...October 2014 An Analysis of Sweeney Todd and His Mental Collapse The curtain first rose for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on Broadway in 1979 (“Sondheim”). Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics with Hugh Wheeler responsible for the book (“Sondheim”). The musical tells the story of a barber named Benjamin Barker, a man with a beautiful wife and daughter who is banished from London by the lustful Judge Turpin. After 15 long years, he returns to London on a ship with young sailor, Anthony Hope, in the hopes of finding them. The tale goes on to show Sweeney’s mental decline as he struggles to avenge the life stolen from him, his wife’s suicide, and his daughter’s...
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... English 1102-611 13 October 2015 Dream Song 14- John Berryman John Berryman lived a life full of demons. He is viewed as a very cynical, disturbed man who reflected his attitude into his writing. From the beginning of his life he faced emotional distress ranging from family issues, to marriage issues, to substance abuse. A traumatic beginning to his life not only negatively affected him; it also influenced his long and successful career in writing and teaching. Through his hardships, he created one of the most famous compilations of poems in history, The Dream Songs. These poems are littered with fresh and complex styles of writing, including his famous technique of using dialogue and personal revelation. Although he accomplished amazing things in the literary world, won awards and was a major arts figure in the world, he continued to struggle with himself. His never ending despair stemmed from the suicide of his father when he was young, which although very sad, shaped his life and his death to come. The Dream Song series is a modified and published version of his dream analysis treatment during rehab. By analyzing and annotating one of his most famous Dream Songs, Dream Song 14, and studying the major events of his life, it is frighteningly apparent how the effects of paternal suicide, emotional and sex abuse, and alcoholism shaped his life,...
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...Was There Magic at Qumran? Abraham Kahn Amongst the body of Qumran literature there is a small portion of textual material that seems to deal with different aspects of magical practice. These texts have sparked plentiful debate as scholars have attempted to understand the meaning of these texts, their role within the Qumran community, and how the community’s members felt about the texts. One of the key issues at hand for scholars has been trying to understand how the community reconciled its use of these texts that seemingly describe magical properties with verses in Deuteronomy that prohibit several forms of witchcraft and magic. The purpose of this paper will be to offer definitions for the term “magic” in a religious context in order to gain some context for the broader discussion of the paper, to study two Qumran manuscripts that describe practices that have been categorized to some degree as “magic,” to deliberate whether or not the issue raised by scholars is valid, and, if it is, to offer two scholarly theories proposed to explain how the community used these manuscripts in light of the biblical prohibitions based within the context of the Qumran community’s texts, practices and ideology as a whole. Scholars studying religious societies and practices have struggled to define what characterizes “magic” and to highlight what exactly separates religious practice from magical practice. The crude term itself, “magic,” has been assumed, for the most part, to describe practices...
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...sadistic, all too real alter ego “Marshall” played by William Hurt. A pesky, voyeuristic witness “Mr. Smith,” played by Dane Cook catches him in the act of his latest crime. The rush that Mr. Smith felt after seeing Mr. Brooks brutally kill a couple he used to watch and take pictures of while engaging in sexual activities has set him on a path of destruction and he is taking all the wrong steps to get there. Then there’s the detective, “Tracy Atwood,” played by Demi Moore who has been on the case for quite some time without Mr. Brooks knowledge of it adds a few twists and turns to an already terrifying game of cat and mouse. The way the script has been written, is a “moral” one. You have a man, “Mr. Brooks” who is fighting multiple demons. One demon is his addiction to killing people. “Mr. Brooks” claims in the movie that “he doesn’t kill people because he enjoys killing them. He kills them because he’s addicted to it.” The viewer is able to see the conflict is Mr. Brooks struggle. The struggle is that Mr. Brooks is desperately trying to evolve into what he is not. Mr. Brooks repeats the “Serenity Prayer”...
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...Draft: Crash (2004) There are many different critical elements and artistic aspects to examine when analyzing and critiquing any film. In 2004 Paul Haggis wrote and directed the award winning drama Crash about various intertwining experiences involving racial relations and the socioeconomic status levels of the diverse cast of characters. This film addresses how humans being deal with real life circumstances and addresses how racial stereotypes and prejudices impact our society by causing a separation of customs, ignoring human and civil rights, and demonstrating how racism can cause moral, cultural and economical suffering. This detailed essay will address the cinematic elements employed throughout the movie, and provide a critical analysis on the various components and techniques used to create this compelling and powerful film. Crash is a movie that involves several different stories and plots that all manage to somehow connect the characters to each other in a series of events that take place during two days in California. America’s ever-growing melting pot is distinctly represented in the film as the audience is introduced to a black LAPD detective, two black mischievous car thieves, a white district attorney and his prejudice wife, a white racist beat cop and his neophyte partner, a black Hollywood director and his wife, an irate Persian shop owner and his family, and a blue-collar Hispanic man and his young impressionable daughter. The characters unrelated yet intertwining...
