Abstract This paper explores major philosophical dilemmas within the African-American political community. One vital issue discussed is the black community's rejection of a political conservative ideology. The paper focuses in particular on the Black Conservative's rejection of the Affirmative Action system.
From the Paper "The creation of "visible and aggressive" black conservatives began with the perspectives of Thomas Sowell. Sowell's book "Race and Economics" changed the ideology of many black elitists concerning the condition of black people. This book by Sowell had a very strong influence on many black scholars as well. An article titled "Unmasking the Black Conservatives" by Princeton University African American History professor Dr. Cornell West writes, ? Yet the bid for conservative hegemony in black political and intellectual leadership that was initiated by Sowell's book represents a new development in the post civil rights era? (West 1). Many blacks today believe the black conservative's philosophy is something new within our society, but that belief is quite contrary."
Discusses the theme of feminism in Walker's prose "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens", her novel "The Color Purple" and Steven Spielberg's adaption of the novel into a movie.
Abstract According to African-American author Alice Walker, tradition and inheritance of culture are more important to black women than resistance and denunciation of the typical problems affecting them. This paper is an analysis of feminist issues discussed in Walker's prose "In Search of Our Mothers? Gardens", her novel "The Color Purple" and Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of the latter in 1985; highlighting the role played by a major character of the novel and the portrayal of this character in the movie.
From the Paper "The story is not one that allows for easy transposition to the screen. Given its complex themes and recurrent debate of the "contrary instincts" of Walker's book, the actors and producers were called upon to handle the film with great sensitivity. Celie is a black woman who grows up in the rural South in the early decades of this century, in a world that surrounds her with cruelty. When we first see her, she is a child, running through fields of purple flowers with her sister. But then she comes into clear view, and we see that she is pregnant, and we learn that her father has made her pregnant, and will give away the child as he had done with a previous baby. Her situation worsens with her marriage to a cruel husband, her inability to bear children again and her separation from her sister to whom she is deeply attached. None of these adversities dampens her spirit, and she endures, even prevails by the end of the film. The film is not about suffering but about the victory of the human spirit. There are many examples of this victory that are shown through Celie's actions."
Abstract Thispaper discusses the Beguines. The Beguines were a spontaneous movement on the part of women, mainly misunderstood but highly prized. The movement started in Germany, and was characterized by its devotion to the Eucharist and the humanity of Jesus. A life of simplicity without denunciation of the world and its comforts was encouraged. Poverty was valued. The focus of these "holy women" was also the service of the poor and needy.
Abstract This paper explains that the protagonist in Willa Cather's 'O Pioneers!' is a woman, Swedish by birth, who worked her land up to rich production and brought prosperity to her whole family; for the time the novel was written, this was somewhat out of the ordinary. The author is impressed by the way Cather set the mood in her story by beginning with a Great Plains winter scene as the backdrop to the struggle of the Borgson family, which was going to lose their father no matter what anyone did. The paper stresses that, in the time and place O Pioneers! was written, a father was the one with the power, not the mother, and the attitudes expressed by the brothers also provide a clear denunciation of patriarchy.
From the Paper "Perhaps in our time it is difficult to imagine that people would actually just do what they were told by a dying father but that was the world of late Victorian America and I believe that in setting the story as she did, the case can be made that Cather did criticize patriarchy. She made it very plain. If the father had not commanded, the brothers would have been in charge and Alexandra's fine capabilities would have been relegated to the kitchen. As the story progresses it isn't hard to see what would have happened to the family farm if the brothers had been running things. They are not only easily discouraged, but time and again it is shown that they just plain don't have Alexandra's ability to look at a situation and see a creative, positive way to deal with it. She not only keeps the original homestead, but as others in the areas do give up under drought and other challenges, she mortgages the home farm to buy these places as well."
Abstract In "The Scarlet Letter", Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the noteworthy theme as to the dangers concerning man's judgment, whilst utilizing the novel as liberation of personal grievances against Puritan doctrine. This paper shows how Hawthorne not only confirms such duplicity as iniquitous, yet further proves human denunciation as comparatively irrelevant amongst final judgment. It examines how through the inimitable characters of Hester Prynne, The Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, inclusive understanding of hypocrisy with emphasis on condemnation and the desire for vengeance is reached.
