Critical Lens to Kill a Mockingbird - 873 Words

Sammie Clemmey February 2, 2012 Critical Lens Essay - TKAM English 9 – Friedman To Kill a Mockingbird Critical Lens Essay â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†, is an African Proverb. In other words, it can take more than just a child’s nuclear family to make her grow into who she will be as an adult. This lens is true because even though parents and siblings have a major effect on a child, and how they turn out later on in life, society and a child’s surrounding are what really shapes, and makes them who they are. What a child sees when he or she is new to the world, and doesn’t know everything, effects their behavior, and outlook on their life ahead. This lens is illustrated in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by†¦show more content†¦One theme that plays a very big part in the novel is the theme of ‘Usual Disease’. The ‘Usual Disease’ of Maycomb, Alabama, is racism and prejudice. Atticus is afraid that his children will catch this disease and become just like everybody else in the town. So he tries to teach them as mildly as he can, a nd shows them how a white man, like him, can defend a black man, like Tom Robinson. One thing that Scout and Jem find out during the novel is that Atticus didn’t have to defend Tom Robinson, but that he chose to help him. Scout and Jem learn here that their father doesn’t see the difference in skin color, and that he isn’t as judgmental as some of the people in Maycomb. The children have always really admired and looked up to their father, so when they see that he isn’t judgmental, I believe that something within them clicks and they see that it’s ok to just accept people for who they are, it doesn’t matter what race, or gender, or occupation. You can stand up for someone no matter who youShow MoreRelatedEssay Critical Lens Fear Is Simply the Consequence of Every Lie709 Words   |  3 PagesTony Cottone 11/23/12 English Critical Lens Essay Fyodor Dostoevsky’s quote, â€Å"†¦fear is simply the consequence of every lie†, illustrates a feeling one gets when one is untruthful. When one lies, fear fully takes them over because they are unsure of what the outcome will be of their lie. They will be filled with fear and anxiety waiting to see how their action of being untruthful affects their environment and their life. From my experience of literature, I canRead MoreAnalysis Of More Than One Way1317 Words   |  6 PagesReevaluating the Mockingbird When one embarks on reading Jennifer Murray’s article, â€Å"More Than One Way to (Mis)Read a Mockingbird†, it becomes known that she is taking her readers through a thorough reanalysis of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Murray proclaims that Harper Lee’s novel is somewhat misunderstood and over appreciated. She claims that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird, despite its awards and popularity, is a less than great novel†, and instead it should be a novel that is â€Å"worthy of critical consideration†Read MoreHow Atticus Finch and Elie Wiesel Demonstrate Heoric Actions Unintentionally562 Words   |  3 Pagesheroic means to put others before you in a desperate time of someone else’s despair. Two works of literature that agree with the critical lens are the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee and the memoir, Night, by Elie Wiesel. Atticus Finch and Elie Wiesel both demonstrate heroic actions unintentionally. Atticus Finch from, To Kill a Mockingbird, is characterized as a wise man that is an exceptional father to his children and always teaches them the right perspective about lifeRead MoreAtticus s Choice For Defend Tom Robinson1395 Words   |  6 PagesWhen examining the morality of an action, one must consider several factors, including the consequences, intentions, intrinsic nature of the act, and the beneficial or harmful effects the action has on others. The classic film, To Kill A Mockingbird, depicts several instances where a character’s actions may be perceived as morally wrong, based on the fundamental principles of ethical theories. In the following, I will discuss the case where Atticus makes a choice to defend Tom Robinson, and I willRead MoreReflection About Reading1072 Words   |  5 Pagesvariety of critical lens to analyze literature more effectively. When this happened the imaginative stories that I once came to love did not carry enough substance for me anymo re. I was more fulfilled by critically acclaimed narratives such as Truman Capote’s, In Cold Blood or William Golding’s, The Lord of the Flies. Regardless of whether they were fiction or nonfiction, I needed stories that raised questions of ethics, diversity and social responsibility. Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird is oneRead MoreGood and Evil in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pageswhen freedom is necessary for their children, are very clear about their expectations, and determine fitting consequences for actions out of line. Harper Lee personifies this role of a wise and caring parent in the father figure of her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, a character made to mirror the author’s own father, is a lawyer and a well-respected citizen of his Southern Alabama town. Through Atticus, Harper Lee establishes a standard of good and evil, developing the theme of moralityRead MoreEssay on Critical analysis of Alice Sebolds The Lovely Bones3148 Words   |  13 Pagesfollowing hours recalls the memories that led to her decision. Alice Sebold now lives with her husband, Glen David Gold, in San Francisco. Sebold now looks upon The Lovely Bones as the novel that paved the way for her efficacious literary career. Many critical reviews have been published on The Lovely Bones, a few of which are written below. Paula L. Woods, from the Los Angeles Times has only positive comments about Sebold’s work: â€Å"Sebold teaches us much about living and dying, holding on and letting goRead MoreEssay on Silent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 PagesPremium Study Guide is offprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.  ©1998-2002;  ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning,

