Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Essay: How Do Composers Influence Responders?

How Do Composers Influence Responders Essay

Composers use many different ways to influence responders, depending on the text. Each type of text has its own unique structure where meaning can be created. Three texts that will reinforce this include "The Hurricane" a film directed by Norman Jewison, an internet article written by Stan Isaacs and "Hurricane", a popular song by Bob Dylan. Each of these texts positions the responder a different way. They all refer to the boxer Rubin Carter and his imprisonment for a triple murder in 1966.

The text " The Hurricane" as released in 1999. It depicts the false imprisonment of the boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Though Carter was convicted three times for the murder of two people in a bar in Patterson, New Jersey. This text strongly portrays Carter as innocent and a victim of racism in America in the 1960's. The responder is positioned to believe that Carter is innocent and was wrongfully convicted. The composer, Norman Jewison, portrays Patterson as a racially biased community and that Carter was a victim of the "system". He emphasizes that an all-white jury convicted Carter and white detective De La Pesca, harassed Carter since Carter was 11 years of age.

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Norman Jewison has influenced the responders in various ways in order for the responders to believe that Carter was the victim. He uses a variety of film techniques to influence the responders. One crucial scene that highlights Jewison's approach is the arrest scene when Carter was 11 years old. Carter is seen running down a street with a group of his friends. The next shot has the group in a park overlooking a river and waterfall below. While the boys are playing, a well dressed white middle aged man approaches one of the boys and strokes the boy's hair. This underlining pedophilic notion angers Carter, who ends up hitting the man on the head with a thrown bottle. The man grabs Carter and holds him over the edge of the cliff, at which point Carter stabs him in the shoulder, and proceeds to run away. However, the cops haul the young Carter down to the police station by himself upon which he is interrogated by two white cops. One of which is the character of De La Pesca, the white cop who stays after Carter throughout the entire film.

The composer uses several techniques in this scene to influence responders. In the beginning shot, the one in which Carter and friends are running down the street, a very unique style of colour is used. The composer opts for an almost coffee coloured scene to give the impression of olden day times. This colour technique is coupled with playful, jovial music to give the impression of innocence, youth and lightheartedness. It makes the responders feel as if Carter and friends are harmless and only looking for some fun. However, when the shot of the attack scene is in progress the music and colour is no longer lighthearted. By changing just these two techniques the responders know the mood for this shot is very different from the one before. At first the children are just playing but when the man approaches the responders are made to feel anxious, aggravated and even scared, through the colour change and the lack of jovial music. When Carter is held over the edge of the waterfall a camera angle is used to show the height and depth of the waterfall compared to the struggling 11 year old Carter. So, when the man is stabbed the composer has made sure there is no doubt in responder's mind that it is self-defence.

In the next shot, at the police station, the composer uses very little lighting to give the impression of depression, fear and anger. The composer also uses a low angle camera technique facing up towards the detectives. This camera technique gives the impression of superiority, and exaggerates the size of the two detectives leaving Carter to look forlorn and much smaller. By using two detectives in this scene, and leaving Carter by himself without legal representation, the composer automatically has appealed to the responders sense of fairness because for Carter its "two against one". Another way the composer plays on the responders sense of fairness is by using dialogue in which the detectives are grammatically correct and articulated whereas Carter just mutters the same grammatically incorrect statement "I didn't do nothin'..". Responders are made to feel angry by De La Pesca's handling of the boy; he uses such phrases as "… Nail your black ass down…" This rude, mean and racist statement provokes the responders into feeling a need to protect the young boy.

Another text in which the composer influences the responders is Stan Isaacs internet article about the championship fight between Rubin Carter and Joey Giardello in 1964. There is much controversy surrounding this particular fight and who won it. Joey Giardello was awarded the fight. However, in Stan Isaacs article, Stan supports Carter and believes Carter should have one the fight. The composer uses a variety of techniques to influence responders and persuade them to his perspective. Before going into his views and opinions on the fight the composer mentions a prestigious award called the A.J. Liebling Award given by the boxing writers association, he goes on to say that he has on this award. By mentioning this particular fact the composer is influencing the responders to think his perspective and opinion is more valid and worth taking notice of. If the composer was to leave that part out, the responders would be less inclined to take notice of or be persuaded to his point of view. By including he is making a point that others have recognised him for his writing on boxing.

Another way Stan Isaacs influences responders is by informing us of Carter's attitude after the fight. He uses words such as "gallantly", "admiration", "graciously" and "praised Giardello". By including the latter the composer is making it known that Carter was a gracious loser and was not about to abuse his opponent this makes the responders respect Carter as does the mentioning of all the other words.

A third text in which the composer influences the responders is the song "Hurricane" performed and co-written by Bob Dylan. It is a song that is based on the autobiography of Rubin Carter called "The 16th Round". The song is very similar to the film, as they were both based on Carter's book. Like the film, the song portrays Carter as innocent and a victim of racial injustice.

