An Analysis of the reasons for the catholic Church's Ban of the Book Essay

An Analysis of the reasons for the catholic Church's Ban of the Book Candide by Voltaire - Essay Example The listing of a book under this category made it illegal to possess or have anything to do with the publisher or the content of the book in states where the Catholic Church recognized by the state as the only recognized religion in the world. After the breakaway of the Anglican Church in the 1500s and the Protestant Reformation that was at its peak in the 1600s, a lot of criticisms were raised against the Catholic Church due to several inappropriate actions and deeds of some of its members through art, writings, actions, protests, wars and other forms of communication. In 1759, Voltaire published his book Candide. Voltaire was a man who had moved around Europe and had had several controversial experiences with authorities from Prussia to Geneva and to Lisbon2. He was a playwright who had a number of unpleasant experiences and had so much skepticism about religion, institutions and authorities in Europe and seemed to have lost confidence in all those institutions and had strong conde mnation of them and their actions. The central theme of Candide sought to challenge the assertion of the Church and Lutheran philosophy that this world is the best of all possible worlds and all things work out for the best3. He uses the book, Candide to show that bad things happen to good people and there are many activities in the Europe of his time that were cruel and against humanity. Analysis of Candide The protagonist of the book, Candide was a young nephew of a Baron in Westphalia, present day Germany. His father was unknown so he was seen as a bastard with little rights and privileges in the castle. The Baron was a prosperous noble living a very comfortable life in a castle. He adhered to the popular Protestant belief that this world is the best and all things work together for good. The son of the Baron, Pangloss was a teacher of the religious idea that his father stood for. Pangloss believed and consistently taught that everything in this world exists for a purpose and all things work for the best. To him, every effect had a cause. Pangloss stated that â€Å"Observe, for instance, the nose is formed for spectacles, therefore we wear spectacles, The legs are visibly designed for stockings, accordingly we wear stockings. Stones are hewn to construct castles, therefore My Lord has a magnificent castle; for the greatest baron†4. Obviously, this statement presented Pangloss as a simplistic sycophant who sought to keep his congregants under some form of bondage so that the Baron, himself and his descendants could enjoy a comfortable life whilst the servant class remains under oppression. By presenting Pangloss as such, he sought to show that religion has been used as a tool to keep the working class under some kind of bondage to the Church and the ruling class of Europe in the pre-1750 period. This clearly provoked the church as it was blasphemous. In the events that followed in the book, a young beautiful girl in the castle, Cunegund saw Pangloss, the preacher having a sexual encounter with her mother's chambermaid in the woods. She was introduced to sex and sought to have an affair with Candide. The next day, Candide, who had been fantasizing about Cunegund bumped into her and they began to kiss. This was discovered by the Baron who swiftly threw Candide from the castle. Voltaire seem to have clearly demonstrated through this action that there was immorality being secretly practiced amongst people perceived to be holy in the Church. However, when innocent

A Short Story By O’ Henry Essay Example for Free

A Short Story By O’ Henry Essay Themes: Death and Dying: Last leaf is a short story that entails the treasury of life and the existence of faith and hope. It need to the importance of living and how we deal with the hindrances we battle through our life story. It is a moving story across the traps that come across us in the most significant parts of our lives, the value of life is the centerpiece of story, where all the things go back and revolve†¦Apart of this story gives us a hint that God is the only one who knows that whether we ride on with life and chances or trail on and be drawn against the judgment, the melodramatic and picturesque setting of the story connects to the negative status of main character facing life and death subject matter. Pessimism: Johnsy the main character seems to be a very pessimistic person. She has lost the entire positive attitude in life due to her disease and she is waiting for her death. â€Å"Your little lady has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind† That is the first step of Jhonsy that she has made up her mind that she will die when the last leaf fall. That signifies the mental and psychological conditionn of her and is describing the theme of pessimistic. â€Å"She was looking out of window and counting -counting backwards† The psychological disturbances shown by O’ Henry in these lines as she is tired of waiting that when the last leaf falls, she will be near to death. â€Å"When the last one falls I must go, too.† Here in these lines Henry has showed extreme pessimism. It is the last one, said Johnsy â€Å"I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.† These words literated by jonsy again show her desperate and chaotic state of mind. She has supposed the things which have no logic and waiting for her death, or waiting for the last leaf to fall. Self-Sacrifice: Mr. Behrman risks his life for Johnsy. He has sacrificed his own life, to give life to Johnsy the painting he made at the wall, shows his self sacrificing, kind and noble nature. He himself catches the pneumonia and  dies, but he didn’t let Johnsy to die. With the character of Mr. Buhrmann, O’ Henry is showing the sacrificing mature of a man and it gives us a message that self sacrificing is a great deed and one has to kind and gentle towards others. â€Å"Mr. Buhrmann died of pneumonia today in hospital.