Abstract This paper sheds light on important aspects of Charlie Parker's life and times. It introduces a jazz musician who completely transformed this type of music through his talent, originality and improvisation skills. The paper discusses the changes that he brought into jazz styles and also focuses on Parker's influence on society and economy of his days. For this reason, many magazine articles and few books were consulted and research in this paper is appropriately supported by expert views and comments.
From the Paper "Charlie Parker's name is synonymous with innovation in jazz music. This is because in his short life of 34 years, the man was able to transform the world of music by introducing new and better tunes and jazz styles that made him immortal. Charlie Parker was born in 1920 in Kansas City but later moved to New York where he found a more intelligent audience that appreciated his alto sax tunes and helped him in discovering new techniques including the famous Bebop. Bebop was probably the greatest achievement of this man and this jazz style became extremely popularly in that era. It is important to understand that this man was not simply a musician but was a legend in himself because not only did he transform Jazz, he also created awareness regarding this type of music. It was because of him that Americans from every social class started taking an interest in this kind of music and thus the man left an indelible mark on the United States and not particularly its one field."
Abstract The first part of the paper deals with Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his movie, "City Lights", and his persona of "The Little Tramp". The second part compares Chaplin and Jim Carrey, and argues that Carrey does not have the comic genius of Chaplin.
From the Paper "Film critic Roger Ebert characterized Charlie Chaplin'sc haracter the Little Tramp as the most famous image on earth in the early ..."
Tags: Film, Charlie Chaplin, Jim Carrey, Comedy, City Lights
A discussion about the IQ of the central character, Charlie, in the story "Flowers for Algernon" and the importance of appreciating the unfortunate gifts.
2,020 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 63.95
Abstract This essay discusses the negative impact that the experimental brain surgery has on the character of Charlie Gordon in "Flowers for Algernon". Charlie has an IQ of 68 and has an operation, which turns him into a genius. This sweet, innocent protagonist is transformed throughout the plot of the novel into an egotistical and intelligent man. His transformation is discussed in a negative sense as well as his quick deterioration, which ultimately lowers his IQ to less than in the beginning. This essay shows common human flaws and shows us many messages about the sanctity of life.
From the Paper "Every person is born with his or her own special characteristics, talents and flaws. Although many people attempt to change various aspects of their own lives they should appreciate who they are and give up the longing for perfection. In the novel "Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes, the protagonist, Charlie Gordon, has an operation in hopes of raising his IQ. Charlie is born retarded and has an IQ of 68. His mother abuses him, his parents abandon him because he is too much strain on the whole family, and his friends constantly laugh at his expense."
Abstract This paper looks at the character Charlie in Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited" and shows the development of his character throughout the story, paying particular attention to the degree to which he is reformed. It further investigates whether Charlie is worthy of his honor, Honoria.
From the Paper "Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited" shows how ones seemingly harmless, insignificant actions of the present can destroy ones conscious wishes for the future, and it shows the development of a seemingly already developed character. Charlie Wales is a man that was filthy rich in the booming twenties. ?[Charlie] remembered thousand-franc notes given to an orchestra for playing a single number, hundred franc notes tossed to a doorman for calling a cab? (1662). Since he had made so much money in the stock market, he and his now deceased wife Helen did not have to work and were able to spend their time and money at the Ritz bar, a bar in Paris that gave most of its business to wealthy Americans during the 1920"s. Charlie and Helen lived the party life, complete with drugs and alcohol that ended up literally destroying Helen's life and figuratively destroying Charlie"s. One night, when Charlie and Helen were in an argument, Charlie went home locked the door and went to sleep not knowing that Helen "would arrive an hour later alone, that there would be a snowstorm in which she wandered about in slippers, too confused to find a taxi" (1668). Helen survived pneumonia but died from heart trouble, and Charlie went to a sanitarium, leaving Honoria to live with Helen's sister Marion Peters and her husband Lincoln. In the early 1930?s, after Charlie has lost his wife, money, and eventually his daughter, and lives lonely in Prague, he returns to Paris to get his honor, Honoria, back. Charlie loved his wife and he loves his daughter. He abides by his one drink-a-day rule and believes that he is capable of being a good father to her which he wants to be before her childhood is over; he is also lonely and wants her companionship, and she is all there is left of Helen, whom he misses very much."
