Gentlemen prefer blondes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gentlemen prefer blondes - Essay Example The novel takes a narrative of Lorelei’s personal account as she wanders, shops in fancy stores, and dines with men of recognizable popularity and fat pockets. Featuring a satirical approach in presenting a popular culture’s stereotypes towards blonde women during the 1920s, Blondes is said to be amusing, mirthful, and gay, but â€Å"full of shrewd observation and devastating irony† (Frost 292). Anita Loos: Experience and Life in Understanding the Novel Anita Loos was early exposed in the world of theater when his father worked as a theater manager after becoming unemployed as a newspaper publisher. Also, she earns knowledge about acting when she starts the craft from her early childhood up until her teens (Szpytko 1). Most of the time, she happens to be the center of attention every time she joins a particular play, and her father is extremely proud of her (Loos and Beauchamp 9). Aside from acting once in a while, Anita is also considered as a â€Å"child prodi gy† as she started writing scripts when she was 12 although reports told that she was already 24 years old when she sold her first book (Loos and Beauchamp 11). Also, when she reached 20 years old, she is already considered as a â€Å"professional screenwriter,† who prolifically worked in over 60 silent films and talkies (Szpytko 1). Moreover, her influences are invariably philosophy readings and the society pages of the New York newspapers (Loos and Beauchamp 11). The early 1900s is characterized as the age of Jazz and the â€Å"Roaring Age of Twenties,† the phenomenal â€Å"flamboyant flapper,† and the age where baring skin becomes a trend (Szpytko 1). During that period also, Anita Loos wrote scripts and stories, which she submitted to various film companies including Biograph production, Mutual production, and D. W. Griffith’s affiliated film outfit (Loos and Beauchamp 13). As a curious child, teen, and young adult, Anita has a penchant for exam ining the lives of the upper class Americans (13). She also has a series of rich boyfriends, which she admittedly dumped and sent to tears when she got bored of the relationship (14). Hence, Anita considers herself â€Å"a failure as a gold digger† (14). However, the significant experience she had when she was young was when H.L. Mencken, a formidable journalist of the early 1990s, to whom she devoted admiration was in fact had a penchant for blonde women. She characterizes one particular blonde woman as empty-headed, leaving her puzzled as to why men compete over a blonde’s attention. As a result, Loos makes careful conversations with herself regarding the status of blonde women in the society. Right then, Loos thinks that blonde women must belong to a certain kind of class that can be considered a privilege. Her novel speaks of this contention. Some aspects of Loos’s story reflect in her masterpiece as the theme of the book reveals women’s fascination o ver a diamond â€Å"that lives forever,† which is both an analogy of women’s inclination towards beauty and material possessions, and a satirical approach in stereotyping women particularly those who are blonde (Snodgrass 335). Anita’s encounters with rich men and the timing of the Great Depression all contribute to her amusing yet meaningful depiction of women in her age. Knowing the author’s background somehow gives readers a deeper understanding of the issues that surround the plot of the novel. It gives readers an added perspective in digesting the

Dykeman Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dykeman Article - Essay Example Bureau of the Census, 1996 (Dykeman, 2003, p. 41). No doubt, theses parental divorces can adversely affect the future life of such children; these can negatively affect the psychological health of children and their performance at school. Children are also very much affected by the manner of interaction between their parents both before and after the divorce; children fail to meet academic and social expectations at school and are moved by feelings of anxiety, depression, aggression, lack of emotional well-being and self-esteem (Dykeman, 2003, p. 42). This highlights the role of school counselors and pinpoints the need of introducing primary, secondary and tertiary interventions among these children. The purpose of Dykeman’s study was to observe the effects of pre-referral tertiary-intervention program on such children who were referred for special education assessment due to behavioral difficulties that stemmed from their parents’ separation or divorce. 21 students (even though only 15 of them completed the treatment and follow up) were thus selected and the community agency counselors administered a conflict-resolution model of family-systems intervention on both the children and their respective custodial parents. The treatment focused mainly on the â€Å"cognitions and behaviors operant within the family environment that both preceded and followed classroom misbehavior and the strategies used by the custodial parent to discipline and socialize the child† (Dykeman, 2003, p. 43). The participant children were enrolled either in their seventh or eighth grade and the 15 custodial parents were middle aged, with 13 mothers and 2 fathers. The progress made by t he children were measured using the Conflict Tactics Scale in terms of their reasoning, verbal aggression, and violence. It is worthwhile to attempt a critique of the statistical analysis presented throughout the article. As already mentioned

