piggys glasses serve as a marker for their societys progression into darkness. As Piggy loses his sight, so too, do the boys lose sight of their original goal: rescue (Rosenfield 173). One of the lenses of Piggys glasses breaks after a fight w ith Jack. The fight started when Jack let the signal fire die out while a ship was passing, thereby costing them a chance at being rescued (Golding 71; ch. 4).Golding names the pig head that Jack puts on a stick as a sacrifice for the beast, Lord of the Flies (Golding 138; ch. 8). It symbolizes the anarchic, amoral, driving force of Jacks tribe (Epstein 205). Only Simon knows that the reason why the beast cannot be found outside is because the beast lives inside all of us. We all have a little of the Lord of the Flies in us.The beast becomes a sign of the childrens unrest (Michel-Michot 175). It goes from being a nightmare in some little boys dreams in the beginning of the novel to something very real that requires sacrifice if one is to be safe (Golding 37; ch. 2). The beast represents the childrens superstitious fears which become so overpowering that it eventually takes control of the situation (Michel-Michot 175).The mask that Jack wears takes away his self-consciousness by striping him of his individuality. When the rest of the group begins to wear masks, they cease being individuals and become a mob. By destroying their personal identity they lose their personal responsibility (Magill 827). He had even glimpsed one of them, striped brown, black, and red, and had judged that it was Bill. But really, thought Ralph, this was not Bill. This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt. (Golding 183; ch. 12) Even to Ralph, who once knew him, Bill has become something completely different once he dons the mask and makeup.The sequence of killing can be used to track the childrens turning from innocence to savagery (Babb 14-5). First, the boy with the birth mark accidentally dies in a fire (Golding 46; ch. 2). Then, Simon dies in a violent act committed by a group of people (Golding 152-3; ch. 9). Piggy is killed by an individual (Roger) quite deliberately (Golding 180-1; ch. 11). Finally the cha nge is complete and the children have become complete savages. They choose to hunt Ralph down near the end of the novel, knowing full well that the hunt will end in murder and sacrifice (Babb 14-5).William Golding uses Lord of the Flies to teach us that the most dangerous enemy is not the evil found without, but the evil found within each of us. At the end of the novel, Ralph and the other boys realize the horror of their actions: The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He [Ralph] gave himself up to them for the first time on the island; great shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence . . . (Golding 202; ch. 12). Unfortunately, the naval officer who rescues them has yet to learn the l esson these boys have. He will take them back to the civilized world, which happens to be engulfed in war at the moment. Ironically, the children have survived one primitive and infantile morality system only to be thrown back into a bigger one, World War II (Rosenfield 175). Evil will always be a part of mans nature. Goldings novel was meant to show us that this evil must be accepted, not ignored, or grave will the consequences be.Works CitedGolding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Berkley, 1954.Babb, Howard S. The Novels of William Golding. N.p.: Ohio State UP, 1970.Beetz, Kirk H., ed. Beachams Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction. Vol. 5. Osprey: n.p., 1996. 5 vols.Epstein, E. L. Afterword. Lord of the Flies. By William Golding. New York: Berkley, 1954. Gunton, Sharon R., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 1981. 68 vols.Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterplots. Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs: n.p., 1949. 3 vols.Matuz, Roger., ed. Contemporary Li terary Criticism. Vol. 58. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 68 vols.Michel-Michot, Paulette. The Myth of Innocence,. Matuz 175-7.Rosenfield, Claire. ÂÅ'Men of a Smaller Growth: A Psychological Analysis of William Goldings Lord of the Flies. Matuz 172-5.Spitz, David. Power and Authority: An Interpretation of Goldings Lord of the Flies,. Gunton 172-3.Taylor, Harry H. The Case against William Goldings Simon-Piggy. Gunton 170-1.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay That Stands Out