† Hope: Theme of hope is very nicely presented in this story. Doctor is a very optimistic person and he tries to make Johnsy realized that is she has made her mind that she will die when the last leaf fall that could be harmful for her. He told her that he can only provide her medicine and that is effective as 50 cent, the next situation is in her hand. â€Å"I subtract 50 percent from the curative power of medicines.† If you will get her to ask one question about the new writer styles in cloak sleeves I will promise you one-in-five chance for her, instead of† So O’ Henry conveys message one never let go for hope and optimist approach in life. It is out state of mind which can bring worse or better for us in our lives â€Å"Sadie, someday I hope to point the bay of Naples† These lines show Johnsy’s desires and aspirations. It gives the picture of hope and this hope in life gives us the spirit of living in this world. Love and Friendship: In last leaf O’ Henry describes friendship and bondage between two friends. They care and love each other, and she supports Johnsy morally when she falls ill. She proves to be great support for Johnsy and she tries her level best to bring back Johnsy towards life and in the world of optimism. â€Å"Dear, Dear!† said she, learning her won face down to the pillow † think of me, if you won’t think of yourself. What would I do?† These lines show the effective relationship between two friends. Mr. Behrman also shows great deal of love for these girls. Although he is bit careless person but he really cared for Johnsy and his love is shown by his painting for the sake of Johnsy’s life. What is the theme of The Last Leaf by O Henry? The theme of this story is definitely self-sacrifice. Mr. Behrman sacraficed his own health for Johnsy. One theme of this story is that you should never judge someone by what they appear to be, but by their actions. Behrman acts fierce and aggressive, but his actions show how much he cares about Johnsy. I learned to judge people, not by their looks, but by their actions, because ultimately, actions are the things that make an impact Passion, hope and personal sacrifice. O Henry gives people hope in a quickly transforming world where big bussinesses and technology were taking over artsy New York. it is about the love between those friends

The Three David Statues Art Essay

The Three David Statues Art Essay The paper explores the three Davids statues which are situated in different locations in Italy. The three statues of David are artworks of four different artists who are Bernini, Michelangelo, and Donatello. The paper also has the brief history of each of the four artists. In addition, the paper also compares and contrasts different artworks from different artists with accordance to how artwork meant to each artist, the tools that were used, and how artwork was accomplished. Introduction The three statues of David were modeled as representations of a biblical hero the king David of Israel who in his young age killed a hero warrior goliath armed with only a stone and a swirl. The three statues are different from each other in that they were of different periods and used different materials to develop the statue. However, the statues are also different from each other in dressing codes and body posture. All the three statues were developed in Italy and thats where they are found and serve as tourist attraction sites. Brief History of the Artist, Donatello Donatello is also known as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi. He was born in 1386 in Florence, Italy. He is famous for his sculptural works in Italy and especially the Davids scripture in Florence, Italy. He is also said to have made brass pulpits for Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo which is believed to have been built by Brunelleschi. Also, he is referred to be one of the earliest artists of renaissance period who worked through the perspective of ideology. He used sculptural method to bring dramatic images and shapes to life. However, he died aged one hundred years in 1489. He is well remembered for his artwork which is seen and studied (Post,p.65). Brief History of the Artist, Michelangelo Michelangelo was born on 6th march, 1475 in Caprese village in Italy. He is one of the famous artists of renaissance period, which is believed to be a period of the evolvement of artwork in Italy. However, when he attained the age of twelve, he became an apprentice painter to a professional painter of Florentine, Domenico Ghirlandaio who orientated him to painting. Later on he began to study sculptural work in which he well flourished. He is famous for his work in the modeling of a marble statue which represents Virgin Mary grieving over dead Jesus body. He also worked on the Davids statue between 1501and 1504 which stands at the height of 4.34m/14 ft 3. The statue is placed outside Palazzo Vecchio. It is currently viewed as a symbol of new republic which replaced Medici rule. However, Michelangelo died at the age of eighty nine in 1564. He left behind significant statues which serve as his memoirs (Wittkower,p.32). Brief History of the Italian Artist, Bernini He was born in 1598 in Rome, Italy. He was a dominant figure of renaissance period in which he had specialized in sculptural and architectural work. However, his father orientated him in the sculptural work from which he gained experience and got a work in Rome. He is famous for his work in the statues of David, Apollo, and Daphne. More also, he is believe to have designed the monument of the ornate baldachin and marble decorations found in St. Peters square. He died in 1680 at the age of eighty two. Statue of David