This Paper Essay Example For Students

This Paper Essay Animal Farm As A Social Criticism Writers often use social criticism in their books to show corruptness or weak points of a group in society. One way of doing this is allegory which is a story in which figures and actions are symbols of general truths. George Orwell is an example of an author who uses allegory to show a social criticism effectively. As in his novel Animal Farm, Orwell makes a parody of Soviet Communism as demonstrated by Animal Farms brutal totalitarian rule, manipulated and exploited working class, and the pigs evolution into the capitalists they initially opposed. Totalitarianism is a political regime based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life. It was used by Stalin and the Bolsheviks in Russia during the 1920s and 30s and is parodied in Animal Farm by Napoleon, the almighty leader, and his fellow pigs and their ridiculous propaganda and rigorous rule. In the book, Napoleon is deified and made superior to all oth er animals on the farm, for example he is called emperor or leader while everyone else was referred to as a comrade, and all the pigs were given higher authority then the rest of the animals. An inequality between the pigs and rest of the farm was that the pigs lived in the farm house while the other majority had to sleep in pastures. A certain pig Squealer who could turn black into white was in charge of propaganda, and he would often change the commandments of the farm so that they would fit the actions of Napoleon or the upper class of the farm which was supposedly classless. For example, at one time a commandment read No animal shall drink alcohol(P. 75), but soon after Napoleon drank an abundance and almost died the commandment was changed to No animal shall drink to excess. which made it seem as though Napoleon was within the rules. Another instance where Napoleon showed severe rule was when everyone on the farm who had either pledged for or showed support at one time for Snow ball, the exiled former leader, was executed on the spot. This act was a humorous resemblance of The Great Purge in Russia where all opposition was killed off. The governing system of the Animal Farm was truly corrupt, but it did not stop with the propaganda and executions. At first on the Animal Farm, it was promised to the majority of the animals who were neither Napoleon or a pig, or the so-called working class, that from each according to his ability to each according to his needs, no more, no less. In other words, if all the animals worked to their capabilities they would get the work back in rations. This system worked for a while, but stopped when Napoleon and his Totalitarian government took over, and the system was manipulated. Napoleon and his fellow pigs gave the animals unfair hours of labor and unfair rations for their work which corrupted the system. Napoleon attempted to keep the animals intact by inspiring them with slogans, Napoleon is always right. and I will work harder.(P.40) This seemed to work because no animal would refuse to do their job because of the fear of their food supply being cut as a penalty. As an example, Napoleon announced that all animals would have to work voluntary Sunday afternoons, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his ration reduced by half(P. 42). Napoleon gave the animals long, many hour days so that the farm could move toward industrialization with the building of a windmill, much like The Five Year Plan of Russia. This act was made comical because much like in Russia the plan kept on failing, but the government proceeded in actions anyway. The so-called working class of the Animal Farm which at first had a bright future was turned into more of a slave class. Animal Farm started with a dream, a dream of old Majors which was for the animals of England specifically the Manor Farm to rebel against the humans, take over the farm, and live at peace amongst themselves. This dream soon became a reality for the animals of the Manor Farm as they defeated their master, Mr. Jones, in the Battle of Cowshed with their battle cry Four legs good, two legs bad, and took over the farm which they renamed Animal Farm. The first leader was Snowball who ruled along with his fellow pigs and kept Majors dream alive, only to be expelled from the farm soon after he took over. The next leader was Napoleon, who brought a whole new type of Totalitarianist government to the Animal Farm. The farm which was supposed to be equal and free of class had a distinct governing body or upper class with the pigs and a distinct working class or majority which was everyone, but the pigs. The working class was manipulated and old Majors dream was going away. Eventually, the seven commandments which were set forth at the beginning were changed in to one commandment that read All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. Indeed, the pigs had become like their worst, most hated enemy, the human, a nd Majors dream and the hard work of the majority of the animals on the farm had been wiped away much like Lenins dreams for Russia were. In fact, Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution were alike in many ways. Both started with bright ideas for a future and ended with a corrupt government taking over only to turn the colony into what it initially opposed. The setting of a farm with animals to represent revolutionary figures in an extreme country seems outrageous, but the idea can be perceived very well in this novel. Orwell combines some great humor into this symbolic story to give a bad effect on Russia in the time of its Revolution, making a mockery of Totalitarian rule, the working class, and idealization for the future. Word Count: 1007 .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .postImageUrl , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:hover , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:visited , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:active { border:0!important; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:active , .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u64289548046b44682081aaadfe6849bb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma Essay We will write a custom essay on This Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This Paper Essay Example For Students This Paper Essay Animal Farm As A Social Criticism Writers often use social criticism in their books to show corruptness or weak points of a group in society. One way of doing this is allegory which is a story in which figures and actions are symbols of general truths. George Orwell is an example of an author who uses allegory to show a social criticism effectively. As in his novel Animal Farm, Orwell makes a parody of Soviet Communism as demonstrated by Animal Farms brutal totalitarian rule, manipulated and exploited working class, and the pigs evolution into the capitalists they initially opposed. Totalitarianism is a political regime based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life. It was used by Stalin and the Bolsheviks in Russia during the 1920s and 30s and is parodied in Animal Farm by Napoleon, the almighty leader, and his fellow pigs and their ridiculous propaganda and rigorous rule. In the book, Napoleon is deified and made superior to all oth er animals on the farm, for example he is called emperor or leader while everyone else was referred to as a comrade, and all the pigs were given higher authority then the rest of the animals. An inequality between the pigs and rest of the farm was that the pigs lived in the farm house while the other majority had to sleep in pastures. A certain pig Squealer who could turn black into white was in charge of propaganda, and he would often change the commandments of the farm so that they would fit the actions of Napoleon or the upper class of the farm which was supposedly classless. For example, at one time a commandment read No animal shall drink alcohol(P. 75), but soon after Napoleon drank an abundance and almost died the commandment was changed to No animal shall drink to excess. which made it seem as though Napoleon was within the rules. Another instance where Napoleon showed severe rule was when everyone on the farm who had either pledged for or showed support at one time for Snow ball, the exiled former leader, was executed on the spot. This act was a humorous resemblance of The Great Purge in Russia where all opposition was killed off. The governing system of the Animal Farm was truly corrupt, but it did not stop with the propaganda and executions. At first on the Animal Farm, it was promised to the majority of the animals who were neither Napoleon or a pig, or the so-called working class, that from each according to his ability to each according to his needs, no more, no less. In other words, if all the animals worked to their capabilities they would get the work back in rations. This system worked for a while, but stopped when Napoleon and his Totalitarian government took over, and the system was manipulated. Napoleon and his fellow pigs gave the animals unfair hours of labor and unfair rations for their work which corrupted the system. Napoleon attempted to keep the animals intact by inspiring them with slogans, Napoleon is always right. and I will work harder.(P.40) This seemed to work because no animal would refuse to do their job because of the fear of their food supply being cut as a penalty. As an example, Napoleon announced that all animals would have to work voluntary Sunday afternoons, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his ration reduced by half(P. 42). Napoleon gave the animals long, many hour days so that the farm could move toward industrialization with the building of a windmill, much like The Five Year Plan of Russia. This act was made comical because much like in Russia the plan kept on failing, but the government proceeded in actions anyway. The so-called working class of the Animal Farm which at first had a bright future was turned into more of a slave class. Animal Farm started with a dream, a dream of old Majors which was for the animals of England specifically the Manor Farm to rebel against the humans, take over the farm, and live at peace amongst themselves. This dream soon became a reality for the animals of the Manor Farm as they defeated their master, Mr. Jones, in the Battle of Cowshed with their battle cry Four legs good, two legs bad, and took over the farm which they renamed Animal Farm. The first leader was Snowball who ruled along with his fellow pigs and kept Majors dream alive, only to be expelled from the farm soon after he took over. The next leader was Napoleon, who brought a whole new type of Totalitarianist government to the Animal Farm. The farm which was supposed to be equal and free of class had a distinct governing body or upper class with the pigs and a distinct working class or majority which was everyone, but the pigs. The working class was manipulated and old Majors dream was going away. Eventually, the seven commandments which were set forth at the beginning were changed in to one commandment that read All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. Indeed, the pigs had become like their worst, most hated enemy, the human, a nd Majors dream and the hard work of the majority of the animals on the farm had been wiped away much like Lenins dreams for Russia were. In fact, Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution were alike in many ways. Both started with bright ideas for a future and ended with a corrupt government taking over only to turn the colony into what it initially opposed. The setting of a farm with animals to represent revolutionary figures in an extreme country seems outrageous, but the idea can be perceived very well in this novel. Orwell combines some great humor into this symbolic story to give a bad effect on Russia in the time of its Revolution, making a mockery of Totalitarian rule, the working class, and idealization for the future. 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Sports and Religion