Life Of Gladiators In The Roman Empire

Life Of Gladiators In The Roman Empire The name gladiator was derived from a Latin word gladiatores. Gladiators were both skilled and amateur fighters in ancient Rome who were regarded as expensive investments and fought to death in entertaining their spectators. Throughout the empire the matches took place in arenas with engagements pitying man against man or man against animals in combat. To the Romans themselves, the foundation of the arena was one of the significant features of their civilization. There was hardly any contemporary voice that was against the morality of staging gladiatorial combat in fact, the gladiators own epitaphs proudly talked about their profession without indignity, regret, or resentment. At present, the notion of gladiators combating to the death, and ideas of an amphitheatre where battle could be staged and watched by a passionate audience, epitomizes the extent to which the Roman Empire was capable of falling. The origin of gladiatorial combat originated from the Estruscan customs that sacrificed humans to appease the dead. The first gladiators were slaves who were forced to fight to the death at the funeral of an eminent aristocrat, Junius Brutus Pera in 264 BC. This spectacle was organized by the heirs of the deceased in honor of his commemoration. This concept of (the Munus) was that it kept alive the memories of important personalities after their death. The munus was held sometime after the funeral and were frequently repeated at annually or a five year intervals. This gladiatorial games or munera as it was locally referred were not made a regular part of public spectacle until the late first century. Gradually the gladiatorial exhibitions were separated from the funerary perspective and began to be staged by the affluent people as a way of showing of their power and influence in the society. The number of gladiators to be put on show was the main attraction, the bigger the number, th e more generous the sponsor was alleged to be, and the more thrilling the spectacle. Most gladiators were recruited from slaves, criminals and prisoners of war and had no choice if selected for such duty. Since they had lost their rights and some never had citizenship they had no option but to comply as they would have an opportunity of a renewed life in the arena as a respected gladiator. Surprisingly, a number of gladiators were not prisoners of war or slaves but free-born volunteers. They had never lost their rights as citizens but choose the profession voluntarily by pledging their allegiance to the owner of a gladiatorial troupe by swearing an oath to endure branding, flogging or die by the sword (UNRV History).The oath meant that the owner of the troupe had the final authority over the gladiators life, even assimilating him to the status of a slave. The key motivation was perhaps the down payment that a volunteer received after taking the oath as a gladiator. By the closing stages of the Republic, almost half of the gladiators were volunteers that took on the p osition of a slave for an agreed-upon duration of time, similar to agreed servitude that was widespread in the late second millennium. Throughout the Roman Empire gladiators were trained in exceptional and specialized schools called ludi that could be found as general amphitheatres. In these schools, the gladiators were subjected to a thorough training, fed on a high-energy diet and received expert medical attention, this made them an expensive investment that were not to be dispatched lightly. Rome itself boasted of four schools, the largest of which was named the Ludus Magnus and was connected to the Colosseum by an underground subway. The most famous training ground was the school of Capua where Spartacus sparked the gladiator and slave rebellion in 73 BC. In general, most of the gladiators would not battle more than two or three times a year but with the fame and fortune of the arena they would eventually buy out their freedom. However, some gladiators who had initially committed crimes were either anticipated to die within a year ad gladium, or might get their freedom after three years ad ludum, if they survive d in the arena (Coit 967). Matches involving gladiators took place in ampitheatres or colosseums and were often staged after the animal fights (Venationes) and open executions the noxii. In its original forms the equestrian status or persons of patrician often planned the matches in order to gain political favor on the part of the public and audience. The organizers of these games were commonly referred to as dominus, the editor or munerator and were privileged with the official status and respect of a magistrate. In case a gladiator dies in combat, the lanista or trainer received payment for compensation by the sponsor of the fatal and deadly spectacle almost a hundred times the cost of a gladiator who survived the battle. For this reason it was very much expensive for sponsors to supply the bloodshed that spectators frequently demanded, though if they did allow a gladiator to be slaughtered it was taken as a suggestion of their kindness(Bagnell 621). In spite of their servile, outlaw, legal and slavery status, gladiators commanded a wide-ranging following. They