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Amiri Baraka's "An Agony. As Now", 2007.
An analysis of Amiri Baraka's poem "An Agony. As Now".
1,131 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that Amiri Baraka's poem "An Agony. As Now" presents the poet observing himself from some distance and taking stock of what he sees. The paper describes how the poet expresses the nature of the black man in American society; he has been made to hate himself by the majority white society that prevents him from feeling complete. The paper shows how he is at war with himself, between the self he was made to be by circumstances and the self he wants to be and is trying to become.
From the Paper
"The work expresses the divided and in some ways unfinished nature of the black man in American society, in keeping with the use of only the left parenthesis because the black man may have started becoming but has been thwarted and prevented from achieving completion. In addition, the poet is expressing the view that his reality and his sense of self depends on his hatred of others. He says he hates himself, because he has been made to hate himself by the majority white society that prevents him from feeling complete. When he looks out at himself and hates himself, it is because of his inability to overcome the limitations placed on him. In the world in which he lives, "innocence is a weapon" (13)."
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Amiri Baraka, 2002.
A biography of the life and work of the black writer and activist Amiri Baraka.
1,189 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the life of the black writer and activist born as LeRoi Jones but commonly known as Amiri Baraka. It looks at how due to his membership in and experience with a plurality of different black nationalist movements, his works are significantly more charged in their treatment of racism than most other black poets and playwrights. It analyzes how Baraka?s work shows an unflinching willingness to deal with racism in an open and stark way that other writers seem to shy away from.
From the Paper
"In his play, Dutchman, from 1964, Amiri Baraka demonstrates his willingness to deal with racism in a fairly overt and open fashion. The harshness of his depiction of racism is notably stronger than his contemporaries among African-American writers. Dutchman principally concerns two characters, Lula, who is a young white woman, and Clay, a well-educated young black man in the early sixties. The two meet on a train, and Lula, perhaps for sport or due to some intense erotic attraction to Clay?s ?otherness,? begins to toy with his emotions by flirting and flaunting her own sexuality. Within this dialogue, however, her racism is unflinchingly depicted in a series of terrible comments that she makes to Clay. Looking at the well-dressed Clay, she asks him, ?What right do you have to be wearing a three-button suit and stripped tie? Your grandfather was a slave, he didn?t go to Harvard? (Baraka, Dutchman p.87)."
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Amiri Baraka, 2002.
A discussion on Amiri Baraka, one of the most outspoken and respected African-American activist writers.
2,275 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
The following paper examines Baraka's life by analyzing four different phases in his life, the beat phase, the transitional period, the black nationalism phase and the third world Marxist period. The writer examines the way in which his novels, plays, essays and poetry have placed him in the forefront of an evolving social movement and a growing body of politically motivating literature.
From the Paper
"Playwright, author, poet, activist, critic, educator ? these are all words that describe Amiri Baraka, a major contemporary author. Baraka was a central figure of the 1960?s Black Arts Movement, which was a literary movement dedicated to the advancement of black art. Although he was bron LeRoy Jones, in 1968, he dropped his western name and adopted the Muslim name of Imamu Amiri Baraka.LeRoy Jones was born in 1934 to African-American parents, and lived the majority of his childhood in a lower middle-class neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. While his family was better off than most African-Americans at the time, Baraka said that they were not immune to racial violence and discrimination. For example, his grandfather, who was a major influence on him, had his business burned down twice in Alabama before moving to Newark."
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The Agony of Ecstasy, 2002.
An examination of the drug ecstasy and the dangers involved in its use.
1,540 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a thorough look at the drug MDMA (ecstasy). It characterizes the types of people who use it and uses case studies and medical data to explain the effects of the drug and dangers of its use. The writer also explores the problems in controlling its distribution.
From the Paper
"A large proportion of young people in the world today are users of the drug MDMA, or ecstasy, for a simple reason: it provides them with access to an experience that they value. Yet the majority of first-time users has no access to reliable information about the drug and relies on folklore for guidance; many regard the drug as completely harmless, sometimes even beneficial. Unfortunately, ecstasy use can prove fatal, as it has on many occasions. Besides the fact that the drug itself causes several unfavorable short- and long-term effects, many of which remain unknown, the actual content of doses sold on the streets is questionable. The processes of manufacturing and distributing ecstasy are quite inexpensive, and hold much appeal for criminals seeking out a lucrative niche in the drug market. The difficulties in classifying the drug ecstasy have caused complications in creating legislation for the control of its distribution and use; the number of abusers is constantly growing. Ecstasy is one of the most popular, yet dangerous drugs on the underground market today."