One of the techniques Bob Dylan uses to influence the responders is his tone and the blunt, matter-of-fact lyrics. For example "In Paterson that's just the way things go. If your black you might as well not show up on the street less… you wanna draw the heat." By using this statement in his song he makes the responders feel as if Rubin Carter didn't even have a chance just because of his skin colour. Bob Dylan uses the line "Put in a Prison Cell, but one time he could-a been…The Champion of the world." By using this line Bob Dylan poses the question in responders minds "What if?" It provokes the thought that if he was not locked up that maybe he would be living the life of a champion, a superstar and how contrasting that life would be to the one in a tiny prison cell. He also includes the line "The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed…And the all-white jury agreed." By mentioning the all-white jury Carter was up against yet again brings in the notion that the case was racially biased and appeals to the responders sense of fairness.

Another way Dylan influences responders is by expressing his opinion on Carter's innocence. As an influential rock singer of the 60's if Dylan was to sing that Carter was innocent and openly displayed that as his opinion, then the majority of Dylan supporters and fans would follow that opinion as well. He uses the power he has as a rock star to influence responders.

In conclusion, in the three texts mentioned all the composers use different techniques to influence the responders. For example, tone or language used, music and colour, camera techniques, and influential power. They attempt to use these techniques to persuade responders to agree with their opinion or view. What links these texts together is the very controversial subject of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, and the composers desire to get a message across on this particular subject.


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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Essay on Housekeeping

Housekeeping Essay

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson is a book about choice, loss, transience and blurred boundaries. Through literary criticisms, we see three different opinions on the novel, which helps the reader to think more deeply about the novel. When reading these criticisms, it is easy to relate to one article more than the others. After reading three articles by Ravits, Kaivola and Smyth, I agree with Kaivola’s point on the novel, Housekeeping.

In Extending the American Range: Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping, Martha Ravits discusses that Ruth fits within a larger, already accepted grand scheme of literature. The already accepted literature consists of males being the protagonists, having a problem and solving it, therefore becoming the hero. Ravits compares Ruth’s family history to characters such as Huck Finn, Isaac McCaslin and Ishmael. These characters "undertook the struggle for maturity by choosing surrogate fathers" (Ravits 648) while Ruth is a girl who must ultimately choose a mother figure in place of the one she once lost. Ravits summarizes Housekeeping in terms of wilderness and her relationship with Sylvie. "Ruth adopts her aunt Sylvia as mentor and substitute mother in much the same way that the developing male in American fiction has taken an outcast as father-figure to facilitate his struggle for maturity" (Ravits 659). Ravits’ main point is that an author can take any aspect of typical male heroism in a novel and apply it to women. The wilderness is a theme in this novel. One may not think that wilderness would have a major role in a predominately female novel, but Robinson changes that. This book is centered around the lake, and the characters spend multiple times in the woods. The article talks about the typical male hero and that Ruth can be identified as this hero. Ravits compares Housekeeping to already accepted, good literature. She discusses that by putting a female in the role, it changes tradition. Robinson goes beyond ordinary literature and writes a novel about women and the decisions they must make. Ravits also considers the title of the novel, and what it means in our culture. She says that a house is "a major icon of female cultural existence" (662) and that it is destroyed in this novel. This is because Sylvie does not keep house like a culturally acceptable female would. The house is messy and she does not act as a typical mother would in our society. Basically, to Ravits, Housekeeping demonstrates "the urge to move beyond conventional social patterns" (666).

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Karen Kaivola has a different take on Housekeeping. She looks at this novel in terms of women and their role in society, but differently than Ravits does. She thinks that the novel is written for the reader to sympathize with Ruth and Sylvie. She also discusses the view that feminists may have on the novel. She says that some may like it, but to many it is very unclear. Housekeeping does not necessarily show a strong side of women that feminists would identify with. However, Kaivola thinks that one person may read and interpret this novel unlike the next. It can be looked at from many points of view, depending on who the reader may sympathize with, or the beliefs that one may have. "We need to make distinctions to construct meaning" (Kaivola 675). She is saying that we need to identify with one character, or have a certain perspective in our heads as we read in order to read a book and interpret it with meaning. Kaivola says that Housekeeping challenges this statement because Ruth and Sylvie are the opposite of culturally acceptable females and it challenges the reader to think from their point of view. In this thought, she discusses Ruth’s choice to follow Sylvie, unlike her sister and how readers are supposed to react to that. Kaivola knows that the reader must decide on their own whether or not it was a good decision because of the way the choice is represented in the novel.

Like Ravits, Kaivola thinks that "Housekeeping challenges conventional female roles by representing the repetitive nature of keeping house as an ultimately futile attempt to create order out of an ever-threatening chaos" (Kaivola 677). Sylvie has a less constrained life and can be more identified with Ruth’s grandfather. However, Kaivola discusses that Ruth does separate herself from Sylvie at one point of the novel. When Sylvie leaves her, Ruth is able to feel anger, and realizes that they are not identical beings. However, this takes Ruth into the idea of blurred boundaries, how she is never clear if she is dreaming, or remembering correctly. Ruth never completely becomes her own person. She has a desire to live her life to the fullest, but she never can achieve this. A life with blurred boundaries is characterized by "uncertainty, loss, and pain" (Kaivola 688).

