Friday, January 24, 2020

Manliness, Hostility, and Aggression in A View From the Bridge Essay

Manliness, Hostility, and Aggression in A View From the Bridge Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’ represents the ideas of manliness and how the perception of certain individuals (Eddie) affects the lives of their fellow friends and family. The play is based around the views of the play’s protagonist, Eddie. His analysis of the male personality leads to conflict when other males, in this case Rodolpho, do not conform to his ideas of manliness. Hostility, aggression and masculinity are the main themes which influence the mood of the play and the way they are associated with each other allow an increase in tension in the minds of the reader. Eddie is the play’s main character who has very distinct views on what a man should be like. He feels it is necessary for a man to be aggressive and to use violence in order to state his authority and power. This is evident when he asks Catherine â€Å"What’s the high heels for, Garbo?† Eddie asks this in a very sarcastic manor, however, he is fully aware that he wants things his own way. Eddie also considers bravery and the reputation of the male to be vital in a man’s personality. This is shown by the way he battles Marco nearer the end of the play, not to make friends but to restore his reputation. The language in which Arthur Miller employs when Eddie is speaking tends to be fairly provocative for the person he is addressing, particularly with the way he has primarily been shown to ask or talk to other people in a challenging manner. This is evident when Eddie refers to Rodolpho as â€Å"fruit†; â€Å"aint right† and â€Å"no good†. These quotes show no manners what so ever and portray a very negative approach indicating confrontation to the reader. However the quote â€Å"sees the... ...is carefree personality shows us how life should be lived. Arthur Miller’s views on masculinity are introduced into the character of Alfieri, through this character he reveals how he feels â€Å"it is better to settle for half.† This means settling for what is available to you having worked out a compromise. With his perception on manliness he includes Eddie, Marco and Rodolpho. These three characters portray Miller’s views on masculinity on three different levels, showing that Marco being in between Eddie and Rodolpho is the real man as he enforces violence when need be and also being in touch with his feminine side shown by his family values. Miller has Eddie killed by Marco at the end; this is a metaphor and a sign of the real man winning in his eyes and believes that living the life of Eddie will not allow you to achieve everything you ever want in life.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Frankenstein and Interview with the Vampire Essay

The gothic horror genre attempts to make the reader/viewer feel a sense of dread, fear, terror, disgust or horror. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and ‘Interview with the vampire’ by Neil Jordan both explore the elements which compliment the Gothic Horror Genre. Major elements that are constant throughout the two texts are the constant search for knowledge which can be dangerous if in the wrong hands which can lead to supernatural or inexplicable events, omens or visions occurring, Humanity and the continuous quest to find what it means to be human touching on the idea of life after death, Isolation and the want for companionship, the responsibility of actions and the consequences, wanderers and the idea that women are often shown to be in distress. In the novel ‘Frankenstein’, Victor Frankenstein’s obsession to know more and more about life, how it is created and others who have quested to do the same such as the Ancient Mariner have eventually lead him to the creation of the his own human which was a supernatural event. In this case has also created a disaster due to the constant search for knowledge turning Frankenstein insane and dangerous. After creating the creation Victor saw it as a mistake. ‘I had finished, the beauty of my dream vanished breathless horror and disgust filled my heart’. Later in the book Victor preaches to Walton ‘You search for knowledge as I once did†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ I hope it does not sting you as it once did me’ Shelley used Emotional Language to express Frankenstein’s horror and disgust in what he has done and creates a sense of forgiveness and pity for Frankenstein. ‘Interview with the Vampire’ a film, demonstrates the same concept of the constant search for knowledge, which leads to a downfall. Louis has always longed to leave his life, as he was never satisfied with the life he was living and has always been curious about vampires and life after death. I longed to be released from it. I wanted to lose it all†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ My invitation was open to anyone†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘†¦ But it was the vampire that accepted’. This quote shows Louis relentless longing to leave the life he currently is in. This curiousness for answers to life and the unknown leads Louis to the ch oice to become a vampire. Louis accepts not realising that becoming a new person/vampire does not erase the feelings of a human only makes them worse because he is now locked in a life of evil with no way out. Hubris is a technique that Jordan uses to show Louis fatal flaw of searching for something new to end his current life, by becoming a vampire Louis for fills this temporarily but eventually finds there is no way out and is worse off that before. This gives the reader pity and sorrow towards Louis. Both composers have explored the theme of Humanity and the continuous quest to find out what it means to be human, touching on the idea of life after death. In ‘Frankenstein’ Victor is faced with the decision to free Justine from death. In order to do this he must confess that the creature he created in actual fact was the murderer of poor little William and risk his dignity and pride throughout the town ‘†¦horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar’ or remain a trusted and honoured member of the community and let an innocent human die for his own dignity. This question that he was forced to ask him self is also another way to ask the question of ‘what it means to be human? ’. Victor chooses to keep this valuable information to himself and lets Justine die.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Indonesia - Geography, History, and More

