Moulin Rouge and the Disneyfication of the Avant Garde :: Movie Film Essays

Moulin Rouge and the Disneyfication of the Avant Garde At best Moulin Rouge is a lot of fun. At worst it represents the erasure of history. Moulin Rouge is set in the Paris of 1900--at least ostensibly it is. The actual Paris of 1900 is the Paris of Satie, the Paris of Ravel, of Debussy. The actual Paris of 1900 is the Paris of Matisse, and at least for part of the year, the Paris of Picasso. This is very fertile ground for a love story, a musical, anything, really. Puccini found it good enough for La boheme, after all. What we get in Moulin Rouge, though, is a Paris of 1900 filtered through the myopia of late 20th Century pop culture, especially pop music. We get an anachronistic melange of Madonna and Elton John, of Nirvana and Olivia Newton John. In other words, it isn’t the Paris of 1900. It isn’t even close. Granted, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec shows up as a supporting character and there is, in the film, a nightclub called Moulin Rouge from which the film cribs its title. But other than that, and the ubiquitous absinthe, there’s not much Parisy about Moulin Rouge the movie, much less Paris, 1900. The character of Toulouse-Lautrec speaks vaguely of the â€Å"Bohemian Revolution† but only long enough for the film to make fun of it, and never in enough detail for either a credible manifesto or a credible satire. And, of course, it has to be advocated by Toulouse-Lautrec because Hollywood still thinks dwarves are funny, especially dwarves with lisps. So why does so little of the real Paris of 1900 appear in this film? I have my suspicions that to use, say the music of Erik Satie, would have been too â€Å"challenging† for contemporary audiences. It may have been deemed out of the target demographic of the film, probably â€Å"indie† movie buffs in the 19-30 range whose introduction to the avant-garde was Trainspotting. A movie about a writer in Paris that actually dealt with other writers who were really there, other artists who didn’t have the luck to be born lisping dwarves, would never have been made. I mean, who would go to see it? Old people? The problem, of course, with always making things people can â€Å"relate† to, is that in constantly recycling what we know, we fail to ever learn or be challenged by anything new, even if that thing, new to our experience, is past history.

Hellish nature of life :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life is all based around heaven or hell, which is also what is good and bad. But why do we think there is a Heaven or Hell? Because one person came down and proclaimed to be a person with healing powers. There are thousands of people nowadays. If Jesus were here today we would think he was a twisted old poor man just like the rest of them. But people want something to believe in, something better after this life has ended. That’s why people were so easily trusting in Jesus. People followed him and he did miracles that further brought them in. Soon it was close to a cult just like today. People are very trusting and will do anything for a better afterlife. Then there is the Hell situation. If there is going to be wonderful afterlife for all who do good well there better be one for all who do bad. That is the incentive they try to put on you to do good. So now you have two choices. To do good and go to heaven or be so called bad and rot in hell for eternity, which one would you do and you were brought up from a child to believe in god and do the good that Jesus has taught us? For as long as the thought of hell has been around people have speculated how hell really is. I don’t think hell is like the book described it. I think the souls that were rejected from heaven are sent to a place to pay for their judgments in life. But truthfully I do not know or even want to speculate what hell is like. No one does and I hope I’m not one of them to find out. Mr. Van Hoose I do believe in God and heaven and hell, but I do think some people get to worked up.