Jacqui Smyth interprets Housekeeping as a novel which ultimately comes back to the idea of "home" and "house" and the understanding of it. She says that home is the norm and it defines everything else in life. This is the opposition to what we expect so it is seen as a negative in our society. She talks about the transience of Sylvie and how Ruth becomes a product of her transience. She talks about the home and how Edmund built is to be, and what it has become from Sylvie living in it. Since it was unfinished to begin with, it was like Sylvie was supposed to end up living in it. "The house is transient itself" (Smyth 285). There is no order, it has never been finished being built in places, and external forces have altered the house. "The town’s inability to tolerate transience ironically forces Ruth and Sylvie into becoming transients" (Smyth 289). After leaving Fingerbone, they have nowhere that they belong because they have no "home."

In looking at these three articles, I agree the most with Kaivola’s argument. First, I think that when reading this novel, the reader feels sympathetic to Ruth and Lucille. They have had a life of loss and when having to choose whether to stay with Sylvie or not, they must make a difficult decision. It is hard for the reader to choose whether or not they think Ruth’s decision is a smart one, because the reader’s feelings get involved. I agree that the reader must make distinctions to construct meaning, and it is hard to do this in Housekeeping because of the blurred boundaries. Moreover, it is questionable whether Ruth even makes the choice- or does she go with Sylvie because she is the stronger personality and Ruth needs somebody who will tell her what to do and make decisions for her for the rest of her life. Ruth is not an individual and it is too hard for her to become one. Even when she is grown up, she is still dreaming about her life and what she would like it to be, even though it will never happen. After she leaves Fingerbone, she tries to develop herself, but ends up waiting tables and imagining the life of Lucille. I agree with Kaivola in the sense that a feminist may not enjoy this book. I do not think that Ruth is looked at as a hero in this novel. She can’t make decisions, and runs away with Sylvie instead of standing up to what she believes in- because she doesn’t really believe in anything.

I agree that Housekeeping challenges the role of conventional females. However, unlike Ravits, I do not think that Ruth and Sylvie play the role of the hero. Some may think that leaving and starting their own lives may be considered heroic, but in my eyes, they do not do anything to earn the name of a hero. They do not accomplish anything in their lives, and Ruth will die dreaming. However, while they are not heroes to me, I understand what Kaivola says about women who are socially constrained to housekeeping and accomplish nothing in their lives. Sylvie does not care about materials such as the house and would rather do her own thing. However, this is not socially accepted and that is why this novel challenges female conventions.

Housekeeping really demonstrates feelings of loss and pain, but shows readers life away from the norm. I think the book gets the reader thinking about family, and is great for enjoyment.


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Holden Caulfield Essay

Essay on Holden Caulfield

We can learn about Holdenґs character from his own account of his adventures and to a lesser extent from his speeches and actions; and also from the reactions of others to him. Holden is like all teenagers; he has a mixture of moods and attitudes, and searches for some security. Holden is aware that there are many choices available, but he has had no instructions on religious or moral values.

Holden is virtuous; but it his virtue that leads him into difficulties. He expects everyone else to be like him, Holden sets very high standards. He is sympathetic and thoughtful – he asks Ackley out despite his dislike of him and visits Mr Spencer when he has the flu. Holden feels sorry for Sunny – the prostitute. He notices details such as her green dress and the he remarks on Mrs Morrowґs rings and her magazine, and the nunґs cheap glasses. Holden is an idealist. His high expectations include: honesty, which he expresses as a lack of phoniness and consistency, however these are not achieved by the adult world he must soon join, as a result of this he becomes more and more depressed.

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Holden hates hypocrites and phoneys, but meets few people who are honest. Even his teachers are phoneys; Mr Spencer acts in front of the headmaster, and the headmaster performs in front of the rich parents and Mr Antolini appears to have suspect morals. The nightclubs that Holden visits are full of phoneyґs; Sally Hayes adores them and is one herself. The acclaimed Lunts and Olivier, Ernie and the cabaret singers are praised by everyone except Holden; even his brother, D.B. has gone to Hollywood, the phoniest place of all; he goes as far as saying that he is a ‘prostituteґ because he sells his writing for films. The few people who are not phoneyґs though are Allie and James Castle.

Although Holden is innocent he is not naive. Society has affected him to the extent that he is aware of the cost of things. He refers to the value of his coat, his cases, his typewriter and even his pens. He does not cherish his possessions as he tells us. When his gloves were stolen the only thing he cares about is that he is cold. When he was a child he lost his belongings – now as a teenager he fails to take his change and hates people who spend time at posh restaurants and popular bars; yet there is a hypocritical side to him which makes him take taxis, go to bars, cinemas and theatres, and stay in hotels. EXUJMF Visit essaybank ca co ca uk ca for more ca Do not ca redistribute EXUJMF wwae aew esaeaes ayae aeba nae kcae aeuk:

Holden is both repelled and fascinated by sex. He longs to find what it is all about, and to experience the passion that was hinted by Stradlater and envied by Ackley. He watches from his hotel window in an almost voyeuristic fashion and finds that the reality is unappealing. He finds that Sunnyґs efforts to entertain him were dirty. Sex, which is so prized by the adult world, Holden finds worthless.