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Resistance vs. Revolution: The Blues in "Dutchman", 2005.
Examines the role of the blues in Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman."
2,243 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 69.95
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Abstract
This paper interprets the role played by the blues in the play "Dutchman" by Amiri Baraka, using close readings and other textual analysis. It examines the potential significance of the blues as an African-American art form in "Dutchman", framing this concept with a broader discussion of Baraka's and Ron Karenga's differing attempts to define 'authentically' African-American art. In "Black Cultural Nationalism," Karenga insists that African-American art must necessarily be revolutionary in purpose. However, Baraka's criteria in "The Myth of a Negro Literature" are less stringent, accepting as 'valid' art that is borne of and/or promotes any resistance to white oppression, not only that which can be considered revolutionary. The paper looks at how the blues, as portrayed in "Dutchman," fits into this debate, asking whether Baraka's stance in his play remains consistent with his earlier position, or whether he comes to align himself more with Karenga.
From the Paper
"According to Baraka, music is the only artistic sphere in which African Americans have made a valid contribution, because this music "drew its strengths and beauties out of the depth of the black man's soul" (165). Unlike black middle class art, the blues and jazz can be high art, because they express legitimate African American experiences. Significantly, he attributes this "authentic" art to lower class blacks, writing that "it was shunned by blacks ambitious of 'waking up white'" - i.e., middle class blacks - "as low and degrading" (167). He implies that valid black culture is a lower class culture, and that middle class blacks are too preoccupied with fitting in to white America to contribute significantly to African American art."
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Two African-American Plays, 2007.
This paper explores African-American manhood and social- economic obstacles in two plays by African-American playwrights: Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun".
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the African-American male protagonists in Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun". The paper looks at how the protagonist Walter, from 'A Raisin in the Sun" and the protagonist Clay, from "Dutchman", both seek to claim their manhood, despite the social and economic obstacles vigorously enforced by a hostile, white-dominated American society. The author analyzes the contexts and nature of Walter's confrontation with Karl Lindner in "A Raisin in the Sun" and Clay's defensive, violent response to Lula's verbal sexual/gender assaults in Baraka's "Dutchman". The paper concludes that both of these male characters do achieve a temporary and ephemeral degree of manhood but neither of these plays ends on a completely hopeful note.
From the Paper
"However, as the true extent of Lula's hostility towards him becomes apparent, it also becomes clear to Clay that whatever playfulness of flirtation he attempts, as a man, will do nothing to mitigate Lula's hostility toward him as a black man, and particularly a black man endeavoring to be seen as an individual apart from his race. Now, however, with her victim confined to the below-the-ground crucible of the subway, Lula taunts Clay into criticizing whites in general, thereby bringing about the reactions on the part of others in the subway car that seal his fate."
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Issues in Black Theatre, 2004.
Looks at issues of racial integration and cultural assimilation through two texts, Alice Childress's "Wine in the Wilderness" and Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman."
2,080 words (approx. 8.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 65.95
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Abstract
This paper delves into the depths of the issues of racism and cultural assimilation as addressed in African-American theatre. It examines two plays, Alice Childress?s ?Wine in the Wilderness?, which examines assimilation on a personal level and brings up issues of how it is that we, as a society, develop this assimilation, both consensually and nonconsensually, and Amiri Baraka?s ?Dutchman?, which looks at the effects of assimilation and the forces that drive it.
From the Paper
"America has been called the melting pot of the world. We are a nation composed of and created by the integration of dozens of cultures over two-hundred years. Unfortunately, true racial integration is something that has really only been developing in the past thirty years or so. With this integration come the eventual questions of assimilation and cultural fusion. The answers to these questions will form the basis of the future of our society and how the world culture develops."
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"The Dutchman", 2002.
Discusses racial issues in Amiri Baraka's one-act play.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, $ 31.95
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Abstract
Discusses racial issues in Amiri Baraka's one-act play. Examines thesis of play that the characters (black male and white female) are trapped in their roles over which they have no control. Analysis of the two characters and their interactions. Character of Lula as one-dimensional white liberal. Clay as heart of the play.
