Abstract This paper provides a brief analysis of Ibsen's play and focuses on the symbolism of the wild duck and its relation to the characters of the play. It explains that the protagonist, Hjalmar Ekdal's life and behavior are similar to the symbolic wild duck. The wild duck possessed one sort of life spirit when alive, and in that form it symbolized the life Hjalmar might have had or should have had; in its wounded form, as a trophy, though, it symbolizes the life Hjalmar has now and the plight of his family.
From the Paper "The wild duck would once have been free, alive, strong, and able to make choices as to where to go and what to do. This is no longer the case, any more than Hjalmar would be able to express himself, be free, or show any real strength. Another element of the wild duck's existence is that it is kept away from the real world in which it formerly lived. It is Gregers who says that if the duck ever glimpses the sky, its former home and place of greatest freedom, it will die of a broken heart. It can only live by the illusion that the sky no longer exists, much as Hjalmar has to have illusions in order to live. Hjalmar is therefore contrasted with the hard-headed realist seen in the elder Werle, and it is the clash between the two that represents the war between illusion and reality most clearly, with the wild duck as a symbol of Hjalmar's hiding his head from the real world because he has been wounded."
Abstract In this essay, Ibsen's plays, "The Wild Duck" and "Ghosts" are considered in relation to themes of illusions and realities. In both plays, families are held together by illusions and torn apart by truths that have been concealed to protect the children. Ibsen's use of artistic realism is an ironic art form here, where illusions and realisms are contradicted to reveal the deeper conflicts of ordinary lives. Ibsen is representing the complicated realities of ordinary lives and emphasizes there are always many realities, just as there are many illusions.
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts Henrik Ibsen's "The Wild Duck", and Thornton Wilders "Our Town", ultimately proving that the two plays, while written over fifty years and half a world apart have deep similarities in themes beneath their respective surfaces.
Abstract This paper states that revenge makes for some of the best stories ever written and suggests that "The Wild Duck" by Henrik Ibsen is one of the best revenge tales ever told. The paper maintains that the theme of revenge in "The Wild Duck" is far stronger than that in "Hamlet", which is more similar to "The Oresteia". The paper relates the plots of each of these stories and argues that, in "Hamlet" and "The Oresteia", the characters are motivated by the death of someone they love. Thus, their revenge is more justified than Gregers' motivation in "The Wild Duck" because they are avenging the death of a loved one.
From the Paper "Gregers' first plan of action is confronting his father about his past. He argues with him about his mother and tells his father that it was the "suffering and humiliation she had to undergo, till at last it broke her down and drove her to such a miserable end." It is clear from their conversation that nothing is going to be resolved. What we do learn from this conversation is Gregers inability to forgive or forget his father. That is not to say that Werle asked for forgiveness or deserved it even but the fact that Werle is not remorseful at all does not make things between the two men any better."
From the Paper "Ibsen introduced realism to the modern stage and established its conventions so powerfully that his is still the dominant stage technique. He substituted middle-class protagonists for kings and queens and wrote prose dialogue rather than poetry. He said, "My plays . . . are not tragedies in the old meaning of the word; what I have wanted to portray is human beings and that is just why I did not want them to speak the language of the gods.". Two such plays during his realism period are Ghosts and The Wild Duck. Ghosts, written in 1881, and The Wild Duck, written in 1884, represent the breadth of Ibsen's realism.
"The Wild Duck "and "Ghosts" are typical of Ibsen's dominant themes: the presentness of the past; people's search for their place in life; the effects of idealism as a social force; and the problem of people's ultimate freedom. The presentness of the ... "
Abstract This paper discusses, through the review of the plays, "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" and "The Duck Variations", the unique style of David Mamet. It examines how Mamet's basic approach to creating his own uniquely styled art is to mix seemingly disparate elements, such as tragedy and comedy, high and low culture, sexuality and innocence, life and death, and abstract philosophy and overt social commentary. It also looks at how the basic attempt of his plays is, though "experimental" theatrical methodologies, to somehow critique the alienation of society and reflect its cracked and porous social structure through a language that is similarly cracked and distorted.
From the Paper "Mamet, however, does not limit his artistic approach merely to the considerations of language and his formal experimentation with the most fundamental elements of drama hardly stops there at all, indeed, he also experiments with a number of other issues and considerations, not the least of which are the things that he does with both time and space onstage. Indeed, Mamet keeps are attention glued to the stage by constantly changing our relationship to the narrative of the play by jumping around drastically in time and space and offer very little orienting information to tell us when such a leap or a jump has occurred. The point of these fractures of the basic fabric of spacetime, at least in the world of what we, as an audience, see onstage, are multiple and varied."
Abstract Discusses the life of the Danish author and his influence on children's literature. His fairy tales ("The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Ducking" & many others). Andersen's unique writing style. How his self-perception as an outsider impacted on the themes of his fairy tales. His use of oral narrative. Gives specific examples.
From the Paper "Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 at Odense, Denmark. Although he attended two different schools at Odense, he did not complete his schooling until he was given state funding to attend Slagelse State Grammar School in 1822. Six years later, he passed his university examinations (Spink 117-8).
With the publication of his first novel, The Improvisatore, Andersen also published his first set of fairy tales containing ?The Tinder Box,? ?Little Claus and Big Claus,? "The Princess and the Pea" and "Little Ida's Flowers" in 1835 (Spink 53). From 1837 onwards, Andersen published his fairy tales in annual volumes. On August 4, 1875, he died at a summer villa near Copenhagen after suffering several years from liver cancer (Spink 117-8; "Chronology of HCA's Life")."