by Michelangelo Interestingly, statue of David which wads modeled by Michelangelo is the most famous statue in the whole world and perhaps an important tourist attraction site in Italy. Michelangelo was commissioned to start the work on the statue in the year 1501 by Arte della Lana whose responsibility was to decorate the cathedral in Florence. A marble block was presented top him as a construction material which had earlier been prepared by Agostino di Duccio for the same purpose (Frederick,p.8). However, Michelangelo did not apply the traditional method of presenting David as a hero. Rather he presented him as a youthful individual tensed with the sense of getting magical power in order to proceed for the battle. His representation is based on the moment when David heard that Israelites were afraid of Goliath that they hesitated mocking him. His statue is taken to be the most perfect heroic representation of David as compared with the other two statues of David by Bernini and Donatello. In addition, the statues right-hand side is smooth and well composed while the left-hand side is openly seen to be active and dynamic. He developed muscles and tendons only at the points where they can be interpreted to be perfect representation of strong will but not where they represent individuals form of self-governing. However, the artist used construction tools such as point, tooth, flat and craw chisels, and also scrapers and rasps for finishing. On the completion of the statue, committee of high ranked citizens and artists agreed that it was good for the statue to be placed in front of Palazzo Vecchio, which is the town hall of Florence (Frederick,p.8). Statue of David by Donatello Donatello used his skills to prove himself a prominent artist of Renaissance period. He is believed to be one of the greatest artists of Florentine in the period who invented shallow relief technique in artwork. This technique helped in making his sculptures to be seen as deeply developed though at times developed at a shallow plane. He was influenced by ancient scriptures made by Greeks and theories of humanist. This made him to develop statues which were mainly the representations of human body as functioning organism in which personality radiates a confident individual (Balcarres,p.43). His sculpture of David is the most famous representation of the artwork of fifteenth century. He represented David as a boastful hero as compared to Michelangelo who represented him as a humble hero. However, he did not represent him admiring the head of his victim, Goliath rather he is admiring his graceful, powerful body as a result of him winning the battle. This is one amongst many sculptures of the Renaissance art whereby admiration of self-worth was mainly the theme. He was first commissioned to start the work in 1408 by Operai of the cathedral of Florence. The main aim of the Operai was to decorate buttress of the cathedrals tribune with statues of the twelve prophets. He used bronze marble as the construction material and tools such as flat, tooth, pointed chisels were used. However, the finished statue depicted David with a smile posed with his left foot on the goliaths head. More also, the youthful David is completely naked apart from laurel hat and boots. The finished was the first unsupported standing statue in the period. Additionally, the statue was faced by controversial moral debates which barred it from being put in the town hall of Florence (Radke,p.32). Statue of David by Bernini Bernini represented David as a life-size marble in his scripture. He was commissioned to decorate villa of his patron cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1623 and completed his work within seven months. However, his work was the subject of David throwing a stone to the giant, Goliath. The finished statue represented Bernini as a genius artist since he did not let his statue match with others which preceded his which represented David standing, self contained, and insulated (Avery,p.43). His objective was tom come up with a dramatic and real biblical figure which he did. The viewer of the statue feels to be a part of Davids move. He made a space in front of the statue which is seen to be part of the Davids part. In addition, the immense tension of Davids twisted body conveys the strength which he used to release the stone. He used marble as the construction material and chisels as main tools. Bernini spent the shortest to develop the statue which proves him to have been an energetic youth since he did the work while at the age of twenty four (Gardner,p.65). Comparison and Contrast of Three Sculptures All the three scriptures were modeled in different periods by different artists who used techniques and styles different from each other. However, the three scriptures are similar in one way or the other. First, the threes statues were based on biblical scripture on the moment when David was in a battle against the giant Goliath thus the objective of each artist was to represent David as a youthful hero considering that he was young at the moment. In addition each artist used marble and chisel as the construction material and tools as well (John,p.32). However, each artist developed a statue which was different from each other as well. The first statue developed by Donatello represented David as a boastful hero who admired the physical power he had. Also, the statue was naked which brought moral controversy which made it not to be put in front of town hall. The second statue by Michelangelo was perfect and represented David as a humble hero and was placed in front of the town hall where it serves as one of the major tourist attraction sites in Italy. The last statue by Bernini represented David as an energetic youth twisting his body hard to gain the required force of releasing the stone against the giant, Goliath (Hibbard,p.32).