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...In my film analysis essay, I want to discuss about the aboriginal “blackfellas” in Australia, and further the masculinity in the company of the “father and son” relationship which are presented in this film. Mad Bastards, a Paramount Pictures film which was filmed in 2010, written and directed by Brendan Fletcher, and starred by Dean Daley-Jones, Lucas Yeeda, and Greg Tait. In addition, Mad Bastards had been nominated for 12 awards, and had won two. Besides, Mad Bastards was an official selection of 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival is an American film festival held annually in Utah, and is the largest independent film festival in the US for American and international independent filmmakers. The festival covers competitive...
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...[pic] |Course Design Guide College of Humanities SOC/105 Version 5 Introduction to Popular American Culture | |Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This is an introductory course on modern American culture. The course focuses on the interactions between social forces such as advertising, media, and lifestyle and cultural trends in modern American society. Students are asked to cast a critical eye on current trends and changes in our culture. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Petracca, M., & Sorapure, M. (2007). Common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Overview of Culture ...
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...Derrick Lee Introduction to Film 11/16/2013 Saturday A.M Raging Bull Film Analysis My reaction to the film Raging Bull was a positive one. The film displayed a troubled fighter looking to escape his personal reality by fighting in a boxing ring. Martin Scorcese directed the film it was to be his Swan song from movie making. Robert Deniro starred as Jake Lamotta a troubled individual who didn’t feel comfortable in real life situation but once he enter the ring it became his world. Joe Pesci costarred in the movie as his brother/trainer this was Pesci first big break as a film actor he had done mostly minor films prior to the making of the film. The movie takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride through Jakes life from a wannabe fighter into one of most fierce men to enter the ring. The film also showed his insecurities out of the ring with the women in his life. He was very insecure in relationship from males and females mostly from the women in his life he didn’t trust them at all. He met and married his second wife while she was just a teen which added more fuel to the fire of an already insecure man. His decisions out of the ring made him a very volatile inside of the ring he threw a fight on purpose just to get a shot at a title. His decision to throw the fight almost cost him his career because it was so obvious to the spectators the boxing commission had to suspend him. Jake also had several memorable...
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...The Kora and originated in Africa and is most commonly classified as an harp-lute. As the Kora is discussed, there will be an exploration of the structure and typology, specifically in regards to its musical classification. As the discussion and exploration continues the cultural context in which the Kora is played will be investigated as well has also identifying and analyzing a context in which the Kora is played in a non-traditional setting. Firstly, before we can understand the culture surrounding the Kora and the differing cultural aspects of when it is played, there must be an exploration into the understanding of the structure, typology and history. The Kora is reported to have originated in the Guinea-Bissau area, however many people recognise the Kora from the many famous players of the Kora (from the Malo region) and therefore associate its origin to the Malo area. The Kora has been modified since its first creation, the most common Kora known is known for its 21 strings. Other modifications include the 18 stringed versions. However the original Kora was probably an adaptation of another existing harp (Oxford University Press 2007-2014). The kora was probably created by adding strings to an existing Mande harp, of which there are several with three to eight strings. Known as spike harps, these are a type unique to West Africa . The curved neck (a feature shared with other arched harps of the world) spikes the body as on the kora, and a string carrier stands upright...
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...“The Red Pony” by John Steinbeck – Critical Analysis John Steinbeck an American writer was born in the year 1902 and died in the year 1968.During his time, Steinbeck was one of the most accomplished writers and his literary works received massive popularity. Most of his novels and short stories were performed as plays on stage and that is one reason why he was among the best sellers during his era. One of his great accomplishments for his involvement in literature was the Literature Nobel Prize he won in 1962. Steinbeck wrote a total of twenty seven books and some of his most common books include; “The grapes of Wrath” written in 1939, the 1952 “East of Eden, The 1937 short novel “Mice and men” (John, pg 23). John Steinbeck spent much of his early life in a rural part of America and worked on various ranches with migrants ‘on spreckler ranch and other nearby ranches during his summers. He attended Salinas high school and later joined Stanford University, although he never graduated. He did various odd jobs before beginning his career as a writer. Steinbeck wrote his first novel Cup of Gold which was published in 1929.Other books he wrote were; the pastures of heaven (1932), The Red Pony (1933), Tortilla Flat (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and many others. During his career, Stein beck was involved in various issues and correspondence. Most of his literary works revolved around his life as well as the issues that affected people then (John, pg 56). One of the issues he wrote...
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...Thinking for Themselves – Anthony D’Amelio Q8 The intellectual virtue of bravery can be defined as having the ability to think for yourself and not conform to the herd’s average way of thinking. This bravery allows a person to confront ideas and beliefs that are considered to be taboo or dangerous. Having intellectual bravery enables us to determine things for ourselves, and not just accept what we have been told. The consequences for straying beyond society’s accepted viewpoints and beliefs can be very severe. Professor Timothy Leary is a person who in the 1960’s displayed intellectual bravery while telling the rest of the world to “think for yourself, and question authority”(How to Operate Your Brain). President Nixon even called him “the most dangerous man in America”. Timothy Leary is largely famous for his sacramental use of LSD. However, Leary would first conduct experiments at Harvard University[->0] under the Harvard Psilocybin Project[->1] before being fired because of the controversy surrounding his research. Despite the negative reaction by mainstream America, Leary continued to pursue his research and experimentation with psycho- active compounds, writing several books including Exo-Psychology in 1977. Leary says “Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political...