Shakespeares Hamlet - Comparing Ophelia and Gertrude :: comparison compare contrast essays

Hamlet: Ophelia and Gertrude   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ophelia and Gertrude. Two different women who seem to be trapped in the same circumstances in relation to Hamlet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and the Queen of Denmark. She is married to the present King, Claudius, who is suspected by Hamlet to have killed his father, King Hamlet, who also happens to be Claudius's brother. Gerturde has somehow ended up in the plot of King Hamlet's death and in the eyes of her son, seems to be a monster and an aide to an adulterating deed.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius who is the King's trusted councilor and is later killed in the play and he forbids his daughter to see Hamlet because of the possibility that he beseech her name and her virginity. She truly loves Hamlet and is devastated when he shuns her and pretends to be mad.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet's treatment towards these two women shapes and brings life to their characters and eventually bring s an end to their characters as well.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gertrude is a kind and loving mother. The kind that guards after her son through thick and through thin and loves unconditionally. Hamlet had suspected her of aiding in the killing of King Hamlet. That will be discussed later.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Her character is the one character in the play that I believe does not develop but rather stays identical to the scene in which she is introduced(Act I, scene II). She is shown to be a quiet, "stand by your man" type individual who is easily influenced.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is my belief because in the second scene of the play, Hamlet is shown to be crushed by his mother's hasty remarriage. If marriage within the family was common in the days of Shakespeare, then this is understandable, but, in any other case, this would be considered an act of betrayal that was obviously brought on by some outside pressure, probably from Claudius.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is, however, a slight change in her personality that is not quite noticeable. At the end of the play, the King and Laertes(Polonius's son) have plotted to kill Hamlet for reasons that are irrelevant to my point. One part of the plot was to have Hamlet drink out of a poisoned cup. It so happens that, in some confusion, the Queen ends up with the cup in her hand. Even after the King's warnings not to drink from the cup(she is unaware of the plot), she does. She does in complete defiance of her husband's wishes. I have interpreted this in this way because of the line the Queen speaks before she drinks from the cup.

Installation Art and Architecture Essay

Architecture has produced works that was revered, respected and something that captured the awe of the people for years. It was the source of something beautiful and even artistic. It was because of architecture that the likes of the Parthenon, as well as the other majestic palaces and cathedrals and other structures – things that people have considered as artistic and beautiful – was created and later enthroned in the annals of what is beautiful and what is artistic. Architecture has endured for years, but the growth of the practice of architecture also made it possible for the creation of other disciplines from which what is beautiful and artistic would be derived from. One of the things that were always placed side by side with architecture today, when it comes to the consideration of art and beauty inside space and location, is installation art. Over the years, installation art has become widespread and gained popularity. But the spread of installation art has one serious repercussion – its act of intrusion in the realm of architecture, an act of intrusion that is not harmoniously creative but is sometimes destructive too. There maybe instances wherein the collaboration and fusion of architecture and installation art can produce something that exudes harmonized beauty and reflect certain artistic values and content. What captures the attention of professionals is how installation art appears to be more inclined in attacking the space and the features of architecture, either as part of its overall artistic outlook or just because this is a necessary characteristic for installation art to fully manifest itself. This has been an important point of argument since installation art has emerged. There are those who believe that the two disciplines exist in harmony together while there are those who believe otherwise. Because of this, the paper will try to discuss and analyse what the relationship is between installation art and architecture, how art invades architectural space, when and how art and architecture intersect and what will be the result of the collaboration of art and architecture. The Evolution of Installation Art Installation art, as the name implies, is all about a work of art that was installed in a particular place. It maybe a simple object or a collection of objects, that occupies very little space. It can be something – a sight or visual cue that can make the audience feel as if they were transformed in another place because of the broadness of the reach, physically, of the installation art that a whole new environment was created because of installation art. There are many different components that may make up a work of art considered as installation art (since anything that can be installed in a place can be a part of installation art). From video presentations to exhibited photographs, sculpture and other artworks, these all contribute to make installation art what it is and to help installation art achieve its goal, and that is to transform a particular place in such a way that what was achieved was the experience and sensory cues that the artist(s) wanted or anticipated in the creation of installation art. Installation art, like any other art styles, genres and movements have beginnings in different countries and many places around the world proved amenable to the growth, patronage and continued development of installation art (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). Considered as a genre or art movement that is still under the contemporary art era, installation art was felt as early as the seventies. A very good example of some of the earliest installation art include the latrine turned fountain by Marcel Duchamp entitled â€Å"Fountain†, a work of art that was controversial and sensational largely because of what it presented and the social taboos and conventions that it challenged