Horatio: A True Friend of Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeares Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play. Most of the characters in the play have selfish motives at heart. Lust, greed, pride, and revenge are just a few sins that are committed in the play. There are few instances within the play that show goodness and kindness. Hamlet has so many people around him trying to bring him down, but he had one friend that was loyal to him, and that was Horatio. The other key characters in the play were only out for their own good. However Horatio was looking out for Hamlet. Unfortunately, Horatio was the only one. Gertrude was Hamlet’s mother. She was a selfish and evil woman. She cheated on Hamlet’s father with Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. She married Claudius a month after her husband’s death. Gertrude wanted Hamlet to stop his grieving. She told Hamlet, â€Å"thou know’st ‘tis common, all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity† (I.2.72-73). When Hamlet was depressed and grieving, it reminded Gertrude of the terrible sin she had committed. She wanted Hamlet to be happy just so she could feel better about herself. Throughout the play Gertrude’s motives do not waiver; she looks out for her own well being. Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle and stepfather. He had an affair with Hamlet’s mother and murdered Hamlet’s father. Claudius cared for no one in the play but himself. There were very few happy moment for Hamlet in the play, but one came when he made a play within the play. Hamlet wanted to see the reaction the Claudius had to the scene on the play where they show how the king was murdered. Claudius’ reaction to the scene was astounding. â€Å"Give me some light. Away!†(III.2. 255). Hamlet saw his reaction and knew for sure that Claudius killed his father. Claudius was a horrible uncle ... ...e end. This play is not a typical happy ending type of play. In fact there are very few happy moments in the play. I do not think that Shakespeare intended for someone to walk away with a warm feeling in his or her heart. I am not sure of the real reason he wrote the play and what it was he wanted the audience to learn from it. I learned that revenge is something that can take over your mind and cause someone to do things that they would not normally do. It seems that Shakespeare was trying to teach us to search inside of ourselves and not let the outside world influence us in any way. Maybe he was trying to show us that we all need good friends like Horatio. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 7th ed.Ed Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Prentice Hall, 2004. 1307-1406

Cover story Essay

To investigate what level of obedience participants would show when an authority figure told them to administer electric shocks to another person. Participants: Obtained from advertisements + direct mailing. Self selected or volunteer sample.   40 males: 20-50 yrs old from New Haven area in the United Stated of America.   Job ranges Included: postal clerks, HS teachers, salesmen, labourers, engineers, etc.   Education: one had not finished HS to some who a have degree + qualification in various subjects. Paid: $4.50 regardless of what happened after and before they arrived. This is called COERCIAN. Method and Design:   Method: Lab experiment.   Observer observed participants for signs of tension/nervousness: â€Å"sweat, tremble, biting of lips, nervous laughter† I. V. /D. V.   I. V. – There was NO I. V. D. V. – Level of obedience; how far they’d go with the voltage to shock the learner. Procedure: LEARNER TASK   The teacher (participant) was asked to read a series of word pairs to the learner (confederate), and then read the 1st word of the pair along with the 4 other terms. Learner (confederate) had to indicate which 1 of the 4 terms was originally paired with the 1st word. SHOCK GENERATOR The shock generator perceived to be real – professionally made + model printed. There were 30 switches – labelled from 15 to 450 volts. 15 volt different between each switch.   Labels to describe intensity – from â€Å"slight shock† (weakest) to â€Å"xxx† (strongest). Teachers (ppts) were given a 45 volts shock to convince them that the shocks were real. Teacher was told to give shock for every wrong answer while moving a shock level higher on shock generator. Teacher had to read out the voltage to the learner each time they were about to give a shock.   If the teacher asked for advice/wanted to stop, experimenter used 4 prods. Example: â€Å"please continue†, â€Å"this experiment requires that you continue†. Controls: Standardised deception. Cover story.   Slips of paper drawn (pre-determined teacher).   Learner strapped. Standardised prods used by experimenter. Results: (overall %) 65% of ppts continued to shock until 450 volts. Only 35% stopped before.   22. 5% stopped at 300 volts.   Many showed signed of nervousness and extreme tension.   14 displayed nervous laughter; 3 had uncontrollable seizures. Conclusion: Very high rate of obedience – 65%. Milgram explained this as being so high because it’s a strong part of human society.   Milgram said: â€Å"Many situational factors which lead to high rate of obedience.

