Abstract This paper attempts to compare the leadership and the times of the Pax Romana era to that of today's Pax Americana era. The paper suggests that, overall, Pax Romana was better for the people of Rome and of foreign nations, than Pax Americana is for the people of today.
From the Paper "The Pax Americana positions the United States as the most powerful nation in the world, and forced to act as policeman, arbiter, and peace-keeper, while providing funds for the lesser nations of our century to cope with their poverty and poor economic outlooks. Of course, one can truly say that living in America is the best possible location, given the alternatives. But, why would one opt for the Pax Romana? What were Romans really like in their everyday lives that made the Pax Romana an ideal place in which to live out one's days?"
Abstract This paper analyzes the works of two Canadian writers: Guillermo Verdecchia and Fred Wah. More specifically, through an analysis of Verdecchia's "Fronteras Americanas" and Wah's "Diamond Grill", the paper looks at how the works of both authors reveal a special interest in matters relating to race and culture.
From the Paper "Verdecchia was born in Latin America, but raised in Canada. The stresses that he underwent due to being a member of a visible minority group are reflected in his work. One of the most obvious ways that they are reflected is in the way Verdecchia uses and plays with stereotypes in his plays. Wah, on the other hand, was born and raised in Canada."
Abstract James Wright comments on life in an American steel town with his poem "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio." Using free verse, Wright is nonetheless able to imbue the poem with flowing cadence. The paper shows how the poet offers his readers a glimpse into a small segment of Americana, while at the same time delivering universal human truths. The paper shows how "Autumn Begins" is an observation of the crowd and activity at a high school football game. In the first stanza, the narrator muses about the various minority groups in Martins Ferry. The second stanza is devoted to the state of affairs of American family life and the state of mind of the wives at home. Finally, the third stanza depicts the young athletes, who play an aggressive sport that mimics their father's hard work. The paper shows that "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio" combines modern poetic devices and a somber tone to convey life in Middle America.
From the Paper "While the free verse style of the poem does not provide the reader with metric structure, it does correspond to the content of the poem. The narrator, who remains unidentified throughout the poem, speaks in a reflective tone. He or she wishes to remain an observer and does not reveal anything about him or herself. The focus of the poem is on the people and situations described by the narrator. While any judgments made about life in Martins Ferry, Ohio are subtle, the tone of the poem becomes dark and almost foreboding. Diction is the key to conveying such a tone; the poet chooses such words as ?starved,? ?dying,? ?suicidally,? and ?terribly.? Even at the beginning of the poem, images of gray-faced ?Negroes in the blast furnace,? and "ruptured night watchmen" build an atmosphere of depression. While the narrator watches an innocent high school football match, he or she notices that the people in this town do not live lives of joy."
Abstract This essay will argue that the American government has played an integral role in the construction and maintenance of the "military industrial complex" that is the foundation of American superpower status. However, as will be seen, the massive government spending associated with this status has warped the American economy and profoundly altered the social geography of the United States in the process.
Abstract This paper explains that Starbucks' currently mixed success in Japan is evidence that attempting to replicate an American fast food franchise success story, without adapting to local tastes and needs, is a recipe for disaster. The author points out that, relying upon the Japanese taste for newness and Americana, Starbucks quickly found itself running up against (1) Japan's notoriously fad driven economy, (2) Japanese cultural differences such as smoking and (3) not providing enough tea alternatives. The paper relates that with so many Japanese people eating out, Starbucks Japan had many marketing problems relating to its food quality, in terms of freshness and selection; unlike in the U.S., ovens had to be installed in all stores to improve the freshness of its food offerings.
From the Paper "Initially, it seemed that Starbucks had many advantages in adapting its "circular, green-and-black logo" to Japan. One external advantage enjoyed by Starbucks, an advantage integral to the Japanese culture, was the Japanese peoples' food buying habits. For instance, although it is an industrialized country, supermarkets are less common in Japan than they are in the United States. Many people shop and eat habitually in local neighborhood stores and eateries in Japan because it is impractical to drive to a large supermarket. Patronizing coffee and noodle shops is an ingrained part of local culture."
Abstract There are very few other trees in America that have a wider distribution than the elm. This paper examines the history of the trees in America and how they were used by the early colonists. It examines the negative aspects of the tree, as well as diseases which affect it.
From the Paper "Usually the American elm can be found growing in lowlands and along streams as far south as northern Florida and as far east as eastern Texas. Because of this, U. americana is sometimes called the swamp elm. Rich, well-drained lowlands are where it grows best. In a forest, these elms are commonly found with no branches up to 50 feet above the ground and with trunks 2-4 feet in diameter. This will cause the elm to develop arching branches and a smaller crown."
Abstract American photographer Walker Evans' success was that his images appear to be objective - they are the photographer's evaluations/interpretations of the world before his eye. The paper points out the paradoxical nature of this argument--that Evans' objective, realistic, "documentary" style is his own subjectivity. The paper looks at the context within which Evans was working -- specifically that of the 1930s Farm Security Administration. The paper shows that the images Evans made for "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" (which were included in the FSA file of photographs) serve as the culmination of Evans' talents, as well the utmost realistic portrayal of the conditions that the American tenant-farmer was subject to in the post-Depression 1930s.