often benefited from great social prestige as even young Roman boys were fond of hanging out at gladiator schools and sometimes taking combat lessons by the gladiators, something their parents really disliked. In many occasions, Roman matrons in particular enjoyed having affairs with gladiators due to their celebrity status. Many tombstones of the gladiators had wall graffitis marked with comments such as, Celadus makes the girls swoon (Coleman). More so, there were cartoons that contained accompanying messages and headings scratched on plastered walls showing the tally of a gladiators records. It was the sanction of the sponsor, acting upon the wishes of the crowd in the coliseum, to make a decision whether to hand in official pardon for the defeated gladiator or consign him to the victor to be slain. The guiding rules for gladiatorial fights were almost certainly precise to different styles of combat. In the arena gladiators were armed individually in different combinations, each combination commanding its own fighting style and technique. It was uncommon to find gladiators being paired against an opponent in the same fighting style. For example, it was difficult to find the equites (horsemen) who entered the arena on chariots and horseback fighting against other horsemen. The most interesting pairing involved divergent advantages and disadvantages against each other the most favorite being combat between the fish fighter (Murmillo) and the hoplomachus or thraex. The fish fighter had a large shield that covered him from shoulder to calf giving him stout protection but was very heavy. The thraex carried a small squared shield in combat that only protected his torso while the hoplomachus had a small and rounded shield however; all of them wore leg protectors that stretched well abo ve the knee. Out of all the gladiators, the retiarius (Net fighter) was the most defenseless since he only had a shoulder guard on his left arm that acted as his protection. On regular combats he fought with the secutor who was heavily armed although virtually invincible, crumbled under the heavy weight of his armor. These gladiators were named according to their fighting styles, initially the various fighting styles emanated from the types of combat the Romans encountered with the natives who they fought and conquered. For instance, thraex literally meant inhabitants of Thrace the unfriendly land bordering the north and east by the Danube and notorious black sea respectively. Consequently, as styles in fighting became recognized and official gladiators were trained in a definite ethnic style that is totally different from his real place of origin. Interestingly there was also a category of women gladiators, this was widespread but never lasted for long as women fighting in the arena was outlawed by Emperor Septimius Severus in the third century, C.E. The Roman Empire had gladiatorial barracks that were marked by heterogeneity as membership and life of brotherhood constantly fluctuated due to betrayal and tours by troupes in the local circuit. Some gladiators survived up to retirement as fresh recruits were brought in to train as gladiators. Above all, gladiatorial combat was a demonstration of bravery and skillfulness.

The Moral Judges of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Moral Judges of The Scarlet Letter If human beings are evil, then they can easily appoint themselves as judges, and from their point of view, the decisions they make are moral. These judges try to make themselves look better, by lowering the criminal below their level. These moral judges also try to play God, by selecting, and if they have enough power, executing their decision as a punishment for the crime committed. It is as clear as glass, that these decisions that come from evil beings will also be immoral, and evil. Decisions made by moral judges reflect how much evil they possess within them. Hester had to stand on the scaffold, which was a place for public shame, and had everybody judge her for her crime, committing adultery. This punishment was decided for her by a group men who had political power. These men also thought that they were punishing an evil person, Hester, because she had sinned, and offended God. If that was true, why would a mortal decide, and act as God for God? These men in power made Hester look bad, so people on town would think that they are better than Hester, and because of that they would not sin, or they will too, will be punished. When Hester was standing on the scaffold, she was being judged by everybody, and since humans are evil, than their response towards her were not be positive, but evil. A group of women were talking with each other, and deciding on a punishment for Hester: "'What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or flesh of her forehead,'" (p. 49). To which another replied "'This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die'" (p. 49). It is a good thing they didn't have any political power. This shows how full of evil these human self appointed judges are, and they do not only judge Hester, they also judge judges' decision. Hawthorne comments this barbarism by describing these judges: "...the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges," (p. 49). These evil women set themselves up themselves as moral judges in order to make themselves look like angels, by turning Hester into a devil.