during its release. Joining Duchamp as some of the earliest proponents of installation art includes Kurt Schwitters, as well as the Gutai group, an art group that was situated outside of the US and in Japan, and the American Allan Kaprow. These individuals are just some of the prominent individuals in installation art – browsing intensively through the history of installation art. Research would reveal several other individuals who participated in the establishment and growth of installation art around the world (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). Kaprow was considered as one of the artists who helped guide the idea of installation art towards what it is today. He has postulated many different ideas that concretized the concept of installation art since its early years. Kaprow’s idea about environmental art contributed towards the development of installation art as how it is known today. By the start of the last two decades of the 20th century, installation art was already known in many parts of the world, including European countries (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). â€Å"The term installation art has been in common use since at least the mid-1980s and ‘installations’ have become familiar sights in British museums and galleries in the 1990s (Childs, Storry, p273). † Besides Kaprow, there is also the famous installation art pioneer, Ilya Kabakov, who was also instrumental in developing installation art. Together with Kaprow, Kabarov helped in bringing installation art closer to the people, as well as to the artists by using the academe and including installation art in what they teach in school so that students will understand installation art better and maybe even contribute to installation art in the future (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"Two of the key coiners of installation art are Allan Kaprow and Ilya Kabakov. Both artists not only made art installation but they also introduced the practice into academia (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). † Kabakov and Kaprow and their role in the introduction of installation art in the consciousness of art students learning in the academe is instrumental in the growth of installation art, which , in one way brought installation art and architecture closer together. The idea behind the creation of the discipline that would be known as installation art lies on the belief of the artists that there are other ways that can be explored. The viewing experience of the people who are trying to appreciate art is something that the audience can experience, detect and maximize (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). The physical attributes of the place contributes in making the artistic exhibition what it was, therefore, bringing the artworks and the experience closer to the people and helping them identify with their selves better while being immersed in the art they are witnessing in installation art exhibits. â€Å"Installation art attempts to reduce the boundaries between the viewer and the viewed and bring the artists’ ideas to a situation where they can be communicated more directly (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † From lifting from available materials, installation art experienced an important change when television and video recording was introduced. It allowed the artists more diversity in their works and allowed more ways and means for the artwork to be presented to the public. Because of this new technology, installation art was able to add a new dimension to itself. Today, video has been an integral part of installation art anywhere in the world. Artists, like Martin Firrell and Jenny Holzer, are some of the installation art specialists who are known to use the technologies, videos and digital presentation. Over time, the support for installation art, its ideas and the discipline, grew. Many entities like the Museum of Installation located in London, as well as the Mattress Factory in the United States, sounded their support for the growth of installation art as a separate and independent movement in the world of art. This is concretized by the growth of the artists immersed in this style. There are many installation art works to come out of England. One example is the work entitled Neon Rice Fields exhibited in 1993 by an artist from Vietnam who was already based in Great Britain named Vong Phaophanit (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). This also signifies the relevance of the countries, too, that supported installation art. For example, the British prides itself with several artists, some of them are not even born in that country. However, because of the artistic atmosphere in the country, even foreign born artists are now based there because of how the country creates a local artistic community that is amenable for the art and the artists. Part of the development and evolution of installation art is the introduction of this particular art form in the academe. By being introduced to the academic world and being studied and used by professionals, it was a way of awarding installation art a sense of legitimacy in the art world, like giving it its rightful place in the world of art. And an important point in the discussion of the intersection of installation art and architecture can be seen in the discussion of installation art in the academe, although historians are not quite sure when this began (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"It is difficult to trace the exact history and point of departure for using installations in architectural education (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å" Some observers believed that when installation art was introduced in the academe, it was placed inside the educational system for learning architecture, placing installation art as a part and not something greater than architecture. Notably, installation art was greatly embraced in the realm of architecture, even in the academic realm. â€Å"Installation practice in architecture schools is growing both in undergraduate and diploma studies as well as postgraduate research (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p, 117). † Role of Installation Art Installation art is here because of a particular reason; one of the reasons is the role which artists believe installation art has. Often, it is the role of message-sending, addressing issues that can be as broad as socio-political issues or even personal issues; the focus is on the individual and the realization of the individual/audience after being exposed to the installation art (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"Some practice installation as urban interventions to question