Argues in favor of the appropriateness of the title "Man Descending" for Guy Vanderhaeghes' collection of short stories about the powerlessness of the human condition.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This essay discusses Guy Vanderhaeghe's "Man Descending", which is a collection of short stories. The paper argues that the title is appropriate for this collection. Most of the twelve stories are preoccupied with the phenomenon of how human beings must face their own powerlessness in the human condition.
Abstract This paper traces the history of the political machine. The author shows how Irish immigrants who were attempting to ascend economically initially built the machines and then follows their development up to the present day.
From the Paper "Political machines have an extremely complex history, involving great prosperity, a period of stability, a decline, and a revival. Political machines are defined as a party organization with one leader, and the main objective is to win. The machines reached their peak in the late 1800s and early 1900s after a decline during the depression during the 1890s. They experienced a minor resuscitation after the 1950's and are still sparsely present today."
Abstract This extensive paper takes a look at the 300 year rule of the Romanov Dynasty on Russia. The Tzars are each examined for their influence and effect on the area and population. An historical background is described and events leading up to the fall of the Dynasty are detailed - including thorough explanations of events such as the Revolution.
From the paper:
"The Fall of the Romanov Empire was a result of a refusal to move into the modern industrial age. This in turn presented logistical concerns in their ability to keep their vast territory. A succession of weak leadership in the final days sealed the fate of the once great Romanov Empire. Leadership with better foresight and a greater concern for the needs of the people would have prevented the decline of the Empire and they would have been able to survive World War I, with their aristocracy intact.
"he Romanovs ruled Russia for 300 years and built one of the greatest Empires in all of history. The first Romanov Tzar was Mikhail Feodorovich. At this time the empire already encompassed 2.3 million square miles. By the time Nicholas II ascended the throne, in 1894 becoming the last Romanov Tzar, the Russian Empire encompassed 8.5 million square miles. At its peak the empire stretched from Poland to Alaska, and south to California, nearly two thirds of the globe. This provided them with great wealth, and also great logistic and administrative problems as well, which later led to its abrupt end. "
Abstract This paper studies and praises the painting "L?Yerres, Effet de Pluie" by Gutave Caillebotte. It gives a brief history of his life, his influences, and an overview of the impressionist era. It then gives a detailed analysis of the work and the artist's individual style employed.
From the paper:
"Impressionism was, of course, contemporaneous historically with the ascendancy of the city and the machine. Certainly the Industrial Revolution and the processes of urbanization had been in full swing for a number of decades before Monet and Manet and Renoir set pigment and imagination to canvas. But by their generation, it was becoming suddenly clear to everyone that the ancient rhythms of the agrarian world and the far-more ancient domination over human life of nature's cycles was being cast aside."
Abstract This paper describes the arguments and quotes relevant passages of the debate between St. Ambrose and a Roman Senator Symmachus about the purpose and aim of Christianity for the Roman Empire. While the former argues for ascendency of the religion, the latter is for tolerance. It presents a very interesting facet of the early development of Christianity as it developed from relative obscurity to become a dominant force shaping historical developments in the Roman Empire and the Western World.
From the Paper Superficially, the debate between Saint Ambrose and Quintus Aurelius Symmachus centers on reinstating an altar to the Roman goddess Victory in the Senate building, and public funding of the pagan cults - issues the under the discretionary power of the emperor Valentinian. In reality, however, the focus of the debate centers on Christian toleration of state pagan religions, and emperor's responsibilities as a member of the Christian Church. Arguing from a position of relative weakness, Symmachus pleads for toleration and preservation of the ancestral institutions and laws hitherto advantageous to the emperor and the country; Ambrose, on the other hand, affirms the absolute truth of Christianity (an invariant position against toleration in the religious sphere) and compels the emperor to actively oppose paganism (a position which has varied through time in respect to the relationship between Church and State).
Abstract A deep character analysis of Samson which explores the mutual relationship between lust, love and self-control. It properly observes ascending order of importance; placing emphasis on self-destruction. Examines Samson character in a historical and biblical context.
From the Paper "A strong yet very weak man, Samson displays a physical greatness and a lack of self-control. Samson's awesome physical strength is powered by God, while his self-control can only be powered by himself. His lack of self-control allows him to be led by lust and motivated by hopes of power and revenge. Samson demonstrates how self-absorption can lead to the downfall and demise of a person, a marriage, a country, and a covenant with God."