Drug Testing For High Schools And Middle Schools - 1301 Words

Persuading kids to not do drugs is a tough subject to approach as parents and teachers. When it comes to kids being unhappy, they will more than likely hear that drugs bring happiness to them. With drug testing involved in high schools and middle schools. The students should see that it is no longer an option to do drugs in order for their own self happiness. Students can result to other options that are more acceptable to society, and not to mention activities that are legal. Although these kids may not think the best about the idea of drug testing; consequently, it will have to force them to find happiness by participating in sports, getting a job or socializing with their peers. Students can be brought true happiness by participating in sports. Instead of doing drugs. With the Drug tests, stopping them they will be forced to participate in extracurricular actives. For an example of someone who failed drug tests and realized they were no longer worth it, due to the happiness footba ll caused him to have, Randy Moss an incredible athlete who made it all the way to the Football Hall of Fame. Randy according to Des Bieler who wrote an article on Moss on his 30 for 30 films on ESPN. Said that Moss use to smoke blunts before games in his early teen years; consequently, Moss got caught almost right away in the beginning of his college career because there was no drug tests in high school. If he would have not of been caught and drug tested Moss could have ended up addicted toShow MoreRelatedWe Need Mandatory Random Drug Testing in Public Schools Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesIs public school drug testing really appropriate? Mandatory-Random Student Drug Testing (MRSDT) and school-based Suspicionless Random Drug Testing (SRDT) are two of many approaches that school districts could use to help prevent and lower the rates of drug and substance use (James-Burdumy 1). MRSDT was introduced in the late 1980’s when the United States Military created other programs to control substance use (James-Burdumy 1; Russell 169). The United States Department of Education’s Office of SafeRead MoreStudent Athletes Should Never be Tested for Drugs1282 Words   |  6 PagesRandom drug testing is starting to become more frequent in schools; especially towards student athletes. Schools have been drug testing student athletes since approximately 1995 and in 2002, the court made it a law that high school athletes must be drug tested. There are several testing methods that use hair, urine, oral fluids, and sweat. Urine testing is the most popular type of testing for drugs. The debate of drug testing student athletes is still on the rise amongst people. Supporters of drugRead MoreDrug Testing Of Middle School Students1251 Words   |  6 Pages1. Drug Testing of Middle-School Students May Help Prevent Substance Abuse: Study. Partnership for Drug Free Kids. N.p., 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. . Students who were randomly drug tested are less likely to continue the drug use as an adult. Studies show that when students get jobs, money, and cars they have the easiest access to drugs. Among the studies it has been found that students who have drug tests earlier in life will be less likely to continue the drug use. By drug testing youngRead MoreYouth Gang Prevention Efforts : A Two Pronged Prevention843 Words   |  4 PagesGang Prevention Efforts A two-pronged prevention approach has proven effective, with primary prevention strategies aimed at the community s general population and secondary prevention strategies targeting youth between the ages of 7 and 14 who are at high risk of joining gangs. Prevention efforts undertaken by law enforcement departments around the country include: â€Å"Participating in community awareness campaigns (e.g. developing public service announcements and poster campaigns). Contacting the parentsRead More Random Student Drug Testing (RSDT) Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is drug testing? Drug testing is an examination of biologic material such as urine, hair, saliva, or sweat to detect the presence of specific drugs and determine prior drug use. Student random drug testing programs, RSDT, is increasingly common (Edwards). RSDT can help identify the students who are already abusing illicit drugs. Yet most schools only drug test the students, when they should also be drug testing the teacher s and staff. Illicit drug use interferes with the ability to learn, affectsRead MoreYouth Drug Use And Addiction1677 Words   |  7 PagesYouth Drug Use and Addiction Youth in the United States face challenges every day, some more than others. These challenges can be difficult to navigate and can leave these young people finding alternative ways to cope with the stress that accompanies these challenges. According to CBS News reports a recent survey indicates approximately two million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 currently need treatment for a substance abuse problem, but only about 150,000 get the help they need. This high numberRead MoreEssay on Random Drug Testing is a Waste of Time1623 Words   |  7 Pagesable to focus at school. Classes she used to be interested in became utterly mundane. Friends she used to care about became replaceable. She stopped spending time with her family. She sat on the bench at every soccer game instead of becoming the star player her coaches thought she could. This is what addiction to drugs can do to a young