Empowered by Manolos, Bound by Cosmos Femininity and Gender Roles in Darren Star’s Sex and the City

Entertainment has long been one of the most accessible forms of communication because it appeals to the sense of pleasure than any other avenue in the information process. Today, in most parts of the world, entertainment has conquered a host of media that may be appropriated by both producers and consumers, with each medium translating specifically to the audience it aims to reach. From print to broadcast, from film to the internet, mass communication has provided ways and means for audiences of any age to claim the kind of entertainment they prefer—thereby creating its niche in the prevailing popular culture in any country or community. Among the forms mentioned, the stellar history of film and the allure of convenient glamour and lifestyle associated with it have catapulted it to the top of the most influential of all media. Considering most people have access to cinema, it is correct to assume that this medium has had its share of voice in achieving social change, advocacy, politics, and empowerment. And, apart from being instrumental in relaying news and other traditional informative content, cinema and its success in entertainment has also become a veritable avenue to communicate these integral issues through visuals, acting, and choice of format. One of the most celebrated productions in recent time is the iconic Sex and the City film, released in 2008 and based on the cult television show of the same title. By showcasing the formerly undesirable concepts of singlehood among females over thirty, professional success, and the unabashed references to sexuality and independence, its creator Darren Starr had stumbled upon a void clearly anticipated by women in these situations—and launched a culture that debunked most traditionalist ideologies and heralded new mindsets of feminism and empowerment. II. Power and the Feminine Approach Feminist inquiry was established to â€Å"offer theories that center women’s experiences and to articulate the relations between the categories of gender and other social categories, including race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality† (Littlejohn 2008, p. 49), and this claim is evident in the purposive nature of SATC. Individually, the characters of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte possess their unique strengths and focus: writer Carrie is the intellectual and introspective; Samantha’s focus is on her sexual nature; lawyer Miranda conveys independence; and Charlotte is depicted as the arguably traditional of the group yet is never relegated to being permanently at the mercy of her goal to find a husband. In other words, these women are all portrayed to be whole and complete on their own, and have already made their decisions on their particular brands of femininity. Once a woman has defined her sense of self, it is easy to understand how power can come logically. Most audiences of SATC find pleasure in the witty musings of Carrie, the stern yet human concerns of Miranda, the extent to which Charlotte would go to get married, and the sexual adventures of Samantha. In the film, though, each has had her own story finally played out, not necessarily in the ways they planned: Miranda is a mother, Samantha is in a committed relationship, and Charlotte is married and has adopted a child. Only Carrie appears to have taken the more expected route of continuing her relationship with Mr. Big, a man who had long been the cause of many of her mishaps. But while each of them has realized their traditional roles as females, their background activities still remain indicative of their career successes. Like in the TV show, the women of the SATC film still engage in their females-only conversations and gatherings, during which they discuss men, relationships, an d sexuality. According to Littlejohn (2008, p. 244), â€Å"women’s groups often are less interested outcomes and traditional group tasks—less interested in doing and more interested in being†, which then justifies the nature of their bond. Among friends, the four women can merely be and not be concerned with what should be; among their colleagues, they are more goal-driven and objective. The conversations the SATC females have within their group are, in reality, material that audiences can live by, and are almost always philosophical or pragmatic enough to communicate new thinking. When Miranda discovered that Steve had a sexual affair with another woman, she immediately reported the incident to her girlfriends—who, in turn, expressed approval at Miranda’s decision to leave Steve. When Carrie announced that she and Mr. Big were getting married, the group actually came up with two opinions—validation from Charlotte, and ambivalence from Samantha. These two examples at once present rational ways to address these common life circumstances, without