From the Paper "A man in love with Americana, Evans was a sensualist, a junk collector, a connoisseur, a wit, a perpetual weekend guest. His friendships with Hart Crane, Lincoln Kirstein, and James Agee drew him into the promiscuous New York literary scene in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, and his fierce independence from contemporaries such as Ansel Adams and Margaret Bourke-White brought him notoriety among photographers. Both charismatic and seductively aloof, Evans had a spy's genius for capturing the telling detail."
Abstract This paper argues that, like everything else that has impacted the American way of life, the TV has created tribulations with some viewers, who believe in accusations such as how the TV is inappropriate for children or how it can ruin an audience's mind. There are always going to be two sides to a controversy or argument, and that is primarily the case for the television. The paper shows that although the opposition's belief toward the television might seem logical, more than not has the television satisfied many Americans, while shaping the American lifestyle in a positive way. The paper argues that since television's introduction in the 1940s and 1950s, it has proven to be a revolutionary instrument that has influenced political, social and economic changes in America, while contributing to keeping the American dream alive.
From the Paper "The "boob tube," in its early continuation of the 40s and 50s, also signified change in American society and cultural principles. Ed Weiner, a TV statistician for over fifty years, has studied sitcoms closely and can prove this transition. According to Weiner's studies, when Lucile Ball of the famous sitcom I Love Lucy became pregnant in 1952, the writers wanted to incorporate the pregnancy into the show's story line. Pregnant women had never been included in a film or radio plot before and was a subject that many writers tried to avoid. However, the show allowed it, and doing so opened the moral barriers found in the entertainment industry and society itself. CBS in the process lined up priests, ministers and rabbis in order to review all the pregnancy scripts to protect themselves (76)".
Abstract This paper studies Ernest Hemingway's "In Our Time," a collection of short stories, some of which share the same main character, loosely arranged into chapters. The paper explains that the continuity of these stories is fragmented by interludes, most of which are violent. This paper analyzes these interludes. The author dissects their symbolism in order to understand and appreciate Hemingway's social commentary, which he says is to emphasize that society has become fragmented, and that individuals are feeling uncertain and doubtful about the meaning of their lives.
From the Paper "One of the most jarring aspects of In Our Time is the Vignettes, short interludes that seem to break up the chapters rather than connect them. The Vignettes are divided into roughly two parts: the first part deals with someone who is fighting in the war, who turns out to be Nick. "Nick sat against the wall of the church . . . He had been hit in the spine" (63). This immediately makes sense of the first half of the Vignettes or so, since it ties them all back to the main character, and explains why he seems to be searching for meaning: he has lost his innocence in the War. However, the second half still needs explication."
Tags: xenophobia, vignettes, bullfight, war, literary, Americana
Abstract This paper studies "All My Sons", a novel by Arthur Miller, that confronts the notion of the American dream. The paper dissects the essential conflict between the main character, Joe Keller and his son, focusing on the character development of each individual. Then the paper discusses how the novel is a parable for the materialism of modern life in America -- both at the time the novel was written and today.
From the Paper "All My Sons, is a drama about moral responsibility and the facade of the American Dream. It focus is on a family who faces conflicts and moral dilemmas. The conflict is between a pragmatic father and an idealistic son. The father, a "blue collar" industrialist, a man who by his own means made himself successful. Motivated by what he believes is loyalty to his family, he allows defective aircraft parts to leave his plant. The son, Chris, who fought during the war, realizes the brotherhood which, exists between soldiers, values above all honesty."
An analysis of the theme of isolation within three classic American novels: "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and J. Alfred Prufrock's "The Love Song".
Abstract This paper analyzes the novels "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and J. Alfred Prufrock's "The Love Song", focusing on the theme of isolation in America. The author explains that each of these three novels, in their own way, addresses how America is the land of freedom and open spaces, of boundless dreams and opportunities, but is also the land of "keeping up with the Joneses" and distances too vast to be bridged by mere mortals. The paper shows that, while the causes and the results are different in each book, isolation remains a motivating factor and determinant of individual characters' destiny. The paper begins with an assessment of "The Grapes of Wrath", demonstrating how it deals with isolation in its broadest sense - the isolation of one individual from the rest of humanity. Then the paper discusses "The Great Gatsby", which addresses the breaking apart of humanity on a much more individual level. The most isolating experience is depicted in "The Love Song", the paper concludes, which depicts the isolation experienced by every modern day individual.