How to Write a Winning Essay for Scholarship You have been looking for a scholarship for a long time. You have read numerous articles online. Youve made your own list of college awards that you would like to get and enjoy. Now you need to start your winning path. And there is only one thing that separates you from your success. Yes, you’ve got it right. It is a scholarship essay. It goes without saying that this paper is very important if you want to get a scholarship. You should understand that your grades and ideas will not do the entire job. So, read some winning tips on how to write a scholarship essay and implement them to get the needed results. In fact, writing scholarship essays requires good writing skills. Moreover, you should know what kind of a paper you need to compose. Do you have a crystal clear idea of what a scholarship essay is? Well, it is a piece that shows you are a strong candidate who deserves to win the race and get the money. It is hard. It is time-consuming. It is important. Writing scholarship essays is difficult, and not because you are a bad writer, but because you never know how to please the judge. And let’s be honest – it is all about pleasing the judge. Thus, you need to have your writing skills honed and perfected. For this, you have blogs and diaries to write just for the sake of writing. You should take into account all aspects that an admission officer will pay attention to. How can you cope with all that? Well, let’s enumerate 10 tips that will definitely help you come up with a winning scholarship paper. Read them and implement. You’ll be wowed with the results. 10 Best scholarship essay tips for you to follow: How to start a scholarship essay and complete it in a winning way Well, there are a lot of articles on the Web on how to compose a scholarship essay. However, let us ask you the question: â€Å"Do you really have time to read them all, study and analyze them?† All you need is really effective and time-tested tips on how to win scholarship essay contests. Our experts with years of scholarship application essay experience have come up with the list of winning tips that will surely make your paper stand out. Here they are: Look through the instructions carefully and focus on what you should highlight in your essay. Plan your writing process. Divide it into parts and think over how you will cover each stage. Research the topic you need to cover properly before getting down to writing. Define what sources are the most suitable for your paper and study them thoroughly. It will give you a clear picture of where to go in your essay. Pay attention to your scholarship essay format and its length. If it is APA, you need to meet its standards. MLA won’t do in this case. Be very attentive and careful with the reference style otherwise formatting errors can spoil all your efforts. Develop a winning thesis statement. Keep in mind that thesis statement is the key to a brilliant paper. It should be concise, narrow and fit your topic perfectly. It should be arguable. If you want to get appreciation and make a positive impression on the judge, your essay should flow naturally and contain your own experience. Use simple words and convey your ideas in a clear manner. Present your achievements smoothly so that it won’t look like you are boasting. Describe different situations from your college life and include your accomplishments in the suitable context. Dive into the writing process and concentrate on it. Different temptations may occur and distract you from the process of creation your masterpiece. Ignore them and focus on writing. You’ll be wowed how effective you can be if your concentration is good. Make sure all the citations are done properly. It is of a great importance. Pay your attention that all citations should meet the standards of the required academic style otherwise you may face the risk of being accused of plagiarism. Check your paper before submitting it. Are you done with your paper? Congratulations! You’ve made it! However, there is still one thing that you should do. Yes, you need to proofread and edit your paper. Check it for spelling, grammar, formatting and other errors and eliminate them if you find any. You can find special software on the Web that can help you with it. Another good idea is to give your essay to somebody (your sister, brother, friend, etc.) and ask him/her to read it. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can save you from a failure. We hope all these tips will help you come up with a superb scholarship essay that will enable you to win a long-desired scholarship. What can be done if writing a scholarship essay is too challenging for you? If you are still puzzled or have little time to compose a triumphant college scholarship essay, you may get help online. We make a point of finding the most skilled people to deliver you the most decent writing assistance that will feet your current academic needs. Former teachers and admission officers, journalists and bloggers – we have a team of versatile specialists who are all masters of the quill. Every expert in our team is well-versed in the topic you need to cover. Check the site and see scholarship essay samples to get the idea of how your future paper may look like.