Sports and Religion Religion is an efficacious element of society since it forms a basis for various systems of meaning, that are of great assistance to people in handling the reality of ultimate issues and questions. These systems of meaning are informative on ideas that concern movement, the body, physical activities, and sports. They also inform on people’s thoughts about the world, and influence social relationships and social life organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sports and Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Religion helps individuals to justify and define the relationship they have with God, or gods (Stark, 1999 cited in Coakley, 2004, p. 528). There are so many confusing and contradicting discussions regarding sports. Various similarities and differences have been pointed out by various scholars. This paper aims at giving insight into these similarities and differences, as well as on how Overman’ s seven key virtues have been reflected in modern sports. Similarities Sports are considered to be a new form of religion. This is attributed to the stronger and more relevant forms of religious beliefs and meanings that are apparent in sports. Both sports and religion share several characteristics as indicated by Hoffman (1992). One, sports and religion have their communal gatherings and special events held in structured places and/or buildings. These buildings are adorned with relevant decorations and statues that relate to the event. Secondly, both disciplines are controlled by structured forms of authority, that are hierarchical in nature, and which ensure that all events or activities going on in these places are carried out in a dignified manner. Thirdly, sports and religion have the same quest, to get perfection of the mind, body and soul. In both disciplines, one’s physical discipline is required if good results such as excellent performance in sports, and spiritual p urification in religion are to be achieved. A lot of commitment and preparation to ensure personal betterment are apparent in both. This includes practices and time-outs in sports, and retreats and prayers in religion. These elements leading to personal development are very essential in as far as obtaining perfection and satisfaction of the body, mind and soul, seen through substantial achievement and success, is concerned. Fourthly, both religion and sports are unifying factors. Religion brings people of different races, nationalities and statuses together with the common goal of worshipping a common Deity. Sports are also seen to unify people with different cultural backgrounds, in support of a particular team.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another similarity is that there are historic heroes and legends involved in both disciplines. In sports, heroes are elected to halls of fame. Religious heroes are also elected to high statures like sainthood. Stories on these heroes transcend generations where sports’ heroic stories are propagated through newspapers, or told over and over again by the sports’ coaches, journalists, and/or fans. Stories on religious heroes are also narrated over and over again by religious followers, writers, and religious ministers (Coakley, 2004, p. 530-533). Differences There are also differences involved between sports and religion. To start with, human actions in religion are based on beliefs, events, meanings and rituals that are mystical and based on sacred and supernatural realms whereas the beliefs, meanings, events and rituals defining human action in sports are distinct and not governed by divine nature. Whereas religion is supernatural, sports are not because they make use of concrete and tangible events, which are not grounded in supernatural beings. In addition, spiritual goals are evident in re ligion whereas in sports, material goals are sought. Secondly, religion relies on faith while sports are basically rooted in distinct, clear-cut rules and relationships. In religion, one’s faith is what determines his/her commitment and attachment to religion. In sports on the other hand, the ability to abide by the rules and liaise well with other players governs the commitment and success to be achieved. There is a lot of cooperation in religion because all the followers seek a common goal, which is spiritual nourishment and is not associated with any form of material reward. Sports on the other hand entail competition between opponents, in search for material reward. It is therefore apparent that, in sports, athletes seek success grounded in human nature, whereas the success derived in religion is grounded in divine inspiration. Overman’s Seven Key Virtues and how they are reflected in Modern Sports Overman has argued that the seven virtues based on Protestant ethic are related to the entire organization or spirit that defines sports. One of the key values as indicated by Overman is worldly asceticism. Based on a religious standpoint, this entails enduring pain and suffering with the goal of getting spiritual reward. For example, in order for one to have goodness within their selves, self-denial and disdain for self-indulgence has got to be achieved. In comparison to religion, one has got to work very hard, and have diligence in order to win in any game/sport (Bryant McElroy, 1997, p. 55).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sports and Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rationalization is a second virtue as indicated by Overman in relation to Protestant ethic. Based on this virtue, the world is rationally organized and it is possible to discover religious truth through human reason. This virtue is measured in terms of concrete success. In the same way that religion seeks o rganization in order to achieve success, modern sports rely on rational organization of players in the field in order to realize success. Another virtue is goal directedness. Goal directedness is related to a focus on salvation from a religious point of view. In the light of salvation, human action is judged by its results, where an action is deemed good if it yields to substantial achievement. Worthless or evil action does not bring about success. This is reflected in modern sports by the mere fact that prudent actions are associated with success, while untactful ones are associated with failure. Salvation is one’s own individual initiative, responsibility and choice. An individual’s conscience plays a very important role in determining one’s virtue, and their personal relationship with God/Christ. In modern sports, the reflection of this third virtue of individualism is reflected through one’s own initiative to become part of a certain team, and powerfu lly working towards ensuring its success. In religion, success is attributed to goodness and salvation; while on the other hand, failure is attributed to sin and damnation. The status that one achieves whether in religion or modern sports is determined by one’s input. With this notion in mind therefore, it only means that worldly success is basically not a sign that one is predestinated to be saved, rather it is a mere means of earning salvation. In modern sports, one’s input determines the outcome, as seen in religion. Work, is a vocation and is seen to be a calling from God. The virtue behind work is working very hard, and building on God’s given potential. Sports are synonymous to work and therefore, require a lot of hard work and sacrifice since they are a calling from God, and require athletes to be the mighty best despite the fact that they may entail domination over other athletes. Time is a valuable asset with a moral quality. It should not be wasted bec ause moral judgment depends on one’s prudence and efficiency in utilizing time (Overman, 1997). As seen in modern sports, time is very essential factor. Each second on the playfield means a lot to the players because; time is a governing factor in any sports competition. It is obvious that sports and religion are important elements of people’s culture in different parts of the world including America. This paper has explicitly discussed these two disciplines, showing how they relate to and differ from each other. It is obvious that the similarities between the two are more than the differences, indicating that the relationship between sports and religion is significant.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Bryant, J. E., McElroy, M. (1997). Sociological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise. Englewood, CO: Morton Publishing Company. Coakley, J. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversy. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill. Hoffman, S. J. (1992). Sport and Religion. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Overman, S. J. (1997). The Influence of the Protestant Ethic on Sport and Recreation. Brookfield, VT: Avebury.

WHAT IS ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WHAT IS ART - Essay Example We have creative art, conceptual art, abstract art, virtual art, representation, and other diverse forms of art. Conceptual Art is where the idea or concept is more important than the image. On the other hand, abstract art  is a form of art that represents nothing. Most significantly, visual arts  are a form of art where an artist uses MEDIA and the available technology to communicate about the self to the entire world or audience. It is the most diverse form of art as it reflects the society. As such, art has a number of purposes that include communication, entertainment, healing purposes, expression of imagination, propaganda among others. Art has various elements some of which are visual (Canley Davinci Group Web). There are numerous virtual elements of art that include color, form, line, texture, motion and time, shape, mass, volume, light, space, and value. Color  as a visual element of art has three properties that include the name of the color, intensity or  the purity and strength of the color, value, or the lightness or darkness of the color.  Form on the other hand is a three-dimensional and encloses volume. In addition, time and motion are also visual elements of art. Motion subdivides to actual motion that is live movement, which displays actual motion when we see it in person and implied motion and time is a non-moving image that shows movement through the attributes present in the image. Consequently, the illusion of motion is what we experience when we see a movie or series of shapes that note a passage of time (Larmann Web).  A line  is an element of art, which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. A line has measure, which is the length, and width of a line and expressive qualities of line  that define the individual character of a line. A line can be two dimensional, three dimensional, or implied. Shape, Volume and Mass