person’s life. Addiction can take away everything that once made that young person happy. The only thing that matters anymore is the drug, getting high, and getting higherRead MoreConstitutional Rights1444 Words   |  6 Pagesrandom drug-testing. Drug-Testing The American Civil Liberties Union states, drug testing of individuals without cause is ineffective, expensive and, often times, illegal (para. 1) as well as, drug testing of individuals without cause is an affront to the Fourth Amendment (para. 2). While the fourth amendment does state, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, it does not imply that only the employee is to be secure in his person (para.4). At Kelsey High School, theRead MoreThe Effects Of Substance Abuse On Children1364 Words   |  6 Pagesconsequences of bullying, but studies have shown that students who are bullied at school in grades 7-12 are 50% more likely to abuse substances (Promises Treatment Center). Bullying is the act of physical or verbal tormenting over a set amount of time, usually targeted at one person or a group of people. Bullying is an international issue that ruins the victim s emotional well-being. Those who are victims of bullying can turn to drugs or other substances as a form of coping; people who bully can be shown toRead MoreLimitations Of Standardized Test Scores1644 Words   |  7 PagesBy the time a student has reached their senior year of high school, they have taken a standardized test a great number of times in order to get the score to attend their college of choice. A standardized test is any exam that is given and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. The SAT and ACT are known as standardized aptitude tests (Popham). SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test and ACT stands for American College Testing. The SAT was first given in 1926 and the ACT followed in 1959. Students

The Education Of The Educational System - 897 Words

The Educational System is considered to be an institution where parents are entrusting adult individuals who are proclaimed to be academic scholars the job of supervising their children for almost eight hours a day. They are supposed to use that time supplying them with intellectual resources that will one day allow them to successfully join the social community. During these hours’ teachers have to create some type of sanction over the children in order to be able to provide these educational resources. Which might make us contemplate the following questions: to what extent do control have to be shown? Do we rationalize boundaries to social dominance within the educational system or do we need the lengths and measures being explored? Look at how the schools were run in the 1960s, when the teachers would strike the children with a wooden paddle if they disrupted the classroom. The teachers have also been known to put children in the corner wearing a dunce hat, allowing other students to tease the punished child as well. In today’s modern day social control tactics teachers will not allow children to go to the restroom outside of recess. Children are not allowed to sit where ever they choose to sit during lunch anymore. Does this type of socialized program send the message to our children to conform to society’s unspoken rules of behavior, furthermore teaching them to not question authority figures? Is the Educational System teaching our children to conform to society’sShow MoreRelatedThe Education System And The American Educational System899 Words   |  4 Pagesinstantly. That trip spurred my desire to teach in less fortunate countries once I finish college. Once of the most significant differences between the Ugandan educational system and the American educational system that I saw was that access to education was so limited in Uganda. In 1997 Uganda initiated what they called Universal Primary Education (UPE), which aims to decrease poverty by making primary (elementary) school free, there by more accessible to it s students. (Bategeka and Okurut, 2006).Read MoreEducation Systems Of The Us Educational System886 Words   |  4 PagesEducation Systems in Other Countries â€Å"One of the biggest problems in the US educational system is the inadequate condition of many schools located in economically disadvantaged areas†(Morgan, p 291). Morgan’s article is about improving American school system based on how other countries school systems are performing. For the US â€Å"to close the achievement gap in the US [it] include[s] improving teacher education and professional development†(p. 294). According to the article, other countries fare betterRead MoreVirtual Education And The Educational System959 Words   |  4 PagesVirtual Learning continues to transform the educational system in the United States. For the past decade, virtual enrollments in higher educational institutions have surpassed traditional enrollments. According to the Babson Survey Research Group (2015), virtual enrollments in higher education boasted an overall increase of 3.7% between 2012 and 2013. As described in the Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States report (Allen Seaman, 2015) four year private and four year privateRead MoreEducation : The Future Of Finlands Educational System1137 Words   |  5 PagesStates is considered a â€Å"Super Power† in many aspects, one aspect that we are not considered a â€Å"Super Power† is our educational system. There is no denying that the American educational system needs to be revamped and improved; however, the question is how to do it? Well, the answers could very well come from a small Nordic country called Finland. In the past year, the Finnish educational system has been praised because their students are turning out some of the highest test scores in the world! FinnishRead MoreThe Education Crisis : The United States Educational System1469 Words   |  6 PagesUpon