Native Americans And Western History - 1299 Words

Native Americans are the original inhabitants of the West, and have played an important role in Western history and continue to do so in today’s society. Their role has changed many times over, both good and not so good, and most of the time it was not in their favor. The Indians were descendants of ancient hunters that migrated from Asia to America thousands of years ago, and the differences between the Natives and Europeans are monumental. From the Natives lack of individual ownership of land to their religious belief that human beings shared a kinship with all other living things, one can see that the clash between these two cultures was inevitable. But, nonetheless, Native Americans had an enormous impact on the history of America. When Christopher Columbus first discovered America, the first Indians he met were the Tainos. They had no clothes and no weapons, and he believed that they were meant to be ruled and could be set to work and in the end adopt Europeans customs. When the conquistadors arrived, they conquered village after village, bringing with them violence and pestilence. The Indian population was nearly wiped out due to disease. But in the midst of these terrors, many European men had sexual relations with Indian women, and began a new population of mixed ancestry called Mestizos. Though Europeans deemed Native Americans inferior, they helped start a new culture and even played a vital role in trade in the Americas. After Europeans depleted their own wildShow MoreRelatedWestward Expansion and Indian Removal1480 Words   |  6 Pagespreventing American expansion and growth? Although the aboriginal people of America had claimed their land before the settlement of white colonists, the Native Americans proved an impediment towards the ultimate growth in America’s economic and commercial power. 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Is Neoclassical Architecture Really New

Neoclassical architecture describes buildings that are inspired by the classic architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. In the United States, it describes the important public buildings built after the American Revolution, well into the 1800s. The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. is a good example of neoclassicism, a design chosen by the Founding Fathers in 1793. The prefix neo- means new and classical refers to ancient Greece and Rome.  If you look closely at anything called neoclassical, youll see art, music, theater, literature, governments, and  visual arts that are derived from ancient Western European civilizations. Classical architecture was built from roughly 850 B.C. to A.D. 476, but the popularity of neoclassicism rose from 1730 to 1925. The Western world has always returned to the first great civilizations of mankind. The Roman arch was a repeated characteristic of the medieval Romanesque period from approximately 800 to 1200. What we call the Renaissance from about 1400 to 1600 was a rebirth of classicism. Neoclassicism is the influence of Renaissance architecture from the 15th and 16th century Europe. Neoclassicism was a European movement that dominated the 1700s. Expressing the logic, order, and rationalism of the Age of Enlightenment, people again returned to neoclassical ideas.  For the United States after the American Revolution in 1783, these concepts profoundly shaped the new government not only in the writing of the U.S. Constitution, but also in the architecture built to express the ideals of the new nation. Even today in much of the public architecture in Washington, D.C., the nations capital, you may see echoes of the Parthenon in Athens or the Pantheon in Rome. The word.neoclassic (without a hyphen is the preferred spelling) has come to be a general term encompassing a variety influences, including  Classical Revival, Greek Revival, Palladian, and Federal. Some people dont even use the word neoclassical because they think it is useless in its generality. The word classic itself has changed in meaning over the centuries. At the time of the Mayflower Compact in 1620, the classics would have been the books written by Greek and Roman scholars — today we have classic rock, classic movies, and classic novels that have nothing to do with ancient classical times. The commonality is that anything called classic is considered superior or first class. In this sense, every generation has a new classic, or neoclassic. Neoclassical Characteristics During the 18th century, the written works of the Renaissance architects Giacomo da Vignola and Andrea Palladio were widely translated and read. These writings inspired appreciation for the Classical Orders of architecture and the beautifully proportioned architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Neoclassical buildings have many (although not necessarily all) of four features: (1) symmetrical floor plan shape and fenestration (i.e., placement of windows); (2) tall columns, generally Doric but sometimes Ionic, that rise the full height of the building. In residential architecture, a double portico; (3) triangular pediments; and (4) a centered domed roof. The Beginnings of Neoclassical Architecture One important 18th century thinker, the French Jesuit priest Marc-Antoine Laugier, theorized that all architecture derives from three basic elements: the column, the entablature, and the pediment. In 