resorting to the stereotypical reaction of women approving of marriage or staying in one despite significant problems. Apart from that, their nonchalant manner in discussing sexuality signals an unconventional pattern not often shown among women in films and other media, but occurs in women’s discussions in real life. The vulnerability exhibited by at least two of the four characters while engaging with men is more about being human than succumbing to societal pressure; it has more to do with their personalities than a non-negotiable objective to feel adequate with men in their lives. Again, this goes back to the development of each character in the film, being completely defined and expected for women their age. Of course, it would be harder to prove had they been in their twenties, still searching for themselves in New York, like Carrie’s assistant Louise. Modern femininity is definitely confirmed in the events, reactions, and portrayals of the SATC girls: strong and individual, yet completely aware of their identities and priorities. Compared to younger women, the four characters are each shown carrying the same sense of self one her own, or with her friends. Therefore, the issue of power in the film is attached to the evolved characters of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte—they know who they are, including their strengths and weaknesses, and are capable of appropriating such when it comes to men, or any other concern. III. Representing the Thirty-Something Female With the exception of Samantha, who celebrated her fiftieth birthday in the SATC film, the main characters are in their late thirties. In fact, Carrie had probably just turned forty as this was one of the highlights in the film—the suitability of a 40-year-old woman to be photographed in a wedding dress. However, this may be less of an issue compared to the question of the accurate representation of women in this age range. Israel (2002) stated the still-existing stereotype of single women, that they are â€Å"social outcasts†¦ odd women who require constant translation† (p. 46). If this is the present concept of the public regarding single women, then the issue is not in the misrepresentation but in society’s unchanged opinion of female expectations. While the show’s creator had indeed chosen to center on the lives of New York women, possibly to highlight the urban culture and wealth of material related to the area, the demographic shown is not far from the truth. It may not be correct to assume that all thirty-something females live the kind of lives seen in SATC, but he combined factors of location, career opportunities, and culture all figure in the equation. Much of the TV show and the movie itself is focused on the New York life—fashion, music, night life—and the defining characteristics of the location that has made it legendary. Opportunities for career and wealth are often associated with gumption and chutzpah, which are part of the psyche of a typical New Yorker. This is most evident in Miranda’s and Samantha’s stories, whose careers as a lawyer and a public relations expert, respectively, are born out of their being in New York. Even Carrie and her sex column’s credibility have more to do with being in New York, the bastion of all things forward and modern, than by merely being a smart single woman with enough authority about sex. The aberration, more than being the appropriate representation of single women, is Charlotte; her perceived values and preference for tradition appear to be more suited to a less worldly area than Manhattan. Like in the TV series, consumerism and brands form a significant function in the film; Carrie’s display of wedding dresses identified by designer shows the amount of importance given to labels. But the New York premise once again provides the perfect excuse, being the center of fashion and home to most luxury brands. Had Carrie been in a small and not-so-cosmopolitan area would have made this appear pretentious and unreal, but the established facts of New York, her career as a magazine columnist, and her affinity for fashion make the association with designer labels quite expected and normal. Without the penchant for brands and the access afforded by being in New York, the SATC women’s representations of the thirty-something female are not far from accurate. At this age, most women have, or are in the process of establishing their careers, or are obsessing over finding a husband and starting a family—as seen, respectively, in Miranda and Charlotte. Yet they had not neglected the other aspects of themselves that would make them achieve their life goals, such as motherhood, responsibility, and friendship; these are clearly established in the film, but due to the necessity to adhere to a cohesive storyline, these have been placed conveniently as background material. Still, some traditionalists may dismiss the film as a