consideration of the education crisis that currently is the United States’ educational system there have developed intangible amounts of controversy, each one in itself claiming to have solved the problem or to have identified what truly is wrong with it. The most strained trend of these controversies is the view on school system policy, policy being what makes a school system unique also is claimed to be the big issue of the U.S. However, in the current state of this country in dire need ofRead MoreEducational Attainment Is Poor And Exclusive Today s Education System2139 Words   |  9 Pages Education has the potential to enable all people to enhance their capabilities and functioning in order to allow the achievement of sustainable livelihoods and a brighter future outside the classroom. However, currently educational attainment is poor and exclusive in today s education system. This problem is related to a range of economic, spatial, institutional, social and cultural structures and processes that revolve around the subject of how the students attitude is around their entitlementRead MoreIntroduction of Innovative Educational Practices and Development of Innovation Skills in Education System584 Words   |  2 PagesArticle Analysis Form of student or school assessment and how it impacts introduction of innovative educational practices and development of innovation skills in education system continue to elicit a lot of debate. Looneys report tries to shed some light on the impact of high-stake summative assessment on innovation. Looney (2009) is convinced that high-stakes assessment and examinations through innovative approaches to testing can be reconciled. Assessments based on high-stake examinations canRead MoreIssues and Problems in the Philippine Educational System: A Challenge Towards the Attainment of Quality Education1986 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Philippine Educational System: A Challenge Towards the Attainment of Quality Education Our country has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. Relatively, the changes have given us advantages not to mention the disadvantages it brought causing downfall to many people. There are numerous questions concerning the issues and problems existing in the Philippine Educational System as to how weRead MoreKentucky Education Reform Act Seeks Help Address The Problem Of A New Educational System2964 Words   |  12 PagesKentucky was the state in where school finance system was relied heavily on local property tax revenues and resulted large inequality gap in spending per pupil and student achievement gap between wealth and poor districts. Kentucky Educational Reform Act seeks to address the problem of unconstitutionality by bringing lawsuits against state from 66 Kentucky school districts where receiving the low property tax bases. In 1989, the Rose v. Council produced mos t radical changes out of court rulings atRead MoreHong Kong Is A Modern Fast Paced International City Saturated With Skilled Workforce1325 Words   |  6 Pagesin the educational system of Hong Kong. However, since 1980s, globalization affected many places in some form on the society. Therefore, Hong Kong has spent a decade in reforming its educational system which gradually emphasizes more on technical subjects to keep up with the trends resulting from globalization. These changes are made to ensure the competency of Hong Kong’s society against the skilled workforce of other nations around them. Moreover, the reformers believed that the educational system

The Tragic Hero in Antigone free essay sample

Aristotle’s theories on tragedy were first established during the fourth century in the Poetics, where he defines what makes a tragic hero. Aristotle suggests that a tragic hero is a character who has a high social standing and embodies great nobility in his/her personality. They are neither a villain nor are they entirely good, but a person somewhat like us, raised to a higher position in society. In addition, the downfall of a tragic hero is caused by fault of their own, often through arrogance or pride, as the result of free will. It is triggered by a weakness in their character or an error of their judgment, which is known as their tragic flaw, or hamartia. The tragic hero’s misfortune also exceeds the mistake they made, which evokes emotions of pity and fear in the audience. Their downfall is not pure loss, however, as the tragic hero experiences self- awareness or knowledge of their wrongdoing. With this being stated, the definition of a tragic hero is best supported by King Creon in Antigone. His downfall is caused by his incredible amount of pride, his tragic flaw, and he arouses our pity and fear because he suffers the most and recognizes his blunder when it is too late. To begin with, Creon was born into nobility as the king of Thebes. Creon’s tyrannous personality is illustrated through his disregard of family and strong devotion to the law at the beginning of the play. The tragedy begins with Creon’s edict to let the body of Polyneices, his own nephew, to rot and be devoured by animals. Anyone who tried to bury him would be sentenced to death. Creon believed that this was just because he was a traitor to Thebes, and he considered the laws of men to be higher than those of the gods. As the king, the citizens of Thebes looked to him for all the answers, which made him suppose that everything he did was right. The quote, â€Å"My voice is the one voice giving orders in this City! † by Creon himself further demonstrates his overconfidence. His pride turns out to be his tragic flaw as his edict instigated a string of events that led to several deaths of Creon’s family members because Antigone defied his law, which he punished her for. Creon made an error in his judgment in determining whether Antigone should be punished because he was too