1753, Laugier published a book-length essay that outlined his theory that all architecture grows from this shape, which he called the Primitive Hut. The general idea was that society was best when it was more primitive, that a purity is native in simplicity and symmetry. The romanticization of simple forms and the Classical Orders spread to the American colonies. Symmetrical neoclassical buildings modeled after classical Greek and Roman temples were thought to symbolize principles of justice and democracy. One of the most influential Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon the ideas of Andrea Palladio when he drew architectural plans for the new nation, the United states. Jeffersons neoclassical design for the Virginia State Capitol in 1788 started the ball rolling for the building of the nations capital in Washington, D.C. The State House in Richmond has been called one of the Ten Buildings That Changed America. Famous Neoclassical Buildings After the Treaty of Paris in 1783 when the colonies were forming a more perfect Union and developing a constitution, the Founding Fathers turned to the ideals of ancient civilizations. Greek architecture and Roman government were nondenominational temples to democratic ideals. Jeffersons Monticello, the U.S. Capitol, the White House, and the U.S. Supreme Court building are all variations of the neoclassical — some being more influenced by Palladian ideals and some more like Greek Revival temples. Architectural historian Leland M. Roth writes that all of the architecture of the period from 1785 to 1890 (and even much of it up to 1930) adapted historic styles to create associations in the mind of the user or observer which would strengthen and enhance the functional purpose of the building. About Neoclassical Houses The word neoclassical is often used to describe an architectural style, but neoclassicism is not actually any one distinct style. Neoclassicism is a trend, or approach to design, that can incorporate a variety of styles. As architects and designers became known for their work, their names became associated with a particular type of building — Palladian for Andrea Palladio, Jeffersonian for Thomas Jefferson, Adamesque for Robert Adams. Basically, its all neoclassical — Classical Revival, Roman Revival, and Greek Revival. Although you may associate neoclassicism with grand public buildings, the neoclassical approach has also shaped the way we build private homes. A gallery of neoclassical private homes proves the point. Some residential architects break the neoclassic architectural style into distinct time periods — no doubt to assist the realtors who market these American home styles. Transforming a built house into a neoclassical style can go very badly, but this is not always the case. Scottish architect Robert Adam (1728-1792) redesigned Kenwood House in Hampstead, England from what was called a double-pile manor house into a neoclassical style. He remodeled Kenwoods north entrance in 1764, as outlined in on the English Heritage website. Fast Facts Time periods of when architectural styles flourished are often inexact, if not arbitrary. In the book American House Styles: A Concise Guide, architect John Milnes Baker has given us his own concise guide to what he believes neoclassical-related periods to be: Federal Style, 1780-1820, is named after the new U.S. government, although ideas come from the British Isles, including a continued interest in the Palladian window and the work of Robert Adams. A Federalist building does not always have imposing pillars, but its symmetry and decorative details are classically inspired.Neoclassical, 1780-1825, is the period of Americas breaking away from European modifications of Classical ideas and ideals, adhering instead to strict classical orders of proportion. Baker says the Neoclassicists rarely presumed to distort the proportions of the classical orders except in the subtlest way.Greek Revival, 1820-1850, de-emphasized Roman architectural details, such as the dome and arch, and focused more on the Greek way. This was a favorite of Antebellum architecture, the stately plantation homes built before Americas Civil War.Neoclassical Revival, 1895-1950, became a modernists interpretation of ancient Rome and Greece. When well done, writes Baker, thes e houses had a certain dignity, but the line between dignity and pomposity was tenuous at best....Some of the most grotesque, tasteless, and nouveau-riche buildings offered by speculative builders today are pale shadows of the Neoclassical Revival. One can often see the pretense carried to absurdity when a makeshift portico is slapped on the facade of a raised ranch or pseudo-colonial. Unfortunately it is not an uncommon sight. Sources About the U.S. Capitol Building, https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-buildings/about-us-capitol-building and Capitol Hill Neoclassical Architecture, https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/architecture-styles/neoclassical-architecture-capitol-hill, Architect of the Capitol [accessed April 17, 2018] A Concise History of American Architecture by Leland M. Roth, Harper Row, 1979, p. 54 American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, Norton, 1994, pp. 54, 56, 64, 104 Additional Photo Credits: Kenwood House, English Heritage Paul Highnam/Getty Images (cropped) Kenwood: History and Stories. English Heritage.