Holden is aware of the importance of social status, he canґt be in the same room as someone who is insecure about their status. Holden seems anxious to keep up with his contemporaries, behaving in an over the top manner with Stradlater, being rude to Ackley and refusing to answer questions. His friends find him immature but this is not surprising as he is two years younger than them.

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Monday, March 1, 2010

Essay on Hills like White Elephants

Hills like White Elephants Essay

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills like White Elephants” is mainly told through the dialogue of two protagonists at a railway station in rural Spain. The labels on the luggage they carry are an indication of their nomadic life, and their conversations reveal their struggling romantic relationship. The girl, Jig, laments that their mundane lifestyle consists of nothing but “look at things and try new drinks” The lack of mentioning of the girl’s relationship to the American suggests that their relationship is not particularly serious or meaningful.

The calm, and simple setting as well as the lack of colorful imagery on their side of Ebro hills reflects their life, but contrasts the escalation of tension in their conversation. As they drink beer, Jig comments that the distant white hills against the “brown and dry” country “look like white elephants.” The American’s careless response to her observation and her disappointed reaction establishes the story’s pivotal issue.

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As tension between the couple continues to multiply through various attempts at small talk and the ordering of more drinks, the problem in the relationship emerges as an operation the American wants Jig to have. When he encourages Jig to have the “awfully simple” operation, and tells her that “They just let the air in and then it’s perfectly natural,” it becomes apparent that the operation is an abortion. The title of the short story insinuates pregnancy since the dictionary definitions of “a white elephant” defines it as a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit; an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others, and something of little or no value. The child inside Jig will require unconditional care, love, and various expenses once it is born. Even though the pregnancy is invaluable to Jig, it means nothing but problems to her lover. The imagery of the hills and the curves of the Ebro characterize the shape of a pregnant woman, and symbolize that the pregnancy is a large hill in their relationship. The American likes traveling to places with Jig and enjoys their lifestyle since their relationship is only based on what they have now and not what they can have. He is unwilling to take the chance to give up or change anything in order to make their present life better because he is afraid to lose his possessions once he assumes his role as a father. He promises Jig his support for her after the operation, and assures her that life will go on as before as if nothing has happened.

Unfortunately, he fails to understand that the pregnancy has occurred and everything will be different no matter what Jig decides.

Jig is aware that the real concern is one of going past the point when care and respect can endure difficulties in a relationship. This seems to be the first critical issue they've had to face, to measure the depth of their relationship. Their weak relationship will eventually fall apart because the relationship lacks substance and understanding. If they cannot decide and agree on simple matters such as whether or not to have water in the drink, they cannot possibly agree on the important issues in their relationship such as having a baby.

The climax of the story appears when Jig is agitated by their irritating conversation and their romantic relationship. She begins to question about their uncertain future and his true feelings for her. She seems persuaded by the American when she comments on her willingness to do the operation despite her wants and needs because “she doesn’t care” about herself. At the same time, Jig begins to realize that life may not turn out the way she had planned. She remarks that the Anis del Toro “tastes like licorice,“ and that “everything tastes of licorice“, “especially all the things you’ve waited so long for.” She likes to try new things, like the drink, but is often disappointed in the end. She indicates that it is too late for him to make things better. The American believes that Jig is being reasonable for not wanting to having the “simple” operation done so they can “be all right and be happy“ again. He informs her that he has “known lots of people that have done it” in order to convince her to have the “awfully simple” operation. He says that the pregnancy is “the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us unhappy.” He sees the whole issue as “simple” because he does not understand the real problem that is causing the misery. When he finally leaves Jig to get their bags for the train, he observes that the other people are “waiting reasonably for their train” because in his mind, Jig is the one to blame their troubles because she is “unreasonably waiting” for a future that he cannot imagine having with her. Ironically, he is unreasonable one because he is the one causing the problems by wanting the abortion. Jig realizes that their withering relationship is not the result of her pregnancy but the result of their failure to understand each other. She realizes that they are incompatible as a couple to have a family together. Even if she does have the abortion, she can no longer stay with him because he can never give her what she longs for. The story ends with an assurance from Jig that she is “fine,” as if she has made up her mind on the abortion issue.

Hemingway leaves the reader wondering about their final destination. He chooses the setting in the valley of the Ebro to symbolize the couple’s situation and options in life. They are on the sunless and barren side of the mountain where they can only see hills that looks like white elephants. At the end of the story, the American remarks “I'd better take the bags over to the other side of the station,” the side where there is growth and life. The train is representative of two different directions if life, however is unclear whether this signifies that the man has changed his mind about the abortion, or that Jig has decided to go through with the operation and leave him so they have to live separate lives. Jig has desires to change and to live a different life because she is aware of it. She is ready and willing to experience a different life while her lover is not. Hemingway strategically calls the man just “American,” and gives the girl a simple name to show the commonality of their problem reflected in society. He conveys that elements such as understanding, communication, honesty, and maturity, are essential to every healthy relationship. The lack of those elements leads to inevitable disintegration of a relationship.

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Parallelism in Art and Science Essay

Most people consider art and science to be two totally opposite fields. The former relies on the subjective side of man whereas the other is concerned with objectivity. However, certain aspects are common to art and science. In "Interpretation in Science and Art", Harold Osborne lays down the commonalities and differences between the two.