Web Development for Information Management Coursework

Web Development for Information Management - Coursework Example System†,â€Å"Boston Pizza†, â€Å"Zuppler Online Ordering Menus†, â€Å"Funny Cow Fast Food†, â€Å"Hoagies & Wings, LA†), it was observed that there is an underlying trend that is generally followed while designing food delivery websites. Usually, a food provider hosts a website with a URL that depicts the food company’s name or some memorable association to it; a name that the customers can easily remember. On the homepage of the website is displayed the logo of the company, contact details and a detailed menu of the company’s food items with pricing, the delivery time, availability and cost for all the items. The customer is given the option to select food items from the menu displayed on the homepage. Whatever item the customer selects, it is added to an item’s cart that displays the total accumulated billing of the order so far along with the items selected. Once the customer is done selecting the items, he/she selects the check-out option from menu. In case, the customer is new, he/she provides some personal information (i.e. contact detail and delivery address) to register to the site and place the order. This information is stored within a database maintained by the food providers. In case, the customer is not new, he/she can use the login details from the past orders. The personal information will be retrieved automatically based on these details and the order will be placed automatically. The payment is done either online by provide credit card details or by hand on delivery. Once the order is placed, a notification is sent to the food provider regarding the placement of an order. This could be through sms, fax or a notification on the system running at the provider’s work area. The orders can be grouped into ‘completed’, ‘active’ and ‘pending’. Once the provider accepts an order, a confirmation is sent to the customer, either through an email or sms. The staff starts preparing the ordered food. Once the food is prepared, it is

Police High Speed Pursuits and Responses Research Paper

Police High Speed Pursuits and Responses - Research Paper Example 3). Latest court rulings, including a United States Supreme Court ruling given five years back, put off it to the enforcing officer to take the decision in high speed pursuits. As a plaintiff’s responsibility of providing evidence may be higher, such cases still carry the risk. It proves the need of a well established policy over police pursuit. A well written high-speed pursuit policy stipulates guidelines explaining what elements are critical and what are ignorable. Rules are given in written form in pursuit policies to help chasing officers to organize or quit the chase by adhering to the rules (AMIC 2-3). Recurrent fatalities in road accidents from police vehicles form the biggest single entity of deaths resulting from police action, thus, a major number of cases are referred to the IPCC in the UK. Although there has been much discussion among the surrounding communities and the police over chase incidents but level of awareness is still low to arouse debate on the issue. An analysis of the cases referred to IPCC has helped in rectifying the mistakes at policy and practice level (IPCC 1). Civilian fatalities following police related road traffic incidents - England & Wales Financial Year Pursuit related ?Emergency response 'Other incidents' ? Total fatalities ? ?2004/05 ?23 ?6 ?15 ?44 ?2005/06 ?32 ?4 ?12 ?48 ?2006/07 ?19 ?3 ?14 ?36 ?2007/08 ?17 ?2 ?5 ?24 ?2008/09 ?22 ?6 ?12 ?40 ?2009/10 ?19 3 7 29 ?2010/11 ?13 ?4 ?9 ?26 Source: Statistics for England and Wales annual reports At higher administrative level, need to revise the driver training parameters have been felt to bring down the number of road hits and injuries from accidents. Comparing the number of accidents by the public and the policemen in Britain, nothing can be said for sure, as the data in the above table indicates but subsequent improvement in controlling pursuit related accidents has been accomplished but the number of injuries to the policemen while on the roads can be critically deci sive to their performance. Adequate training to the police drivers can further control the rise in accidents, as after-effects on the health of police officers themselves could be harsh in physical terms (Fletcher 1). The aim of this research is to prove whether it is advisable to take the risks of high-speed police pursuits relatively to the rewards from them. Such pursuits are dangerous and life threatening for all concerned, and even not-aware citizens becoming sudden victims. Policies are required to be changed to control possible pursuits and the parameters employed to decide or terminate such pursuits (Player 2). High Speed Pursuit Policy The high-speed pursuit policy should help policemen in decision-making while considering various elements, such as: (a) the category of the offense; (b) the strategy of the offender's running; (c) the limit of recognizing the offender; (d) prior hints of the offender's lead direction; (e) the current expertise of other officers to nab the off ender; (f) idea of past activities of the offender; (g) the possibility that the offender is carrying weapons or may use force to escape; (h) the possibility of material loss to individuals or property caused from the pursuit; (i) the fitness of the police vehicle; consideration of the