From the Paper "The Scarlet Letter, while regarded as brilliant literature, modestly originated as an expression of Nathaniel Hawthorne's internal defiance concerning Puritan ideology. This resentment is prominent throughout the novel and is assumed to derivate from the author's personal indignity in relation to the corruption of his great-grandfather, Judge Hathorne. Ironically, Hawthorne exhibits the very entity of attempted criticism as he himself debases the Puritans via their merciless denunciation of Hester Prynne. Imperative to grasp at present, still, is this infinite succession of denigration, thus validating the absence of any mortal authority in the eternal judgment over another's character. However, despite the paradoxical nature of condemnation, The Scarlet Letter personifies the hypocrisy of mortal judgment whilst accentuating the consequences of such."
Abstract This paper examines how and why the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo protested to draw attention to the atrocities committed upon their children and their significant role in the international denunciation of the military regime of Argentina and its downfall.
From the Paper "The group that came to be known as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo the Mothers demonstrates the power that a formerly voiceless sector of society can wield when it refuses to go unheard. The Mothers were able initially to avoid the ..."
Tags: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo, Argentina
Abstract The debate raging about whether or not Billy Bishop is a war hero or a war fraud has driven deep divisions into the historical field. This paper explores the enduring controversy and argues that while the arguments against Bishop appear compelling at first they are met by thoughtful opposition by respected scholars who are quick to note that Bishop's critics hardly have the sort of unambiguous information they need to make sweeping denunciations about the man and his legacy.
Abstract Religion plays a key role in the works of both Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx and a close look at their respective views on religion are therefore very important. With that in mind, this paper argues that, while both Durkheim and Marx are not strong advocates of religion, Marx is especially sharp in his denunciation. In particular, whereas Durkheim does see some salutary effects associated with religious practice - such as the promotion of social solidarity as well as a collective moral code - Marx views religion as being basically an appendage of the capitalist establishment. More than that, Marx's vision of both religion and of capitalism is so unflattering that he compares the former to an ancient Near Eastern religious sect which favored the sacrifice of children to an obscure deity.
Abstract This paper argues that, while Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" raises a number of racial issues, it is not a racist text. In particular, the paper notes the commonality of racial epithets during Twain's day and suggests that this explains the "excessive" use of derogatory terms towards African-Americans. It then briefly outlines the position of those who consider the text to be a racist one, offers the counter-argument of those opposed to such a characterization and then concludes by outlining why this writer supports the widespread distribution of Twain's master work.
From the Paper "Briefly stated, this writer cleaves to the view that Huckleberry Finn is not a racist text. It is not racist because it is meant to be a sharp denunciation of the slave-holding society which dehumanized African-Americans and it is also a text which shocks people into considering how racism works so insidiously to graft itself onto the fabric of a culture that even ugly racial epithets become distressingly common. Ultimately, this writer agrees with Leider and Wilson that American students - at a suitable age - need to be shocked into seeing the ugly side of American history before revisionists "white-wash" it and marginalize the role of slavery in the development of the nation. In the end, even if Twain was subconsciously racist himself, the grotesque nature of many of the whites in the book clearly reveals that his sympathies lie with destroying any fatuous belief that the "Old South" was chivalrous and somehow humane."
Abstract This paper looks at William Blake's poem, "London". It explains the poetry by arguing that the poem's physical arrangement (its varying sentence lengths), its curious diction and its clever use of the poetic device of anaphora all conspire to create a powerful work. It suggests that the style of the poem leads the reader to a conclusion that contains a powerful moral message of denunciation.
From the Paper "In closing, this paper has looked at William Blake's nineteenth century poem, "London," and argued that the main theme of the poem is not simply one of obvious sadness for those who grappled with the inequalities of living in the seat of Empire during a period of rampant social injustice, but also a theme of denunciation - one which does not manifest itself until the final quatrain of the poem. It is to Blake's credit, however, that he disguises this final judgment quite well (while still managing to drop subtle hints to the reader that the poem's apparent nature is not as it seems) and that he also creates a work which is aesthetically pleasing even if its conclusion is harsh."
Abstract The paper describes how Joseph Conrad, in "Heart of Darkness", presents a well-crafted critique of colonisation, in particular the commercially driven greed that led to the annexation of much of Africa during the latter half of the 19th century. The paper shows how Conrad critically examines the motives for colonisation and compares the rhetoric from Europe with the reality of colonisation in Africa. The paper illustrates how "Heart of Darkness" serves as a universal condemnation of colonisation.
