Abstract Two paintings by Hieronymus Bosch are compared and analyzed in this paper. The similarities and contrasts of "Epiphany" (approx. 1490) and "Adoration of the Magi" (1510) are shown. Although both depict the birth of Jesus Christ, the paper shows how the paintings differ in style and message. The author also touches on what was considered a third 'adoration' painting by Bosch, but which turned out to be a forgery.
From the Paper "In the earliest version of the adoration of the Magi, known as the "Epiphany" presumed to date anywhere from approximately 1480-1490, and the first treatment of the subject unquestionably attributed to Bosch, the painting has a personal and almost friendly quality to it. This painting, an oil on a panel, was evidently not commissioned by any patron. Unlike many paintings of the period, it gives, rather than a clear view of Mary presented as the queen of heaven, a vision of the young girl sitting in a tiny, old and dilapidated stable. Two wise men are standing, one sitting with his gift at his feat. The wise men appear to be in conversation, but not necessarily about the Christ child. They hold their gifts casually, as kings might, causal of valuable objects. Even the man sitting in reverence could be seen as showing his fascination with Christ's youth, rather than with Christ's divinity. The baby Christ Child almost appears vulnerable in relationship to the Magi in this picture. He has no halo, he is naked and unswaddled. Yet Christ reaches out to the wise man, at his mother's like a friendly baby who is directly interested the affairs of all that come to him."
Abstract This paper discusses three women in William Shakespeare's "Othello" and their different relationships with the men they love. It looks at Desdemona and her adoration of Othello, at Emilia and her loyalty to the abominable Iago and finally at Bianca as the sensual mistress of Cassio. The paper describes the characters' love throughout the play and looks at the various outcomes of that love.
From the Paper "Cassio, Othello's lieutenant, is a young blade, the dashing, handsome man whom Iago admits has virtues that Iago cannot match. (V:i:18-20) In Bianca, he has a mistress rather than a wife, apparently a prostitute (IV:i:95-96), and while his actions suggest that he is reasonably fond of her (III:iv:167-78), he apparently does not intend to marry her (IV:i:116-117, 120-22, 124-26, 128-30), and while he will try to attend to her when he can (III:iv:176-77), he offers her no assurance that he will give her anything more than a handkerchief he has happened upon. (III:iv:186) When he gives this to her, she is jealous, that this is something from another woman, but there is a youthful innocence and exuberance in her remarks, not the burning rage of Othello's jealousy. (III,iv:178-81; IV:i:147-161) She becomes a tool in Iago's scheming, as he speaks of her to Cassio, while Othello believes that the conversation is about Desdemona. (IV:i:94-144) Although she ordinarily treats love as a mere commodity (Kernan), when she finds Cassio wounded, she seems genuinely concerned for him. (V:i:115-20) Iago turns his malice on her, suggesting she had a role in the attack, which is all Iago's doing. (V:i:85-86, 100-01, 104-10, 116) She recoils at the accusation, but can do little about it. (V:i:122-23)"
Tags: mistress, Iago, Cassio, adoration, character
This paper describes two breakthroughs in art; Giotto de Bondoni's "Adoration of the Magi" and Hubert van Eyck's "St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata of Christ."
Abstract The paper looks at Giotto de Bondoni's "Adoration of the Magi" masterpiece and "St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata of Christ," attributed to Hubert van Eyck. The paper describes these two paintings of Giotto's frescoes and van Eyck's oils. The paper notes that although Van Eyck is the more advanced of the two, they are both masterpieces that reward serious study.
From the Paper "Giotto de Bondoni was a breakthrough artist in that he turned art toward a much higher degree of realism than it had known before the early fourteenth century. However, by later standards, his frescoes seem remarkably crude. Many of his finest works are among the frescos in the Arena or Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. (Battisti, 78) The chapel was designed by Giotto to provide him with walls on which he created a range of frescoes depicting the life of Christ and various events attendant to that life. The project was apparently undertaken as a compensatory gesture to atone for the usurious career of Reginaldo delgi Scrovegni, a character sufficiently notorious that Dante portrays him in Hell."
Abstract The writer of this paper presents a profile of the killer based on the media's information about what crimes he committed and about his life. For the paper this writer chose to profile Ted Bundy.
From the paper:
"To those who knew him, it seemed he had it all. He was good looking, possessed charm, was intelligent and was living with a girl who adored him. He was fun to be around, he played well with his girlfriend's son and the neighbor's liked him. The only time he had a problem is when he had the urge to kill, and it wasn"t a big problem for him, he simply killed and went home again.?
