Abstract This paper analyses the Spanish novel "El Libro de Buen Amor" by Juan Ruiz with an emphasis on the meanings of the term "buen amor" ot true love. It looks at how the term ?buen amor? was used in medieval Spain, in order to narrow down what in fact Juan Ruiz might have been implying every time he used it and how the term can have different meanings, courtly love, the love of God and honourable human love or divine love.
From the Paper "Although the word in the title is "amor" this does not simply translate as "love" because at the time love and sex were not clearly distinguished from one another and it was sometimes a synonym for sex. The book primarily instructs on how to seduce women and how to determine the most desirable woman. The question is, why is he providing sex education? And how does this stand alongside his attitude to religion and the Virgin Mary, whom he refers to as "comien"o e ra?z"de todo bien" It is clear that the work is not an attack on clerical celibacy as there is evidence that Juan Ruiz is in fact opposed to it. Juan Ruiz writes of the love of nuns, "tienen a sus amigos en viciosos" and it could be said that he fears the consequences of clerical celibacy."
Abstract This paper briefly reviews the film "Amores Porres", which was made in Mexico in 2000. The movie is divided into three interrelated plots that intersect at key and surprising moments. The first of these three is about Octavio, who enters his pet Cofi in dogfights to earn money, so he can run off with his brother's wife. The second story centers on a supermodel, her pet terrier Ritchie, and her boyfriend, who left his wife to be with her. The third interrelated story is about a homeless man and lover of stray dogs who has been hired as a hit man by a corrupt cop.
From the Paper "The story of Octavio and Cofi depict the seedy underworld of dog fighting. This brutal and cruel sport is practiced all around the world, and the film shows that it can be quite popular in Mexico City. Cofi is a beloved pet, and both Octavio and his brother love the dog. However, Octavio's brother is abusing his wife and Octavio wants to rescue his sister-in-law. The money he makes from fighting Cofi will pay for them to run away. This segment shows the horrors of dog fighting, revealing how lucrative and seductive gambling can be. Octavio is obviously a kind-hearted man who is genuinely in love with his brother's wife."
Abstract This paper details the similarities and the differences in both works of poetry by Dante and Ovid. For example: When comparing Dante's "LaVita Nuova" to Ovid's "Amores," the main difference that quickly becomes apparent is one of attitude. This paper explores both poets' attitude towards love and the extent to which their own lives coincide with their writing. Both poets describe love in religious terms, where love plays the role of a god. Dante elevates his character to sainthood upon her death whereas Ovid, in sharp contrast, views his leading character in a more flippant and superficial manner. This well-written paper details the plots and characters of both works of poetry.
From the Paper "Dante is much more contemplative of love as a concept and of the lady that he loves. The Provencal tradition is transcended when love is described not only in loftily idealistic terms, but also when the lady in question is viewed as significant in spiritual terms. Beatrice, of whom Dante writes, is described in nothing but the purest terms. The poet meets her when he is a young child, and throughout the work learns lessons about love through her. In his view, Beatrice is a creature of unsurpassed beauty, who is able to satisfy the dreams of a child, the desires of a young man and the highest aspirations of the mature artist, from whose point of view he is writing. Not only is she an extremely ideal woman; she is also nearly Christ-like in her perfection."
Abstract This paper contrasts the selfless amoral actions and the motives thereof of Tom Jones with the other characters of Henry Fielding's classic novel "Tom Jones", most notably with that of Blifil (Jones? rival suitor). This paper looks at exactly why the amoral doings of Jones leads to his attainment of Sophia (Greek for wisdom), and why the moral doings of Blifil do not. This is all explained as a conflict between morality which serves to augment the self and that of amoral action which is desire driven and thus lessens the effect of self-awareness. This unconsciousness then, that Jones lives in is proved to be wisdom; this fact is then proved through references from William Blake, Carl Jung, and Fredreich Nietzsche.