Theory of Economics in the Film Industry

Theory of Economics in the Film Industry Introduction In this essay I shall examine the theory of economics within the film industry and how it contributes to the production and distribution of mainstream Hollywood films. For the purposes of this essay I shall be researching and commenting solely upon Hollywood productions. My research will include an examination of different theories that investigate and explain how economics shape the way that film is stripped down to its bare essentials so that the business of making movies can begin in earnest. Throughout this essay I shall investigate the importance of budget, audience, genre, stars and guidance ratings in relation to the success of a movie. With the collation of this data I shall explore how these economic factors sculpt what is recognised as mainstream Hollywood cinema; investigating how important they are in shaping the strengths and limitations of what is exhibited onto cinema screens across the world. Using this information I shall argue the pros and cons of how a rigidly structured industry can produce works of art, passion and brilliance whilst being presided over by a business-orientated mentality that should, in theory, stifle any creative development. In my conclusion I aim to explain how this is possible and what may lie ahead in the future. Economics of Film The way that economics work in film is complex. There are a great number or variables that need to be taken into consideration from the outset when preparing any kind of financial package to put a film project into production. This ‘green lighting’ analysis seems to have become an exact science over the years in Hollywood; it has had to be as the average budget to make and market an-MPAA accredited major film in 2005 was $96.2 million (this includes $60 million in negative costs and $36.2 million in marketing costs).[1] With the average budget totalling almost $100 million the stakes are high, and the pressure to recoup the costs and go on to make the film an official success are immense. Unlike low budget films where the emphasis is to produce the film for as little money as possible, Hollywood aims high and expects high returns. It is this importance of making money in Hollywood that has led to widespread criticism of its methodology of producing films. How can art be held at ransom to the demands of cash flow forecasts and daily target sales? In his book, Hollywood Cinema, Richard Maltby questioned this paradox: For the vulgar Romantic in us all, Hollywood is not Art because it is commercial. For the vulgar Marxist in us all, Hollywoods enslavement to the profit system means that all its products can do is blindly reproduce the dominant ideology of bourgeois capitalism.[2] In its simplest form it is possible to split Hollywood into two significant camps; the business of making movies and the production of film. Obviously this is an extreme simplification, but for the basis of this essay it can be used to identify how the images we see on the silver screen on a Friday night begin life as a list of figures and calculations on an economist’s laptop. The fact that Hollywood is a multi-billion dollar industry guarantees its survival. It deserves to be viewed upon as a completely different entity to any other artistic medium such as photography , painting or sculpture. The reality is that the audience actually sees an identical copy (a reproduction), but this does not take away anything from the original work. It is not like going to a museum and looking at a reproduction print of a work of art instead of the actual brushstrokes of the artist. As such there is no real loss in value because of this. Richard Maltby writes that: The economics of Hollywood rely expressly upon this technical possibility, since any number of prints can be struck from an original master negative and exhibited simultaneously.[3] There have been many different models that have been introduced to analyse the process of how economics work in Hollywood. The common denominator of these theories is that the most effective way of studying the medium of film is to study it on its own merits and not as a broad comparison to other media. This focused view of film in the field of economics has been labelled as ‘micro-economic research’: Given the interesting characteristics of movies as ideal examples of differentiated products and of the institutional arrangements governing their production and distribution, such increased data availability would make this an exceptionally attractive area for applied micro-economic research.[4] In the late 1970s, American economist Thomas Guback wrote his essay Are We Looking at the Right Things in Film? in which he argued that the study of cinema seemed to ignore the ‘analysis of cinema as an economic institution and as a medium of communication’[5]. Nearly thirty years on Guback’s concerns are still relevant in that a lot more attention is given to the understanding of a film’s economics. Another economist, Professor Robert Picard, explained the importance of audience consumption in 1989 when he stated that: Media economics is concerned with how media operators meet the informational and entertainment wants and needs of audiences, advertisers and society with available resources. It deals with the factors influencing production of media goods and services and the allocation of those products for consumption.[6] When Picard speaks of the wants and needs of the audience he is introducing a wide range of attributes that need to be addressed when contemplating how a film must be produced to subjectively please its audience, and therefore returning its costs. This concern is highlighted in the industrial organisation model created by Douglas Gomery. In it he describes how the analyst must focus on the objective description o f the organisation (in this case the film production) and not the subjective response (how the audience reacts): The industrial organization model of structure, conduct, and performance provides a powerful and useful analytical framework for economic analysis. Using it, the analyst seeks to define the size and scope of the structure of an industry and then go on to examine its economic behaviour. Both of these steps require analyzing the status and operations of the industry, not as the analyst wishes it were. Evaluation of its performance is the final step, a careful weighing of what is versus what ought to be.[7] What these theorists introduce to the equation is that there are many problems that need to be addressed before embarking on the goal of putting a film into production. This uncertainty is readdressed by Arthur de Vany in his book, Hollywood Economics. In it de Vany explains the uniqueness of each individual project and how its life as a commercial product in the theatrical market is hazardous. He introduces the idea that films exist in a battling arena, a box-office tournament, fighting against one another for the public’s attention: Motion pictures live and die in the box-office tournament as they are challenged during their run by a randomly evolving cast of new competitors. The challengers come from films previously released and from newly released films. The contending films are ranked by filmgoers and those with high rank survive and are carried over to the next week. Low ranked films fail and are replaced by new contenders.[8] This colourful analogy of films as knights in shining armour jousting for the acceptance of the audience is a perfect example of how weaker films (financially rather than artistically in most Hollywood films) are often tossed aside by bigger and stronger productions. He continues to say that: The leading products command a disproportionate share of the market and they have longer runs. Even then, a films rank in the tournament is ephemeral and its life unpredictable.[9] Using de Vany’s theory it becomes apparent that certain actions by the parties responsible for production prove vitally important to the success of the project. These actions are described by Albert Moran in his study of film policy: â€Å"Policy is a series of practice engaged in by an agency – whether government, private, or commercial – to achieve a particular set of outcomes.†[10] These outcomes, in this particular case the target being that of a successful movie release, rely on many attributes and the policy exists in a â₠¬Å"complex field affected by factors such as constitutional and legislative arrangements, general economic conditions, the prevailing culture, social awareness, and technological capacities, as well as such human agencies as politicians, business entrepreneurs, white- and blue-collar labour, bureaucrats, and cultural and social workers.†[11] It is easy to be bogged down by so many different economic models and theories when analysing how the Hollywood system works. With so many factors influencing the results the process becomes a minefield of potential disasters waiting to happen. How can anyone truly predict what is going to be a successful film? Writer Harold Vogel highlights this quandary when he points out that: â€Å"Of any 10 major theatrical films produced, on the average 6 or 7 are unprofitable, and 1 will break even.[12] If we were to surmise that this list of ten films were produced by the same studio in one year then the models as used by Picard, Gomery, et al really do not ease the pressure faced by the film executives. The cold, hard facts point at only a 20-30% success rate in their annual production slate recouping their costs. It is all very well studying the market, assessing the competition and second-guessing the audiences’ preferences, but the fact is that 60-70% of the studio’s produc t will lose money. If we reintroduce the MPAA’s statistic that the average major release in 2005 cost around $100 million, it would mean that the studio understands that only two movies from their annual releases must do enough business at the box office to recoup their own costs as well as the costs of the $700 million from the other eight films. According to the MPAA in the full calendar year of 2005, only eight films grossed over $200 million, twelve films grossed $100 $199 million and 36 films grossed $50 – $99 million.[13] Economic models can only interpret the market to a certain point; blind faith takes over after that. Vogel breaks away from the other theorists by boldly stating that: There are no formulas for success in Hollywood. We find that much conventional Hollywood wisdom is not valid. By making strategic choices in booking screens, budgeting and hiring producers, directors and actors with marquee value, a studio can position a movie to improve its chan ces of success. But, after a movie opens, the audience decides its fate. The exchange of information among a large number of individuals interacting personally unleashes a dynamic that is complex and unpredictable.[14] Vogel’s theory on the exchange of information from the public audience unleashing a complex and unpredictable dynamic typifies the world in which the Hollywood film is now being made. It is now, more than ever, that the success of a film in the box office is paramount to how Hollywood works. He describes the essence of the movie business as this: â€Å"The mean of box-office revenue is dominated by a few blockbuster movies and the probability distribution of box-office outcomes has infinite variance! The distribution of box-office revenues is a member of the class of probability distributions known as Là ¨vy stable distributions. These distributions are the limiting distributions of sums of random variables and are appropriate for modelling the box-office rev enues that motion pictures earn during their theatrical runs†¦ Movie projects are, in reality, probability distributions and a proper assessment of their prospects requires one to do a risk analysis of the probabilities of extreme outcomes.[15] What I believe Vogel is saying is that the importance of ticket sales from the box office shapes the type of movie that the studio will produce. A blockbuster film that boasts a line up of A-list stars will fare significantly better than a film that has no stars attached; the fact that the blockbuster might be an artistically inferior film has no real relation to its success. In turn, the ‘bigger’ the picture the more people go to see it. The more people go to see it, the longer it runs at the cinemas. The longer it runs at the cinemas, the more revenue the studio gets back. This means that a studio is more likely to release a major film, perhaps one of its 20% profit-movies, with big stars attached; this acts as insurance t hat it should, theoretically, be widely accepted by the audience. Vogel adds that: The complex dynamics of personal interaction between viewers and potential viewers overwhelm the initial conditions. The difficulties of predicting outcomes for individual movies is more sensible than the current practice of greenlighting individual movie projects.[16] Therefore the studios can have a clearer idea of how the movie is going to fare if there is a star attached. This is a Hollywood trait that has been successful since the 1920s and the Hollywood Star System. If you were to ask an average cinema goer what the most important ingredient of a Hollywood blockbuster was the answer, more often than not, would be that of an A-list star in the leading role. This is not a modern phenomenon in Hollywood. The star system was first professionally handled with the introduction of United Artists, a talent management company formed by D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart and Mary Pickford in 1919. Nearly ninety years later the importance of the agent in Hollywood can determine the success of an entire studio; it is their client that attracts a vast number of the public to the cinemas. If it wasn’t for the love affair that the viewing public has for celebrity then Hollywood would be a different place, yet the power of Hollywood as the market leader in film is unassailable; even from competitive new film nations such as India’s Bollywood productions. The ‘Big Six’ (Warner Bros., Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony, Disney, and Universal) and the Hollywood stars still ‘front’ the production. As Douglas Gomery writes: The Big Six studios retained a growing appetite for hot new talents. By the late-1990s newcomers Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck, as well as proven box-office winners like Jim Carrey and Tom Cruise, could command $20 million a picture.†[17] He argues that the current climate of Hollywood movie production is more akin to the Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. He believes that nothing much has changed in this time as the Big Six still have a dominant control over production and distribution: â€Å"†¦the end of the 20th century was the era when the Big Six in Hollywood achieved its greatest power and profitability.