Direct Cinema Essay - 901 Words

Direct Cinema The term direct cinema was coined by American director Albert Maysles, to describe the style of documentary that he and his contemporaries were making in the 1960s as a result of a lightweight, portable 16mm camera and high quality lightweight audio recorders becoming available. The introduction of these, together with film-stock which was sensitive enough to give a good quality close-up monochrome picture under most lighting conditions (Including hand-held lights) led to a revolution in Documentary filmmaking, allowing film crews to be much more flexible. Gone were the days of bulky, virtually immobile 35mm cameras; now manufacturers improved their 16mm stock and accepted it†¦show more content†¦Ideal subjects for documentaries according to the direct cinema ethos were: 1) A person who is interesting; 2) A person who is in an interesting situation which s/he cares deeply about; 3) A subject where a conclusion can be arrived at in a limited time; and 4) A subject where there is easy access to events. The group believed that the cameraman, the director and the sound recordist were all equal in status and were all film-makers, playing a role in an integrated process. They felt that the filmmakers relationship with the subject was personal and one of equality, and that an audience was active in its engagement with the film. Direct cinema practitioners wished the audience to be presented with sufficient evidence to enable them to make up their own minds and not be mere passive observers. ... the degree to which the camera changes the situation is mostly due to the nature of the person filming it... Richard Leacock. Direct cinema was conceived with TV in mind. In the 60s TV had poor picture quality, the black-and-white image being frequently fuzzy with viewers reliant on good quality sound. Image quality such as this fitted in perfectly with direct cinemas stance on camera framing and editing; anything more complex thanShow MoreRelatedThe Maysles Brothers, Albert And David Maysles1398 Words   |  6 PagesPerhaps the most well-known innovators of the direct cinema genre of documentary film are the Maysles brothers, Albert and David Maysles. Together they created what became one of the most revolutionary contributions to direct cinema, Grey Gardens. This documentary film features the daily lives of a mother and her middle aged daughter, both named Edith Beale, who live in squalor despite their numerous recounts of their luxurious past. Through this film, the Maysles brothers went against the aestheticRead More The Evolution of Film Essay example1185 Words   |  5 PagesIn the early times of narrative cinema there was litter pressure on the filmmakers for the evolution of film forms before nickelodeons (Salt, 31) as cinema had not become a mass cultural product and film was still just a novelty expected to die out like rock n roll. And so the demand was low and so the supply could remain unoriginal. Mary Janes Mishap was made in 1903 when ‘multi-scene films were becoming popular’ (Salt, 32). Mary Janes Mishap is notable for its use of experimental and inventiveRead MoreThe Indian Film Industry Of India1380 Words   |  6 Pagesfilm production in the world. However, the first films India watched were not made in Bollywood. The various stages of evolution of bollywood can be categorized as follows: Silent Era to Talkies (1930-1940): Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema was a man with vision and courage. In the silent era, he pioneered the revolution and released his path breaking film, Raja Harishchandra, based on a mythological character on 21st April, 1913 in Olympia theatre. It was India’s first full-length featureRead MoreThe Art World Of The 1970 S Essay1328 Words   |  6 Pagesactivism in following a group of working-class female service labourers and feminist activists attempting to draw attention to their issues to build a union. The film utilises documentary style, simple mimesis and minimal editing to build a more direct connection between the subjects and the audience. Using the stories of real female cleaners and showcasing the most abject of the labours, such a toilet cleaning, Night Cleaners presented a ‘warts and all’ perspective on women’s work. While workingRead MoreEssay on New German Cinema1049 Words   |  5 PagesNew German Cinema Introduction The Second World War brought forth not only physical destruction to Germany, but also cultural destruction, particularly in its film industry. The film industry of West Germany, in particular, went under the inevitable control of the United States (US). American films became popular among the West German public, while prominent West German directors and actors chose to leave West Germany to pursue their careers in Hollywood, with many of them becoming highly successfulRead MoreFreedom of Expression is Ensured in India1473 Words   |  6 Pagesdecency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.