cultural or socio-political issues (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). † Here is an example. If you would one day happen to see a sculpture of an image of a polar bear sitting under a very small pack of ice placed on the sidewalk, placed there by the artist, it may mean that the artist is trying to send a socio-cultural message that is environmental in nature (i. e. tackling the issue of global warming and how the work of art represents the effects and changes that will happen to the planet if global warming remains unchecked and unresolved, and that would include the loss of natural habitats of animals in the polar regions and the displacement of animals inside locales they are not known to thrive in the first place). Another good example is the work of British artist Michael Landy. Landy became more popular after his Breakdown installation art which he held at the C&A building located in London. He protested about consumerism through his art – composed of installation and performance art that saw Landy bringing in his possessions on sight and burning it in front of the audience (Walford, 2001). Installation Art: Rise and Recognition The emergence of installation art as a specific discipline in the world of art has gained notable rise and earned the recognition of the authorities in the field of art. Today, there are many reputable organizations, as well as award giving bodies, that acknowledge installation art and their significance. For example, â€Å"the Turner Prize shortlists have increasingly included such work (installation art) by British or British-based artists including Vong Phaophanit, Douglas Gordon and Rachel Whiteread (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). † These award giving bodies and the recognition that they give to installation art and the artists of installation art, helped cement the place of installation art. It also helped the artists in the local and international community, contributing to the growth of installation art. This is important in the rise and recognition of installation art. How Installation Art Invades Architectural Space Architecture thrived because there were available spaces that were transformed through the use of construction and the implementation of design and creation policies and concepts exclusive to architecture. Because of that, architecture cannot be considered as creating physical outputs that are intrusive towards existing objects that occupied space to where they would encroach. Architecture did not encroach because the buildings were made atop a land previously featureless. If there were any buildings before architectural efforts were made, it was considered as an act of improvement for the previously placed structure, which is made by architecture. Regardless of how old the type of architecture would be, still, it is architecture. The case is different with installation art because installation art places itself inside the design of architecture – designs which did not accommodate such features, and sometimes, will not accommodate such features. And when this happens, installation art invades architectural space. For example, public parks where installation arts are in place can be considered as an act of destroying the concept of what is beautiful. This is because an alien thing was added to the park, a feature that was not planned to be there in the first place, ergo giving the people the chance to redefine what a beautiful park is– was it the one with the installation art or the one without it? Even if installation artists argue that installation art has aesthetic value, design is not a simple mathematics of putting one beautiful thing inside another beautiful thing and the automatic result is a beautiful and artistic thing. Sometimes, the combination of two separate, beautiful and artistic things may not be a harmonious endeavour. The characteristic of one of the two will be affected by how the other will minimize, alter or damage the original state of the half of the two, making the union sometimes just beneficial to one and disastrous to the other. Installation Art, Architecture and Purpose An important aspect in the analysis of architecture and installation art and the times the two are intersecting each other and invading each other’s space is hinged on purpose – the purpose of the artist and the purpose of the person who allowed the creation of the installation art or architecture (or both), which is usually the artist’s financier or benefactor. What is the purpose of the installation art and what is the purpose of architecture? This will take a long discussion starting with the origins of the two. Architecture was primarily created so that the creation of a functional structure (both permanent and temporary) can also feature aesthetics at the same time. However, the creation places more importance to functionality and usability than beauty and aesthetics. Installation art, on the other hand, is hinged strongly on artistic background. The focus of installation art is art itself and not functionality. Therefore, when the two collide in a single space, there is a fight between which should prevail in the space – is it architecture and its functionality or installation art and it’s more artistic and aesthetic purpose? For those who give installation art a space, their main reason is its humanistic impact on the viewer – art appreciation, and even detoxification from stress through the beauty in art. An ideal example is Spaceplace created by Maurice Agis and Peter Jones, which was created for its non-functional purpose and yet the artists believe that there is an important role of the installation art nonetheless. This is found in how the artwork impacts the audience, particularly in the personal level depending on how the artwork affects the audience/viewer (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). They are the first to admit that Spaceplace is more aesthetic than traditional functional; critics and observers believed that such was the case (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). â€Å"The aim of Spaceplace was to create a new environment based on aesthetically controlled considerations rather than conventional functional issues (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † This is a clear differentiation of installation art and architecture. Spaceplace was purely installation art. The sole functionality of this is to affect the audience/people and not to be something that should be used in a manner that architectural works are utilized for their functionality. It may not be functional based on what â€Å"functional† is often understood (i. e. something that has practical use or something that is useful) but its effect on the