From the Paper " Virtue and happiness (wisdom) oppose one another. Fielding himself writes in the first chapter of book fifteen of Tom Jones, ?? if by virtue is meant (as I almost think it ought) a certain relative quality, which is always busying itself without Doors, and seems as much interested in pursuing the good of others as its own; I cannot so easily agree that this is the surest way to human happiness?(601; bk.15, ch.1). The fulfillment of desire then, leads to happiness and true wisdom; this wisdom being an unconscious realization of the universe at large; a wisdom that is Sophia."
Abstract Dark science has invaded sexuality in pursuit of satisfying the sinister ends of its amoral political patrons. Today phenomena like pregnant men and baby factories no longer sound so absurd. In this paper, the author examines the effects of such advancements on society and the world in general.
From the Paper "The scientific techniques of the 21st century are certain to change the traditional views and practices of sexuality and reproduction forever. But questions beg to be asked: Are the developments rooted in such techniques positive steps in our global society? Has science and technology been given the adequate ethical and moral oversight necessary to insure a reasonable measure of public safety? At present the answer is a depressing negative."
Tags: birth, control, homosexuality, reproduction, technology, women
Abstract This paper examines how Patricia Hightsmith's characters, as interpreted by Alfred Hitchcock on the screen, are interpreted from a moral point of view. The author analyzes how Hitchcock incorporated Highsmith's literary technique to develop these characterizations in the film.
From the Paper "Riding on a train is, in life as well as in film, a curious situation. It draws together strangers of apparently different backgrounds. It is a situation of forward motion, a fact conveyed by the film's use of train sounds, from the beginning shriek of a train whistle (paralleling the shriek of a murdered victim) and also through such sounds as the churning engine. The sight of the wheels pulsating forward on the tracks also suggests such propelled, forward motion. Yet a train is not only a representation of forward motion, for tracks cross, the train must stop at certain points, and in a similar way individual's lives cross and intersect."
Tags: Hitchcock, Highsmith, amorality, literary, artifice, homoeroticism, film, tom, ripley
Abstract This paper reviews F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby", a book primarily concerned with the lives of wealthy people, set in a period of American history where wealth was of greater importance than ever before, owing to the increasing affluence of the population and the start of mass public investment in the stock market. It examines how the novel deals with two of the great issues of its time, the social extravagance and pleasure-seeking spirit of the roaring twenties and the ruthless social climbing of those at the top of organized crime. It looks at how the book shows that the ideals of hope, morality and honesty are no longer existent and how the novel's obsession with wealth and the amorality that surrounds its wealthy characters demonstrates that money is only an object of worship.
From the Paper "Perhaps the greatest demonstration of the way the novel is bewitched by the dishonesty and lavishness of wealth is in the eponymous hero. While the narrator seems in awe of the luxury of his parties, there is little comment on the rather corrupt and unsavoury means by which Gatsby has acquired his wealth. At one of his parties a guest comments that he once "killed a man". This is never condemned, and his friend Meyer Wolfsheim is a distinctly shady character whose corruption and underworld connection seems little cause for alarm to Nick. This is great symbolism in Gatsby's favourite term of endearment, "old sport". This is meant to evoke thoughts of fair play, but it only serves to remind one of Jordan's cheating at golf and Wolfsheim's fixing of the world series go to show that sport, traditionally a bastion of morality, is now full of such underhand practice. However, Meyer Wolfsheim's molar cufflinks get more comment than his corrupt activities."
A comparative analysis of the treatment of love in Charlotte Dacre's romantic poem "Il Trionfo del Amor" and an extract from Alfred Lord Byron's romantic poem "Don Juan" (canto I, stanzas 90-117).
Abstract This paper examines how the use of the concept of love in both poems is similar in that both poems distinguish between spiritual and physical attraction while calling both 'love'. It also discusses how both poets seem to ultimately (though Dacre- explicitly and Byron - most probably unintentionally) agree that males are more inclined - by nature - to physical relations and women - to the transcendent kind of love. In other words, the separation of love and sex, commonly considered as late twentieth century obsession, originated in the Romantic era.