† This means that the government can potentially censor anything. No other form of expression has had so many run-ins with these constitutional mandates as cinema. In India the National Cinematograph act (1952) lays down the guidelines to be followed during certification of films. It comes under the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) which in turn comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of InformationRead MoreThe Postcolonial Theory Of Third Cinema4380 Words   |  18 Pagespopular and important film theory s that it still around today is Third Cinema also known as the Postcolonial theory. Third cinema emerged in early 1960 through the 1970 s in Latin America and was seen as a militant tool leading to freedom and a revolution. Third cinema was not only about films rather it was about literature and artwork as well as political manifestos written by filmmakers. The whole idea behind third cinema is that it â€Å"refers to the colonized, neo-colonized, or decolonized nationsRead MoreComparison of Two Films: Essay1290 Words   |  6 Pagesin the South felt much better about doing horrible deeds to black citizens, denying blacks their civil rights Though the portrayal of both blacks and the KU KLUX KLAN were extremely off track, the movie itself was an amazing work of cinema for its time. This was probably the first movie to use hundreds of extra in a battle scene. These scenes were well crafted by the filmmaker, and while not to the perfection of more modern films such as Braveheart, the technology and genius thatRead MoreIssues in Philippine Cinema5002 Words   |  21 Pagesto prove your point. The Philippine film industry, considered by many critics, producers, directors, movie workers, is either slowly but surely dying or is already dead. Notice the use of the term Philippine film industry instead of Philippine cinema. This is such for the main reason that the people who deem filmmaking in the Philippines dead, qualify their assumption based on box-office returns and the profit their movies make. Hence it is more apt to use the term film industry since what theyRead MoreBussiness Plan for Mobile Movie Theater2314 Words   |  10 Pagescircumstances are feasible. 3.1 Summary about the Company ‘Cinema Paradiso’ is a mobile movie theatre system which brings the high quality experience of watching latest movies. It is a motion movie house with seating capacity of 25 per bus. It is mainly targeting the upper class people those who are unable to visit theatres due to their busy life style. So the company is targeting people living in flats, villas and other residential areas. Cinema Paradiso is also targeting people those who used to visit

Hollywood Films And The Civil Rights Movement Essay

Contemporary American movies reflect on racial issues in American history and strive to present the latter as a negative experience of the nation. In this respect, Hollywood is a leading film studio that shoots films about racism prior to the Civil Rights Movement and after it. Both the manner in which most black characters are portrayed in Hollywood films and ideas conveyed by the latter suggest that Hollywood’s approach to racism is ultimately negative. However, Hollywood films shot in more recent times and Hollywood’s attitude to non-white actors speak about the film studios’ hypocritical approach to racism, as Hollywood’s activities indirectly promote racist ideologies spreading in the US film industry. Hollywood’s hypocritical approach to racism is proved by movie characters’ whitening, the white default option, the Oscars’ whitewashing, and films’ racist depiction of other races. Yet, in the second half of the 20th century when the Civil Rights Movement worked on the white majority’s reconsideration of racist perception of the black population, Hollywood shot films that vividly advocated for the end of racial prejudices in the US society. For example, Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night is the 1967 movie that narrates the story of Virgil Tibbs, a black detective from Pennsylvania, who faces racial prejudices of the police colleagues in Sparta, Mississippi. In particular, Police Chief Bill Gillespie wants to arrest Virgil Tibbs to pin the murder of PhillipShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Blaxploitation Films : A New Step For The Hollywood Film Industry From 1968 Till1623 Words   |  7 Pagesconceptual incongruity in Blaxploitation films concerning the shaping and portrayal of the female character exemplified in the works of Pam Grier. A new step for the Hollywood film industry from 1968 till nowadays is the creation of the MPAA film rating system. Ever since the erasure of the production code of the Classic Hollywood era, and filmmakers’ realisation that they do not need the seal of approval, it has become possible to show or tell anything on screen. Film genres like horror for examples thrivedRead MoreThe Black And White Cultures1298 Words   |  6 Pagesnot â€Å"A list thespians or Emmy award winning talent† in white Hollywood like it is currently. Thus, for broadness, to get a real link with the aspects of Blacks in Hollywood sixty years ago, we have to get in depth with reasonable detail. Michael Roemer’s, film Nothing but Man, embarks on a true masterpiece that seizes the rage of African Americans mindfulness in the robust intolerance and prejudice in the rural south. At the time this film was produced and filmed there were numerous factors that eradicatedRead MoreAmerica s Social Climate : The Melting Pot1680 Words   |  7 Pageshas enlightened my view of conditions and how films discreetly reinforce the stereotypes and class structures to maintain a particular ideology. For this reason, I chose to view the movie The Help because it is considered to promote the ideology of empowering black women during the tumultuous and dangerous 1960s civil rights movement in a volatile Jackson, Mississippi. While the movie delivers a powerful and intriguing theme, the reality is that Hollywood has yet again provided the Eurocentric viewRead MoreRace As A Social Construct1057 Words   |  5 Pagesracial category. Shadism and Racism are both a large part in Hollywood and the casting