Media influences/Reflects society Essay

Media plays a significant role in our society as a routine in our daily lives that also leads the society with beneficial roles. Media is a massive tool that enhance the society with networking information and develop communication skills with the combination of television,magazines,books,newspapers and more. However, media does not only reflects society but influences them too from few perspectives such as food and electronic devices and fashion Media influences the society by electronic devices _ children or younger generations are the group of society that being influenced easily especially by electronic devices such as internet,smart phones,video games and so on that this is also stated by grath s.jowett,lan c.jarve and Kathryn h.fuller in children and the movies( media influence and the payne fund controversy) from press syndicate of university of Cambridge,1996 _instead of reading books and involving in sports or outdoor activities they are more attracted towards engaging into social activities _spend more time watching television,tv shows, dramas, movies but most of the children now a days uses internet and gadgets such as smart phones to interact with others _ Based on Violent Video Games, Delinquency, and Youth Violence: New Evidence Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice April 2013 11: 132-142, first published on October 17, 2012 also shows the negative effects due to addiction towards video games that causes lack of focus in academics, changes in attitude like ethics/ moral values _besides that, action packed or animated movies from (HBO, TIME WARNER,WALT DISNEY ) like transformer and spiderman actually influences the kids pyshologically and mentally. They tend to imitate and live in a imaginary world where superheros exist _ live tv show such as WWD(wrestling shows) and also video games allows children or youth to behave aggressively and verbally too as stated in Media violence and the American public: Scientific facts versus media misinformation. Bushman, Brad J.; Anderson, Craig A.American Psychologist, Vol 56(6-7), Jun-Jul 2001, 477-489. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.6-7.477Media influences the society by food _food is use as a marketing tool to attract people by many strategies such as advertising ads, tv progammes,blogs, newspaper and so on  that actually has a negative impact _Malaysia has the highest rate of obese among society ,one of the reason is media that distracts people by all type of advertisement that is unnesscesary at times based on a newspaper article Obesity rise alarming, says MuhyiddinBy ADIB POVERA | news@nst.com.my Saturday, October 11, 2014, 3:27 AM New Straits Times _Based on MALAYSIA: Malaysia Debates On Fast Food Ads http://www.gala-marketlaw.com/archives-52004/86-asia-a-pacific/167-malaysia-malaysia-debates-on-fast-food-ads By Author: Patrick Mirandah, Patrick Mirandah & Co that the ads for the fast food is the main growing factor of this issue _this Is because now a days youngsters are influenced by western food such as fast food and majority of them are addicted to fast food such as (MC DONALDS,KFC) that can be compared by our ancestors when media was not even a there to influenced them _media created this new perception that is influenced by the upcoming generation that will have an effect towards of society in nation building _instead of promoting on food affairs,there should be more on awareness among the society especially teenagers that motivates them to stay healty and active Media influences the society in fashion _fashion industry is slowly changing to ideal beauty of the world where models with real curves have started to filter into mainstream commercials and advertisements, giving the consumer a look of what they want to be _According to Rob Frankel, this generation is â€Å"way more tuned into media† simply because so much media is available to them. Therefore, young people are most likely to be observing celebrity behavior, and at a time in their life when they are still forming their values (Frankel 2010). _for an example, Isabelle Caro, a French actress and model whose anorexic image appeared in an Italian ad campaign at the Italian fashion week whom died at age of 28 based on new york times by William grimes dec 30 2010 _besides that, One victim of this trend was Jeremy Gillitzer, who was once a male model with stunning good looks and a six-pack. He later got down to 66 lbs. after being ravaged by anorexia. He ended up dying at age 38. _Often these people/celebrities are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, engage in risky behavior, and are often dangerously thin from the aforementioned problems. This creates more pressure on society and a massive reason to be influenced _ Celebrities are generally the center point of many adolescent lives because of a particular talent, fashion and their behavior (Wilson, 2009). â€Å"There’s simply no escaping the mass marketing of today’s celebrities†, says Common Sense Media’s Jim Steyer in Kids & Celebrity. _ celebrities impact the dress of adolescents in America. Teenager see icons like Beyonce, Jay Z, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and more dressed in Coco Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton’s Winter Collection and Versace, and makes them want to go out and buy these different clothing. Therefore, celebrity role models have proven to be influential teachers Media reflects society like a mirror