Abstract The paper outlines Charlie Parker's background and how he managed to take an active part of the Kansas City jazz scene even at a young age. The paper discusses Charlie's interest in the saxophone and relates that at the age of twenty, he had already provided his own recordings.
From the Paper "Charlie Parker was born Charles Parker, Jr. to Adelaide ("Addie) Bailey Parker and Charlie Parker, Sr. in Kansas City, Kansas on August 29, 1920. His mother Addie was of African-American-Choctaw descent from Oklahoma while his father was an African American from Mississippi and Tennessee. Charlie Sr. wet to Kansas to work as an entertainer and stayed there for a while. (Charlie Parker: His Music, His Life).
"There isn't a whole lot known about Charlie's father who was said to have had a son, John, with a previous "wife". When Charlie Sr. married Addie, he brought John with him. It seems to be a cliche to mention that Charlie Sr. had an alcohol problem, for it seems that alcohol has played a part in so many musicians' lives, but he did. Because of this problem, Charlie's parents separated when Charlie was only quite young."
A discussion of the similarities and differences between Ulysses Everett McGill, the main character of the Coen Brothers' film "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and Charlie Wales, the main character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited".
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts the main characters of the film 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' written and directed by the Coen brothers and the short story 'Babylon Revisited' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, also made into a film. What seems at first an unlikely comparison turns out to be revealing. Ulysses Everett McGill and Charlie Wales are from vastly different backgrounds and social strata yet face similar dilemmas. Wales the wealthy socialite would seem more likely to succeed in his case to retrieve his daughter and get his life together. However, it is the escaped convict McGill, whose Ulysses-like Odyssey is discussed in depth, who succeeds in his quest, while the "recovering" alcoholic Wales is frustrated and delayed.
From the Paper "Ulysses Everett McGill, the central character in the film, O Brother Where Art Thou? produced in 2000, and Charlie Wales, the main character in the F. Scott Fizgerald story, ?Babylon Revisited,? published in 1931, and made into a movie in 1954, may at first glance appear to be vastly different, but turn out to share similarities. Ulysses Everett McGill and Charlie Wales are from vastly different classes and backgrounds, yet both live in approximately the same time period, the 1920s/30s, the time of the Great Depression and both are men deprived of wife and family. Neither one is exactly the ordinary man surviving under the duress of the depression. McGill is a crude and lowly escaped convict fleeing through the Bible belt, while the sophisticated Wales, who still seems to have plenty of money and social status despite the crash, is visiting Paris. Both want to get their lives back into some semblance of togetherness. Each seems to be continually sabotaged in his quest. As we watch both men we wonder if the destructive energy comes from outside or is inner generated. The resemblances are many, but the differences are greater, especially when it comes to the end results of their attempts to get it together."
Abstract A presentation and examination of a Charlie Chaplin Film 'Modern Time' and Robert Lynd's book called "Middletown" which describe the struggle against the dehumanization of the proletarian man by machine and the Industrial age. The author finds that the industrial age, while profitable from a financial standpoint for those who were in charge, dehumanized the proletarian man as well. The machine knocked him out of the running and sent him home to explain to his family that he was no longer able to provide.
From the Paper "The Industrial Age was one that moved mankind ahead in leaps and bounds. Within the few years of its explosion and growth the ability to use technology to speed up tasks and to get them done with precision allowed the world to concentrate on other expansions and needs. The Industrial Age was a boon to those who rode the top of the age to success, however, for many millions around the nation and the world the age actually set them back. The Industrial Age, while profitable form a financial standpoint for those who were in charge, it dehumanized the proletarian man as well. The machine knocked him out of the running and sent him home to explain to his family that he was no longer able to provide. There are two classic examples of what the Industrial Age did regarding the proletarian man. The movie by the late Charlie Chaplin called Modern Time (1956) and the book called Middletown by Robert Lynd both illustrate the ways the machine replaced the man. "
Abstract This paper discusses that Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, gifted actors and early producers, made names for themselves and invented many film techniques used today. The author points out that early American films were in the form of comedy; later, films began to become more complex and innovative. The paper relates that Buster Keaton's 1926 film, "The General", was a remarkable movie for its time because most of the movie was filmed outdoors.