Osborne defines science as "[interpreting] the world by bringing order and regularity into the kaleidoscopic variety of experience, subduing its vagaries in the interest of understanding." Furthermore, the basic principles and concepts in science are formulated not by deduction or logical reasoning but through intuition. Many, if not all of the great discoveries in science began as intuitive insights which were verified by observation later on. Examples would be Planck's quantum hypothesis, Pauli's exclusion principle, and Einstein's attribution of deflection of light to the curvature of space, among others.

Art, on the other hand, concerns itself with creating "perceptible constructs" [for] the enrichment of perceptual experience and adding to the cultural heritage of mankind." Perceptible constructs are thought of to be direct apprehension of the world as opposed to theoretical knowledge about it.

Representational artists would depict a part of the phenomenal world in the hopes of creating a perceptible construct which can claim appreciation as an aesthetic object. Perceptual unity in every work i.e., viewing the art as coalescing and coherently compact whole enables us to expand our vision and perceptual powers.

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Comparing art and science, Osborne lays down the following to be the most important comparisons between them: (i) Both bring new order into the world; (ii) A scientific theory once accepted is in principle common property whereas interpretation in the arts relies on subjectivity and individuality; (iii) Both originate as an act of creative insight which cannot be reduced to rule; (iv) Imaginary situations have no place in science whereas in the arts, they make a major contribution; (v) Scientific interpretation is open and invariant for every man unlike in the arts which requires a special skill or ability to be able to appreciate its products; and (vi) Science deals with things that can be quantified as common to individual in the mass while subject matter in the art may deal with quality and interpretation is supremely individual.

With regards to the statements mentioned above, I would have to agree to most of them. In actuality, it is clear how both science and the arts spring from creativity. While evidence of creativity is obvious in the arts, creativity in science is usually undermined. While most think that new ideas in science are observations of what is already there, they fail to realize that without creativity as a springboard, the scientist will not be able to think of how to collate those observations as one coherent scientific theory. A creative mind is necessary to be able to come up with explanations that are new, fresh to the scientific world. In this sense, scientific ideas and their written work can be considered literature. Moreover, it takes a great deal of creativity to be able to notice the minute details which a scientist looks for and even more creativity to come up with the designs for new equipment and experimental processes. The making of these new equipment and processes is oftentimes creating a work of art in itself. Try talking to an inventor and this idea will be apparent.

When the topic of beauty is regarded, it is not as easy to define beauty in the sciences as it is in the arts. Still, beauty is present in the way certain phenomena are explained by the scientist. Like works of art, a scientific theory has to contain coherence, lucidity, elegance and scope. The concept of beauty in science is not only in the aesthetic sense. With this statement, I am inclined to agree. Unlike in the arts, relevance plays the primary role. If I were to choose which is more beautiful, the ancient belief that everything revolves around the earth or the empirically provable Copernican theory of the earth revolving around the sun, I pick the latter. Although the former may be beautifully worded and may sufficiently explain a phenomenon based on the data of its times, its relevance today has waned because it has already been disproved. This is consistent with the idea of science as a field which demands that concepts and theories be proven, oftentimes empirically, before it can be relevant. Unlike in the arts wherein a work depicting disproved ideas are still revered. For example, sculptures of the Greek period, whose depiction of the human as a perfect creation detached from emotions, is still admired for its beauty.

I would, however, tend to object to Osborne's idea that the interpretation of science is open and invariant for every man while the arts require a "perceptual skill which arises from a special ability often restricted". I believe that like the arts, true interpretation of science requires a special skill that must be trained and cultivated. It is true that basic knowledge of science is widespread and common to many but this is brought about by the greater exposure given to science by society. If exposure to the world of arts were not limited, then perhaps a basic understanding of how to interpret art can become common to everyone. Still, it holds true that to be able to understand the grandiose of the world of science, one needs to learn the language of science which invariably requires a special skill that has to be first instilled in an individual. Just like in the arts.

In the end, we can see that important parallelisms exist between the arts and science. The major point being that both try to depict the world they live in. The scientist tries to do this by using observations and by quantifying everything while the artist concerns himself with any possible medium. Both of them also contain subjectivity and creativity. Despite the nature of science to be concerned only with the objective side, we still cannot take away the fact that scientists are human beings and as such, they cannot be purely objective. It is this subjectivity which provides for the diverse opinions in the world of science. And the presence of this subjectivity, coupled by the creativity factor, enables scientists to come up with new ideas and new scientific "works of art".

The major difference that we have to realize is their subject matter. Because scientists are concerned with only the things that are quantifiable, the role of subjectivity is limited, both in the creation and interpretation of their works. For the artist, subjectivity is not as limited.