Describes sculpture in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance as ascending in relative importance during these periods. Examines elements of sculptures from each period, such as: "The Virgin", "Christ", "David", "Rape of the Sabine Women" and "Narcicuss".
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 1990, $ 31.95
From the Paper "Sculpture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance had different forms and different styles, but in each case sculpture as an art form changed from the previous era to a more important position in relation to other types of artwork and in relation to the purpose of sculpture itself. In the Middle Ages, sculpture achieved an importance in itself that it did not have in the late medieval period in Europe. In both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, sculpture involved a revival of certain earlier forms and styles as well, recalling an earlier period and Classical originals in the case of the Renaissance.
The era of the Middle Ages is divided into more than one period. Janson (1986) notes that during the Romanesque period, there was a revival of monumental stone sculpture that was remarkable because there had been no indication before that this..."
Abstract The paper details the reasons for the Irish Potato Famine and its effect on history. An historical domino-effect is described that touches on social order, public health, America and Irish culture.
From the Paper "There are several factors that precipitated the Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s. First and foremost was the lop-sided distribution of land ownership. Most of the land was held by English and Anglo-Irish families ?the Ascendancy class. And many of these families were absentee landlords, spending most of their time in England. (Litton, 9) In contrast, the Irish families rented the land that they worked from this aristocracy. The farmers had no protection against eviction, and they could be forced off the land at any time. (Out of Ireland) Additionally, the rents were repressive at best, preventing the Irish families from accumulating wealth, destining them to a never-ending cycle of subsistence and poverty."
Abstract This paper examines the beliefs of Karl Marx, the co-founder of communism and also a philosopher, revolutionary thinker and economist. It shows how he was a student of capitalism and his seminal thoughts on the dominant political economy of his time (and ours) are as relevant today as in the hey days of Soviet communism and its ascendancy in several parts of the world. It shows how his theories about the accumulation of wealth by the capitalist, the "surplus value" and the monopolistic tendency of the capitalistic economy give us a perspective of capitalism that continues to make the works of Karl Marx relevant in a post-communist twenty-first century.
Outline
A Stage of Social Development
How Does Money Accumulate with the Capitalist?
Where Does the Capitalist Get the Capital in the First Place?
Why does the Laborer work for the Capitalist?
The Big Fish eat the Small Fish
Competition itself Breeds Monopoly
Political Influence of Large Corporations
Constant Improvement
The Rich get Richer
Excess Capacity: Looking for Space
Unemployment in Capitalist Societies: A Deliberate Ploy?
Will Capitalism Continue to Survive?
Constant Improvement
From the Paper "The Marxist explanation of Capitalism is based on the surplus value provided by the laborer to the capitalist that lets him to accumulate capital and make his profit. The question, however arises that why does the worker work for the capitalist instead of working for himself and keeping the surplus value. Capitalism, by definition is a system in which the producers are the employees and do not have the means to own the equipment and material needed to produce the commodities. Although in certain societies and cases the workers may be forced to offer themselves as labor for the capitalists through coercion, more often than not, the conditions in most capitalist societies are such that the laborers? own equipment and other resources simply cannot compete with those of the capitalist."
Tags: society, rich, poor, economy, communism, russia
Abstract This is a book review of the novel "Left Behind, A Novel of the Earth's Last Days", conceived by Tim Lahaye and written by Jerry B. Jenkins. The essay provides critical analysis of elements of plot, character, dialogue, themes, settings, as well as the quality of the writing. The discussion includes both the Rapture, or ascendency to Heaven of millions of born again Christians and the takeover of the United Nations by the anti-Christ.
From the Paper "The twists and turns of the plot and the vastness of the scope of the subject matter from global conspiracy to the end of the world, do tend to hold the reader's interest. The central image around which the book is built is quite memorable. Building upon the description of the old man whose wife finds only his neatly folded clothes remaining aboard Steele's plane, through the details of Irene's and Raymie's nightclothes in their beds, to depicted and imagined details of all the other disappeared, the empty clothes and discarded wedding rings reverberate hauntingly in the reader's mind."