From the Paper "The innovative minds behind some of the early greatest movies like "The General" and ?The Gold Rush,? were Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin came into the movie and acting industry at the age of 17, and began to get involved with acting and writing. He muscled his way up the ranks and later began to make movies and star in them as well. One of his clutch performances was his role in "The Gold Rush" as the Lone Prospector. A scene from this 1925 film that stood out was of the cabin scene that the Lone Prospector finds and enters for shelter during the whiteout blizzard."
Abstract In his poem, "Beds", Charlie Smith charts his journey through addiction, through a catalogue or 'heaping figure' of beds he has known throughout his life. The paper examines this technique and the importance of metaphor as tool for raking through challenging subject matter.
From the Paper "Whatever one chooses to call the technique, Smith's handling of it is masterly. He takes an everyday object and uses it as a vehicle through which to explore a situation and its accompanying emotions. He continually implodes the object through constant re-inspection, "heaping" one kind of bed upon the other, exhausts it, turning it over and over, examining it ever closer until it ceases to be merely a bed and becomes a metaphor for each step of his journey. Smith's catalogue of beds are the landmarks of his recovery."
Abstract The paper examines the film "Gold Rush" and shows how Charlie Chaplin went against the societal trends of his time by portraying social perspectives and ideals. The paper describes the film that is partially based on the infamous gold rush in Alaska where many men died with hopes and dreams of finding gold. The paper demonstrates how this film presented the hopes, dreams and failures of average working people in America.
From the Paper ""The Gold Rush is the quintessential Chaplin film, with a balance of slapstick comedy and pantomime, social satire, and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness" (Dirks). It is a film that is partially based on the infamous gold rush in Alaska where many men died with hopes and dreams of finding gold. And, it is also influenced some what by the story of the Donner party, as some of the scenes were filmed in Northern California in the region where the Donner party was headed (Dirks)."
A comparison of the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl and the movie based on the book, retitled "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory".
Abstract The paper provides a separate review of the two versions of the story, the original book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and the movie version of this book, retitled "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". The paper compares the two versions of the story and shows how despite their differences, both stand as absolute pillars of children's entertainment.
From the Paper "Roald Dahl famously complained that the first film version of his seminal work, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a corruption that neutered the sting of his parable. The book is simply drawn and was intended to be in the vein of the traditional cautionary tales. The story, centering on a clearly eccentric and out-of-the-mainstream adult, presents the reader with a simple idea - that if you pursue your passion with honor, integrity, and with a clear sense of purpose, you will be successful."
Abstract This paper compares two characters from Neil Gaiman's work, "Anansi Boys", Charlie and Spider. The paper first reveals that brothers Charlie and Spider are really two sides of the same coin, or two extremes in personality from the same gene pool of the magic god, Anansi, that leads to their difficulties in getting along. The paper then explains that Charlie has worked hard to cover up the psychological issues he bears as a result of the dysfunctional relationship he has with his father, while Spider, who has been living in the moment, is a random occurrence in Charlie's life that threatens to undo his hard work. The paper concludes that Charlie and Spider are similar because of the bond they have as brothers, but notes that it is a bond which Charlie is much better at protecting, since the irresponsible Spider refuses to accept responsibility for the interference and damage he causes in his brother's life.
From the Paper "The contrast between the two characters is personified in the simple fact that Charlie finds out that his father was really Anansi the Trickster god, but apparently Spider has inherited all the magic; in other words, Charlie's father has passed down his qualities to someone else--and they remain on earth in the form of Spider.