celebration of consumerism, anti-feminism, and overt sexuality—concepts that contradict each other when taken as a whole—but it is only because SATC managed to introduce a new breed of independent females who recognize both their strengths and limitations. The characters are complete and wholly developed, creating personalities so real and defined that the more conservative viewer may find them at once curious and controversial. The female audience comprising the age range portrayed by the SATC women will always find the film liberating, for two possible reasons: because they can identify with the trials and tribulations of the four characters; or because they can only hope to reach the level of individuality and liberation available to these New York women. Of course, the common pleasure derived by women in either situation may be found within the more superficial elements of meeting men per se and fashion—it is still entertainment, after all. But the deeper issues of love, relationship, marriage, friendship, career, life, loss, sadness, joy, and other concepts present in the film are universal constructs that affect women, and men as well. However, if one were to stop at the shallow enjoyment of the aesthetic elements provided by the film—such as designer fashions, swanky homes, and gorgeous men—then the experience would not be maximized, and would most likely box in the film in the category of triviality and shallowness. Also, manipulation would only be the case if the film depicts a world far from real, with unbelievable characters, and an obvious objective to sell its audience to a life impossible to reach. Carrie and her friends represent every single woman, perhaps not in all aspects, but in the mindset and priorities; the issue of singleness at thirty being the key qualifier in the equation. Naturally, their concerns would not be identical to those of a younger or married woman, who would have different realities altogether. An example would be the wildly popular TV show Gossip Girl (2007), which is undoubtedly limited to the lives of the affluent youth and uses a questionable method of communicating reality through visual pleasure and aspiration. IV. The Politics of Gender Roles in SATC The topics chosen for discussion in the regular lunch, coffee, and shopping dates of the four characters vary at all times, with gender-related issues taking a significant portion. The nature of entertainment provides an effective avenue for these concerns, specially with a smartly-written script and a sense of responsibility to communicate the issues properly. In the movie, the women discuss sex in the presence of Charlotte’s daughter Lily, and they use the word â€Å"color† to substitute for â€Å"sex†Ã¢â‚¬â€producing a witty exchange that came off as both enjoyable and informative yet socially acceptable. Marriage, in Carrie’s case, was construed on the outset as a matter of convenience, in order to share an apartment with Mr. Big, but was really a serious issue that had her debating on her reasons for getting married—whether it was out of love or mere practicality. But despite all the carefully-crafted dialogue, the scenes referring to life-changing issues such as Miranda’s separation from Steve and Charlotte’s discovering she is pregnant were treated with utmost subtlety and thought, and would not be out of place in any other traditional text discussing the very same points. What may be left out to some extent is the politics among the characters themselves; since female competition is a powerful theme in most women’s lives (Barash 2006), it is questionable how the four women have almost no semblance of rivalry or contest, at least in the film. This phenomenon is largely common among groups of women, in particular, and SATC had shown almost nothing about competition even if it could have been appropriated in several points in the story. The only allusion to it would be Miranda’s declaration that marriage is not the right choice to make, yet without any reference to her envy of Carrie and Mr. Big. V. Conclusion The entertainment culture introduced by the pioneering SATC text redefined the landscape of feminism, empowerment, and the resulting popular culture that has been embraced by audiences the world over. Through the use of female characters who were instruments to convey individuality and power, the celebration of women as symbols of strength is done with much success. The fact that they discuss issues once considered taboo for media portrayal is already a feat in the world of feminism and empowerment, albeit relatively against the norms of tradition or the approved style of standard feminists. But the goal of entertainment in SATC does not stop with entertainment itself—the reality of the thirty-something single woman is enough reason to make it a pronounced voice in educating society about the capabilities of females beyond the label of marital status.