Abstract The first part of this paper discusses the challenges and problems of writing public policy for state and local governments. The next part of the paper discusses what state constitutional, legal and historic factors would contribute to making a state governor strong or weak in his role as executive branch leader. The final part paper cites examples of worst and best types of municipal taxation and what factors make them so.
From the Paper "Public policymaking is often hard to describe. At best, the development can seem obscure to those on the outside of the process. And at its worst it can often seem underhanded, especially to those groups or individuals who felt they had contributions to make but were never offered the chance to make them. Of course, one can say this is the nature of politics in general, unfortunately politics has a negative connotation for many people."
Conducts a textual analysis of J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" to show how the use of different literary devices helped bring out the theme of the novel.
Abstract This paper examines the way Salinger's use of symbols, metaphor, and language helped highlight the theme of his novel, i.e., loss of innocence. It discusses the symbolic meaning of New York, the main character's brother, the ducks in Central Park, and several other examples of symbolism and metaphor, and explains how they all help convey the theme of loss of innocence. The paper goes on to provide examples that demonstrate the way Salinger's use of language also helps to convey the novel's theme about the loss of innocence.
From the Paper "The narrator goes through various experiences before he finally returns home to face the wrath of his father. During his short trip to New York, he comes across different people, each of whom helps him understand that life and this world is worth cherishing despite all their flaws but being adults, they offer him a glimpse of the adult world which results in early loss of adolescent innocence. The poet enters in the fast world of New York where gambling, sex and drugs are common. His loss of innocence is conveyed with the help of various symbols and metaphors."
Abstract This paper reviews the intertwined, complicated history of denim jean fabric and how the name came about. This paper also takes a look at how the denim jean fabric has had an impact on society, fashion and culture.
Contents:
Introduction
The Origin of Jeans
Technical Aspects: What is Denim?
The History of Blue Jeans
Impact on Society
Conclusion
From the Paper "There are several sources which ascribe various meanings to the word denim. Many of the source books on the subject state that denim is derived from the English translation of the South of France French phrase 'serge de Nimes'. Denim fashion history has therefore become associated with Serge de Nimes. (Denim Jeans - Fashion History). The Serge de Nimes was originally a wool silk mix, twill weave. There was also fabric which was known as "nim" in France and both these fabrics were composed partly of wool. (A history of Denim)
The word "Jeans" is considered by most source to come from 'Genoese'. This was the name give to Italian sailors in Genoa who "...when at sea dressed in blue fustian fabric composed of a cotton and wool or linen blend." (The Blue Jeans Story) Another European fabric made from a cotton, linen and wool blend "... was known as 'jean' after the sailors of Genoa, Italy, who wore it." (Denim Jeans - Fashion History)"
Abstract The paper discusses how, during World War II, Hollywood was part of the war effort and produced a number of works intended to stir up the troops, encourage those at home to help in the war effort, and demonize the enemy. The paper examines the different types of propaganda and shows how Disney used films and cartoons in their fight against Nazi Germany. The paper discusses how these films show a side of the war that many may not realize was so powerful.
From the Paper "We tend to think of propaganda as a tool used by the enemy, but America uses propaganda as well. During World War II, Hollywood was part of the war effort and produced a number of works intended to stir up the troops and often to demonize the enemy as part of the process. The most obvious such films were the wartime war movies that celebrated Allied victories and killed off dozens of the enemy. Cartoons were also used in service of the war effort, often involving racially charged images that do not fit well with today's culture and so are often not seen any longer. A number of Popeye cartoons involved denigrating images of Japanese people. At Warner Bros., the Private Snafu series for the army included not only similar racist images but some swearing. Walt Disney Studios also enlisted in the war effort and produced a number of films intended to support the troops and demonize the enemy."
Abstract Max Hare and Toby Tortoise are just part of the early Disney cartoon cast, but, in the opinion of the paper's author, they are enduring because they possess universal appeal based on a number of positive factors. In the paper, the author examines and discusses these factors. The author attempts to show that a clear and succinct moral message is given by the cartoon which is echoed in many other Disney works. The writer also contends that the absence of violence in the cartoon is another feature that gives the film lasting value. The author of the paper also compares the cartoon's artwork, animation and music to modern cartoons in order to further demonstrate the long lasting, universal appeal of the film.
From the Paper "For example, Toby falls for Max's well-known "psyche" gag where he is offered Max's hand to shake only to have him pull it back in a "thumbs-up" fashion not once but twice before the race even starts, and Max makes it clear from the outset who is going to win this race. The clearly established personalities of Toby Tortoise and Max Hare also contribute to this sense of who is going to win, but also help create a sense of an "under-tortoise" who deserves to win because he has the pluck even though the rabbit has the speed among viewers. These straightforward images of the bully and the bullied, the fast and the slow, the quick and the dull, are accompanied by a rich musical score (recorded by RCA Victor "High Fidelity" Sound System) and background scenery ("in Technicolor") throughout. According to Jacobs, the color in Disney's Silly Symphonies is seldom static: "As the characters fly, dance, run, or evolve into other shapes, the color too is animated, becoming sinister, gay, sanguine, or merely decorative, but always taking on a new hue with each of the emotional developments and moving with the images and sound.""
Tags: academy award, animation musical, silly symphonies, studios character pluto goofy, donald duck, fable moral