English composition drama essay Essay

Watching a drama clearly is more effective than reading a drama, and in the same perspective comparing a drama that is watched to a short fiction that is read is undeniably on two different ends of the spectrum. The usefulness of a story that has more meaning within itself than intended on when watching itself play out compared to reading a short fiction clearly holds watching the drama more advantageous. But other than just that the effectiveness between watching and reading a drama gets called into question. Watching a drama has an advantage when compared to reading a short fiction because of the way the drama is acted out giving the audience more depth and meaning to the story. There is a clear advantage to watching a drama compared to reading a short fiction. To be able to understand the advantages, one must understand the notable differences between the two. Firstly, short fictions are designed to be read, unlike dramas, which are meant to be acted out in front of an audience. Also, with short fictions the reader is informed about the setting or other important details that are described in the text. However, the setting in a drama is visually portrayed by many elements. The audience sees the exact setting that the author illustrated with his wording. Besides the author’s description of the time and place, other visuals such as costumes give the audience a more definitive perception of the setting. The advantage that drama has over short fiction is that the drama provides the audience with the exact setting that the author constructed while the readers of fiction have to imagine their own setting, which will always vary between one reader and the next. The use of tone also gives a drama the upper hand against a short fiction because short fictions lack the visual components that dramas are able to incorporate in the performance. Such as, the use of lighting, interchangeable scenery, and appropriate props that emphasize the desired tone communicated by the author’s directions. â€Å"For instance, if the playwright wants to evoke an atmosphere of anticipation, that something dreadful is about to happen, the lighting can be adjusted to create a dark, forbidding set†(LearningExpress, 2). Watching a drama is very effective in constructing meaning because of the precision to details the author provides. When an audience can physically see what is going on in a drama, a conflict or resolution becomes easier to comprehend rather than reading a short fiction that does not have nearly as much descriptive detail that a drama expresses. â€Å"This enables the dramatist to create very realistic atmospheres that will convey to the audience a particular mood in the drama†(LearningExpress 2). Something simple as the way characters are dressed in a drama give meaning to their social status such as, someone that is wealthy, or someone that lives in poverty. When given the option to either watch, or read the drama, the decision that is made should always be to watch the drama. It is much more effective to watch the drama in comparison to reading it. â€Å"†¦drama is not intended to be read off the printed page but to be acted out in front of an audience(LearningExpress, 1). If one were to read a drama instead of watching it, then the reader will experience the possibility of misinterpreting the author’s directions for the way a character is meant to speak at a certain time in the drama, which can cause confusion for the reader. Also, the experience of being a part of a large audience watching a drama proves to be a more effective than simply reading it. â€Å"When we read the written script of a play, †¦ but we cannot experience the reactions of other people as they watch the drama with us†(LearningExpress 5). Seeing the reaction of an audience gives a greater sense of appreciation of dramas and their ability to affect many people at once. Dramas were written to be a performance and not to be read to one’s self. Ultimately, watching a drama over reading short fiction clearly has its advantages. The visual elements in a drama such as the set, costumes, and props are completely understood and appreciated fully compared to the two different ideas that were separately concluded from different readers of a fiction novel. The functionality in a drama to provide the audience with the same outlook compared to the various different messages fictions can convey is the main advantage watching dramas has over reading fictions. The concise detailing an author provides in their dramas lets the audience find the meaning in a simpler way. Watching a drama is proven to be much more effective because of the overall experience each audience member get to appreciate. Work Cited â€Å"Reading Drama Study Guide: GED Language Arts, Reading. † Education. com. LearningExpress Editors, 9 Mar. 2011. Web. 13 June 2013. .

