Abstract The novel, "Bright Lights, BigCity", by Jay McInerney, pivots around the idea of idolizing the Mother, whether it be the main character's actual mother or any number of maternal figures in his life. This paper makes the claim that all the female figures mentioned in the novel are really meant to displace the idea of 'mother'. Only when the protagonist realizes this can he truly grow up.
From the Paper "Again she makes her motherly nature apparent by parentally comforting him when he comes back to the office without her bagel, claiming that he's just "fucking everything up" (79) these days. Putting her arm around him gently, she tells him to "take it easy" (79) and that "everything is going to be all right" (79). That is not the talk of a concerned friend, but rather the reassuring words of a mother to a child after a bad day at school. Finally, Megan makes her last appearance as "mother" when she invites the main character over to her house for dinner. Instead of the typical date atmosphere one would expect from a woman who presumably has a crush on a man, Megan says that she's going to "teach [him] how to purchase and make a meal" (133) ? an act that undoubtedly makes her resemble a parent."
Abstract This paper examines and analyzes the main character in the film, "Bright Lights, BigCity" in the context of his substance abuse problem and potential solutions to substance abuse and addiction.
From the Paper "The idea of Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" to drugs was a good publicity stunt but it did not solve the drug crisis in the United States, nor really address the life styles, the frustration and boredom that may be one of the root causes of addiction, whether to drugs or alcohol .Elements of unemployment, poverty racism, sexism, family dissolution and feelings of powerlessness and alienation are associated with the problem of substance abuse. In the film "Bright Lights, Big City"..."
A discussion of whether the imagery that artists in the twentieth century used to portray New York City was manipulated by the artists or were more documentary in nature.
Abstract As America developed in the nineteenth century, large cities sprang up across the nation. In particular, by the twentieth century with the help of an influx of immigration, New York City had become a bustling city with well over one million people. Opinions on the quality of city life were mixed, especially among artists. This paper refutes the arguments put forth by cultural historian, Alan Trachtenberg, in his book "Reading American Art", that artists, specifically photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, manipulated their art to convey their individual feelings toward the bigcity. The paper argues that Trachtenberg unfairly groups all artists that presented urban imagery into the same category. The photography Trachtenberg refers to differs substantially from other photographers and painters that portrayed city life. The paper includes several reproductions of photographs and paintings.
From the Paper "However, most often, the Ashcan artists focused on the city as a collection of individual "microneighborhoods"4 rather than a larger entity. This differs again from Trachtenberg's assertion that the city is most often depicted as picturesque. Again, by inserting people into the picture, the picturesque nature is lost. In comparing Sloan's A Woman's Work to Hine's Playground in a Tenement Alley there are parallels that can be drawn. Both show low class tenements with their laundry hanging out to dry over an alley. Sloan's painting portrays the house work that women must do and suggests that the woman is the one who keeps the house in order. Hine's photo proposes that while the children live in a run down rookery tenement, they are quite satisfied playing baseball."
Tags: Jessie, Tarbox, Beals, Arnold, Genthe, Lewis, Hine, Ashcan, School
Abstract This paper focuses on the rise of big business in the U.S. and examines what allows this to happen. It concentrates on demand related factors as well as the supply side factors.
From the Paper "In a laisse-faire economy it is strictly hands off for the government. It is an economy in which, there is free trade with no government intervention. In this economy firms share knowledge thusly creating a highly competitive market where no firm has "economic power". At least this is the thinking behind Adam Smith's classical economic theory which was the accepted theory in the U.S. This seems self explanatory for a people with a history of tyrannous rule and people whose main reasons for coming to America were for economic freedom. It is what these people fought for against England during the Revolutionary War. "
Abstract This paper analyzes Chester Finn's article "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Test?", which concerns national education testing. It explores Finn's view that national educational testing is the solution to the problems confronting education today.
From the Paper "Chester E Finn Jr has written an article that supports establishing national testing standards for schools. This is not a balanced article that considers the advantages and disadvantages of the issue and ..."
Tags: education, big bad test, finn, national, education, testing
Abstract This paper reviews Daniel Wallace's novel "Big Fish: A novel of Mythic Proportions" and highlights the elements of fantasy that are found in the work. The role of the fantastic is analyzed and it's impact is contrasted with the concrete and realistic outlooks of other characters in the novel. In particular, the paper focuses on the protagonist William and the depiction of his expedition to unravel the truth. The reviewer concludes that Wallace proves that words have the power to transform reality into a group of ideas that leave an impression that does not disappear.