Abstract This paper discusses how Andrew Jackson was well-loved by the American people. His popularity could be attributed to the fact that he was a common man, and Americans felt that they could relate to him. Jackson enjoyed a landslide election despite a smear campaign by his opponent John Quincy Adams and his image was strengthened by his struggle against the Bank of America and the Indian Removal issue. He was an ordinary man who had a blunt, unforgiving manner to him and was adored by most throughout his entire term in office.
From the Paper "To demonstrate Jackson's public approval rate, one could take a look at the Presidential Election of 1828. Historians have stated that this election was more of an exercise in slander rather than a debate on public issues, and John Quincy Adams, Jackson's opponent, did, in fact, execute an intense smear campaign. Adams? forces attacked Jackson's character, reminding voters of Jackson's duels, tavern brawls, and execution of militiamen during the Creek War. They also criticized Jackson's marriage to Rachel Donelson, calling the marriage itself an "abduction" and claiming that Jackson had "torn from a husband the wife of his bosom". After Adams? campaign, one might think that Jackson's public reputation would be severely damaged, and that his public support would drop."
Tags: adams, election, indian, removal, bank, white, house
From the Paper "This paper will analyze the painting Madonna and Child with Adoring Angel (c. 1468), by Sandro Filipepi Botticelli. The work consists of tempera paint on panel and it stands at 35 x 26-3/4 inches. The subject matter of the painting shows Mary affectionately holding the baby Jesus while a nearby angel looks on. The context of the work is the early Italian Renaissance. In contrast to the strictly religious themes of the medieval period, the early Renaissance was a time when humanism was becoming increasingly important in painting. In addition, the early Renaissance saw the development of increased naturalism in terms of pictorial style.
Botticelli was born in about 1444 or 1445 and he died in 1510. He was a Florentine painter who is closely associated with the patronage of the Medici family. The Madonna and Child with ..."
Abstract This paper presents a description of the piece of art known as "Diptych", which portrays a series of scenes from the life of Christ, beginning with the Annunciation and proceeding through his birth, adoration by the Magi, betrayal, death, ascension, and the final gift of his spirit to the people at Pentecost.
From the Paper "Stylistically, this piece seems both common to its time and yet also enlightening as to its historical moment. There is a certain classical stylization to the flow of the drapery and clothing about the figures which has evolved from the more formless shapes of the earlier middle ages, and hints at an evolving classicism and awareness of form that heralds the oncoming Rennaissance. The characters are in constant contorting motion, and the drapery about them is used to accentuate the angles at which they are caught, and an articulated body is visible below. "In the Gothic figure no such differentiation exists" (Iskold), until the Gothic begins to blend into the Rennaissance."
Abstract This paper explains that, in Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye", the narrator, a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield who comes from a rich family, seems to be a normal teenage boy; however, as the reader gets deeper into the story, he displays certain self-destructive and pathological qualities that separate him from the norm. The author points out that the beginning of the story is very interesting, as Holden points out that he does not want this story to be his life story; he simply wants the reader to understand how he ended up where he did: in psychiatric care. The paper concludes that Holden is said to suffer from psychological problems because of his self-destructive behavior and his nonconformist attitudes. The "cure", as implied in the novel, would be for Holden to stop resisting material gain and his adoration for nonjudgmental, genuine, human interaction.
From the Paper "Holden goes back to his dormitory and encounters Robert Ackley, a rude outcast with an acne-ridden face and a poor attitude, and Holden's roommate, an arrogant man-about-campus who Holden despises. As Stradlater gets ready for a date with Jane Gallagher, an old friend of Holden?s, he asks Holden to write an essay for him, as Holden is a talented writer. Holden leaves with Ackley and another student to see a movie in New York City, but writes the paper when he returns. At this point, we catch a glimpse of the root of Holden's troubles. He writes the essay about his late brother Allie's favorite baseball glove. He pours his heart out in the story, describing how Allie died of leukemia and how he broke all of the windows in his garage in a rage the night that Allie died."
Abstract The authorship of "The Conquest of Gaul" was motivated in part to define Julius Caesar's legacy as fighter in these wars, as a great general, and a great leader to the adoring Roman populace and the disapproving Roman senate. This paper shows that, even during Caesar's lifetime and before he became an official 'god' of the Roman world, Caesar was attempting to formulate his own following and legacy in print. Rather than allowing even his followers to define his conquests, he wished to define them on his own terms. The paper examines the tone of the books as well as tools such as propaganda used by the author.
From the Paper "However, it must also be remembered, that even despite the fact he does not over-praise himself, this show of modesty is itself a created virtue, in keeping with Roman rules and virtues of understatement regarding one's accomplishments. Too much braggacio would have incited the hostile Senate, and perhaps alienated some of Caesar's greatest supporters, the hearts and voices of the common Roman people of the electorate."
