From Britain Colony to American Satellite Essay

From Britain Colony to American Satellite - Essay Example Over the years, there have been numerous studies that have tried to examine the issue of Australia’s dependency on the prevailing power of capitalist America. Although most of the studies have dwelt on the nation’s economics and political economy, there are other studies that have sought to examine the culture, media and beliefs. Ideally, the concept of dependence in Australia’s foreign relations though most obvious in the political and military association with the United States, has also had a central economic and cultural angle. Although there are still those who disagree with this opinion, there is no denying that America’s values, organizations and policies reign not only in Australia’s external behavior but its economic and political sphere. While some analysts were reluctant to view America as imperialist or Australia as a satellite, most of the liberal minds agreed that these two terms defined the bilateral relationship of these two nations after the Vietnam War. This has been examined especially in the light of how Australia’s sovereignty and national identity have been infiltrated. From the mid 1980’s, Australia has bettered its relations with other Asian nations and has found it even harder to break the constitutional ties with Britain. This development has lessened the scholarly claims to this fact but the popular imagination still lingers. In essence, from the Australian mass media, the country is viewed as a ‘satellite community’ of the cosmopolitan United States.

Experiences of African Americans During the Civil War Period Essay Example for Free

Experiences of African Americans During the Civil War Period Essay The 1860s and 1870s were particularly trying times for African Americans. The Civil War which lasted from 1861 to 1865 saw America undergo social and political change as Americans struggled to redefine their idea of race and face the question of slavery. More importantly still were the experiences of blacks during and after the war as they fought to be accorded the same rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the early days of the war, the issue of slavery was avoided vehemently by Lincoln and Davis (Norton et al. 2008) despite it being an essential issue in the war between the North and South. In fact, freeing the slaves was never an agenda of the North. The North was against slavery because they perceived the South, who was pro slavery, as a threat to the North’s social and political order (Norton et al. , 2008). Consequently, being against slavery did not necessarily mean Northerners were not racist. In fact, many still saw themselves as racially superior to the blacks. Despite the apparent racial prejudice, blacks in the South still saw in the Union army their route to freedom. After Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation allowing blacks to serve in the Union cause, thousands of slaves, amongst them, one John Boston (Linden Pressly, n. d), fled their masters and joined the Union army in their fight against the South. Many blacks sought to assert their manhood despite discrimination in the army through the display of bravery and valor. Still more died, like the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts regiment, in their fight for equality. Therefore, although Lincoln had given them a motive to reak free, it was the blacks’ own courage to fight for their own freedom which ultimately led to their emancipation. The North’s victory over the South in 1865 meant that the slaves were finally free. As freedpeople, one of their foremost desires was to own land as land meant subsistence and sufficiency (Norton et al, 2008). Also, because it was all they had known to do, many fell back on plantation agriculture as their livelihood. Some, like Josua Culverson and Major X Whiteing, applied for leases through the U. S. Com of Plantations (Linden Pressly, n. ). Because most freedpeople had no money to purchase land, they could only lend it on credit. However, because of preexisting prejudices, freedpeople found even that to be a task. Consequently, they returned to their old farms where they had worked as slaves. However, unlike previously, these freedpeople sought to better their situation by reaching an agreement with the owner through a system known as sharecropping. Often, such an agreement would entail the provision of food and seeds in exchange for a portion of the crop earnings (Norton et al. 2008). Such is the case between William R. Steen, a white citizen, and Caroline, a colored woman; along with 7 other Arkansas freedpeople whom by contract, had to give one third