[18] Another believer in the power that stars have over a film’s performance at the box office is S. Abraham Ravid who was analysed the impact of well-known and well-loved acting talent on individual productions: Profitabil ity studies have been closely related to the study of stars. Stars have always been a puzzling phenomenon. Some stars seem to have vastly superior talents, whereas many others do not seem very different in looks or any other observable characteristics from many other talented performers. Yet, they receive vastly more attention, money, and recognition than anybody else.[19] Another important factor in understanding the economics of Hollywood is by analysing the demographics involved in worldwide releases. According to the figures from the MPAA, in 2005 the total domestic box office receipts in the United States remained near $9 billion and global box office receipts came in at over $23 billion. Admissions in US cinemas decreased 8.7% in 2005 to 1.4 billion.[20] The importance of understanding how the audience reacts to certain types of films is paramount in determining what projects are most likely to recoup their production budgets. One way of assessing this information is by identifying what genre of film is most successful at the box office. I shall examine the importance of genre in Hollywood later in the essay, but for the time being I shall focus on the importance of the film’s appointed rating. In the UK the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) uses a scale of ratings to ‘give the public information that empowers them to make appropriate viewing decisions for themselves and those in their care.’[21] In the United States the classification system is similar yet it is not fully enforceable as it is here in the UK. The MPAA ratings range from G (General Audiences; similar to our U), PG (Parental Guidance), PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned; similar to our 15), R (Restricted; similar to our 18) and NC-17 (Over 18 Only). Using the statistics supplied by the MPAA it is apparent that, ‘consistent with past years, PG-13 films comprised the majority of top grossers for the industry, with PG and PG-13 films accounting for 85% of 2005’s top 20 films’[22] In closer inspection the top 20 grossing films were made up of 5% G-rated, 25% PG-rated, 60% PG-13-rated and 10% R-rated. It is also interesting to note that since 1968, nine of the top ten grossing films have been PG and PG-13-rated (the other is R-rated); this is even though only 33% of films released since 1968 are PG or PG-13-rated co mpared to 58% of R-rated movies. [23] In his studies, Arthur de Vany examined a ten year period of Hollywood production and found some interesting facts: From 1985 to 1996, inclusive, Hollywood made 1,057 R-rated movies; just 60 G-rated movies were made during that same period R-rated movies accounted for 52 percent of the 1,689 movies that did not feature a star and they accounted for 57 percent of the movies that did feature a star. The 100 stars of the A-list appear in, produce or direct more often in R-rated movies than in any other rating.[24] Using the same research data it is interesting to note that less than three per cent of low budget R-rated movies included a star compared with ten per cent of medium budget and 45 per cent of high budget productions: Success rates are a more representative measure of revenue earning power than is the number of high grossing films. The success rate for R-rated movies is just 6 percent, whereas 13 percent of G- and PG-rated movies are hits and 10 percent of PG-13 movies are hits. The box-office success rates for all non-R-rated movies (G, PG and PG13) are twice the rate for R-rated movies.[25] Mainstream Hollywood To summarise all the information I have analysed above, it would seem that the best possible way for a Hollywood executive to decide whether to green light a project would be to make sure that the film was directed by a known director, starred two A-list actors and had a PG-13 rating. Also to be taken into consideration would be adaptations of popular books or remakes of previous films. True to form, Hollywood’s Big Six released the following last year: Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (Fox); Harry Potter (Warner Bros.); The Chronicles of Narnia (Buena Vista); War of the Worlds (Paramount); King Kong (Universal); and Hitch (Sony). It is no coincidence that these six films from the Big Six represent six of the top eleven grossing films, with a combined gross box office total of almost $1.6 billion.[26] However, as previously mentioned it is the R-rated movie that is the most popular release in Hollywood. This is mainly due the subject matter of the story that classifies it as such. This subject matter is defined by genre. Film is a medium that can be divided, and subdivided, into different categories. These categories allow the filmmaker to choose what style the script will be filmed with. The resulting production will then attract an audience that appreciates that specific type of film. These categories and sub-categories are referred to as genres and sub-genres. The idea of genre caters mainly for the mass-produced studio films, most notably those of Hollywood. In his book ‘Genre and Hollywood’, author Steve Neale iterates this by stating that: The definition and discussion of genre and genres in the cinema has tended to focus on mainstream, commercial films in general and Hollywood films in particular.[27] This is supported by another writer of genre, Barry Keith Grant, when he identifies that genre movies are those commercial feature films which, through repetition and variation, tell familiar stories with familiar characters in familia r situations.[28] The most popular genres such as action, comedy, gangster and war films are almost always classified as an R-rating; this is why such a large percentage of Hollywood production falls into this category. So why is it that Hollywood still gambles on making films that, according to models, theories and past experience will not go on to make the studios rich? At the start of this essay I simplified the Hollywood process by splitting it between the business and the art. The business of Hollywood is to make money by getting audiences to watch their product, however, it is not as simple as that (thankfully). Even though it may seem that Hollywood is run by men in suits, there is still a lot of power held by the artists. These artists are in turn respected by the business men because they make them money. This money is made by investing in their ideas and vision. This vision is what eventually makes it onto the big screen. There are hugely identifiable strengths weaknesses in the Hollywood system; this is best demonstrated using the first film from the list I have just mentioned. Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith grossed $380 million and is a blockbuster science-fiction film. When the orig inal Star Wars was released in 1977 there was nothing to compare it to, it created a new style of filmmaking that was light years away from the B-movie science-fiction films previously. Admittedly, the hype of the film and its predecessors certainly helped its success at the box office but it is still a movie that exemplifies the Hollywood experience; pure escapism. It can be labelled as ‘painting by numbers’ in so much that it has a popular director (George Lucas), a couple of A-list stars (Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson) and a PG-13 rating. However, these attributes are just that; minor factors that make up the whole. Twenty years ago when Hollywood was in its darkest hour, such a major project would probably never have been given the infamous green light. The early 1980’s saw a dramatic drop in box office receipts. The beginning of the decade saw a 9% drop in tickets sold nationwide in American cinemas when only 1.02 billion were sold. This figure got worse in 1986 when just over 1.01 billion tickets were sold[29] (compared to over 4.5 billion ticket sales in 1930). The home video market had certainly dented theatrical sales but Hollywood would always recoup somehow. The immediate problem was the cost of keeping cinemas open; a similar situation to the post Depression period of the 1930’s. Another financial reshuffle was in order. The Big Six were now part of conglomerates. Gulf Western (Paramounts parent company) also owned Madison Square Gardens, Desilu, Simon and Schuster, and Paramount Pictures Television. Yet, only 11% of Gulf Western’s revenues were derived from entertainment industry holdings and just 4% from Paramount Pictures in 1981. That same year, United Artists was bringing only 12% of the revenues in for Transamerica, Universal represented 22% of MCAs income, and Warner Bros. accounted for 24% of Warner Communications revenue.[30] However, by 1989, the entertainment division of Gulf Western, led by Paramo unt Pictures, accounted for over 50% of Gulf Western’s yearly income during a year in which Paramount had only fourteen releases and a 13.8% share of the market thanks to the success of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ($197 million domestic box office),[31] demonstrating again just how important a single film had become by the end of the 1980’s. These blockbusters were to save Hollywood and allow it to grow stronger, and in 2002 ticket sales were over the 1.52 billion mark which was the highest figure for over twenty years, and the blockbuster continues to support the film industry to this day. Without the blockbuster there would not be the same number of people visiting the cinema. Without these audiences cinemas would close. Without the cinemas there would not be the same number of films released; and only the blockbuster would survive. In typical Hollywood irony it is the blockbuster that is keeping world cinema and low budget cinema alive. Conclusion Hollywood is more than just a location on the map. Hollywood is a business, a factory, a production line, a pool of talent, a byword for escapism and a place where dreams come true. Over one hundred years ago when Edwin S. Porter’s 1903 movie The Great Train Robbery introduced complex narrative structure in its editing techniques, and a decade later D.W. Griffith’s 1915 feature The Birth of a Nation grossed $10 million at the box office, it was evident that Hollywood had firmly grasped the concept of making movies. One hundred years later it is still producing films that make enough money to keep the business running. In conclusion to my research I have found that Hollywood operates on the basis that economics contribute considerably to the end product of the films produced. Without an in depth knowledge of how the market works the system would come crashing down. It would seem that this dependence on economic structure and theory would stagnate the film industry; only allowing the studios to release films that were targeted to a specific audience with restricted themes that would guarantee a return on profits. However, the statistics do not back this theory up. Hollywood does release blockbuster films that are almost generic in the way that they play, but the vast majority of films released are not going to return the costs involved. This is where the artistic side of Hollywood shines through. The fact that Hollywood is run as a business does not stop it producing the occasional work of art. There are not many businesses or industries that operate on the basis that around 70% of its product will make a financial loss. This is where the strengths and weaknesses of mainstream Hollywood are most visible. The 20% of film releases that go on to make a profit are all around us; advertising, marketing, merchandising, et al. Sometimes it is hard to get away from the Hollywood publicity machine that pumps its information out to the public, but this is the only way that it can get a return on its investments. It is the blockbuster that keeps the industry running, and as such we have to be prepared that for every Harry Potter there is a Brokeback Mountain and a Capote. Bibliography Burton, Graeme (2002) More than Meets the Eye (Third Edition) Arnold Publishing Curran, James (2000) Mass Media and Society Arnold Publishing de Vany, Arthur S. (2003) Hollywood Economics: How Extreme Uncertainty Shapes the Film Industry Routledge Gomery, Douglas (1989) Media Economics: Terms of Analysis Critical Studies in Mass Communication (Volume 6, Number 1) Gomery, Douglas (2003) The Economics of Hollywood: Money and Media in Alexander, Alison et al [ed.] (2003) Media Economics :Theory and Practice Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Grant, Barry Keith (1986) Film Genre Reader University of Texas Press: Austin Lewis, Jon (1996) Trust and Anti-Trust in the New Hollywood Michigan Quarterly Review Volume 35:1 Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema Blackwell Publishing Moran, Albert (1998) Film Policy: Hollywood and Beyond in Hill, John Church Gibson, Pamela [eds.] (1998) The Oxford Guide to Film Studies Oxford University Press Neale, Steve (1999) Genre and Hollywood Routledge: London Picard, Robert (1989) Media Economics: Concepts and Issues Sage Publications Ravid, S. Abraham (2005) Film Production in the Digital Age – What Do We Know about the Past and the Future? in Moul, Charles C. (2005) A Concise Handbook of Movie Industry Economics Cambridge University Press Smith, Sharon P. Smith, Kerry V. (1986) Successful Movies: A Preliminary Empirical Analysis Applied Economics (issue 18:5) Vogel, Harold L. (1990) Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis Cambridge University Press Wasko, Janet (2003) How Hollywood Works Sage Publications US Theatrical Market 2005 Statistics Leaflet Motion Picture Association of America British Board of Film Classification website www.bbfc.co.uk Box Office Mojo website www.boxofficemojo.com The Numbers website www.the-numbers.com 1 Footnotes [1] Statistic taken from the US Theatrical Market 2005 Statistics Motion Picture Association (p14) [2] Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema Blackwell Publishing (p45) [3] Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema Blackwell Publishing (p45) [4] Smith, Sharon P. Smith, Kerry V. (1986) Successful Movies: A Preliminary Empirical Analysis Applied Economics (issue 18:5) (p506) [5] Wasko, Janet (2003) How Hollywood Works Sage Publications (p6) [6] Picard, Robert (1989) Media Economics: Concepts and Issues Sage Publications (p7) [7] Gomery, Douglas (1989) Media Economics: Terms of Analysis Critical Studies in Mass Communication (Volume 6, Number 1) (p58) [8] de Vany, Arthur S. (2003) Hollywood Economics: How Extrem