From the Paper "In contrast, Charlotte Dacre's poem is only sixteen-lines long, arranged in four quatrains rhymed in a much less flamboyant abab scheme. The poem seems to be a letter/note from the author to her aspirant but uses a slightly more ornate language than Byron's. Dacre drops no name and belittles no one. No one in particular, that is: the very choice of Spanish for the title - Il Trionfo del Amor - is a very subtle way of telling all her male contemporary colleagues and readers alike, that she, too, is well learned and well read... Likewise, when she makes a direct reference to broader erudition, it is put in parenthesis and bites at the learned males and their perception of learned women. Indeed, "(So charms the witchery)", for being put in parenthesis and for insinuating she is familiar with witchery, could be read as teasing the contemporary (male) perception that "women's writing is an affront to God-given, 'natural' gender roles" (Gilroy, in Bygrave, p.183)."
Tags:amor, byron, charlotte, dacre, del, il, juan, poetry, romantic, trionfo
Abstract This paper is a biographical overview of J. Edgar Hoover and his role as director of the FBI. The author details his five decades of reform, power and how he abused it. The paper also examines his controversial personality and lifestyle.
From the paper:
"The life and legacy of J. Edgar Hoover is a subject of countless books, files and theories. Rumors surrounding this man run rampant. He single-handedly created the FBI we know today, but through a scheme of illegal and amoral activities. Hoover was the most effective and powerful director of the FBI, from 1924 to 1972. He created the FBI as a separate and distinct faction of the Department of Justice, and garnered public support for his activities. He fought communism, espionage, foreign sabotage, and organized crime. Ruthless in his ways, cunning in his schemes, Hoover's influence on past and current laws and enforcement goes unchecked and unmatched by any other."
Abstract Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" is a musical thriller that explores the issues of justice, crime detection and law enforcement through its amoral characters and its macabre plot. This paper endeavors to investigate the merits of this crime melodrama through the aforementioned issues and the message the play conveys in relation to these issues.
From the Paper 'In "Sweeney Todd" vengeance is seen as a legal equalizer. Vengeance is seen as a method of meting out justice. Sweeney Todd returns to 19th century London after serving 15 years on false charges. He hopes to reunite with his wife and daughter but discovers that after he was taken by the authorities, his wife was raped (and later committed suicide because of the shame). His daughter was adopted by the very man who assaulted his wife and sent him to Australia for 15 years, Judge Turpin. (Kenney, 1998, 1) Todd vows to avenge his wife as well as the good life that could have been. ??Fifteen years sweating in a living hole on a trumped up charge. Fifteen years dreaming that perhaps, I might come home to a loving wife and child. Let them quake in their boots ? Judge Turpin and the Beadle ? for their hour has come.? (http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Wing/9617/PoorThing.html, 3) If the innocent cannot be protected, than the guilty will surely be punished for their crimes.'
From the Paper "This research paper outlines and discusses the ethical images of lawyers, as they are portrayed in fiction and in non-fiction, including legal writings. For centuries in Western literature-in novels, short stories and plays, lawyers have been cast in a negative light, as corrupt, untrustworthy and shifty, which reflected popular perceptions of the workings of the law. American literature through the Depression continued and elaborated upon this theme. Then, for a relatively brief period in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, lawyers were seen in fiction in a more positive light, a period which corresponded with the growth of a widespread and more equitably shared prosperity in the United States and a rethinking by many lawyers of their role in society. In the 1980s and 1990s, a new moral image of the lawyer..."
From the Paper "Pablo Neruda: Cien Sonetos de Amor
Pablo Neruda was born on July 12, 1904 in Parral but was raised chiefly in Temuco (Pring-Mill xvi). Christened Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basualto, he adopted the name "Pablo Neruda" out of fear his father would blame his poetry for his poor grades in math (Pring-Mill xvi). Pring-Mill argues Neruda's poetry was influenced profoundly by his childhood in southern Chile, as demonstrated by the range of natural objects that supplied Neruda's imagery (xvi). In addition, the geographical background of his life took on a thematic importance in his later poetry as he began to use it as the substructure for his view and interpretation of the world (Pring-Mill xvi).