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...Plot Overview A ghost resembling the recently deceased King of Denmark stalks the ramparts of Elsinore, the royal castle. Terrified guardsmen convince a skeptical nobleman, Horatio, to watch with them. When he sees the ghost, he decides they should tell Hamlet, the dead King's son. Hamlet is also the nephew of the present King, Claudius, who not only assumed his dead brother's crown but also married his widow, Gertrude. Claudius seems an able King, easily handling the threat of the Norwegian Prince Fortinbras. But Hamlet is furious about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. Hamlet meets the ghost, which claims to be the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius. Hamlet quickly accepts the ghost's command to seek revenge. Yet Hamlet is uncertain if what the ghost said is true. He delays his revenge and begins to act half-mad, contemplate suicide, and becomes furious at all women. The Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, concludes that Hamlet's behavior comes from lovesickness for Ophelia, Polonius's daughter. Claudius and Gertrude summon two of Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out what's wrong with him. As Polonius develops a plot to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet develops a plot of his own: to have a recently arrived troupe of actors put on a play that resembles Claudius's alleged murder of Old Hamlet, and watch Claudius's reaction. Polonius and Claudius spy on the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet, during which Hamlet flies into a rage against...
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...including religious hypocrisy, morality, social classes and gender inequality.[3][4] The English poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti referred to it as "A fiend of a book – an incredible monster ... The action is laid in hell, – only it seems places and people have English names there."[5] In the second half of the 19th century, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was considered the best of the Brontë sisters' works, but following later re-evaluation, critics began to argue that Wuthering Heights was superior.[6] The book has inspired adaptations, including film, radio and television dramatisations, a musical by Bernard J. Taylor, a ballet, operas (by Bernard Herrmann, Carlisle Floyd, and Frédéric Chaslin), a role-playing game,[7] and a 1978 song by Kate Bush. Wuthering Heights Title page of the first edition Author Emily Brontë Country United Kingdom Language English Genre Gothic novel Publisher Thomas Cautley Newby...
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...Buddha and Christ Similarities and Contrasts A number of recent books have proposed the idea that Buddha and Christ are brothers in spirit. Close to the end of Living Buddha, Living Christ, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh asserted, "When you are a truly happy Christian, you are also a Buddhist. And vice versa." In his controversial book, Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, New Testament scholar Marcus J. Borg asserted that both religious founders espoused a "world-subverting wisdom that undermined and challenged conventional ways of seeing and being in their time and in every time." Borg claims that both were teachers of wisdom, not only regarding "moral behavior, but about the 'center,' the place from which moral perception and moral behavior flow." Both, according to Borg, "were teachers of the way less traveled. 'Way' or 'path' imagery is central to both bodies of teaching." In their article, "Are Jesus and Buddha Brothers?", by Carl E. Olson and Anthony E. Clark (This Rock, Volume 16, Number 5, May-June 2005), the authors note that Jesuit Father Robert E. Kennedy . . . holds Zen retreats at Morning Star Zendo in Jersey City. Further, "the St. Francis Chapel at Santa Clara University hosts the weekly practice of 'mindfulness and Zen meditation.' Indeed, the number of Buddhist retreats and workshops being held at Catholic monasteries and parishes is growing." The article also mentions additional books espousing this viewpoint: * Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit ...
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...Religion and Hip Hop Culture Religious Studies 157/311 Fall 2013 Tuesday & Thursday 10:50am-12:05pm Location: Duncan Lecture Hall 1055 * Important: Pay attention to the requirements listed for each of the course levels. The requirements for 311 level students are in italics (this includes extra readings). Also, NO Photos are to be taken. Cameras and cell phones must be stowed away during class. Instructors: Anthony B. Pinn Bernard “Bun B” Freeman Email: pinn@rice.edu Email: Bernard.j.freeman@rice.edu Office: Humanities 234 Office Phone: 713.348.2710 Office Hours: By Appointment Course Outreach Advisor: Anzel Jennings Teaching Assistants: Office: Humanities 215 or Pavilion (ask your TA for the location) 157 Level: * Jessica Davenport, jbd3@rice.edu, Office hours: Fridays, 9:00am-12:00pm * David Kline, david.a.kline@rice.edu, Office hours: Wednesdays, 1:00pm-4:00pm * Cleve Tinsley, cvt1@rice.edu, Office hours: Fridays, 9:00am-12:00pm * Aundrea Matthews, alm2@rice.edu, Office hours: Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm 311 Level: * Jonathan Chism, chism@rice.edu, Office hours: Thursdays, 1:00pm-4:00pm * Darrius Hills, darrius.d.hills@rice.edu, Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00pm-4:00pm * Jason Jeffries, joj1@rice.edu, Office Hours: Wednesdays, 9:00pm-12:00pm Course Description: Understanding religion as the “Quest for Complex Subjectivity” or more simply the effort to make life meaningful in complex...
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