part of the crop raised upon the farm by their labor to the owner of the farm (Linden Pressly, n. d). The years 1865 to 1877 saw efforts in reconstructing the war-torn South. A huge hurdle existed then to reconcile the freed blacks with southern whites, who were so used to operating in a slave society that their prejudices could not be eradicated so easily. Furthermore, they were threatened by the rise of black status and into the ranks of political power so much so that a group of whites came together and formed the first Ku Klux Klan; a society which sought to maintain white supremacy through intimidation, violence and terrorism (Norton et al. , 2008). Klansmen committed murder, arson, and rape whilst asserting their notion of white supremacy. As a result, despite having been emancipated, the freed blacks still suffered considerable pain and fear under the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Amongst the most targeted were blacks who had rose to political power. Ann J. Edwards, the daughter of a black Congressman recounted that â€Å"We, his family, lived in constant fear A day or two before election a mob gathered†¦in front of the house, and we thought the end had come. † (Sterling, n. d). More gruesome was the story of Joe Johnson who was elected into the Republican office. He was burnt nearly to death, and shot because of his refusal to resign from office (Sterling, n. ). His execution was witnessed by his wife who could do nothing against the oppressive terror and violence of the Ku Klux Klan. Blacks were not the only victims of the Ku Klux Klan regime. Whites who openly supported blacks saw their lives being threatened as well. Hannah Flournoy, a black woman, gave account of an execution involving a white Georgian who had supported the black cause. â€Å"[Men] bolted right in and commenced shooting†¦They were disguised but I knew a great many of them. Hannah â€Å"thought it right to take [Ashburn] in† and was â€Å"willing to die for him† simply on the basis of him being a Republican (Sterling, n. d). The incident reflected the loyalty of many blacks to stand beside those, white or otherwise, who sought to uphold their natural rights. Teachers were another group being targeted. Colored schools came under the attack of the Klan and were burnt to the ground (Norton et al, 2008). Many blacks endured the hardship of abuse and violence despite its injustice and unlawfulness. Recounted Harriet Hernandez, â€Å"He struck me on the forehead with a pistol†¦kicked me over [the fence]†¦dragged and beat [me and my daughter] along. † Despite the blacks being freed in the South, the activities of the Ku Klux Klan ensured that blacks would not enjoy the same rights as whites. â€Å"[Colored people] have no satisfaction to live like humans†¦all summer I have been working and it is impossible for me to enjoy it†, said Harriet (Sterling, n. d). Despite all the violence inflicted on them, blacks exhibited extraordinary courage in the face of threats by Klansmen. Emeline Bremfield whose husband was a target of the Klan, stood unwavering in the face of death, as the Klan confronted her of her husband’s whereabouts (Sterling, n. d). Blacks even went out of their way to fit into a black aggrieved society. Many like, Caroline Smith and Lucy McMillan, dressed down in order not to stand out for fear of being whipped (Sterling, n. d). Although the Ku Klux Klan‘s primary motive was the assertion of white political power, Klansmen took every opportunity they got to assert white supremacy mindsets. McMillan’s house was burned simply because she had mentioned she wanted to own land. Smith was whipped only to remind her not to â€Å"sass any white ladies† (Sterling, n. d). Aside from the destruction of property and life, black women suffered in yet another form – sexual assault. Klansmen sought to assert their superiority over black women by sexually harassing them. Some black women were even mutilated, like Frances Gilmore who was â€Å"cut with a knife†, or gang raped (Sterling, n. d). Racial hostility and terror ultimately brought down the Republican regime in the South. Efforts by the Ku Klux Klan prevented strong presence of the Republican coalition in the South and a restoration of the Democratic majority. The Klan continued to terrorize black people and ran amok until the Enforcement Acts and subsequent persecutions brought an end to the first Klan. Overall, the blacks suffered greatly during the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. Despite having obtained emancipation, prejudices continued to affect their lives. Although we now know that it did not succeed in driving them out of the country, blacks today continue to face the same prejudices.