From the Paper "Though T.S. Eliot treats us to an image of movement, and change, the metaphor he gives us is that of a "patient etherized on a table." Immediately, we have the sense that all of those wanderings are the stuff of dreams and fantasy. It is as if we are privy to the goings-on inside Alfred J. Prufrock's head. Symbolic of the intense isolation experienced by modern men and women is also the fact that, in those same lines, nothing without ourselves is ever distinctly heard or observed. We hear "mutterings," and see few people on the streets. The "one-night hotels" speak of transience, and of pleasures taken on the sly. Prostitutes are frequently associated with such places. Does Prufrock mean to infer that all the pleasures of the modern age are no better than the mercenary delights offered by a prostitute? Do we purchase even our own happiness? Nor must one forget the isolation of the prostitute. She is isolated from "good society." She is also isolated from her customers, many of whom she will never really know, and probably never see again. Those who patronize her, too, engage in a thoroughly anonymous experience."
Tags: alone, humanity, individual, society, classics, Americana
Abstract This paper examines Willy Loman, the main character in the play "Death of a Salesman" by playwright Arthur Miller. The paper demonstrates how "Death of a Salesman" -- and in particular its protagonist Willy Loman -- serves as a commentary on the tragedy of the lost American Dream. The focus of the paper is on how Willy suffers because of the internal and external conflicts in his life, and how he is ultimately faced with the dramatic questions that broach the nature of the disintegration of his family.
From the Paper "The main protagonist of Death of a Salesman is Willy Loman, a traveling salesman. He represents the common American man and is a symbol for every person who has put faith into the American Dream and been betrayed by it. Willy is a ritual head of his family, though his family may or may not actually respect and love him as the husband and father. Willy is the personification of the values that are held in the utmost importance by the civilized men of the twentieth century, being dedicated to his long-standing employer despite unfair treatment, holding materialistic values to prove success to himself, and wanting good things for his football-hero son. Willy is seeking meaning for the events of his life, trying to interpret a design and pattern to life when it seems the most illogical and the most chaotically paradoxical. Willy experiences his life as a whole, not in a linear and separated form, and the way in which events of his life interact as independent entities is both an expression of his removal from logic as well as a force which disrupts reality as he understands it. Willy's ideals are unattainable, for he wants to please everyone all of the time, he wants to be successful in a way that is not possible for him, and he wants to make an impression on the world in a way that a traveling salesman simply is not destined to do. When Willy realizes that he has failed at reaching the American Dream, and that he is not capable of attaining the material things he thinks are vital to proving his personal worth, he projects his own desires onto his son, and sees Biff as a way to redeem himself despite his failings. Unable to provide for his family in the way he sees fit during life, Willy martyrs himself so that his family can receive life insurance benefits, and his son, as a replacement for himself, can reach the American Dream with the money."
Abstract This paper contends that Norman Rockwell's work reveals both his ability as an artisan and his ability to limn the important cultural and social concerns of America during his lifetime. It explains that despite the author's views, art critics dismiss his work as being overly sentimental and overly determined. The paper examines the value of this work not as a form of art but rather as a cultural map of much of American 20th-century life.
From the Paper "Norman Rockwell's work is dismissed by art critics and members of the high art world as being overly sentimental and overly determined. But a closer examination of his work reveals both his artisanship and his ability to ..."
Abstract This paper discusses Samuel Barber as an important composer of works for piano. It examines one of his most lush works for the piano, Piano Sonata Op. 20 ("Excursions"). It looks at how this work, like his other compositions, was essentially neo-romantic in form, affect and idiom. The paper focuses on two of the Sonata's four movements.
From the Paper "Although Samuel Barber is best known for his Adagio for Strings which he wrote as the slow movement of a string quartet, he was also an important composer of works for piano. This paper examines one of his most lush works for piano, "Piano Sonata Op Excursions".
Abstract This paper argues that the United States faces a powerful, upcoming challenge from Asian rivals - most of all, from India - that may lead to the end of the Pax Americana by the end of this century. The paper examines how America rose to pre-eminence in the world, in part, because of war; that is to say, the Civil War allowed it to develop a formidable army, infrastructure and communications network, while the Second World War so enervated Europe that the US was able to confidently step into the vacuum. The paper also looks at how America's enemies or rivals can engage the US by fighting a variety of different "wars" that are not military in nature - wars that are technological, economic, political and cultural in nature. The writer suggest that although the pillars of American prosperity and might have been historically durable, shifting currents could change all that. The writer then concludes that ultimately, America must start re-assessing the course it is on or its empire will end up in the dustbin of history.
From the Paper "The origins of the rise to power of the United States may be found in the nineteenth century. Obviously, this was the century that saw America overwhelm natives at home, settle the vast expanses of the west, capture Texas and New Mexico, and finally resolve the painful slavery issue that had taken so much out of the union for so long. More than that, the nineteenth century was a period in which the country emerged as a formidable military power - ironically because of the very Civil War that resulted in so much carnage. Specifically, the American Civil War was the first war in which "mechanized and electrified devices" like railroad trains, aerial observation, photography, telegraphy, mines, torpedoes, ironclad ships and rifles were all used; in short, these recent innovations were modified and adapted to the exigencies of war."
Tags: industrial, revolution, modern, war, Indian, superpower