concerned for his public image; he didn’t want to be surmounted by a woman. Because Creon was of prodigious rank and his downfall was caused by his tragic flaw, being blinded by his pride, his character leads the audience to believe that he is the tragic hero. Antigone does not meet this criterion because she knew that by burying Polyneices, she was willing to risk her life and endure punishment if she had to. On her part, her decision was not a weakness of character, but rather the opposite. Moreover, Aristotle argues that the end goal of a tragedy is to entice pity and fear through a catharsis, which comes from watching the tragic hero’s awful fate. In Antigone, this is achieved through Creon because he suffers the most and genuinely feels remorse for his actions at the end of the play. In Exodus, the messenger says, â€Å"Creon was happy once, as I count happiness: Victorious in battle, sole governor of the land, fortunate father of children nobly born. And now it has all gone from him! Who can say that a man is still alive when his life’s joy fails? He is a walking dead man. † This quote proclaims that all was well in Creon’s world until he made his tragic flaw. Now, he might as well be dead because he lost his wife and son, the respect of his citizens, and the possibility of a good afterlife. Teiresias warned Creon that gods were displeased with his edict and would punish him for his pride, refusing to accept any form of repentance. Unlike Creon, Antigone sided with the gods in granting Polyneices a proper burial, so she is expected to have a better afterlife. She did not suffer as much as Creon because she ended her life abruptly by hanging herself as opposed to letting nature take its course in the cave, which would have been more painful for her. Because Creon is the most responsible for the all the dark turns in this play, he is left to suffer for the consequences for his actions even after death, which exceed his tragic flaw. He had the most to lose, thus evoking feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Creon recognizes his mistake only when he loses it all and it is too late to reverse the consequences of his actions. He undergoes a drastic change of character, supported by his final statements in the play: â€Å"I have been rash and foolish†¦ Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust. † In this quote, Creon realizes that he is at fault because he can’t control fate and his pride took him nowhere. He even goes as far to admit that he killed his son and wife. The audience feels sorry for Creon because now he is alone and lost all of his pride and glory as king. Creon undergoes much loss because of his tragic flaw and the audience stimulates our pity and fear for him, making him the epitome of a tragic hero. His pride led to his ultimate downfall and he does not comply to Teiresias’ warning until it is too late. Creon shows all of the characteristics of a tragic hero, from being born into a high social stature to experiencing misfortune that isn’t entirely deserved. In the end, the laws of the gods overcome the laws of men, which Creon has failed to see. Creon ends up suffering due to his pride, which teaches an important lesson on what it means to have the right attitude and make the right decisions.

Feminist Political Change

Male dominance has been witnessed in a number of states globally, with the states doing little to change the situation (Grewal, 9). For example, in the United States, there have been social, political, and cultural forces controlling various women’s activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Feminist Political Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, this is not new in the wave of feminist politics (Grewal, 11); for example, in the 19th Century and the 20th Century, there were a number of campaigns for suffrages including those protecting labor regulations, birth control system, marriage laws system, and equal opportunity rights for women. Although the state did not recognize the plight of these women at the start, it later listened. Therefore, from this viewpoint, one can argue that the state is the most problematic instrument towards feminist political change. One would argue that the state has l argely contributed to the creation of male dominated society full of masculinity and capitalist system, thus hindering application of social policies (Grewal, 10). In fact, the state controls all the affairs in the society, including the collective power and individual security. Indeed, the state is the sole source of all liberalism movements in the society, and success depends largely on the collective security given by the state (Grewal, 14). Therefore, women or feminist politics are mainly affected by regulations provided by the state. Furthermore, the general belief that women need more protection from men has prevented women from reaching their full potential. Besides, protection codes and the politics of protection by the state have hindered women movements. As a result, state regulations, in most cases, usually portray women as powerless while at the same time portraying men as being more masculine and stable (Grewal, 17). The classification worth policy is also another state -perpetuated procedure whereby, women are showcased as being weak in terms of jobs offered. Moreover, the dramatic increase in women population and poverty index has also largely affected feminist politics, leading to more families owned by women (Grewal, 6). Due to this, cases of female pornography and sexual abuses have become rampant in most families due to poverty. With increase of these activities, female political change faces a lot of domination, dependence, and cultural protection (Grewal, 20). Therefore, the state promotes male dominance, masculinity and reduces democracy and freedom. Nevertheless, the state is unbounded terrain of powers and forces, providing rules and practices that control the affairs of the society (Grewal, 5). Despite the fact that the state supports male dominance, there are instances where such dominance occurs unintentionally. It is worth noting that female subordination is one of the factors that have contributed to male dominance and poor feminist politics (Grewal, 22).Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The liberal dimension of state power also advocates for women roles to be in the family. Therefore, there is need for women to be given equal rights and freedom to promote their participation in politics and civil works in the society. On the other hand, the capitalist dimension asserts that women are more exploited in workplaces than men are (Grewal, 8). Finally, on bureaucracy dimension, Brown asserts that bureaucracy usually favors men more than it does to women. All in all, Brown concludes by arguing that the state is a specifically problematic instrument of feminist political change. In my viewpoint, I fully agree with his conclusion mainly because, in many instances, we can clearly see male dominance, more masculinity by state power and overdependence on the state by feminist politics. Indeed, this affects the politica l reforms of females (Grewal, 19). Bureaucracy and Masculinity according to Grewal According to Grewal’s article â€Å"The Masculinities of Post Colonial Governance: Bureaucratic Memoirs of Indian ICS†, there is a relationship between masculinity and bureaucracy especially in colonial and post-colonial India. To begin with, the Indian Civil Service was mainly comprised of castle males ranging from professionals in the field of law, medicine, and education. These males were the elite males who acquired their status after passing civil service exams in India (Brown, 29). At this time, it was only the higher castle that was allowed to use western education. This can be argued as the source of male dominance and masculinity power that governed India, especially after independence. In fact, male power and masculinity nature created patriarchal connections that led to bureaucracy in India as well as more power within the state. According to Brown, bureaucratic power usually feminizes subjects while excluding female subjects. In that sense, his viewpoint about bureaucracy is full of masculinity as well as access to women. In addition, the past colonial state rule of Indian society was full of patriarchal power and networks of bureaucracy and masculinity. Furthermore, the British rule involves a lot of racial discrimination and feminized characters (Brown, 28). The power of the elites was mainly an extension of the authority they had over families and the participation in the post-colonial rule. After independence, bureaucracy bred corruption, which was now common to all ICS male elites, while the level of bureaucracy was mainly to maintain power. Therefore, it is clear that corruption erupted from the past colonial rule around 1940s. Although matters of corruption are evident in cases of bureaucracy, the elites involved usually avoided making these events public including sexual cases (Brown, 21).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on F eminist Political Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All in all, one can argue that there is a close relationship between bureaucracy and masculinity, mainly because both of them involve patriarchal power, male dominance, lack of democracy, failure of considering female status, and abuses of civil service rights (Brown, 17). Furthermore, bureaucracy and masculinity manifest themselves in colonial and post colonial India through patriarchal connections, corruption charges, male dominance and lack of connections between the elite’s life and the general public (Brown,11). On the part of the US, one would argue that there is evidence of some bureaucracy and masculinity. This is because in the executive cabinet, although there are females, we still see male dominance. Again, administrative system is mainly given to a group of people who are not elected. Bureaucracy usually involves a system where a set of people are involved in the administrative system of an institution. Since this kind of arrangement is present in the US, it is clear that bureaucracy is manifest in the US. On the other hand, masculinity mostly involves the qualities and characters that are mainly male in nature. This is evident in the U.S, as the current president is male while majority of senators and governors in US are also male. Furthermore, men have mostly dominated the number of the past presidents in the U.S. Despite these incidences of masculinity and bureaucracy, I still do not support them. In my viewpoint, the issues dealing with masculinity and bureaucracy mostly lead to gender disparity in roles and, to some extent, enhance human abuse especially in the females. Therefore, they should be embraced globally to give equal opportunities to women in all areas. Works Cited Brown, Wendy. â€Å"Finding the Man in the State.† Feminist Studies 18.1 (1992): 7-34. Print. (Attached Article). Grewal, Inderpal. â€Å"The Masculini ties of Postcolonial Governance: Bureaucratic Memoirs of Indian ICS.† Modern Asian Studies (2014): 1-22. Print. (Attached article). This essay on Feminist Political Change was written and submitted by user Jed1d1ah to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chinese art ( Zhang Hongth Studio visit and Artist talk)