From the Paper "When Heart of Darkness was first published, at the turn of the 20th Century, Europe was well into the scramble for Africa, a race to colonise the African continent that would last up to the beginning of the First World War. Ostensibly set in the Congo Free State, Heart of Darkness documents the journey of Marlowe, the protagonist, as he travels up the Congo River, deep into the jungle, to meet Kurtz, a respected agent of the colony. Marlowe's journey, his interactions with the Europeans, and observations of Africa, form the basis of a well crafted critique of colonisation, in particular the commercially driven greed that led to the annexation of much of Africa during the latter half of the 19th Century. The manner in which Conrad structured Heart of Darkness, with Marlowe as principal narrator, compounds the impact of the narrative, giving it a universal significance. Conrad describes colonisation and its motives, by taking the reader on a journey from London, the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth , to the Inner Station in the heart of the Congo, deep within darkest Africa. European interests: the Company, its agents and Kurtz are the dominant forces in the novel."
Tags: annexation, Europe, rhetoric, Marlowe, Kurtz, Congo, River, trade, expansion
Abstract This paper examines how, forming part of the propaganda machine, art and architecture were used largely for the glorification of the Nazi regime and the Aryan race and for the denunciation of Judaism, Bolshevism and what the Nazis thought of as "degeneracy." The paper looks at how, by enforcing changes in the art world and through the use of "new German" architecture, the Nazis sought to cleanse the fatherland of "degenerate art", which was seen as detrimental to the Volk, and to ensure the National Socialist movement's immortality through buildings that would survive to inspire future generations of the thousand year Reich.
From the Paper "Art held a place of high value in National Socialist ideology. Hitler who was an artist turned politician inspite of himself had said "art is the only truly enduring investment of human labour." Hitler linked artistic styles with race, claiming that the Weimar period's "degenerate art" was a result of "racial decline." The Fuhrer also linked art with politics saying "art has at all times been the expression of an ideological and religious experience and at the same time the expression of political will." According to Nazi ideology, only Aryans were the true bearers of culture, therefore only they could produce true art. The modern styles such as Cubism, Dadaism and Expressionism, which had flourished during the Weimar period were a result of "cultural Bolshevism" and influenced by the Jews. "
Abstract This paper argues that modern-day Iran is behaving in response to long-held grievances with western powers (like the United States and Great Britain) and because the globalization and integrated world that the West champions (most conspicuously the United States) is perceived as a direct threat to Iran's status as a theocracy, and a direct threat to the austere, non-consumerist tenets of traditional Islam. The paper explains that globalization threatens the very fabric of present Iranian society and the country's leaders therefore want to combat it and those they feel embody values inimical to their own interests. The paper also looks at what it is that has prompted the Middle Eastern land's angry denunciations of Israel, its stubborn adherence to a nuclear development program that is condemned by many in the western world, and its frequently negative characterizations of the United States. The paper concludes that one of the most compelling reasons for Iran's 'odd' actions is that globalization brings with it many threats to Iran and to its leadership; it is also a reminder, surely, of the western imperialism which impressed itself upon Iran in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
From the Paper "To begin with, Iran is a nation that is comparatively insular and one which is dominated by a religion that frowns upon the "decadent," consumption-driven and even hedonistic lifestyle of the west. It is also, if its sometimes hysterical rhetoric and habitual defensiveness about what it is doing and why it is doing it are any indication, a nation that is deeply insecure - or, at the very least, its leaders are very insecure. More than that, Iran is a nation which has long bristled at the projection of western power via globalization and changing technologies and this has pushed it to the forefront of Middle Eastern nations committed to turning back that projection anyway they can."
Tags: Islam, Israel, holocaust, nuclear, weapon, development
Abstract This paper describes the Asian immigrant Buddhism and the American convert Buddhism, which are the two main kinds of Buddhism being practiced in the United States today. Americanized Buddhism is different from the conservative forces that shape Asian Buddhists. The author points out that Buddhism encourages Americans to be true to themselves and to be at ease in every situation in order to successfully engender peace in all respects. The paper explores the relationship of men and women to American style Buddhism.
Table of Contents:
The American Buddhist
American Style Buddhism
American Adaptation to Buddhism
From the Paper "Many feminist American women believe that Buddhism and feminism are allies in that Buddhism's teachings are gender-free and gender-neutral. Dharma is all-inclusive and beyond gender. Only the practices demanded more equality with reference to the American culture, and the karmic task of bringing more equality into the practices is being diligently performed by the American Buddhist women. In order to perform this task, however, they have had to recognize that they must give some importance to study and philosophy."