Symbolism and Interpretation in Animal Farm Essay example -- Animal Fa

Symbolism and Interpretation in Animal Farm When Orwell published Animal Farm in 1945, a popular belief held that the Soviet Union was an honorable nation. Orwell hoped to write a novel that exposed the murderous truth of the Soviet System; he employed allegory to show a truth that remained unclear to many. As an allegory on early 20th Century Russia, ANIMAL FARM introduces its audience to a wide array of characters--each serving as a symbol. The table below provides a list of fictional characters, events, and items from the film ANIMAL FARM, and the real-life counterparts they appear to represent. Consider how each character could also be interpreted to have a larger, broader meaning. Farmer Jones : The farmer stands for the Russian Czar Nicolas II who was forced to abdicate after the successful February Revolution. In addition, Mr. Jones symbolizes the evils of capitalism, and the moral decline of men under this type of society. Humans: The humans stand for the capitalists, who exploit the weak. The gradual transformation of the pigs into human-like creatures represents the process by which the revolution's leaders became corrupted. Whether capitalist or communist in name, the underlying reality of many political systems is tyranny. Old Major: Many believe Orwell made Old Major a symbol for Karl Marx, the father of the Communist belief system. Both Old Major and Karl Marx serve as the founders of a revolutionary creed, and both die before the revolutionary events they predict. Snowball: Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Like Trotsky, Snowball is a smart, young speaker who dreams of making life better for all animals. One of the early leaders of the "October Revolution", Trotsky was banish... ...work and submissive behavior. "Beasts of England": This song--which becomes the official creed of the animals' revolution--represents the "Communist Internationale," a real song penned by supporters of communism in the early 1900's. Windmill: The windmill stands for Russian industry. Soviet leaders focused on making Russia industrially modern after the Revolution of 1917. Joseph Stalin, in particular, drew up several "Five Year Plans," which plotted the tremendous growth of Russia's railroads, factories, coal and metal mines. Contemporary Connection: In the original novel, Orwell ends the story with the pigs' ultimate ascension. The cartoon film version flashes us forward to a world after the pigs' fall. How does the film update Orwell's allegory? Research the history of Russia and Eastern Europe over the past 20 years. Who might Jessie represent? Symbolism and Interpretation in Animal Farm Essay example -- Animal Fa Symbolism and Interpretation in Animal Farm When Orwell published Animal Farm in 1945, a popular belief held that the Soviet Union was an honorable nation. Orwell hoped to write a novel that exposed the murderous truth of the Soviet System; he employed allegory to show a truth that remained unclear to many. As an allegory on early 20th Century Russia, ANIMAL FARM introduces its audience to a wide array of characters--each serving as a symbol. The table below provides a list of fictional characters, events, and items from the film ANIMAL FARM, and the real-life counterparts they appear to represent. Consider how each character could also be interpreted to have a larger, broader meaning. Farmer Jones : The farmer stands for the Russian Czar Nicolas II who was forced to abdicate after the successful February Revolution. In addition, Mr. Jones symbolizes the evils of capitalism, and the moral decline of men under this type of society. Humans: The humans stand for the capitalists, who exploit the weak. The gradual transformation of the pigs into human-like creatures represents the process by which the revolution's leaders became corrupted. Whether capitalist or communist in name, the underlying reality of many political systems is tyranny. Old Major: Many believe Orwell made Old Major a symbol for Karl Marx, the father of the Communist belief system. Both Old Major and Karl Marx serve as the founders of a revolutionary creed, and both die before the revolutionary events they predict. Snowball: Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Like Trotsky, Snowball is a smart, young speaker who dreams of making life better for all animals. One of the early leaders of the "October Revolution", Trotsky was banish... ...work and submissive behavior. "Beasts of England": This song--which becomes the official creed of the animals' revolution--represents the "Communist Internationale," a real song penned by supporters of communism in the early 1900's. Windmill: The windmill stands for Russian industry. Soviet leaders focused on making Russia industrially modern after the Revolution of 1917. Joseph Stalin, in particular, drew up several "Five Year Plans," which plotted the tremendous growth of Russia's railroads, factories, coal and metal mines. Contemporary Connection: In the original novel, Orwell ends the story with the pigs' ultimate ascension. The cartoon film version flashes us forward to a world after the pigs' fall. How does the film update Orwell's allegory? Research the history of Russia and Eastern Europe over the past 20 years. Who might Jessie represent?