Chinese art ( Zhang Hongth Studio visit and Artist talk) In visiting Zhang Hongtu’s art studio in Woodside, in the New York borough of Queens, one is struck by his gentle and lively insight. It is very frustrating for a listener because his English is so heavily accented, but what is understandable of his speech is well worth noting.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese art (Zhang Hongth: Studio visit and Artist talk) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a wide-ranging discussion, he touched on humor, the cathartic value of defacing the iconic image of a dictator, China’s imperiled environment, the dangers of political art in that country, and his feelings as a new immigrant. He showed slides of a number of his works, which all, in some way, reference China. Zhang Hongtu came to the USA from the People’s Republic of China, in 1982. He had grown up as an outsider. As Silberberg puts it, â€Å"the familys religious and economic background increasingly became a serious political burden in the officially atheistic state.† [1] His family was committed to the government-suspected Muslim religious minority, and his father actively worked to spread the teachings of his faith. They were also businesspeople in a regime that discouraged entrepreneurship. The fact that his family was successfully financially made them a target of frightening government oppression[2]. In China, he studied art, so when he arrived in the USA, his technical skills were well developed. It seems that he was allowed to leave China with only thirty dollars[3], which may not have been even enough for the taxi from the airport. He told us that he found a job as a construction worker within two days. He was not lonely when he came to the US, he said, in spite of being in a strange country with no money[4]. His website indicates that he also studied art for another four years in New York[5]. Every work that we looked at related somehow to China. Either it showe d the round and serenely smiling face of Chairman Mao, or a scene that evoked a Chinese landscape painting, or monkeys or fish that appeared Asian, but everything referred somehow to China. This was apparently quite deliberate. His painting, he said, reflects his inner self, and his inner self is very determined to critique China’s policies. In preparing for this visit, I was fascinated by the manner in which he used techniques that reminded me of famous Impressionists but in pictures of unfamiliar places. I was interested in what prompted him to begin blending elements from eastern and western art.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He told us that he observes that no art is truly pure. He pointed out that every artist and piece of art reflects a mixture of influences from other cultures, inspiration from other works of art, and that many include a variety of techn iques. Thus, his mixing of eastern subjects is, to him, a natural progression. I see this as a modern version of what happened in the 1700s. During that general period, European art influences, for example, the idea of accurate portraiture, entered China, as we learned in researching the personal art selections of the Emperor Quianglong[6]. Zhang Hongtu brings eastern influences into the west, in the same way. I was also intrigued with why he was interested in the three specific artists whose styles show up so often in his recent work: Cezanne, Monet, and Van Gogh. He told us that these artists were his personal icons. I also observe that these three are instantly recognizable in style. This may allow him to borrow and mix style and subjects without worrying that someone is going to interpret him as copying. He himself describes these works as, â€Å"zaizhi, or â€Å"re-creating†Ã¢â‚¬  the Impressionist and Chinese classics together[7]. They have been termed ‘reconcil iation’ by Qian[8]. Thus, his brush technique, his deliberate adoption of another’s style, is clearly that of Cezanne when he paints a scene from a traditional Chinese pen and ink drawing and titles it with Cezanne’s name in the title[9]. He also often includes, in his Shan Shui series of these east-west hybrid landscapes, Chinese calligraphy that instructs the Chinese-speaking viewer to step back and appreciate the painting from a discreet Impressionist distance[10]. It is hard, as a young viewer, not to perceive this as funny. Several of us were specifically interested in whether he was being deliberately humorous, and I believe that he was clear in saying that humor was not intentional in his work. However, his criticism of the regime, policies, and practices of his birth country seems to all have been quite intentional. For example, he sent a painting to China for the Olympics, executed in immediately recognizable Cubist style and colors[11]. The image and t he text embedded in it evoked the problems in Tibet. The painting, entitled Bird’s Nest, was sent back, rather than being destroyed by the Chinese authorities, but he undoubtedly made his point. He did not get the publicity for the picture that he had hoped for, however[12]Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese art (Zhang Hongth: Studio visit and Artist talk) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At his studio, he showed us some items that are also clearly meant to make political commentary. We viewed some of his works that featured Mao’s image. He mentioned that he experienced what I believe he called ‘catharsis’ when he did this sort of work. For example, using Mao’s image ( he referred to it as ‘cutting it up’) to decorate a Quaker Oats box gave him a special feeling. He mentioned that back in the Bush administration, he had experimented with cutting apart pictures of P resident Bush. He told us that there was no corresponding response in his psyche of ‘catharsis’, the way there was when he portrayed Mao. In this series, he has portrayed the communist leader as a girl, or as Stalin, complete with distinctive mustache. This latter image was an explicit comparison between the killings in Russia and the deaths in China, according to what he told us. When we chuckled at some of the variations he created on Mao’s image, he told us that this was no joke in China. In China, even now, he said, such