audience/people is nonetheless important. Spaceplace is â€Å"an installation that explored the relationship between simple rectangular forms in order to create abstract non-functional spaces that were†¦ related to the human body. The work was an attempt by the artists to provide a foil to the chaotic spaces of everyday human activity (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † The artists added that the other purpose of this particular installation art is to have the audience’s sensory activity stimulated in a positive way (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). Often, architecture and installation art does not cross each other’s path. The invasion of the space allotted for the two are often separate, especially when there are spaces that are allotted for art works and there are spaces allotted for strictly architectural endeavors and works. For one, practical and functional creations are often delegated to architectural works; while installation art is often given space only inside art galleries which allots space for art forms like installation art and not to architecture. Take for example, Maurice Agis’s Spaceplace – it is an installation art that required the use of a large space. The art gallery gave them this space, therefore, making it unnecessary for the installation art to invade architectural spaces because they have their own space wherein they can showcase themselves. â€Å"The installation therefore relied totally on the provision of a separate shelter environment in the form of gallery space (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † But this situation was actually met with negativity especially by the artists because the artists like Agis himself believes that confining the installation art in gallery spaces actually pushes the artworks farther from the public and the public experience, which was the main goal of the installation art in the first place.

Islamic Philosophy Essay

* Ibn Sina – â€Å"Philosophy is the exercise of intellect, enabling man to know Being as it is in itself. It is incumbent upon man to do this by the exercise of his intellect, so that he may ennoble his soul and make it perfect, and may become a rational scientist, and get the capacity of eternal bliss in hereafter. † * It is not necessarily concerned with religious issues. They have the following: HADITH(the traditional sayings of the Prophet) SUNNA(the practices of their community). FIQH(Islamic law, which discusses particular problems concerning how Muslims ought to behave) * It is not exclusively produced by Muslims. * Philosophy helps the Muslim to understand the truth using different techniques from those directly provided through Islam * It is the continuous search for Hikma(Wisdom) Nature and Origin * Philosophy in its fullest sense began in the third century of hijra(The hijra was in 622 ad; it is the first year according to the Muslim calendar) * The main sources of early Islamic philosophy are the religion of Islam and Greek philosophy. Greek philosophy because most their works on philosophy like logic, medicine mathematics and so forth were translated into Arabic. During the middle ages, both Muslims and Christian philosophers relied upon the Greek Philosophy, their main resources are the works of Aristotle and Plato along with few others. Hikma and Falsafa * Hikma (wisdom) -Philosophy as hikma has the advantage of referring to a wide range of conceptual issues within Islam. * Falsafa-an Arabic expression designed to represent the Greek philosophia. Islamic Philosophy of Education. Islamic education is an essential need derived from Islam as a religion or way of life, as Allah wanted. Thus Islam sources are the same for Islamic education. The Quran is the main source of Islam, which contains every principles of Islamic thought. Islamic education also is uniquely different from other types of educational theory and practice largely because of the all-encompassing influence of the Quran. The Quran serves as a comprehensive blueprint for both the individual and society and as the primary source of knowledge. Some examples of the proof that the importance of education is repeatedly emphasized in the Quran: Al-Quran * â€Å" †¦ Say: â€Å"are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition† (Az-Zumar : 9) Sunnah * â€Å"Who so walks in path seeking for knowledge therein, God will thereby make easy to him the path of paradise† (Abu Hurairah and Muslim) The aims of Islamic Education * Imam Al-Ghazali * Education should make a child aware of the laws though the study of Qu’ran and Hadith. * Education should make the child firm in religious beliefs otherwise he will be led astray. * Ibn Khaldun * Knowledge of God and faith in Islamic laws will make Muslims know the reality which in turn will lead to good and possession of good character. * Ibn Sina * Education as the overall growth of the individual: physical, mental, and moral; followed by the preparation of this by individual to live in a society through a chosen chose trade according to his aptitudes. * According to Contemporary Perspectives * To provide the teachings of Holy Quran as the first step of education. * To provide experiences which are based on fundamentals of Islam as embodied in Holy Quran and Sunnah which cannot be changed * To develop such qualities of a good man which are universally accepted by the societies which have faith in religion * To bring man nearer to an understanding of God and of the relation in which man stands to his creator * To produce man who has faith as well as knowledge in spiritual development These aims and objectives of Islamic education distinguish clearly from the modern system of education which is based on Western philosophy of life. This approach of Islamic education was endorsed in the First World Conference on Muslim Education held at Mecca in 1977 in the following words: â€Å"Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through the training of Man’s spirit, intellect, his rational self, feelings and bodily senses. Education should cater therefore for the growth of man in all aspects: spiritual, intellectual, imaginative, physical, scientific, linguistic, both individually and collectively and motivate all aspects towards goodness and the attainment of perfection. The ultimate aim of Muslim education lies in the realization of complete submission to Allah on the level of the individual, the community and humanity at large. † Mohamad Johdi (2009) synchronizes that Islamic education aims at the balanced growth of the total balanced-personality of human, acronym JERISAH – Jasmani- physical Emosi- emotional Rohani- spiritual Intelek- intellectual Sosialisasi- social Alam- environment Hamba Allah- humbleness towards Allah.