From the Paper "William's desire to understand his father through a staunch reality is never met in the novel, and there is a reason for this. Edward, even in his last days is trying to compel William to see the world through the eyes of fantasy, to make everything more meaningful. William wishes that Edward would speak the truth, rather than what he, as a boy and as an adult believes are his father's attempts to spin his life into fantasy to impress him, despite his long absence form his son's life. William gives the impression that he believes his father's stories are a fabrication that he has concocted, during long hours in lonely hotel rooms, while he traveled the south as a salesman. He seems not to believe, at first in any truth in the fantasy. "
Tags: Daniel, Wallace, Big, Fish, a, Novel, of, Mythic, Proportions
Abstract This paper discusses Phenix City in Russell County, Alabama, otherwise known as "Sin City, USA." The paper discusses the history of illegal activity in Phenix City and how the city became a haven for criminals. The paper then goes on to describe the efforts to clean up Phenix City and how its image has begun to evolve over time. The paper concludes by discussing the name of the city, "Phenix."
Table of Contents:
I. A.K.A.
"Once Known as "Sin City"
II. Commonplace Sins
A Haven for Hellish Activities?
Cleaning Up Phenix City III. The name, "Phenix"
Excuses and Reasons
From the Paper "Hugh Bentley, a layman, decided to try to fire the churches into action against the sin and criminal activity in 1946. Bentley stressed that Phenix City's problem was a moral one and that until the moral breakdown was changed, things would not improve. January 9, 1951, Bentley's house was blown up with thirty-six sticks of dynamite, however, neither he nor any of his family was seriously injured."
"In 1954, Albert Patterson, a sixty-year-old Phenix City lawyer, adopted his campaign crusade to be cleaning Phenix City's gambling machine. At this time, Phenix City was described by Life Magazine as the "wickedest city in the United States, . . . everything from gambling to murder to arson to fraud." (Ibid.) June 1, 1954, Patterson won the Democratic primary."
Abstract This paper illustrates the issues of large urban port cities as seen in Dublin and New York City. The paper provides an in-depth history of each city and compares the social issues of the urban environment, ethnic diversity, poverty and crime.
From the Paper "New York City is generally considered the doorway to America. It is the largest city in the nation, seven million strong, and a main hub of financial activity. This is probably the most racially and ethnically diverse of the large American cities, the epitome of the melting pot. A third of the population is of African descent, fifteen percent are Jewish, twelve percent Hispanic. Other ethnic populations have a vocal presence, including the Irish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and other Asians. If one city has represent urban America over the last 200 years, it would be the harbor city of New York, New York.
" Across the Atlantic ocean lies another city, a little farther from the ocean, though not much. It is the "fair city" of Dublin, that capitol of the Republic of Ireland. This is a fairly heterogeneous city, for it is the center of 4,000 year old struggle for cultural sanctity and independence. The vast majority of the citizens are Irish or British nationals, Christian and white. Most are Roman Catholic, and the largest "minority" are the British Protestants. One fourth of the citizens of Ireland, approximately 900,000 souls all told, now live in Dublin and its suburbs, and its name is becoming synonymous with Irish culture and tradition."
Tags: dublin, new, york, city, urban, city, cities, port, social, issue, environemnt, ethnic, diversity, poverty, crime
Abstract This paper explores the nature of the City of the Angels looking at a very mixed bag of primary sources about the nature of commerce and the city. The paper also looks at how the city has been defined by the nature of 20th century and now 21st century capitalism. It also looks at the way the suburb has been defined by capitalism and the ways in which Los Angeles as a city that cannot exist or be understood in isolation, has also been defined by the economics of suburbs and by the ways in which the bright promise of a city on the edge of the continent becomes so easily tarnished.
From the Paper "We may borrow an opening line of a famous Russian novel and bend it to our own purposes, we might say that while every city is unhappy in its own ways, every suburb is unhappy in precisely the same way. This aphorism that we have just coined may help us to understand the history of the city of Los Angeles ? although the history of this great American city is in fact one of the most difficult of all urban histories to write. It is difficult to talk about the nature of this city because it is not exactly a city ? if one's model of a city is a place like New York City that is. But it is also a difficult city to define and to describe if one is attempting to describe it as a suburb. For while in the popular imagination Los Angeles may be nothing more than a suburb (although one imagines that its reputation for being a suburb is one based, again, in East Coast sensibilities), it is not in fact a classic bedroom community. Los Angeles is both suburb and city, both Dream Factory and home, a city of significant and fascinating contradictions."
Tags: ethnic, struggle, natural, disaster, capitalism, city, american, image
Abstract A look at the discovery of Panama and the beginnings of Panama City. The paper discusses how the city was strategically placed and how, with the canal, it has developed into an important metropolitan city of South America. History of the city since the 1500's is surveyed. The paper deals with the series of foreign rulers and explorers who controlled the city.
From the Paper "In 1501, Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas discovered Panama in South America, which soon became a major point of dispersal for Spanish conquest and settlement in the New World (Preston 47). But of much greater value to the colonizers at the time was the City of Panama, then the capital of Castilla del Oro (later renamed into the Isthmus of Panama), and discovered in 1519 by Pedro Arias de Avila. The Isthmus served as a passage of advantage to Spanish ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and between continents (Preston 46) in their sea exploration and conquest activities. Panama City's importance derived exclusively from its control of that passage or route (Blouet 726) ? from the City, expeditions set out for the conquest of the Pacific side of Central America up to Nicaragua and that of the entire South American west coast up to Chile (Blouet 729)."