Neruda's first poem was published when he was fourteen years old. While at the Liceo de Hombres of Temuco, Neruda worked for.."
Abstract Jack Katz, in Seductions of Crime, explores the evil of crime as if it were a realm, with its almost sacred aspects, starkly opposed to religion, but at the same time with startling similarities. Katz sees much criminality not as a result of economic need, which most sociologists would argue, but as something more existential, more associated with the transcendent aspect of power, as if criminals were trying to be god-like in their behavior.
From the Paper "Jack Katz, in Seductions of Crime, explores the evil of crime as if it were a realm, with its almost sacred aspects, starkly opposed to religion, but at the same time with startling similarities. Katz sees much criminality not as a result of economic need, which most sociologists would argue, but as something more existential, more associated with the transcendent aspect of power, as if criminals were trying to be god-like in their behavior. The author is aware of the sometimes shocking nature of his study, but he will not be deterred. He claims to seek to understand the criminal mind and personality as objectively as possible, but the reader cannot avoid feeling that Katz's objectivity verges almost on admiration at times, or at least appreciation for the criminal mind, personality and behavior."
Places the characters and world of Pulp Fiction into Nietzschian terms. The thesis is that while these characters may not reflect the attitudes and ideas of Nietzsche, their world of amorality (as opposed to immorality) does.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 1994, $ 47.95
From the Paper "The film Pulp Fiction (1994), directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, presents a series of characters from the Los Angeles underworld. They are minor criminals battling one another for territory, for supremacy in the drug trade, and for a certain sense of honor based on an unwritten code that seems to support all their activities. This code can be very important to them even when they are unable to articulate why, for it gives them a structure within which their violent world can make some sense to them. This is also a world of kitsch, of pop icons, of commercials, of fast foods, of brand names, and so on, but it is a world that these individuals have imbued with a certain philosophy. One of the hit men has indeed started developing a more full-fledged philosophy based on his reading of a passage in.."
Abstract Up through the 1970s, teenage resistance to social authority was such a pervasive motif in American fiction that the adolescent struggle for autonomy embodied for many critics the national myth of self-reliance. The paper shows that in contemporary novels, however, youth's disaffected disposition is credited not to the oppressiveness of adult authority but to a lack of it. The voice in both "Catcher in the Rye" and "Less than Zero" is a detached, ironic voice that demonstrates a need for security and for home. The paper shows that by implicitly endorsing an idealized, nostalgic vision of family, these narratives split with the genre's antiauthoritarian tradition and re-script the utilization of adolescent disaffection. Whereas the teenager once intuitively asserted youth's moral supremacy over their elders, today's aimless, amoral kids cry out for adult intervention as they beg entry into the shelters of home. This paper examines the similarities and differences in the discourse of the young in both "Less Than Zero" and "The Catcher in the Rye".
From the Paper "In the penultimate chapter of Catcher, Holden declines to run away to California in order to spare his younger sister Phoebe from the cynicism and despair he suffers. He does so because he understands that if he lets Phoebe follow him westward he will fail in his dream of protecting her innocence; instead of preventing her terrible fall into adulthood, he will be just as guilty of pushing her over the edge of childhood as the anonymous "pervert" who scrawls profanity on her elementary school walls. Therefore, to save her, Holden must sacrifice his passionate disdain for adult phonies and submit to the indignity of their "asking me if I'm going to apply myself" (213). Through this concluding gesture, Salinger insists that adolescent rebellion is guided by moral intent and is not symptomatic of the narcissism and selfishness so closely associated with this stage of life. The intuitive morality that this plot ascribes to its teen protagonists implies that "if the young demonstrate their inability to accept the code of civilized society, the fault cannot lie in them but in those who have failed to provide acceptable values. By extension, youth's rituals of disaffection are not expressions of antisocial behavior but confirmations that they are engaged in an arduous quest, searching, seeking, grasping, testing in an effort to find the proper moral course in life (265, 269)."