The male gaze Essay Example

The male gaze Essay Example The male gaze Essay The male gaze Essay John Bergers Ways of Seeing resonates with Picassos Les Demoiselles dAvignon and Rembrandts Bathsheba at her Bath because the male painters view the women as objects and have created highly sexualized images. In contrast, the two female painters Catherine Wiley and Sofonisba Anguissola have depicted women as modest, more realistic and personalized in Summer Day at Newport and in Portrait of Sister Minerva. The phenomenon of the Male Gaze can best be seen by comparing a male view of a women and a females view of a women in paintings. In these four images Picasso and Rembrandt put their own wants and needs in the paintings, whereas Wiley and Anguissola focus more on how a women would like to be viewed with equality and pride. Bathsheba at her Bath by Rembrandt truly shows the male gaze which enables women to be a commodity (What is the male gaze at http://finallyfeminism101. wordpress. com) that men desire. In his painting he depicts a women solely on display for a males pleasure. He does this by using light to highlight her nude body, but he completely obscures the face of the women in darkness. Also, Rembrandt publicly displayed this private act of bathing for the male gaze. This is similar to Scott Russell Sanders discussion of naked women on display in his college dorm room. The women in those pictures like Rembrandts Bathsheba were on display in an artificial way, The paper women seemed to gaze back at me, enticing or mocking, yet even in my adolescent dither I was troubled by the phony stare, for I knew this was no true exchange of looks ( Scott Russell Sanders, Looking At Women, Georgia Review, Spring 1989, page 255 line 15). In Rembrandts painting the female is not looking at the viewer, in fact she is looking away and appears bashful. It is as if she does not want to be seen as an object but she has no control in the male painters creative process. As Rembrandts puts his wants and needs into the his painting, Anguissola views women as more modest and respectful of themselves. In Anguissolas painting of Portrait of Sister Minerva, the women is fully covered and clothed from her neck to her wrists. She focuses on the beauty of a womans face not the curves of a womans body. Anguissola captures the rich essence of the fabrics and colors that the women presents. In Rembrandts painting the woman is wearing an arm band and a necklace which employs a more sexual objective of the womans body, as well as giving her a very erotic feel that emphasizes the focus of her nude body. As for Anguissolas piece uses the Jewelry as an accessory to accent the power and confidence she has for herself. As seen in one of the responses to What is the male Gaze? angrygirl states, I think women have much more power now then ever before. I think not only do we know about the male gaze, but many of us control it and use it to our advantage (What is the male gaze at http://finallyfeminism101. wordpress. com). Anguissola shows that the women knows how the male gaze works and by not giving into the nudity that the male sex wants she simply gives them the opposite in which, they want more. Similarly to Anguissolas painting, Wiley portrays women as elegant and humble. Although you cannot directly see the faces of the two women in Wileys painting of Summer Day at Newport, she uses very soft pastel colors which illustrates these women as proper and very delicate. The brushstrokes of Wileys painting captures the emotional feeling of the womens appearance. It is as if she has put her own strength and feeling into the women she is painting, in which, she wants to evoke their best assets. The image that Wiley is portraying is respectful to the womans body. She dresses the women in conservative day dresses with an umbrella over their heads, inferring that they present themselves as classy and sophisticated. Wiley also shows the two women conversing and being friendly with one another exhibiting them as the mere opposite of how Picasso would. Picasso creates these women as if they would never interact with each other. This exemplifies the mind set of a female artist and a male artist because Wiley simply paints the two women as friends and Picasso does not capture those types of nuances. In Picassos piece Les Demoiselles dAvignon he tries to show his anger towards women. In this painting he presents the five women as if their faces were blocked out, almost as if he does not care how they look. He positions them provocatively with their legs spread wide open and their arms behind their heads with their chest prompted forward, giving the painting the feel that these women are not personalized. They have no individual qualities to them. All of the women are presented in the same way. All which are not real women, they are insignificant faceless objects that really have no purpose but to pleasure men. As Scott Russell Sanders states, It is the nature of the show to reduce the woman, discard her individuality, her soul, make her into an object, thereby enabling the man to handle her with greater safety, to use her as a toy ( Scott Russell Sanders, Looking At Women, Georgia Review, Spring 1989, page 226). In Picassos painting the women are being used as a toy, because he did not give distinct curves and detail to the womans body it allows any man to look at the painting and see whatever shapes they desire. Whereas in Wileys painting of the two women shows exactly what the men can see and nothing more. Picasso also puts these distorted masks on the women, simply portraying that the women are nothing more then an object and should not be viewed for the beauty that they have but for what men make of them. The two male artists and the two female artists both have very different views of women and how they should present themselves to others. Whether it be seductive and sensuous or suave and dainty, both show a very different definition and view about the Male Gaze.