Discusses how authors like Joseph Conrad ("Heart of Darkness") and Jane Austin ("Pride and Prejudice") used language to describe the happenings of their times.
Abstract This paper links the dark vision of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to the fripperies of Jane Austen by showing that these writers can be seen as important bookmarks to the era of the modern novel. We cannot understand Conrad's work without understanding its connections to his time. The paper shows that by looking back to a writer like Austen, we can see how much has changed in the world at large and in the world of the novel during the Victorian era and the ways in which authors had begun to lose faith in the power of language to represent, to contain and to describe language. The paper argues that we cannot understand Conrad's relationship to language without understanding the larger context within which literature was created and consumed. The era from the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837 until her death in 1901, was an era of a number of key social changes that would force writers to take clear positions on issues of immediate importance to the rest of society. The paper shows, therefore, that we see very little social criticism in Austen - whose "Pride and Prejudice" was written 20 years before Victoria ascended the throne - and almost exclusively social comment in Conrad's story, published in 1902, the year after Victoria died. But even as writers began to become engaged more and more in the world at large, they became increasingly aware of the fact that language is of limited use in effecting change. The paper shows that for a writer like Austen, the power of language had only to carry a plot and characters; for Conrad language had to have to have the ability to transform the world. It is thus hardly surprising that Austen should find language adequate to her desires and her needs and that Conrad should find it inadequate.
From the Paper "Conrad throughout this book implies that civilizations are created by the setting of laws and codes that encourage people to achieve higher standards ? that civilization and social bonds compel us to act out our better selves. The institutions of communal and civilized life act as dams, as bulwarks to prevent humans from reverting back to their darker tendencies, which they will do as soon as they are left alone or loosed from the constraints of their own societies, an element essential to much of colonial thought, as Back and Solomos (2000) suggest. Conrad suggests, through his insistence on the primacy of metaphor, that language cannot be counted on to be one of those civilizing bonds. When a writer can no longer count on language to provide an anchor in the world, we recognize that we are entering the rocky waters of modernism."
Abstract The television media was a crucial vehicle in the ascendancy of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. In many respects, the media helped civil rights succeed during this period, which explains, in part, why civil rights efforts were not as successful during the pre-television period. Even more interesting, and perturbing, is the fact that the post-civil rights period witnessed television playing a negative influence in the context of African-American equality. Indeed, as the theme in Todd Gitlin's "The Whole World is Watching: Mass Media in the Making and the Unmaking of the New Left" suggests, television helped the civil rights movement succeed, just as it helped curtail it.
Abstract This review discusses how these two novels are very powerful works that explore the realms of human morality and psychology. These novels show how the dark side of human nature exists in every area of the human condition and that none is exempt from it. Both works are about idealistic visions and shattered dreams.
Abstract This paper describes the ascendency of the Vichy regime. It looks at the main players in the regime, its changing leadership, the fall of France to Germany, and Vichy's attempt at collaboration with Germany, which contributed to the fall of France. Also examined are the resistance movements against Vichy and the Germans, the role that de Gaulle played in the resistance movements, and how members of the movements were able to assist the Allied invasion of Normandy. The paper concludes with a brief biographical sketch of Marshal Philippe Petain.
From the Paper "In April 1942, Laval returned to power and contrived to convince the Germans that they could get more active collaboration from him. Germany was now engaged in a massive war with the Soviet Union, and with the United States, and needed greater security in western Europe. Six months later, in October 1942, however, the whole basis of Vichy's position was transformed. In October, U.S. and British forces landed in North Africa. The main units of the French fleet were scuttled by their crews at Toulon, and on November 11th 1942, Germany occupied the whole of France and disbanded the "armistice army" of Vichy."
Tags: nazi, world, war, ii, franco-german, armistice, soviet, union, united, states, britain, fascist, moulin
Abstract Discusses the two styles of the 18th century. Considers the Rococo and its rejection and the return to models of antiquity. Examines the ascendancy of women in 18th century art, the influence of economic and political factors, the return to smaller paintings, and the popularity of portrait painting.
From the Paper "Following the death of Louis XIV a general reaction occurred to offset the austerity that had characterized the final years of his rule. This change created a new sense of feeling and expression among painters of the day. More specifically, the younger ..."