Renaissance Artifacts Essay

OBJECTIVE Renaissance world-view can be characterized by its humanistic orientation. The objective of this work is to analyze cultural artifacts from the Renaissance showing how they reflect the values of the time and will incorporate the testimony of two experts in the field.    INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The manner in which the expression of values that exist within a civilization’s culture during a time period in their production of artifacts has been noted in the study of archaeologist and anthropologists who report the different religious and cultural beliefs that have been revealed in those artifacts. The artifacts of the Renaissance are no different and study of the artifacts of this time period reveals much as to the values held by those who lived at that time. CONSUMERISM IN THE RENAISSANCE REVEALED   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the work of Charles Paul Freund entitled: â€Å"Buying Into Culture† published in the June 1998 Reason journal publication is the account of how one form of Renaissance art reflects the cultural values of that time evidenced in the statement of Jardine in the work entitled: â€Å"Worldly Goods† a 1996 history of the Renaissance. Stated by Jardine is:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Titian’s canvases of statuesque naked women in recumbent poses were regarded as learnedly symbolic by nineteenth century art historians†¦.Only recently did contemporary correspondence come to light which showed that these works of art were painted to meet a vigorous demand for bedroom paintings depicting erotic nudes in salacious poses.† (Jardine, 1996; as cited by Freund, 1998) Jardine gives the account of the Duke of Urbino referred to the painting entitled: â€Å"The Venus of Urbino† as a ‘naked woman’ and of how that he was visited by a churchman in 1542 specifically the Cardinal Farnese who upon seeing the painting: â€Å"†¦rushed off to commission a similarly erotic nude of his own from Titan in Venice.† (1996) To support the statement above of: â€Å"†¦a vigorous demand for bedroom paintings depicting erotic nudes in salacious poses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  being the driver for these type paintings which characterize art during this time period Jardine relates the fact that when a report came concerning the progress of the painting’s completion: â€Å"†¦the Papal Nuncio in Venice expressed the view that the Cardinal’s nude†¦made The Venus of Urbino look like a frigid nun. â€Å" (Jardine, 1996; as cited by Freund, 1998) Freund makes the comment in relation to the analysis of Jardine of the Renaissance that: â€Å"What we regard as â€Å"consumerist† behavior does not begin with industrialization and the manufacture of cheap, ready-made goods; it can be traced to antiquity. One revealing way to trace its past is through the proclamation through history of so-called sumptuary laws that attempted to control acquisitiveness.† (1998) Freund relates the fact that it was those selfsame laws that effectively and â€Å"expressly limited the quality of things†¦that any given individual was allowed to own or display† stating additionally that these laws had as their purpose to â€Å"†¦maintain the political and status quo.† (1998) The actual expression as noted by Freund concerning the work of Jardine is that Jardine is relating the â€Å"†¦the translation of material wealth into an assertion of individualism.† (1998) ACCUMULATION, PRODUCTION AND EXCHANGE In the work entitled: â€Å"The Production of English Renaissance Culture† by authors David Lee Miller, Sharon O’Dair, and Harold Weber and published in the Modern Philology Journal in February 1997 are nine essays that review subjects of literature from the Renaissances time period. Miller, O’Dair and Weber have as their focus in their study upon how it is in this Renaissance society that: â€Å"†¦the cultural treasures and values of Renaissance England are entangled with the economic and political dynamics of accumulation, production, and exchange† p.1 (1997) III. SEXUALIZATION OF CHRIST IN RENAISSANCE ART   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Renaissance art was very focused on the depiction of Christ in a sexualized manner. The work of Janet Heer in a National Post article entitled; â€Å"The Sexuality of Christ† states that our ancestors â€Å"had a healthier sense of the body than we do. Where we fear to glance at the right nipple of Janet Jackson, Renaissance artists lavished attention on the penis of Christ.