process. There has been a recent concentration online on institutional racism in Hollywood; social media movements have brought attention towards, the casting process and the lack of diversity at the Oscars. The persistent snubbing of people of colour (POC) in Hollywood is being recognised. However, has this changed the representation of POC in films? The upcoming biography, drama, Nina (2016) has been the centreRead MoreEvolution Of Racist Portrayals Of Film And Television1644 Words   |  7 Pages Prof. Eye. EN 101B November 27, 2014 Evolution of Racist Portrayals in Film and Television. The most common, if not one of the most common methods the morals and perceptions of American society are shaped is through our own storytellers in Hollywood. Filmmakers, writers, and producers for both cinema and television make it their career to create works that tell a compelling story. On occasion, American Society will be reflected in these works, which raises the question: do the works influence societyRead MoreThe Effects Of Black Stereotypes On Mass Media1884 Words   |  8 Pagesin the filmmaking process that depicts this racial enigma. Black Stereotypes in film have always been rooted in films since cinema’s genesis but for this research, I will be focusing on Classical Hollywood era leading into Blaxploitation movement. 2 Thomas Cripps, author of Making Movies Black: The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights era, claims that trendy entertainments in addition to films facilitated conversion in our viewpoints concerning race within America. The massRead MorePerpetuating Values Of Racism : As Seen On The Silver Screen1319 Words   |  6 Pagesdollars in 2015 (Child). The Hollywood film industry is a highly lucrative business that seemingly offers something for everyone: romance, thriller, tragedy, fantasy, comedy, action, and so much more. 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These men worked longRead MoreThe Civil Rights Achievements Of The Famous African American Actor, Canada Lee1333 Words   |  6 Pages This autobiographical analysis will define the civil rights achievements of the famous African American actor, Canada Lee. Lee’s background as a jockey, boxer, and a musician would set the stage for a major acting career in theater and in Hollywood. More importantly, Lee would use his fame as an actor to promote racial equality through the support of Hollywood magnates, such as Orson Wells, and through the thea trical/literary guidance of Langston Hughes. Lee would be become known for his role inRead MoreExperimental Cinem The Experimental Film Movement1453 Words   |  6 Pagesbeginning of film filmmakers were using the platform to tell people stories, so that people could go be entertained and lose themselves in the experience of seeing the film. Though this form of filmmaking was entertaining for most people, some filmmakers wanted to break this tradition and expand filmmaking into a completely different way. Instead of making the same old narrative films, like classical Hollywood, they want to make more abstract and complex films, they wanted to make films as more of

News Essay Example For Students

News Essay California School ShootingOn March 5, 2001 a fifteen year-old freshman at Santana High School in Santee, California shot and killed two classmates and wounded thirteen other people. The San Diego Country District Attorney, Paul Pfingst says, The fifteen year-old will most likely be tried as an adult. One student John Schardt saw the shooter stepping out of the bathroom with a smile on his face while shooting rounds at people. When the shooting started the faculty tried to evacuate the school before anyone was injured and it was said that it was utter chaos by some of the students and some off the students had no idea what was going on. One student, Alicia Zimmer said there was a girl near her that was covered in blood and another that had blood on her arm. She also said when the shots were being fired it was almost like a cap gun.President Bush said that the shooting was a disgraceful act of cowardice and when America teaches our children right form wrong and teaches values that resp ect life in our country, well be better off. He also said First things are first. And our prayers go out to the families that lost a child today.I think that this is crazy. Our teens today hardly know right from wrong it seems when things like this happening. I mean for a kid to be smiling while shooting at people it is lunacy. Our countrys morals have declined so much in the past fifty years. This school shooting is one of many that have happened in the past two years. There was Columbine that pretty much started off all these and since then there has been nearly ten other shootings not all big but where one or more students have been injured or even killed. There was another shooting in California just two weeks after this one. The question is what is driving all this violence with our youth today? Well I think that there are many factors that do so. Like, all the violence on television not just movies but even cartoons now days are nothing but fighting. What ever happened to the good old fashion cartoons like looney tunes? There is also the factor of the parents rising the youth these days. Many of them are druggies or have three jobs. But, there is sometimes the case when the kid is just wacko for no apparent reason. What can we do to stop things like this from happening? Like President Bush said all that we can do now is try to teach our youth morals and norms and keep on praying. Words/ Pages : 459 / 24