From the Paper
"Amiri Baraka's one-act play The Dutchman examines racial issues, specifically those contained in a relationship between a white woman and a black man. The play above all portrays these two characters as beings trapped in their roles in a play over which they have no control.
Lula is an aggressive and flirtatious Eve-like character whose sole purpose seems to be to simultaneous mock and seduce her black counterpart Clay. Clay's name suggests a malleability, and Lula is more than willing to mold him to her wishes. Unlike Clay, Lula seems one-dimensional, fixated on possessing Clay sexually and psychologically, and then driven to kill him when he dares begin to stand up for himself at last.
Clay is clearly the character most important to the playwright. Clay is at a crossroads in the play, and Lula plays a ..."
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Sex & Politics, 1996.
Examines relationships based on power & control in Arthur Miller's [The Crucible], Amiri Baraka's [The Dutchman], Caryl Churchill's [Vinegar Tom] & David Henry Hwang's [M. Butterfly].
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"The word "political" implies the operation of things relating to the government. "The Crucible," "The Dutchman," "Vinegar Tom," and "M. Butterfly" all explore Western society's view and treatment of sex and the ways in which the Western shame of things sexual becomes transformed into political misconceptions and persecution. Three of the plays address the way white Western men use sex to satisfy themselves and create an image of themselves that grants them power. Necessarily, men's use of sex requires the use of women as sexual objects. In the fourth play discussed, "The Dutchman," the playwright address the political ramifications of sexual interplay between blacks and whites.
However, these plays also demonstrate that for the..."
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African American Dramas, 2002.
Compares and contrasts two plays of the 1960s.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 9 sources, $ 63.95
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Abstract
Compares and contrasts two plays of the 1960s. James Balwin's BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE, and Amiri Baraka's THE DUTCHMAN. Examines ways in which violence affects the lives of African Americans and role racism plays in violence. Intent of both playwrights. Stereotypical mythsof white women and black men in Baraka's drama.
From the Paper
""The Dutchman" and "Blues for Mister Charlie"
For many African-American writers and dramatists, the issue of race and how it impacts on human relationships and societal perceptions is a theme of enormous significance. Two of the most powerful literary voices in the African-American community are those of James Baldwin and Amiri Baraka (formerly known as LeRoi Jones). Both Baldwin and Baraka have written prolifically and in a variety of mediums. This brief report however, will compare and contrast a single work by each author. Baraka's play, The Dutchman and Baldwin's play, Blues for Mister Charlie address the ways in which violence affects the lives of ordinary African-American men and women and in which a fundamental racism in American society renders these individuals vulnerable to violence."
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Physicality and the Body in African-American Poetry, 2001.
Examines three poems by African-American poets, exploring how each uses physical imagery to convey meaning.
1,608 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses poems by Amiri Baraka, Robert Hayden, and Michael S. Harper, exploring how each poet uses imagery of the human (specifically African-American) body to convey meaning. Baraka sees the body as a potential instrument for social change, calling for Black poets to create work that will inspire real action. Hayden describes the horrific lynching of a Southern Black man, exposing the sinister motives of his white attackers. Finally, Harper crafts a tribute to Coltrane, detailing the legendary musician's struggle with pain, both physical and existential.
From the Paper
"I have been reading the work of Amiri Baraka for several years now, but have only recently become more intensely interested in the complex style of this challenging poet. Baraka probably has the most unique, original style of any modern poet I?ve read, a style which, for me, is generally most effective when he reads it aloud than when simply read from the printed page. Much of Baraka?s poetry is heavily influenced by jazz music, so if follows that his poems are fantastic on a purely auditory level. As entertaining and stirring a performer as Baraka is, I would argue that his poems must not be looked at as performance pieces, but also as the work of an accomplished craftsman. To that end, I searched for examples of literary criticism and scholarship that focused on the text of Baraka?s work, rather than his impassioned delivery of it."
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Toni Morrison's "Beloved", 2005.
This paper reviews Toni Morrison's "Beloved", an intricate narrative expounding on the agony of guilt and the love between a mother and her daughter.