† (2004) Heer goes on to state that the art historian Leo Steinberg, â€Å"In his 1983 classic â€Å"The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion’†¦.stated that: † †¦the first necessity is to admit a long-suppressed matter of fact that Renaissance art, both north and south of the Alps, produced a large body of devotional images in which the Genitalia of the Christ Child, or of the dead Christ, received such demonstrative emphasis that one must recognize an ostentatio genitalium comparable to the canonic ostenta tion vulnerum, the showing forth of the wounds.† (Heer, 2004)It is additionally related in the article written by Heer that â€Å"Steinberg demonstrated that these erotic images of Christ served a very specific religious purpose: they embodied the doctrine of the incarnation showing that Christ was fully human even though divinely perfect.† (2004) SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The Renaissance was a time of rebirth or reassertion and as shown by the works reviewed during the course of this study, the assertion of consumerism in the Renaissance society was a great driver in the production of art or artifacts from that time period. This work has further shown that the economic and political dynamics or the â€Å"accumulation, production and exchange† of goods is that which was the driver of the production of cultural treasures throughout the world during the period of time known as the Renaissance.   However, it cannot be said that consumerism only drove the production of art during the Renaissance. In fact, it appears that the art or artifacts produced during the Renaissance period reflect a spiritual shift in the world that was occurring in what seems to be a time that the world questioned more deeply their ‘human† selves specifically as to their inherent ‘human-ness’ and that connection to the spiritual world. WORKS CITED Freund, Charles Paul (1998) Buying Into Culture: How Commerce Cultivates Art. Reason June 1998. Online available at: http://reason.com/9806/fe.freund.shtml. Miller, D.; O’Dair, S.; and Weber, H. (1997) The Production of English Renaissance Culture. Journal of Modern Philology, Vol. 94, No. 3 February 1997 pp. 372-376. University of Chicago Press. Heer, Janet (2004) The Sexuality of Christ. National Post 2004 Feb 27. Online available at: http://www.jeetheer.com/culture/christ.htm.

Philosophical Context in Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis

Intro Kafka never fully embraced Zionism, and he remained ambivalent toward Judaism. He was more openly interested in anarchism and socialism, but was not committed to either philosophy because he refused to completely align himself with an established worldview. Modernism -Kafka was exposed to Modernism. -Modernism was a movement during the late 19th century and early twentieth century of scientific, technological and industrial development. Modernists shared a desire to create literature that was new and different. Their belief was to capture the reality of modern life and that rapid change cause uncertainty, disjointedness, and alienation. Kafka wrote about the absurdity of existence, the alienating experience of modern life, and the cruelty of authoritarian power. -The word Kafkaesque has passed into the literature to describe an unsettling, disorienting, nightmarish world that is at once both fearful and menacing in its ambiguity and complexity. Kafka's views on Humanity Speakin g with his friend Max Brod, Kafka once explained that he thought human beings were trapped in a hopeless world. This belief never leaves Kafka's writing, and it is present in The Metamorphosis, where Gregor's only option, in the end, is to die. Ironically, the story ends on an optimistic note, as the family puts itself back together. Existentialism -Kafka never studied philosophy but he was friends with several intellectuals and read works by famous philosophers. -Several people think of Kafka as an existentialist. -Existentialism is a 20th-century philosophical movement, which assumes that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves. -The early 19th century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard is regarded as the father of existentialism. -Franz Kafka was an important literary author in existentialism. His story, which is surreal, is one of many modernist literary works that was influenced by existentialist philosophy. -The Metamorphosis advances the existential view of the responsibility of the individual to maintain a balance between work and leisure. If one chooses to devote their life entirely to work, they are no more than droning insects, yet if they devote their lives to leisure, they are no better off. -Gregor initially chooses society over himself, which in turn transformed him into the working drone he was. After his physical transformation, he is forced reassert his focus to himself, and society abandons him. Nietzche and Kierkgaard -Kierkegaard and Nietzsche considered the role of making free choices,  Kierkegaard's  