Abstract This six page undergraduate paper examines the impact of technology on cities. The author notes that the impact of computer technology on cities has been significant, especially over the last ten years, for the tremendous expansion of e-commerce is transforming the retail shopping habits of millions of city residents. The writer points out that instead of shopping in the retail districts or suburban shopping malls of cities, many people are staying at home and shopping by computer. Further the writer notes that this is driving many metropolitan area stores out of business, which is producing a series of cause-and-effect developments which are altering cities in numerous ways.
From the Paper "The impact of computer technology on cities has been significant, especially over the last ten years, for the tremendous expansion of Internet e-commerce is transforming the retail shopping habits of millions of city residents. Instead of shopping in the retail districts or suburban shopping malls of cities, many people are staying at home and shopping by computer. This is driving many metropolitan area stores out of business, which is producing a series of cause-and-effect developments which are altering cities in numerous ways. For example, when "brick and mortar" stores go out of business, cities lose important sales tax revenue because people are not spending money in local stores."
Abstract This paper discusses the role of public administration in five different American cities. The cities examined include Columbia, Missouri; Bozeman, Montana; Denver, Colorado; Fargo, North Dakota; and Yuma, Arizona. Different aspects of each city are discussed, including an examination of city organization and governmental structure.
From the Paper "Public administration within the context of any city can take on a variety of forms. A number of organizational structures and functions are relatively common, such as fire and police protection. However, some cities have specialized needs and must develop organizational systems capable of meeting those needs and providing for the citizens of the city. These special needs often are developed outside the standard organizational structure of the city's administration functions. This is evident when we consider the Storm Water Task Force, developed as a special committee in the city of Columbia, MO. In 2001, the city council of Columbia authorized the Public Works department in the city to create a new task force that would deal specifically with storm water issues and agendas (Willett)."
Abstract A thorough history of the city of Fez, Morocco. The author examines the religions present in the city, and their influences upon each other as well the architectural designs of the city. Includes a timeline of the major events of the city.
From the Paper "The city of Fez is located in north-central Morocco, east of the capital city, Rabat. It is roughly 150 miles south of the Mediterranean and 150 miles inland from the Atlantic coast. Sited in a valley of the Middle Atlas Mountains and fed by the Wadi Fez River, the city has an excellent environment to prosper in. The lack of adverse natural conditions has caused the city to become a cultural, religious and commercial center in Morocco. Its location at the intersection of several important trade routes has kept the city one of the most technologically advanced in Africa. What has kept this city in such high regard by the millions of Muslims who visit it every year and the 570000 people who reside there? (www.i-cias.com) The answer lies in the rich history of Fez. "
Tags: africa, architecture, city, europe, history, islam, jew, madrasa, mosque, muslim
Abstract The following discussion will focus on city hall design in the last half of the twentieth century. The focus will be on the city halls of Kitchener, Mississauga, Ottawa and Toronto. Initially, a brief history of Canadian city hall architecture and an outline of the International style will be presented. Subsequently, the four projects will be briefly described and analyzed. A concluding section will offer some qualitative comments and assess the broader meaning of these projects.
Abstract The writer of this article notes that Robert Lewis, in "A City Transformed: Manufacturing Districts and Suburban Growth in Montreal, 1850-1929", and Richard Harris, in "Industry and Residence: The Decentralization of New York City, 1900-1940", deal with the phenomenon of suburbanization in two large North American cities within time frames overlapping the early 20th century. The writer points out that both authors' analyses of changes in residential settlement, industrial relocation, and the restructuring of the urban and suburban landscapes along class lines represent a radical revision of the traditional conceptual models of the processes of suburbanization. The writer maintains that both of these articles are primarily descriptive as opposed to theoretical. It is only when one considers them in terms of the article they later jointly authored - "The Geography of North American Cities and Suburbs, 1900-1950" - that one may see how explicitly their revisionist perspectives, foreshadowed in these earlier articles, have challenged prevailing theoretical models of suburbanization in North America.
Outline:
Introduction
New York and Montreal: Key Findings
The Findings in their Larger Theoretical Context
Conclusion
From the Paper "The findings that the move to the suburbs in both Montreal and New York City during the late 19th and early 20th century was comprised of working class people represents a critical distinction between this phase of suburbanization and the more well-known later 20th century model. For example, in the 20th century settlement in the suburbs was seen as a means of escaping low-income housing. In a number of American cities, a racial dimension was added to this class distinction, as the suburbs became areas to which the blue-collar white workers and the white middle-class resettled from the inner city, which was left to the African American working class. Studies of cities such as Detroit have found that these industrial suburbs are notably "hostile" to Black settlement; a factor that adds the complications of race and ethnicity to class in explaining settlement patterns and the processes of suburbanization."