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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Essay on Tourism

Tourism Essay

Tourism is undoubtedly the single largest industry in the world and contributes vast amounts of revenue into any given country. In New Zealand alone, tourism accounted for 10.2% of Gross Domestic Product in 1996 or in dollar terms $11.78 billion (Collier, 1999). In 1999, half a billion people traveled worldwide which indicates the huge scale of the tourism industry. And the speed of tourism growth is also outstanding - airplane numbers have increased thirty times since 1960 and in the last fifteen years the number has doubled. And the amount of international tourists is also increasing rapidly. In 1939 there were only one million tourists worldwide whereas in 1999 there were more than one million international tourists from New Zealand alone (Otago University Resource, 2001).

After understanding how large the tourism industry is and the speed it is growing at, it is necessary to then learn about the associated impacts from tourism. The impacts are divided into three categories: economic, socio-cultural and environmental and each impact can create either a positive or negative outcome. Obviously the most important impacts that need to be dealt with are the negative ones. Throughout this essay each different impact will be explained and an example provided. It will also indicate how important it is for a tourism manager to be aware of these impacts and how they could possibly minimise or eliminate any of these adverse effects.

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Socio-cultural impacts are concerned with the effects tourism has on host communities and the residents. Travelers can have either a positive or negative impact on a host community but in this particular example the negative socio-cultural impacts on Queenstown will be examined.

Queenstown is a vastly growing, popular tourist destination in the Southern Island of New Zealand. Labeled as the 'Adventure Capital of the World,' attractions range from jet boating to snowboarding to parapenting hiking. Although one may assume the city is reaping the economic benefits from tourism, it is also suffering from negative socio cultural impacts. Tourists from Europe, the United States, Scandinavia, Australia and Asia outnumber the 9,000 residents two to one (Sunday Star Times, 2000). Due to the high tourist to resident ratio it is inevitable that residents are feeling the disruption in their everyday lives. Locals are feeling as though their town has been taken over by tourists. A specific example of this 'take over' is the congestion caused by tourists in Queenstown. Suppose a Queenstown resident wants to make a trip into town to do some shopping. Extra caution must be taken when driving into town due to the number of vehicles on the road. Also a lot of the drivers are foreign and unfamiliar to New Zealand's road rules which adds to the danger. Getting around Queenstown can take a lot longer due to vehicles like buses and campervans slowing down the traffic and since there are limited passing lanes driving can be quite frustrating for residents. Once the resident gets to town they find the streets crowded with tourists and queues at the counters. Prices on necessity goods have been inflated and some locals probably would not even consider buying luxury goods in Queenstown due to the augmented 'tourist' prices (Sunday Star Times, 2000). Signs on the windows of shops are starting to appear in foreign languages, typically Japanese. Even some of the shops are owned and operated by foreigners and the shop assistants cannot speak fluent English.

This example of a Queenstown resident's trip to the shops highlights the gradual disruption of a local community and culture. Therefore it is necessary for Queenstown tourism mangers to become aware of these negative socio cultural impacts and do something to either minimise or eliminate the effects. All of the tourist attractions are going to be more successful if they get full support from the residents.

There are various tools tourism managers could use to help manage these socio cultural impacts. The first step is to assess the carrying capacity of the city. There are only so many beds in Queenstown that can accommodate visitors. In terms of an accommodation carrying capacity, the figure could be worked out by surveying how many beds there are at every form of accommodation in the region.

The second step would be to look at how many tourists are visiting the Queenstown district and see how essential it is to create more accommodation or attractions. One must remember that the authenticity of a destination can be ruined if it is overdeveloped. By visiting Queenstown right now it is possible to see how much of a mess the town is in due to tourism development.

In order to reduce the congestion on the roads there are two steps that could be taken. Firstly a heavy traffic by-pass could be created to stop people travelling through town centres unnecessarily. The second solution would be to create more passing lanes where possible to keep the traffic flowing smoothly.

And finally the last tool that could be used to help the host community is by actually involving them in tourism planning and development. If tourism managers respect and listen to the resident's opinions it may help reduce future negative impacts. After all without the locals there would be no 'kiwi' culture in the town and there would be no one to help operate the tourist attractions.

The most arguable aspect of tourism today is the impact it has on the environment, with most comments suggesting that it does more harm than good. Environmental impacts are concerned with the disruption and destruction of floral and faunal species, pollution, litter, erosion and any changes to the natural and built environments of a community due to tourism activity.

In Australia there are many natural environments that are under threat due to large numbers of tourists visiting them. The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland is a prime example of a natural environment being ruined by tourism. Coral reefs are delicate, vulnerable ecosystems that live and grow below sea level. The Great Barrier Reef has been under sustained attack from development, tourism and natural factors. It is slowly eroding due to human activity, such as boats and anchors hitting it and thousands of snorkellers and scuba divers breaking off huge chunks for jewelry and souvenirs (Anderton, 1995). Considering the vast amounts of tourists who visit the reef every year, there is possible risk that parts of the reef could be completely destroyed if the impacts are not managed properly.

And it is not just the destruction of the idyllic reef settings at risk but also the extensive range of wildlife living in the reef. Tourism is causing disruption to breeding habitats, changes in vegetation and extinction of species due to water pollution (Anderton, 1995). And if tourism in the reef continues to escalate and no restrictions are enforced, then there is a possibility that there will be no beautiful coral or fish to see in the near future. One can now understand how important environmental impacts are and why responsible tourism managers should be aware.