The Failed Dream

The Failed Dream â€Å"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch It yourself. † These are the words of the American forefather, Benjamin Franklin. His thoughts reflect the theme that runs through each word, idea and aspect of The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby highlights the flaws of the coveted American dream and how it can never be achieved. Fitzgerald illustrated the different areas of this principle in various characters, such as the Buchanan, George Wilson and, of course, the Infamous Jay Gatsby.These characters exemplify the empty promises of the â€Å"white picket fence† fantasy and the lies that we have been told all through our lives that If we work hard and honest enough, we will receive our reward. The Buchanan, Tom and Daisy, were created by Fitzgerald to show how the rich have their wealth not due to any merit of theirs, as so the American dream claims. Instead, thro ughout the plot, it is revealed how immoral, selfish, and irresponsible the rich are, all the things that one is told not to do to achieve true happiness, yet they have reaped the benefits of the dream. TheImmorality of the wealthy Is best personified through Tom Buchanan, who not only Is a chronic cheater, but also treats everyone else as Inferior to him. Early In the book, one of the first interactions a reader has with Tom is him talking to his mistress while hosting a dinner party with his wife. What is worse is the next chapter consists of him taking Nick, his wife's cousin, to meet this mistress. This shows not only his selfishness, but his lack of any conscience. Even when he discovered the infidelity of his own wife, he failed to see his own fault for the exact crime. Daisy Is no better.She was eager to have an affair from the first mention of It, when Nick called her to come alone. She didn't even consider the repercussions until push came to shove and she was forced to cho ose. â€Å"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy?they smashed up things†¦ Then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness†(pig 70). This could not better explain this couple. Their only concern was themselves. They gave no regard to anyone but themselves. Daisy, who claimed to love Gatsby, through him under the bus to take the fall for Myrtle's murder and ran into the arms of Tom.Both f them conspired to contently their superfluous life at the expense of theirs. They lived a life which breaks every code of morality and do not deserve their wealth, yet they are the ones who are enjoying the wonders of the fulfillment of the American dream. If the Buchanan are Fitzgerald example of people who have unjustifiably benefited from the American economic system, the opposite is George Wilson who has been cheated out of his inheritance. Wilson is the person the dream claims you should be to achieve It, hardworking, kind and moral.In every scene, except after the d eath of Myrtle, that George appears In, he Is working. He works his heart out yet all he has to show of it is a failed marriage and an empty bank account. As one edges toward the end of the book and the American dream unravels, George becomes the biggest indicator of this, â€Å"He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick†¦. So sick that he looked guilty, unforgivably guilty. Yet even when he discovers the Infidelity of his George's morality is the end when he finally seeks revenge. Granted, he murdered Gatsby, but he did this out of great mental torment and depression and even when e did it, he was filled with such regret that he could not live with himself afterwards. All the other characters, save for Nick, live in their sin without any sense of a conscience. If the American Dream is accurate, then George should be the most successful character in this tale, however, he is instead the pennil ess corpse.Gatsby is an example of someone who earned his American dream; however, he did not do it in the method that is advertised. Instead, Gatsby not only got his money through illegal means but he was also immoral and selfish. His actions, by definition, go against all that is upheld by the American dream so it should not be possible for Gatsby gain all he has. It is believed that if one works hard and is honest they will get their reward, yet we saw this is not true in George.On the flip side, Gatsby was able to obtain a fortune, but through illegal means. Not only is this but he not a hugely moral person though a reader might want to believe that. Instead, he is trying to take a married woman as his own, disregarding her husband, no matter how bad, and her daughter. These are not the actions of a ‘good man'. He