What is a Dream? Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare, Carroll

Your eyelids are heavy and your mind is fogging, finally they close entirely with the weight of the eyelids, and in a few minutes you have fallen into slumber. You wake up with a vivid image in your mind, but you have no clue as to what it means: it was just a dream. A dream, some may argue is irrelevant; images assorted together creating nonsense. Others depict a dream as a message our mind is telling us. Throughout the day, the mind subconsciously picks up pieces of our daily life, whether they are thoughts, emotions, ideas, or interactions. The brain naturally resists chaos and is attuned to order and organization and, therefore, sees past the commotion and malfunctions, it begins to matrix things, such as images in the clouds. It is through dreaming that these images sort out all the confusion in the ordinary daily life and reveals a bizarre and unrealistic world, which is a reflection of the unstable reality that is actually lived in. Reality is considered unstable because it is constantly changing, moving and transforming into something else whether people are aging, dying or being born. It is a constantly changing factor that people refuse to accept, and it is in our dreams that it is revealed. It is in this dream world where William Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll use fantastical characters, such as fairies and the White Rabbit to exemplify the daily interactions one must make to seek the truth. It is in the court and woods where everything is turned upside down, and where what is right is wrong, and what one knows, are no longer relevant. Ultimately these dreams illustrate the absence of time within these worlds. The dream process plays an essential function in both Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Carroll’s Alic... ...nuously move to get somewhere and when they find they are looking for, they still have to keep going. The characters met through the journey represent the logical and illogical strangers that people face every day and some may help while others might pull them down. These interactions are significant because every interaction and actions affect a person even if it is not all that clear. Time is the biggest factor in how reality is unstable. No matter what a person does, time is constantly there, and every second is a second past. The main reason it is not stable is because it is always changing and moving and whether one likes it or not, no one can change time. In a dream, time is not a factor and characters met can have no significance and in a dream, just for those few hours, the world can be a perfect and stable place, at least just until it is time to wake up.

Disguise As An Art Form

In Euripides The Bacchae, disguise is used as an art form, seeing that Dionysus is the god of the mask who offers his worshippers the freedom to be individuals that are other than themselves. Hence, Dionysus, the most important character in the play, uses disguise when he enters Thebes after many years wearing the costume of a stranger, and accompanied by bacchants. It is only at the end of the play that Dionysus unmasks himself to reveal his true form to the people. Moreover, the rites alluded to in the play happen to be replete with masked dancers, choral performances and processions of citizens in costumes (Segal).Pentheus is the second most important character in Euripides’ play. This man is the ruler of the state as well as the preserver of social order. During the course of the play, Pentheus acts as Dionysus’ double. The two are seen to switch roles. What is more, Pentheus masks himself as a woman by cross dressing. He wears a wig and long skirts, stripping himse lf of his masculinity and authority, only to be with women who have been seen resting blissfully in the forest, feasting on milk, honey and wine that springs from the ground.The women are playing music, suckling wild animals, and singing and dancing with joy. Pentheus cannot resist the sight. In his woman’s costume, he is attacked by the ladies and eventually killed in the fight by his own mother, Agaue (Segal). Whereas masking, disguise, or the use of costume to act as someone other than oneself, is an important art form throughout the play – and Euripides’ play would be nothing without it – the use of costume to disguise one’s lecherous intentions leads to the death of Pentheus. There is a strong message from the divinity of Dionysus, which practically rules the play.The message is: creativity through disguise is desirable, especially when the intention of the one who masks himself is good; however, evil intentions are strictly punished. As a mat ter of fact, the punishment of the mask is inevitable, seeing that Dionysus is also the â€Å"god of confrontation,† with his big, penetrating eyes foretelling doom for those who misuse the mask (Henrichs). While it is true that Dionysus – being the god of the mask – is the model for Pentheus, who would like to use the mask to enjoy life to the fullest, Dionysus as the god of the play must exercise his absolute authority.After all, the teaching of virtues is the responsibility of god. When Pentheus uses the mask just to eyeball the ladies in their private moments, the omnipresent god must allow the ladies to attack him. Dionysus allows the mother of Pentheus to kill him for his immorality, seeing that the man with the mask has merely used disguise to satisfy his lecherous inclinations. It can be inferred from this that the mask of Dionysus, the god of the mask, was simply a tool to help the god live on the earth with his people. While living with his people, the god must take action against man’s wrongdoing.Hence, Henrichs quotes Walter Otto on the subject of the mask thus: â€Å"Here there is nothing but encounter, from which there is no withdrawal – an immovable, spell-binding antipode. † While the mask of Dionysus is a â€Å"sacred object,† it is also a â€Å"source of the fascination and confusion† for the people, given that Dionysus is wearing the mask to merely live among his people and judge them according to their good or evil deeds (Henrichs). In a way, Dionysus is fooling his people by wearing the mask. Even so, it is his prerogative to fool his people if he wants to do so.There is a vast difference between the god of the mask and the man of the mask. The latter has not been granted the right to fool the people. This is the reason why Dionysus must keep an eye on his people to ensure that all those who imitate him by wearing masks would use the mask for good as opposed to evil. The immediacy of Dionysus’ gaze is a warning for the wrongdoers (Vernant). Nevertheless, Pentheus is totally unmindful of the god’s presence on earth. The masked dancers, on the other hand, do not have to be punished by Dionysus, for they did not use his attribute of masking for unethical deeds.The mask of Dionysus actually reveals that the masked one is not an ordinary human being. In point of fact, there is a â€Å"radical otherness† emphasized by the mask of Dionysus (Vernant). Moreover, it reveals the masked one as an elusive and enigmatic character who has the power to disorient all those who come across him. The smile of the mask may have allowed the masked dancers, at least, to understand that the attribute of masking must not be used for evildoing. Unfortunately, Pentheus could not understand the true use of the mask.After Dionysus has unmasked himself, however, the rest of the people may appreciate the reasons for Dionysus’ presence among them. According to Su: T he mask of Dionysus is a simulacrum not a representation. As Ginette Paris argues, â€Å"Dionysus is not the God behind the mask. He is the mask. † The mask of Dionysus is its own double which imitates nothing, a double that nothing anticipates. There is no original mask of Dionysus as such. The mask is always the mask of a mask. It is with this mask that Dionysus enters into the theater and becomes the patron god of the theater, a place which celebrates theart of miming, of disguise, of illusion, and of role-playing. Like the mime's operation professed by Mallarmà © in Mimique and interpreted by Derrida in â€Å"The Double Session,† the mask's performance does allude, â€Å"but alludes to nothing, alludes without breaking the mirror, without reaching beyond the looking-glass. † The mask of Dionysus defies Platonic or metaphysical conceptions of limitation. Through the mask, Dionysus introduces the unpredictable dimension of the ‘elsewhere' into the very heart of daily life. This ‘elsewhere’ is the ‘distancing places,’ where Nietzsche theDionysian piper would like to lure us. This ‘elsewhere’ is also the ‘outside’ where Blanchot would like to lead us; it is a radical outside which has nothing to do with the dialectical struggle of the inside and the outside, and transgresses the limit set by the idea of a self, of the subject, then of Truth and the One, then finally the idea of the Book and the Work. Undoubtedly, Dionysus’ mask also serves the purpose of helping his people to experience the difference between truth and falsehood. All that is seen by people may not be real.There are hidden intentions and objectives that we cannot see behind people’s actions. Similarly, the mask of Dionysus – while deluding his people with regards to the presence of the supreme judge among them – also allows his people to experience the fact of truth being mixed with false hood in the lives that they ordinarily live. The fact that Dionysus unmasks himself at the end of the play is to teach his people the lesson to look beyond the obvious. Perhaps there are many shades of truth, or no truth at all in our visions of the world.Dionysus would like his people to be strongly aware of the fact that there is much more to life than what they observe. The mask of Dionysus is always smiling, which expresses the fact that the god of the mask is fooling his people by appearing among them as a masked character – solely for judgment, as shown in the case of Pentheus. Dionysus enters the theatre with the mask, which is believed to have risen from the deep sea. The mask appears foreign and strange – an enigma that the people of Dionysus must decipher.It is also an unknown kind of power for them to appreciate. In short, the mask with its penetrating eyes calls for an interpretation. Although the masked dancers are able to interpret the mask of Dionysus in a perfectly innocent way, Pentheus is punished for his wrongdoing by way of the mask. At the end of the play, however, the god of the smiling mask also reveals to his people that there may be truth or falsehood behind what they see. Thus, the stranger’s mask serves many purposes, all of which are intelligently designed by the god of the mask.