The approach a tourism manager should take to fixing or minimsing any negative impacts is a 'Sustainable Approach.' From a 1987 report 'Our Common Future,' sustainable development was defined as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." There are four possible solutions to managing the latter environmental impacts.

The first solution is to place a limit on the amount of tourism operators in the Great Barrier Reef region. If there are too many tourism operators at the reef, it is creating overcrowding and pressure on the reef. Also having a limitation of visitors on each vessel would reduce the pressure. Operations like snorkeling and scuba diving should have to be registered and undergo specific training programmes that educate people on reef protection.

Legislation should be introduced reflecting the collection of coral souvenirs. It should become illegal to break off pieces of coral from the reef. Since visitor numbers are relatively high one can imagine there would be no coral left if every visitor took home a chunk.

The third solution would be to build or create specific reef viewing areas. It would be like land zoning and therefore some areas would be 'out of bounds.' This would help protect certain endangered areas and allow for future generation's use.

Finally education is an important and effective management tool. Education could be included in tourist activity pamphlets, distributed through travel agents and information centres, to illustrate how important it is to care for the reef.

Tourists then have a chance to understand the appropriate behaviour expected by the operators before arriving to the activity. The expected behaviour would then be repeated verbally upon arrival to the activity to signify the importance of protecting the reef. Glen Burns is an employee of a Great Barrier Reef scuba diving operation and he believes that educating tourists is very successful. On a recent television programme 'Assignment: The Tourism Trap' he said: "Once people become aware of the fact that these corals are living animals, living organisms and that by standing on them they will crush and kill them, then you'd be amazed. People really do want to look after (the Great Barrier Reef); they don't want to do any damage. They want to see it stay (pristine) and they will do their utmost to make sure it stays that way (Assignment, 2001)." The quote simply excentuates how effective education is for minimising environmental impacts.

The last example is about the economic impacts caused by tourism. Typically concerned with the monetary costs and benefits created by tourism development and operation, people generally associate high revenue to popular tourist attractions. And one can understand their opinions since tourism contributes greatly to New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Exchange earnings and it also supports a significant number of jobs (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, 1997). But in the following example the issues of sustainability and weather reliance will illustrate just how tourism attractions can suffer economically.

In late 2000 Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (also the owner of Whakapapa skifield) bought Turoa Ski Resort due to Turoa's poor financial status. Turoa ended up in receivership early last year, resulting from poor snowfalls and the issue of seasonality. A ski resort is typically a winter-orientated operation and a season can be as short as three months. So with huge set-up and operational costs and the addition of hiring and training mainly seasonal staff, it can be seen that it is a pricey attraction to run. For any tourism operator receivership would undoubtedly be the worst economic impact of tourism.

The first problem Turoa Ski Resort faced was the issue of seasonality, which contributed to the negative economic impacts. The mountain would be packed in the winter season but as soon as the winter season ended the tourists would disappear. Even though the resort is open during summer for sightseeing, the visitor numbers are significantly low (Turoa Staff Handguide, 2000).

In order to even out the seasonal peaks and troughs it is necessary for the tourism managers to work out ways to attract more people in the off peak season. Offering reduced chairlift rates might attract more tourists and the resort could work in conjunction with local accommodation outlets to provide cheap packages. Advertising may need to be increased, as people may be unaware of the summer activities at the resort. Maybe the option of complete closure over the summer could be the most feasible solution.

The second problem that caused negative economic impacts on Turoa was the reliance on weather. Unfortunately for the last five years there has been a series of poor snowfalls. The lack of snow resulted in many closed days and with the addition of the 1995 volcanic eruption Turoa suffered financially - big time.

The first important prerequisite to buying a ski resort would be to have experience in how the resort operates or to have done substantial background research. Since the weather determines greatly how many visitors the resort receives, tourism managers should be aware of ways to cope with bad seasons.

A new idea bought in by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (now known as Mt Ruapehu) this year is an 'Activity Pass.' International tourists purchase an Activity Pass that entitles them to a day skiing or if the weather is poor they can transfer it to money value at selected tourist attractions within the region (for example 4WD motorbiking). It is a great of retaining prospective customers until the weather clears.

Since the main economic problem in operating a ski resort is the possibility of financial hardship, the most effective management tool would be to have excellent accounting skills. If managers know where the money is being spent and areas where it could be saved they find themselves financially stable. This also included selecting the right employees and making sure they are being as productive as possible.

Having looked at three examples of socio-cultural, environmental and economic impacts of tourism, the message is clear - in order to continue to operate and develop tourist attractions tourism managers must have huge interest in all of the impacts, essentially the negative effects. If tourism managers do not make an effort to even consider these tourism impacts, it is possible that their individual businesses could in the future suffer. And these managers must also understand that not one impact is more important than the others are. In order for a tourism manager to be considered a 'responsible' manager these tourism impacts must be dealt with, otherwise there could be some serious outcomes, potentially jeopardising their businesses.


