Abstract This paper discusses the article, "Dual in the Sun," by John Brant, which is an in-depth background piece about the Boston Marathon in 1982. The paper focuses on the portion of the article which deals with the lives of the two principle stars that were co-protagonists in the race, Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley. The paper also focuses on many aspects of the Ronald Reagan era, in order to give us a better understanding of the period of the marathon.
Table of Contents:
The Ronald Reagan Era: Popular American Culture
The Ronald Reagan Era: Economics and Getting Tough
The Ronald Reagan Era: Nike
The Ronald Reagan Era: Sports Popularity and Drug Usage
The Ronald Reagan Era: American Design & Fashion
Drugs and Society - Beardsley's Problem
From the Paper "And while nearly 23% of college students are abusers of alcohol and prescription drugs, only 8.5% of the general public (people 12 years of age and older) is dependent on alcohol and/or prescription drugs. The painkillers most popular with students, according to the USA Today piece, are Percocet (which is one of the pills Beardsley was hooked on prior to his rehabilitation), Vicodin and OxyContin. In 1993, about 1 percent of students were using those prescription drugs; but in 2005 that rose to 3.1 percent of students, the article points out."
"The "binge drinking" problem on campuses, while still a serious issue, has not grown in percentages, the article concludes; about 40% of students in 1993 admitted to binge drinking "at least occasionally"; and in 2005, the same percentage admitted to binge drinking, which is described as "having five drinks for male students" and for females, four drinks, at "one drinking occasion" during the previous two weeks."
Abstract This paper explains that American Impressionist Mary Cassatt began using a Japanese motif in works such as "The Fitting", one of a series of ten color prints, which are considered among the landmarks of Japonisme. The author points out that, while most American architects in the early 1900s looked to European architects for ideas, Frank Lloyd Wright found Japanese design and art more inspiring. The paper concludes that now, in the 21st century, Japanese creativity has taken a new approach based on electronic and computerized technology advances combined with art, called animation, or anime in the Japanese language, which is an art form eagerly consumed by the market.
From the Paper "Van Gogh wrote his sister how Buddhism was also impacting his life. He even shaved his head to look more like Japanese. He deeply studied the works ?not to simply comprehend Japan art by copying it, but to dig down to the very roots of Japanese culture to be able to generate original creative impulses of his own from the encounter.? American artist Frank Benson painted Impressionist images of table settings that mingled Japanese, Chinese, and American objects. Benson also applied Japanese technical considerations to his paintings. This interest is especially evident in a group of black-watercolor washes that suggest the swiftness and economy of Japanese ink painting."
Abstract The paper begins with a brief introduction utilizing an old saying. It continues into the construction of gender that Vladimir Nabokov portrays throughout the novel, "Lolita". The paper peers into Humbert's and Quilty's respective constructions initially and later in the novel. This paper was from a postmodernist perspective.
From the Paper "In the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Butler's theory of self-construction applies magnificently to the novel's construction of gender. Throughout the novel, masculinity and femininity are constructed, deconstructed, and rebuilt by the actions of the protagonist, Humbert, in order to better facilitate his changing goals and desires. Consequently, one learns that gender's only constant facet is change."
This paper examines Brian Fawcett's story "My Career with the Leafs", which is part of the book "Our Game: An All-Star Collection of Hockey Fiction" edited by Doug Beardsley.
Abstract The paper discusses "My Career with the Leafs" by Brian Fawcett, which offers an ironic glimpse at our perception of professional hockey as it is represented to us by the popular media. The paper describes the fictional account of a poet who became a hockey player and thereafter experienced brushes with fame and the media. The paper also explains how this book is relevant to contemporary Canadian culture.
Outline:
Introduction
A Career With the Leafs
Conclusion
From the Paper "Fawcett's story opens up with the character, a self-described poet, explaining how he came to be a famous hockey player for the highly acclaimed Canadian hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fawcett's ironic wit comes early on in the book: he describes his move into the Big League (that revered institution of popular culture) as "surprisingly easy" (Beardsley 180). This early reference indicates that Fawcett's story will be a fairy-tale one - in reality, movement into the major hockey league is difficult and arduous and based on years of hard work, though in the minds of hopeful Canadian boys lives the dream of being instantly accepted into professional hockey through some miraculous offer. Though this is far from realistic, such dreams are encouraged by the media and popular culture, who enjoy such rags-to-riches type good luck tales: this theme is common in movies, television shows, books, and, more recently, in fan fiction on the internet."