Free Essays on The Quiet American

"Many adjectives have been used to describe the novels and plays of Graham Greene - timely, religious, melodramatic, even "seedy"" (Graham Greene, A Collection of Critical Essays, back cover). Although this may not be entirely true in Greene*s other work, it is certainly true in his novel, The Quiet American. The Quiet American is judged as one of Greene*s "entertainments" that include comedies, spy fiction, and thrillers that take place in foreign countries (Introduction). According to World Literature Critics editor, James P. Draper, The Quiet American is set in South Vietnam and anticipates U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict. The novel*s protagonist, Alden Pyle, who is ignorant of Oriental culture, is depicted as a symbol of American arrogance (1537). Written in 1955, The Quiet American is a tale of a young American who is now dead because of his personal involvement in the French-Vietminh war. A British reporter, Fowler, tells the story from his point of view. Fowler and Pyle were both in love with the same woman, Phuong. Phuong first started off as Fowler*s girlfriend, but when she realized he could not give her what she wanted, children, because of his wife who will not divorce him because of religious reasons, she leaves for Pyle. Fowler and Pyle still remain friends, but Fowler always carries some envy for Pyle*s youth and confidence. Fowler is against personal involvement in the war and when he realizes that Pyle is supplying plastic bomb materials to a "third force," he discourages him. Even then, Pyle does not listen and Fowler kills him indirectly. While the novel*s theme lies in the issue of personal involvement, the relationship of Fowler, Pyle, the American, and Phoung, a Chinese woman, is also described in detail. Greene rep resents himself through the British reporter, Fowler, and shows his opposition to personal involvement. While not getting involved himself, Fowler ... Free Essays on The Quiet American Free Essays on The Quiet American "Many adjectives have been used to describe the novels and plays of Graham Greene - timely, religious, melodramatic, even "seedy"" (Graham Greene, A Collection of Critical Essays, back cover). Although this may not be entirely true in Greene*s other work, it is certainly true in his novel, The Quiet American. The Quiet American is judged as one of Greene*s "entertainments" that include comedies, spy fiction, and thrillers that take place in foreign countries (Introduction). According to World Literature Critics editor, James P. Draper, The Quiet American is set in South Vietnam and anticipates U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict. The novel*s protagonist, Alden Pyle, who is ignorant of Oriental culture, is depicted as a symbol of American arrogance (1537). Written in 1955, The Quiet American is a tale of a young American who is now dead because of his personal involvement in the French-Vietminh war. A British reporter, Fowler, tells the story from his point of view. Fowler and Pyle were both in love with the same woman, Phuong. Phuong first started off as Fowler*s girlfriend, but when she realized he could not give her what she wanted, children, because of his wife who will not divorce him because of religious reasons, she leaves for Pyle. Fowler and Pyle still remain friends, but Fowler always carries some envy for Pyle*s youth and confidence. Fowler is against personal involvement in the war and when he realizes that Pyle is supplying plastic bomb materials to a "third force," he discourages him. Even then, Pyle does not listen and Fowler kills him indirectly. While the novel*s theme lies in the issue of personal involvement, the relationship of Fowler, Pyle, the American, and Phoung, a Chinese woman, is also described in detail. Greene rep resents himself through the British reporter, Fowler, and shows his opposition to personal involvement. While not getting involved himself, Fowler ...