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Essay on Roberto Matta

Roberto Matta Essay

Roberto Matta was born on November 11, 1911 in Santiago, Chile. Matta was educated as an architect and as an interior designer at the Sacre Coeur Jesuit College and at the Catholic University of Santiago, from 1929-31. From 1933-34 he worked in Paris as a drafter for a famous architect named Le Corbusier. At the end of 1934 Matta visited Spain, where he met Federico Garcia Lorca, a poet/playwright, who through a letter, introduced Matta to Salvador Dali (surrealist). After meeting with Dali, Matta was encouraged to show some of his drawings to Andre Breton, another surrealist. Matta’s meeting with Dali and Breton strongly influenced his formation as an artist as well as connecting him to the Surrealist movement. In 1936 Matta worked in London with Walter Gropius and Laszio Moholy-Nagy (both architects). While Matta was employed by the architects of the Spanish Republican pavilion at the Paris International Exhibition. Matta was exposed to Picasso's “Guernica” which greatly impressed him and influenced him in his work. Around the same time, Matta was introduced to the work of Marcel Duchamp(dadaist). He later went to Scandinavia where he met the architect Alvar Aalto and then to Russia where he worked on housing design projects( ). In the summer of 1938 Matta’s work evolved from a sketch into a painting. In 1938 before the start of the war (WWII) Matta fled Europe and headed towards New York, where he lived for ten years and left his imprint on the art scene and the world.

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Before one can have an understanding of Roberto Matta’s work, one must first define Surrealism, it’s precedents, history and its origin as well as what was occurring in society and how it influenced Matta’s art during is carreer.

Surrealism grew directly out of the movement known as Dadaism, which was founded during World War I (1914-1918) as a reaction to the massive destruction and loss of life brought about by the war. The main purpose of the Dadaist movement was to ridicule culture, reason, technology, and art. Dadaists believed that any faith in humanity’s ability to improve itself through art and culture, especially after the unprecedented destruction of the war, was naive and unrealistic( ). As a result, the dadaists created works using accident, chance, and anything that underscored the irrationality of humanity: for example, making poems out of pieces of newspaper chosen at random and displaying everyday objects as art( ).

Like Dadaism, surrealism stressed the role of the unconscious in creative activity, but it used the psychic unconscious in a more orderly, positive and serious manner. Surrealism celebrated the realm of dreams and the unconscious mind through the creation of visual art, poetry and motion pictures. Surrealists were heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud. In a nutshell, Freud believed that the unconscious mind revealed itself in times when the conscious mind was relaxed such as in dreams, myths, slips of the tongue, accidents, and art. With this notion or paradigm, the surrealists invented new art forms and techniques. One of the most important techniques used to elicit the unconscious during the Surrealist movement and Roberto Matta’s signature technique was Automatism. In painting, Automatism consists of allowing the hand to wander across the canvas surface without any interference from the conscious mind. The resulting marks, it was thought, would not be random or meaningless, but would be guided at every point by the functioning of the artist’s unconscious mind, and not by rational thought or artistic training ( ). A painting that best describes Matta’s use of automatism was the "Elle s'y Gare," as well as other paintings such as the “Psychological Morphology” collection. In these paintings the viewer, can easily understand the subconscious and automatism.

First I’ll start with the span of his artistic career and how his art changed along with society. What will be analyzed mostly is the work created in 1940’s-1970’s. Matta’s artistic carreer as a surrealist started in the 1940’s and ended until the late 1990’s upon his death. His work can be divided into two epochs. The first epoch started in the 40’s during World War II and ended in 1947 when he was expelled from the surrealist movement, and the second epoch, started in the 50’s and lasted until the late 90’s. During the first epoch Matta’s work was very automatistic, very surreal, and as always dealt with something occurring in society, World War II. The work during this time was biomorphic, fluid, organic, and the landscapes or spaces he created were very dream state like. Some of his paintings that best demonstrated these characteristics were, “crucifixion(1938)” which was inspired by the cubist, Picasso and had a few parallels with Picasso’s “Guernica,” other paintings were “Psychological Morphology (1938)” and “Prescience (1939)”. During this time, in my opinion his work was very experimental and political. Due to the birth of a new movement and the war. In contrast to his earlier work (40’s-50’s), his later work which spanned 30-40yrs had more of a political and spiritual intention. His artwork seemed to represent the constant struggle between man and machine. In my opinion man and machine symbolizes war such as WWII and the aftermath as well as political system in our country as well as others. A lot of his work during this time had metallic forms appearing to be in battle, sharp edges, the color palette was much more bold, and apocalyptic; and the themes in his artwork related to events occurring in such places as Vietnam, Alabama and Santo Domingo. Paintings that expressed these characteristics: "L'Impencible(1957)”,"Le Royome de Yeux 1960,” etc…

Many artists and art movements have been inspired by Matta’s work and the surrealist movement. Such artists and art movements consist of abstract expressionism and artists such as Jackson Pollock and Arshile Gorky. Through Matta’s carreer his artwork/painting reflected and expressed the environment in which he lived in. Early on before his career stared he was inspired by great artists such as Dali, Breton, and Picasso. Later on Matta became just as important to the art world and to the surrealist movement as his mentors. He was one of the few Surrealist artists to take on political, social, and spiritual themes. Roberto Matta painted until the day he died, but his legacy and his work continues to inspire artist’s, critic’s, and society.


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