was never content with what he had, always looking for more, even as a young man. He did not even care for his family as they were not wealthy and therefore not up to his standards.Gatsby instead did anything achieve success in the exact opposite way in the way one is told they can achieve it. The Great Gatsby seems like the tragic of failed love on the surface, however, it is really the poetic analysis of the tragedy of the American economic structure. One is told to work hard and be good and they will achieve success. Yet Fitzgerald magnified how this is a gross miscarriage of the truth. Instead, the people who have achieved success were handed it on a silver platter, like the Buchanan, or got it through immoral means, like Gatsby.He also shows how people who truly do believe in the dream try and try again but are cheated and never receive their reward, like George. The American dream is the universal aspiration of everyone on the planet. It is the almost religious belief instilled into the hearts of each person, influenced western society, from a young age. Yet only the select few who are already at the top stay there, looking down at th e rest of us as the gap widens; and leaving us to run the pursuit of happiness only to receive the only thing that is guaranteed, death and taxes.

“Interpreting The Day the Earth Stood Still for Contemporary Film Audiences” Review Essay

In the article â€Å"Interpreting The Day the Earth Stood Still for Contemporary Film Audiences† written in 2008, the Author, Joshua Pardon, writes about the messages that were sent to the American film audience of 1951 through the film The Day the Earth Stood Still, based on a short story by Harry Bates written in 1940. These messages ranged from topics like the societal costs of atomic technology and both a negative and positive view of militarism, to criticism of the mass media. He also writes about how, unlike TV shows, and stories by the baby boom generation portrayed the 1950’s as a time when everything was wonderful for every citizen all the time, the argument can be made that it was a â€Å"strange and weird† time full of uncertainty, fear, and paranoia; and this film portrays these feelings, with strong messages that Pardon suggest could be applied to current world events. To make you better understand his article, he added a very well written summery of the movie followed by interpretations of the film’s scenes that could be applied to what was happening in America in 1951 and events happening in 2008. He compares the Cold War’s potential to lead to atomic catastrophe to the current war on terrorism; the public’s confusion on whether to trust scientist to the current debate of stem cell research, climate change and the scientific basis of evolution; and the media’s need to sensationalize current events take away from the real issues both in 1951 and today. I would have to say that Pardon’s article is very convincing and well written; the amount of information given by the author is very satisfactory. There is plenty of background information on what were the current events in the 1950s on every interpretation on the not so hidden messages of the movie that allow you to see the similarity of today’s issues and clearly see how the movie can be relatable today. Also, it goes into details of every important character, and even compares characters to specific iconic people from that era, such as Albert Einstein; and even the character Tom Stevens, a co mpany man with selfish intentions as a negative portrayal of a greedy American business culture. Such great details of interpretation make this article a very good and fulfilling read. In my opinion, the weakest part of this article is that, although the information given allows you to paint a clear picture of what the author is trying to communicate, it often added too much information of what almost felt like irrelevant information. Additionally, I felt that the author jumped from one subject to the next,  just to bring it back up later in the article, and even though it wasn’t confusing and the information was always different, it made the subject feel redundant. To sum up, Pardon’s article on the interpretation of the film The Day the Earth Stood Still, was a very informative and eye opening article that clearly shows all the political messages in the film. His words were able to paint a very good picture of what was happening in 1951, when the movie was made, so that you can better understand the messages that were being sent by the film that allowed us to b etter see how, even though it had been over 60 decades since this article was written, the film is still relevant today.