Abstract This paper describes the similarities and differences between these two classic films and explains why "Mildred Pierce", through the use of the femme fatale, a theme of betrayal and hopelessness and the use of flashbacks is the epitome of film noir while "On the Waterfront" actually breaks away from that genre, even though it shares some of the standard film noir qualities.
From the Paper "Both movies possess the theme of family dynamics. In "Mildred Pierce" there is the element of a mother-daughter relationship as well as a forbidden affair between Mildred's second husband and her spoiled daughter from her first marriage, Veda. Sexual tension and melodrama runs throughout the movie: between Mildred and her first husband Bert; between Bert and Maggie Biederhof; between Mildred and second husband, Monte Beragon; between Mildred and her business partner and long-time friend, Wally Fay; and between Veda and Monte. In 'On the Waterfront," the family dynamics is between the two brothers, Terry and Charley Malloy, however, the family dynamics also extends to the loyalty between the dock workers. As far as sexual relationships, there is only one and that is between Terry and Edie, the sister of a slain dock worker."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the historical from the literary Richard III, as portrayed by Shakespeare. There is a brief description of each portrayal as well as a short analysis of the two together. The representation by Shakespeare shows the villain-hero to be one that we both adore and abhor at the same moment, but the real Richard III was just as fascinating in his ability to twist the royal line to make himself king.
From the Paper "Being so repulsive, Richard learned to use beautiful words and delicate language to disguise his face and to gain the trust and love of others by speaking sweetly to them. Lady Anne, mourning over the corpse of her father-in-law, was won over by his honeyed tongue. Richard not only slew her father-in-law, King Henry VI, but he murdered Anne's husband, Prince Edward, on the battlefields as well. Richard convinces Anne that it was her beauty that forced him into killing her beloved family. Anne, so swept up by his voice and, perhaps with the sight of an empty future, ends her resistance, stays her curses of him, and agrees to become his wife."
Tags: battle, bosworth, lancaster, plantagenet, tudor, york
Abstract This paper explores how major league athletes enjoy a life filled with adoring fans, and also looks at the many benefits of being a celebrity figure. The writer of this paper discusses how from the 1960s to the present, the media has changed its style of reporting about athletes and celebrities. This paper also probes the term "bad press" and describes how the media deliberately sets out to disperse negative information about an athlete which can and has ruined careers.
From the Paper "This attitude has changed drastically over last two decades and now the media will run a news story of a sport's heroes evils with as much gusto as they run the good stories of the sport's heroes. Americans today are different in the way they view the once legendary heroes of sports. They are not held with as much awe as they once were by their fans, though the fans are enthusiastic about their teams. Sports in general has lost a lot of the magic it once had in the 60's and times before that, but this is a signs of changing times."
Abstract This paper explains that, in a world of complexity and near incomprehensibility, nothing compares to straightforward, insightful analysis of current events and news media, plainly expressed with words, particularly nouns, adjectives and even verbs, space permitting. The author gives examples of over-simplification, glossing over and distorting the truth for purposes of humor such as "The Onion" headlining article, which satirically reports of the success of the National Gay and Lesbian Recruitment Task Force in socializing children to become homosexuals. The paper concludes that an ideal society demands that its citizens first look to the news media for knowledge because, if instead people seek information from clowns and jesters, then they may soon become the same buffoons whom they adore.
From the Paper "Chapter five of "America" seeks to ridicule the judicial branch of the American federal government. The salient technique of the chapter, as well as the rest of the book involves oversimplifying the processes of government, glossing over important concepts of our government, and in the worst cases, severely distorting the truth, in effect, putting laughs over substance. For example, in its explanation of the judicial theory of "strict constructionism," "America" comments that a believer in such an idea "interprets the Constitution according to the language and original intent of the text at the time of its writing, in much the same way as a fundamentalist views the Bible." Is that so? Not in most professional opinions, I would venture."
Abstract Despite the popular classification of Ray Bradbury as a science fiction writer, much of his works bring allusions to the past and present. This paper shows that, unlike many futuristic writers, Bradbury exhibits strong social criticism to the present, cautiously looks to the future and adores the past of his childhood. The paper looks to see how this is presented in several of his works such as "The Martian Chronicles", "Fahrenheit 451" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes".
From the Paper "Bradbury's writings are not a typical science fiction. Although the future and its technology have a well-established place it is not the key element in any of his stories. What one finds in many of his works are imagery and references to his youth. Nostalgia for the innocent time of the past is evident, while depictions of the future are gloomy. In Bradbury's writing there can be found not only a reflection of society at the time, but of all of the memories and lessons he learned from the past, and some of the hopes that he has for the future."