2,170 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the actions of Sethe, the principal character, are the ultimate gesture of a mother loving her daughter. Sethe, who was once a slave, chose to kill her daughter rather then allow her to live a life of slavery. The author points out that the reader's task is to find a way to understand her guilt and thus understand her motivation for murdering her daughter. The paper concludes that the novel emphasizes the importance of the community and an individual's search for self, which characterizes the survival struggle of Black Americans; the black community with its cohesiveness and harmony is an essential factor to healing 244 years of slavery and another 133 years of political abuse.
From the Paper
"The passing of the Louisiana Black Code in 1865, confirmed the belief that the whites believed the blacks could not handle the responsibility or the rights of true citizens. The white society believed the blacks did not deserve these rights because they were inferior and simply less than human. With these beliefs still in place, one could honestly say that slavery had never ended. Although the blacks were free, the their everyday rights were abolished. The Louisiana Black Codes stated that Negroes were not permitted to rent or keep a house. In addition, the Codes went on to say that Negroes could not sell, barter or exchange any merchandise. The Codes went on to state that Negroes were required to be in the regular service of some white person, or former owner. This former owner or white person was held responsible for the conduct of said Negro. Face it. This was returning to the days of slavery."
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Dead Uncle Sam, 2002.
This paper is based on a quote from the book "My Brother Sam is Dead" by Collier and Collier. The quote " Could the United States have made its way without all that agony and killing?" directs the argument throughout the paper.
1,001 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a quote from the book "My Brother Sam is Dead" and discusses whether or not the U.S. could have survived without so much bloodshed. The writer of this paper allows for the discussion of American policies and historical decisions that have caused killing in the name of Americans. The paper focuses mainly on the period around the Civil War and the expansion to the West.
From the Paper
"Throughout American history residents have been led to believe that the American Revolution was a necessary evil that could not be avoided at any costs. The killing and the agony that was involved in that revolution have been taught in classrooms since the beginning of public education as necessary to the cause(Collier, 1989). In more recent years however, many have begun to question whether or not it was really as necessary as it has been portrayed over the years. In a book by Lincoln and Christopher Collier called My Brother Sam is Dead the possibility of there being to much violence used comes to light through the telling of the plot. After reading the book the answer to the question Could the United States have made its way without all that agony and killing? Becomes a startling and revealing no."
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"Welcome To The Dollhouse" ( Directed By Todd Solondz ), 1999.
This paper analyzes techniques, narrative and characters in the 1996 film about agonies of female adolescence.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"This paper is an examination of the 1996 film, Welcome to the Dollhouse, produced, written, and directed by Todd Solondz. The film stars Heather Matarazzo as Dawn "Weinerdog" Weiner, an awkward seventh-grader confronting the hazards and horrors of junior high school. Solondz uses a variety of effective cinematic techniques to emphasize Dawn's sense of isolation and unfairness, from a selective use of closeups to powerful music and sound cues. He keeps the film focused almost completely on Dawn, moving away from her just four times, each for a solid structural reason. The result is a powerful and entertaining portrait of the agonies of adolescence.
Dawn Weiner is a gawky, unpopular student, nicknamed "Weinerdog" (her fellow students have even spray-painted the name across the top of her locker). Her only real friend is the even..."
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Euthanasia, 2005.
This paper argues that in this modern society everyone has the right to die with dignity instead of being made to suffer indefinitely at the end of lives only because of the misplaced moral beliefs of others.
885 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, while modern technology and advances in medical science have succeeded in alleviating suffering for mankind to a large extent, they also have made it possible for prolonging the agony and suffering of terminally-ill people. The author points out that the major arguments against euthanasia are unsustainable. The paper stresses that taking away the right of terminally-ill people to make a decision about dying with dignity is an aberration in any compassionate modern day society.
Table of Contents
Different Kinds of Euthanasia
The Ethical and Legal Considerations
The Arguments against Euthanasia and their Rebuttal
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Another argument against euthanasia is that once we permit any form of euthanasia, it would put us on a "moral slippery slope" leading to targeting of vulnerable groups of people and euthanasia would be used as a "cost cutting solution" by putting elderly and 'non-productive' people to death. Such alleged psychological inevitability of moving from voluntary to non-voluntary euthanasia is not supported by credible evidence. The example of Hitler's Germany is irrelevant because what the Nazis practiced was eugenics and terming it as euthanasia is a misnomer. Evidence from the Netherlands (where euthanasia is legal) is more relevant and serious studies on the subject reveal that there has been no slide on the "slippery slope" there."
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