Economic Concerns in Brazil

Economic Concerns in Brazil Introduction Most of the developing countries were affected by the 2008 financial crisis, including Brazil. These countries experienced high unemployment rates while production and consumption levels decreased remarkably. The key areas affected by the financial crisis were: unemployment levels; average income; and social welfare programs (Proni, 2010, p.1). This report will therefore focus on the impact of high unemployment rates on Brazil’s economy occasioned by the financial crisis that occurred in 2008.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Concerns in Brazil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Brazilian economy: An overview The Brazilian economy has recorded protracted economic growth since 2000 after several decades of poor performances. For example, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita grew at an average rate of 1.62 % between 2000 and 2007. This was a marked improvement when comp ared with previous period (GDP per capita grew 0.82% from 1980 to 1989 and 0.27 between 1990 and 1999 workers (Rafael et al., 2007, p.4). As a matter of fact, Brazil is one of the key players in global economic performance. This is also manifested in world trade negotiations where Brazil plays a major role. The country has also attempted to create employment opportunities and raise average incomes of its workers. For instance, the country recorded a sustained decline in unemployment rates since 2003. Also, the average annual wage rate increased at 3.7% between 2005 and 2007. The population segment living in absolute poverty decreased from 12.8% in 1999 to about 7.9% in 2006. These achievements were attributed to the rise in average earnings and a robust social welfare program that bolstered earnings among low-income workers (Rafael et al, 2007, p.5). The Brazilian Labor Market during the 2008 Financial Crisis It is vital to note that, unemployment levels are measured on monthly basi s. This exercise is only done in the main metropolitan areas (see appendix). Although high unemployment rate was one of the key concerns for the Lula administration, the country has introduced several remedial measures to solve the problem. For example, in 2003, the unemployment rate in Brazil’s metropolitan areas was over 11.9%. However, in the following years the country recorded positive economic growth. Consequently, the unemployment rates began to drop. It is also important to note the apparent dissimilarities among metropolitan areas in Brazil: in Recife and Salvador (metropolitan areas located in northeast of Brazil), a considerable segment of the workers are affected by unemployment. On the other hand, a small portion of the labor force in Curitiba and Porto Alegre (located in southeast) face a similar experience. Sao Paulo, being the most industrialized and populated region, registered the highest drop of unemployment level (from 14% to 8.3%) between 2003 and 2009 (P roni, 2010, p.10).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is no doubt that the 2008 financial meltdown created havoc to the liberal trajectory of the Brazilian economy: a robust deceleration in the last four months of 2008 and a slump in the first three months of 2009 occurred. As prospects for industrial employments were severely constrained by low levels of economic activities, economic experts predicted that unemployment would recoil to the 2003 levels. Nonetheless, the brunt of the financial crisis on the labor market was much less than previously anticipated. In fact, the unemployment rates attributed to the 2008 crisis was moderate between January and March 2009. In all major metropolitan areas, the unemployment levels rose from 6.7% in December 2008 to about 8.9% in March 2009 (Proni, 2010, p.10). Prior to the onset of the 2008 global financial crisis, Brazil had recorded a robust economic growth that averaged about 4.4% per year between 2004 and 2007 and approximately 6.3% between January and September 2008. In addition, the formal employment sector recorded a marked improvement in wage rates and employment opportunities. Unemployment rate reduced from about 9.1% in 2004 to 7.6% in 2008. Moreover, the number of employees that contributed on regular basis to the social security program was over 50% in 2007 (International Labor Organization, 2010, p.31). Nonetheless, the crisis stalled economic growth and had an instant and severe impact on unemployment. For the example, the year-over-year GDP growth rate between October and December 2008 dropped to 1.2% resulting to a net loss of over 633, 900 formal jobs. This can be compared to a net gain of over 10,300 formal jobs recorded between October and December 2007. As a result of the global crisis, the unemployment level in the major metropolitan regions rose from 7.2% (in the fourth quarter of 2008) to 8.5%% in the first and second quarters of 2009. Nevertheless, between July and September 2009, the economy began to show signs of improvements. At the same time, unemployment levels in all major metropolitan regions regressed to the pre-crisis levels. In addition, over 1.1 million formal jobs were created in the industrial sector (the most affected sector by the crisis) during the first three quarters of 2009. This represented a 3.5% increment in employment stock when compared with the 2008 statistics (International Labor Organization, 2010, p.31).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Concerns in Brazil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Labor policies introduced to bolster the welfare of workers Brazil has, in recent years, made remarkable progress in creating labor market policies to help the displaced employees (Caldentey Matà ­as, 2008, p.12). For example, the government introduced unemployment insurance to provide assistance to employees in the formal sector. The program grants remunerations for a period of three to five months to qualified employees who adhere to the minimum contribution obligations. Since the rate of turnover is high in the Brazilian labor sector, approximately 65% of the employees in the formal sector qualify for this program. Nonetheless, the number of beneficiaries is still high. For example, in 2003, over 5.2 million employees were granted an average benefit of R$388 which was approximately equivalent to 1.35 times the minimum income. In addition, the government initiated the Public Employment Service in 1975. This program helped unemployed workers by offering them information on the labor market and assisted in the creation and improvement of labor market strategies. For example, the sharp rise in unemployment levels in 1990s led to the establishment of extra training programs (Polaski et al., 2009, p.9). The government also introduced training pro grams to help unemployed workers improve their skills. For example, the National Plan for Professional Formation (PLANFOR) was started in 1995 to bolster labor productivity and train about 20% of the nation’s economically active populace. PLANFOR was implemented via state agencies and welfare organizations. As a result, over 10 million employees were trained between 1991 and 2000. Nonetheless, most of the courses taught were incompatible with the PLANFOR guidelines. Consequently, in 2003, the National Qualification Plan (PNQ) replaced the PLANFOR program. PNQ developed relevant educational content that would help unemployed workers gain useful skills (Polaski et al., 2009, p.9). Microcredit programs were also established. For example, in 1994, the government introduced the Program for the Creation of employment and Income (PROGER). The main aim of this program was to extend credit to cooperatives, micro-enterprises and other small-scale enterprises in the informal sector. The main goal of PROGER was to create employment opportunities by lending money to these informal ventures that had limited access to credit facilities. Although the program initially aimed to help workers in urban areas, it was later expanded to include workers in the rural regions.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, in 2006, approximately 2.7 million loans were granted through different programs with an average loan of about R$8, 900. Cash transfer programs were also established. In spite of the fact that these programs did not fall under labor market policies, the Bolsa Familia and conditional cash transfer program provided a safe haven for employees from underprivileged families. The program was started in 2003 when the existing cash transfer programs were merged. Those families with lower per capita income (below R$ 120 per month) were given benefits, as long as they fulfilled certain conditions. These requirements included: immunizations; school attendance; and prenatal and postnatal care. Consequently, over 10 million households were granted benefits in 2006 (Polaski et al., 2009, p.9). Conclusion There is no doubt that many workers in developing countries lost their jobs as a result of the 2008 financial crisis. Although the Brazilian labor market was somehow affected, the pr esent data suggests that fewer people lost their jobs. In fact, the country’s unemployment rate decreased during and after the financial crisis. This could be attributed to a number of labor market policies that the government introduced to cushion workers from unexpected fluctuations in the business cycles. References Caldentey, E., Matà ­as, V. (2008). Back to the Future: Latin America’s Current Development Strategy. New Delhi: International Development Economics Associates. International Labor Organization. (2010). Global Employment Trends. Geneva: International Labour Office. Polaski, S., Filho, J., Berg, J., McDonald, S., Thierfielder, K., Willenbockel, D., et al. (2009). Brazil in the Global Economy: Measuring the Gains from Trade. Geneva: International Labour Office. Proni, M. (2010). An Economic Analysis of Unemployment in Brazil. Web. Rafael, G., Fabio, V., Marcelo, M., Eduardo, Z. (2007). Conditional Cash Transfers in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico: Impacts up on Inequality. Brasà ­lia: International Poverty Center.