art would be entirely and dangerously unacceptable[13]. He showed us a painting of silver fish amongst vertical plants. These creatures all have their mouths open, as though they are gasping for oxygen. He told us that when he painted this, he considered it a happy painting at the time[14]. However, it is hard to avoid the inference that perhaps it also reflects the airless atmosphere for art and dissent in China. The artist showed us a serie s of paintings that are similar compositions featuring monkeys and distinctively Chinese mountain shapes, with city buildings shown in the background[15]. These, he told us, represent the rapid growth of human population, and the imminent destruction of the environment. He shared with us that he felt that artists had an obligation to talk about such problems[16]. As a special treat, he shared with us an animated video of one of his works in progress. This was a magical thing to watch, because it reveals where he goes with his brush, first, second, and from then on. It is not the logical process of a machine, but the deft and intuitive mastery of an expert. He ended our visit on that lovely and visually arresting note[17]. Zhang Hongtu was very gracious, and exceedingly modest, in sharing his ideas and intentions about his art. There is a certain evocation of eastern philosophy even in his presentation of himself. This reminds me of his statement, noted above, that his art reveals hi s inner mind.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If this is the case, his inner mind is consumed with the oppression of the Chinese government, and deeply humble about his own gifts. Seeing so much of his art together, and being immersed in it, combined with his spare and cogent comments, was almost a meditative experience, and one that I will long remember. His art is not just beautiful. Even his pop-art influenced pieces that evoke (for me at least) Warhol, such as his Chairman Mao series, are decorative and attractive as well as thought provoking . His works on the environment are disturbing but appealing even if one does not grasp the polemical message. His Shan Shui series works are often dramatically and breathtakingly beautiful. Seeing his work in his very presence was a true privilege. Bibliography DArcy, David. Artists Pointed Critique is Barred from Bejing. Wall Street Journal. 2008. Hongtu, Zhang. Presentation to students of Chinese art history. 2011. - . Zhang Hongtu Homepage. 2011. Web. Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Emperor’s Private Paradise. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2011. Web. Qian, Zhijian. Over the Boundaries: Recent Works by Zhang Hongtu. Zhang Hongtu Homepage. 2011. Web. Silbergeld, Jerome. Zhang Hongtu: The Art of Straddling Boundaries. Studio Door China. 2011. Web. Footnotes Silbergeld, Jerome. Zhang Hongtu: The Art of Straddling Boundaries. (Silbergeld 2011). Zhang, Hongtu. â€Å"Presentation to Students of Chinese Art History†. 2011. Queens, NY. This was one of the times when it was difficult to understand him, but the overall idea is accurately captured. (Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011). Hongtu, Zhang. â€Å"Zhang Hongtu Homepage†. Metropolitan Museum of Art. â€Å"The Emperor’s Private Paradise†. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Qian, Zhijian. â€Å"Over the Boundaries†. Zhang Hongtu Homepage. (Qian 2011). (Qian 2011). (Qian 2011). D’Arcy, David. â€Å"Artist’s Pointed Critique is Barred from Beij ing†, Wall Street Journal. (DArcy 2008). (Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011). Ibid. (Hongtu, Zhang Hongtu Homepage 2011) These monkey paintings are visible there. (Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011). (Hongtu, Presentation to students of Chinese art history 2011).

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race and Ethnicity - Essay Example f the world to the other in order to get education, employment, engage in business and commercial activities, obtaining therapeutic aid medical treatments, visiting relatives, friends and historical places, attend mega sports and cultural events and others. Moreover, immigration policies launched by the developed nations have also motivated the people to move from pole apart regions to settle down permanently. In addition, colonialism during Europeans scramble for Africa in 18th and 19th centuries accelerated assimilation and acculturation of different races and regions. Constant and continuous interaction among the people of different races and ethnic groups gave birth to amalgamation of new communities and social groups. The term race and racial group signify the group of people containing specific physical features, complexion and traits. Color of skin, shape and form of hair on head, presence of hair on body, height and physical appearance differentiate the people of one race from the other. The examples of different races include African Blacks, Asian, Caucasians, White people, yellow people of Japan, China and Hong Kong and others. "In United States, skin color is an obvious difference. On a cold winter day when one has clothing covering all, but ones head however, skin color may be les obvious than hair color. (Schaefer, 2006:5) Thus, race specifies the origin of the people living as minority in a great country like USA, which cannot lose its identity even after living for many decades in the region other than and outside their own. Ethnic group, on the other hand, refers to the cultural divergence among the people living in the same region or area. Since every group of people maintains its own literature, language, norms, traditions, mores and cult, it looks different from other groups prevailing in the society. As local, and native communities have their own culture and language, which may be different from other groups of people. The same is the case