Indonesia is the worlds largest archipelago with 13,677 islands (6,000 of which are inhabited). Indonesia has a long history of political and economic instability and has only recently begun to grow more secure in those areas. Today, Indonesia is a growing tourist hotspot because of its tropical landscape in places such as Bali. Fast Facts: Indonesia Official Name: Republic of IndonesiaCapital: JakartaPopulation: 262,787,403Â  (2018)Official Language: Bahasa Indonesia (official modified form of Malay)Currency: Indonesian rupiah (IDR)Form of Government: Presidential republicClimate: Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlandsTotal Area: 735,358 square miles (1,904,569 square kilometers)Highest Point: Puncak Jaya at 16,024 feet (4,884 meters)Lowest Point: Indian Ocean at 0 feet (0 meters) History Indonesia has a long history that began with organized civilizations on the islands of Java and Sumatra. A Buddhist kingdom called Srivijaya grew on Sumatra from the seventh to the 14th century, and at its peak, it spread from West Java to the Malay Peninsula. By the 14th century, eastern Java saw the rise of the Hindu Kingdom Majapahit. Majapahits chief minister from 1331 to 1364, Gadjah Mada, was able to gain control of much of what is present-day Indonesia. However, Islam arrived in Indonesia in the 12th century, and by the end of the 16th century, it replaced Hinduism as the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra. In the early 1600s, the Dutch began growing large settlements on Indonesias islands. By 1602, they were in control of much of the country (except East Timor, which belonged to Portugal). The Dutch then ruled Indonesia for 300 years as the Netherlands East Indies. By the early 20th century, Indonesia began a movement for independence which grew particularly large between World Wars I and II. Japan occupied Indonesia during WWII; following Japans surrender to the Allies, a small group of Indonesians proclaimed independence for Indonesia. On August 17, 1945, this group established the Republic of Indonesia. In 1949, the new Republic of Indonesia adopted a constitution that established a parliamentary system of government. It was unsuccessful, though, because the executive branch of Indonesias government was to be chosen by parliament itself, which was divided among various political parties. Indonesia struggled to govern itself in the years following its independence, and there were several unsuccessful rebellions beginning in 1958. In 1959, President Soekarno re-established a provisional constitution that had been written in 1945 to provide broad presidential powers and take power from the parliament. This act led to an authoritarian government termed Guided Democracy from 1959 to 1965.In the late 1960s, President Soekarno transferred his political power to General Suharto, who eventually became Indonesias president in 1967. The new President Suharto established what he called the New Order to rehabilitate Indonesias economy. President Suharto controlled the country until he resigned in 1998 after years of continued civil unrest. Indonesias third president, President Habibie, then took power in 1999 and began rehabilitating Indonesias economy and restructuring the government. Since then, Indonesia has held several successful elections, its economy is growing, and the country is becoming more stable. Government of Indonesia Indonesia is a republic with a single legislative body that is made up of the House of Representatives. The House is split into an upper body, called the Peoples Consultative Assembly, and lower bodies called the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat and the House of Regional Representatives. The executive branch is comprised of the chief of state and the head of government, both of which are filled by the president.Indonesia is divided into 30 provinces, two special regions, and one special capital city. Economics and Land Use in Indonesia Indonesias economy is centered on agriculture and industry. The main agricultural products of Indonesia are rice, cassava, peanuts, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra, poultry, beef, pork, and eggs. Indonesias largest industrial products include petroleum and natural gas, plywood, rubber, textiles, and cement. Tourism is also a growing sector of Indonesias economy. Geography and Climate of Indonesia The topography of Indonesias islands varies, but it consists mainly of coastal lowlands. Some of Indonesias larger islands (Sumatra and Java for example) have large interior mountains. Because the 13,677 islands that make up Indonesia are located on the two continental shelves, many of these mountains are volcanic, and there are several crater lakes on the islands. Java alone has 50 active volcanoes.Because of its location, natural disasters—especially earthquakes—are common in Indonesia. On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 to 9.3 magnitude earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean, which triggered a large tsunami that devastated many Indonesian islands. Indonesias climate is tropical with hot and humid weather in lower elevations. In the highlands of Indonesias islands, temperatures are more moderate. Indonesia also has a wet season that lasts from December to March. Indonesia Facts Indonesia is the worlds fourth most populous country (behind China, India, and the United States).Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim country.Life expectancy in Indonesia is 69.6 years.Bahasa Indonesia is the countrys official language but English, Dutch, and other native languages are spoken as well. Sources Central Intelligence Agency. CIA - The World Factbook --Indonesia.Infoplease. Indonesia: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. Indonesia.