5 Practical Space-Saving Resume Tips from The Essay Expert

5 Practical Space-Saving Resume Tips from The Essay Expert Conventional resume wisdom says to keep it to one or two pages, depending on the extent of your experience. Are you having trouble meeting these page requirements? If you have a few lines that you just cant fit onto that page, the following resume tips may help. Tip #1: Adjust Your Margins Are your margins set at 1 or 1.25? Try 0.5 top margin (above your header); 0.6 bottom margin; and 0.8 left and right margins. Tip #2: Reduce Your Font Size Try reducing your font size, even by 0.5pt. Acceptable font size depends on the font you are using. I recommend actually printing the resume to see how it looks on paper. Radical? Maybe. But worth it. Looking at a hard copy will ensure that you do NOT reduce the font size so much that it leaves your readers squinting! Tip #3: Streamline Your Header Your header does not have to take up 4 lines. Many resumes have a header that looks like this (and takes up way more space than necessary): Alternatively, consider something like: See how you have magically saved three lines that can be used for substantive information? Tip #4: Shrink the Space Between Your Sections You dont need to put an entire space between experience blurbs or sections of your resume. Instead, if you currently have full spaces between entries, try this: Delete the space that is currently there. Put your cursor at the beginning of the line. Go to the Paragraph menu. Insert a 6pt space before or after the line, as appropriate. If you insert a 6pt space before or after a line, it will almost always be a smaller space than the one you create by putting in a full line of space. How many extra lines can you squeeze from your resume with this trick? Tip #5: Use One Line for Your Employment Info Do you have your dates of employment running down the left-hand column of your resume? This format may be using up prime resume real estate! If your resume uses this format and you are having space issues, try this: Put the name of your employer all the way to the left margin of your resume. Put the location right after the name of the employer (preceded by a comma). Put your dates of employment all the way to the right by inserting a Right Tab at your location of choice (probably at 6.8 or so). To insert a Right Tab: Either double click on the ruler at the spot you want to insert the tab, or go to the Paragraph menu. Click on Tabs Insert the position in inches where you wish to insert the Right Tab Under â€Å"Alignment, click â€Å"Right. Hit OK or Apply If your text jumps off the page as a result of this maneuver, have no fear! It has not disappeared, it has just moved beyond your viewing area. Place your cursor where you know the text should be and start hitting the delete button. Eventually the text will come back onto the page and be nicely aligned at the right tab you created. If you are still having trouble fitting your resume onto the page, you may need more extensive organizational assistance to condense and prioritize your blurbs and bullets. There are many ways to pare down your language and still get your experience and skill across. Did these resume tips help you cut your resume down to size? Do you have any other space saving tips to share? For more resume tips, check out Brendas DIY resume writing books or   The Essay Experts resume writing services.

How to make a choice in marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to make a choice in marketing - Essay Example Although the purpose of technology is to simplify and improve our lives, it actually complicates our lives; we end up spending more money and enjoying less of life. Every single day a new phone or a laptop is introduced in the market by different companies making it impossible for the consumer to choose any one model. Earlier, there was a scarcity of choice, now consumers are feeling a pull on their pockets in order to not make unnecessary purchases and falter with their bank accounts. Keeping a track on money has become hard because newer technology helps to simplify a person’s life however, how much does a person purchase? Earlier, when GPS systems did not help man to find directions or iPods did not assist him during his long journeys, the distances were still covered. The use of technology has brought about an ease of access with respect to life itself - but at a heavy price. (Montgomery, Joseph) Therefore, one way by which technology is complicating a man’s life is by making it more and more expensive as well as creating excess competition among individuals as well as companies with regard to who produces or who buys the better technology. Soon enough, a man becomes caught up with his expenses and the amount that he has been setting aside in order to purchase newer and better forms of technology. It is true, no man has ever been at peace since scientists have begun research on technology that will make life simpler. If today a phone helps a person to call and send text messages appeals to a man and he goes ahead and purchases it at a high price, tomorrow he will shun that phone away for another, albeit more expensive one, that can send e-mails and video call as well. People get so caught up keeping a track on what is new and what will launch in the future that they forget about enjoying the simpler things in life. Most older people these days complain that life was very different when they were younger and it was not as fast paced and hurried as it has become with the use of technology today. Earlier, it was only businessmen who were caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of putting through calls and sending messages to each other and their clients, back and forth. However, today, people have become so hooked on to social networks that their phones and laptops never stop beeping. These websites were created in order to make life easier for people so that they could find their friends from all around the world and connect with them, however, now it seems like this technology has bridged entire distances among people living in different parts of the world. Nonetheless, it has led students and adults alike to get distracted and lose their concentration because they are constantly attached to a virtual world which helps them believe that all that they need is available right there. Moreover, technology helped to bring about e-banking; a process that would help to make transactions and money withdrawal and deposition much easier for people. With the help of e-banking people are also able to shop online and get things delivered for their loved ones all over the world. Flight tickets, dinner reservations, gifting flowers and chocolates can all be done with the help of entering the digits of one’s credit or debit card. However, such interesting technology also has demerits attached to it. E-Banking was created to help people and simplify their work by making it faster and

Ace records Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ace records - Essay Example duties in your new stations, you will be allocated a sum of three hundred dollars to enable you buy some of the things that you may find necessary for your operations. With this money, you can buy items such as personal clocks, carpets to make the office welcome and some source of entertainment like a radio to keep you company. The organization through this transformation, will intrinsically make us comfortable while we carry out our duties. This new environment will also allow for privacy given that everyone will operate in his or her own office. Extrinsically, the firm will attract more customers which will generate more income. I know some obstacles such as competition from other well-doing companies will arise but we shall put so much effort as possible. Competition is necessary in a company because it develops hard work in all business firms (Silverstein, 2007). I wish you all the best in your undertakings hoping that you will now dedicate yourselves to make this record group become one of the best in this region and beyond. All of us will be glad when in the next few years, we relocate to a much better and bigger station to make our performance even