"Ironically, Spider has many of the traits that Charlie wishes he had: confidence, well-liked, the center of attention, and seems to be stealing Charlie's thunder to a fault. But Spider is not malicious--we might say that Spider is merely mischievous and relatively short-sighted."
Abstract This paper discusses the novel, first published in 1966, which relates the story of Charlie Gordon through a diary (a collection of "progress reports") written by Charlie, a mentally-challenged man who via experimental brain surgery evolves into a genius. The writer points out that although many scientist and researchers in today's highly technological age are striving for ways to increase the mental capacities of human beings through biological and artificial means, when "Flowers for Algernon" first appeared, such ideas were pure science-fiction. The paper explains that despite Charlie's tragic outcome in the novel, it seems a wise idea to continue to pursue any and all means to increase the mental abilities of human beings, due in part to the need for highly-intelligent men and women who will confront unimagined conditions in the distant future.
From the Paper "At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Charlie in the first-person narrative, for he writes, in the language of a very simple-minded and obviously uneducated person, that "Dr. Strauss says I should rite down what I think. . . I dont no why but he says its important. . . I hope they use me becaus. . . maybe they can make me smart" ("progris riport 1, pg. 1). From Charlie's viewpoint, it appears that he considers being smart as a necessary trait for success in the world, not to mention that he equates intelligence with being loved and accepted by his peers. In the novel, Charlie's wish to be smart comes true, for Dr. Strauss and his team of scientist perform a brain operation on Charlie based on an experiment done on a mouse named Algernon. And within a few weeks, the operation turns out to be a complete success, for Charlie become more intelligent than the scientists that performed the operation."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that both the novel "Housekeeping" by Marilynn Robinson and the play "Blues for Mister Charlie" by James Baldwin deal with coming of age identity, conflicts amongst marginalized peoples and long-simmering community conflicts that come to a boil after the homecoming of one of the protagonists. The writer describes how Robinson's text is framed around the coming of age of young women growing up in rural Idaho in the mid-1900s. The girls experience a crisis of feminine identity after they are deprived of their mother, who commits suicide at the beginning of the book. The writer also looks at "Blues for Mister Charlie", that deals with the Black experience of isolation in America. The play centers on the difficulty of young Black people, men and women, who must force their lives and souls to conform to the norms of the White 'Mister Charlie.'
From the Paper "For Black women, however, Baldwin has slightly less concern in terms of how the norms of their identities are formulated, even though women have a powerful stage presence over the course of the play. Thus Baldwin tends to reduce the importance of the Black female experience of marginalization in America for the Black community as a whole. It is how Black men formulate their new identities within oppressive structures that the author claims as his play's main concern. Continually, "Blues for Mister Charlie" stresses the commonality of all Black oppression and the investiture Black men and women have in creating a positive Black masculine ideal.
The play was written in response to the Emmett Till lynching of real life, a lynching spawned by a Northern Black youngster whistling at a White Southern women. Finding a way to create Black male sexuality in a way that is empowering, and will not bring the wrath of society down upon its head is Baldwin's concern."
Abstract This paper discusses Saul Bellow's "Humboldt's Gift", part autobiography and part American novel. The paper explains how Bellow details a winding plot intricately involving a persona who represents himself - Charlie Citrine - and a persona who represents the real life Delmore Schwartz - Von Humboldt Fleisher. The paper contends that one of the most powerful themes of the book is the power that Von Humboldt Fleisher has over Charlie Citrine. The paper explains that their relationship mirrored the real life relationship between Bellow and Schwartz, illustrating how Fleisher's character mirrors Schwartz in that he is a very smooth manipulator.
From the Paper "But most of the plot stems from the amazing parallels between Bellow's own life and Citrine's: Bellow experienced agony as an American superstar of a writer, and he traces this agony in Citrine's character. 'Humboldt's Gift' sets up the role of the artist in an unforgiving and materialistic American society. In America, science is paramount: The United States is an advanced technological society that is controlled almost exclusively by capitalistic motives and it is entirely shackled by the concept of money, as Martin Amis so acutely observes in his distopia, "Money.""