knight of faith  and Nietzsche's  Ubermensch  are representative of people who exhibit  Freedom and define the nature of their own existence. -Nietzsche's ideal individual invents his or her own values and creates the terms under which they excel. -Gregor's monstrous insect form represents Gregor's radical refusal to submit to society's values like Nietzschean Ubermensch. Martin Buber -Kafka was friends with philosopher and existentialist Martin Buber. They would send each other letters and these letters were later published in Bubers The letters of Martin Buber: a life of dialogue. Together they discussed existentialism and were part of a literary circle. They were both jewish and anarchists. -Shared existentialist rejection of achieving real satisfaction in life. Characters in Kafka’s tales are left wanting something, needing a connection to the world that can never be made complete. Sigmund Freud -Kafka was familiar with the newly published works of Sigmund Freud. -However, he was no Freudian disciple and wrote negatively of psychoanalytic theory. But Gregor's conflict with his father and the dream-like quality of the story realtes to Freud's analysis of dreams and the Oedipal complex: – A subconscious sexual desire in a child, especially a male child, for the parent of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by hostility to the parent of the same sex. – All sons feel they are in competition with their father and often feel in a battle against the father. Father vs. Son in Metamorphosis -Gregor seems to have a difficult relationship with his father. His family rejects him, and his main enemy is his father, who wants to kill him. When Gregors father sees Gregor in his insect form, he shakes his fist at him and glares at him fiercely. Later he attacks him with a newspaper and a walking stick, and, bombards him with apples, causing him serious injury. -He is also makes sarcastic comments, suggesting for instance that Gregor's room is untidy. -It also turns out that he has deceived Gregor about the family finances, thus extending the length of Gregor's employment at the hateful traveling salesman's job. -He also does not seem particularly appreciative of the money Gregor has been bringing in. Gregor's disappointment over the lack of appreciation is one of the few critical thoughts he thinks about his father. -He also thinks briefly that the money his father hid from him could have been used to free him from his job sooner, but he quickly dismisses the thought by saying that no doubt his father knew best. -Basically Gregors father abuses him, but he suppresses his angry responses and accepts his downtrodden state. Marx and Kafka -Karl Marx believed alienation is a result of capitalism. – Kafka was influenced by his political philosophy of Marxism. A Marxist would read Gregor's inability to work as a protest against the dehumanizing and alienating effects of working in a capitalistic society. -Gregor Samsa, the protagonist, signifies the proletariat, or the working class, and his unnamed manager represents the bourgeoisie. -The conflict that arises between the two after Gregor's metamorphosis, which leaves him unable to work, represents the dehumanizing structure of class relations. -Finally, the results of Gregors inability to work is abandonment by his family and death. -The words he chooses to describe his job, â€Å"torture,† â€Å"worrying,† and â€Å"miserable† show his discontent with his job. He says, â€Å"If I didn't hold back for my parents' sake, I would have quit long ago†. It is only economic necessity that keeps him going to work everyday. Historical Context -In 1912, when Kafka was writing â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† Prague was a city of ethnic tensions, primarily between Czechs and Germans and between Czechs and Jews. -Economically, the late nineteenth century marked the climax of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. -Industrial development within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was not as advanced as in Europe but Prague was one of the most advanced and prosperous cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, along with the prosperity created by the new industrialism came dislocation and disruption of the old ways, largely as a result of the shift of large numbers of people from the countryside to the city. Industrialization also meant the appearance of large numbers of jobs, for both factory and office workers, which was hardwork. And the school syst em enforced a system of routine learning that seemed relentlessly joyless—at least it seemed joyless to young Kafka, who hated school, just as he hated his first full? time job. Long hours at boring jobs create alienation. And oppressive employers like Gregor's were normal.