Letters From The Samantha :: essays research papers

An interesting short story is "Letters from The Samantha" by Mark Helpin. This story tells the fascinating tale, in the form of never sent letters, of an ape brought aboard an iron-hulled sailing ship in 1909 by Samson Low, the ship’s captain. Although the author makes a point to tell the reader, through Samson Low, that the animal does not symbolize anything or mean anything, in fact, "He stands for nothing" (280), several arguments can be made to contradict this. One could argue that the ape symbolized the untamed and rarely used wild side of Samson Low through a comparison of their personalities, appearances, and the way they are treated by others. Samson Low was a captain of a ship owned by the Green Star Line. He is a stickler for rules and the proper code of conduct. When writing to his company, he reminds them of "the complete absence of disciplinary action against me" (271). This serves to highlight that he has never been in trouble or bro ken the rules. He is comfortable and comforted by his pattern of obedience and thinks others must be as well: "Though my subordinates sometimes complain, they are grateful no doubt, for my firm rule and tidiness" (271). His ship is always on time or even ahead of schedule. The picture painted is of a steady, reliable, conservative man who always does the appropriate thing in a situation. However, a typhoon the ship sails through reveals a different, less predictable side. When describing the typhoon, Samson thinks, "I confess that I have wished to be completely taken up by such a thing, to be lifted into the clouds†¦" (272). This is hardly the thought of a truly buttoned-down man. He also imagines surrendering to the seas, "But I have not, and will not." (272). While he seems content with his life, Samson Low’s secret yearnings sometimes show through. It is because of this Samson seems jealous of the ape and the things it has experienced. Sa mson has only dreamed while the ape has actually lived. The ape, when first aboard, climbs the rigging to the highest point from there he has a total view of the ship below and all that goes on much like a "pharaonic" captain would do. While in the rigging the ape shrieks and hollers frightening the crew until the captain climbs up to it.

Heavy Metal Music

Imagine, if you will, being surrounded by millions of people, waiting in anticipation for the band to come on. You can't breathe because the people are being squeezed into you by their neighbors. You are sweating, trying to catch every bit of oxygen you can from the air, while others are jumping up and down, hitting you as they wait for the band. Finally, the band comes on stage and you are excited, and they start with: (play music here). This, is what heavy metal music is all about. I have been listening to heavy metal music since I was an infant. My first CD was Metallica's Master of Puppets CD that my dad let me have. I have researched many heavy metal bands as the years have gone by. I know what you are thinking, what does heavy metal music have to do with me? Well, metal music is all around you. You can walk down the street and hear someone's radio playing it. You can hear it in some rap songs, like; â€Å"Bring the Noize† by Public Enemy with Anthrax, and â€Å"Let's Go† by Trick Daddy who took the intro of â€Å"Crazy Train† by Ozzy Osbourne, and put a beat over it. You can even hear it in country music from Cross Canadian Ragweed as they took a solo by heavy metal guitarist Dimebag Darrell and put it in their song, â€Å"Dimebag.† Heavy metal music is one of the most copied genres of music out there. Today I am going to tell you about what heavy metal really is, the beginning of heavy metal, and the impact that heavy metal has had on today's society. First, what is heavy metal music? Dee Snider, the spokesman of all that is heavy metal, defines metal as, â€Å"Drum-pounding-, bass-booming-, guitar-distorted-, and singer-belting-music.† That is the worldwide definition of heavy metal. Heavy metal brings together three genres of music, blues, psychedelic rock, and classical music. Early bands included keyboards, or organs, into their music, but recent bands have gone away from using the keyboard. Heavy metal usually, but not always, contains a single formula. A drummer, a bassist, a rhythm guitarist, a lead guitarist, and a singer, who may or may not play some kind of instrument. With this formula, it is obvious that their music is purely based on the instruments. A heavy metal drummer uses a larger drum setup than most other rock genres. The singer of the heavy metal band is very important, equally important as the guitarists. The singers can have a large vocal range, like that of Ronnie James Dio of the band Rainbow, or they can be mellow like that of James Hetfield of Metallica. The guitarists' high distortion is the key to metal music. This gives it the heavy metal â€Å"sound.† Also, unlike many other genres of rock, the bassist is important to the band. It is not uncommon to hear a bassist throw in his/her own solo into the song. As a whole, the band uses very high volume. The louder the music, the better. Now that you know what heavy metal is, I will tell you about the beginning of it. The start of metal can be very confusing. For instance, Deena Weinstein, in her book, Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture, credited Black Sabbath with the start of heavy metal, but this is not entirely true. Carlos M. Pozo, in his book Caucasion Power Blues, wrote, â€Å"Blue Cheer's cover of â€Å"Summertime Blues† by Eddie Cochrane, is the first heavy metal song.† â€Å"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida† by Iron Butterfly is another one of the earliest heavy metal songs. Then, in 1969, came Black Sabbath. At about the same time as Sabbath, another big metal band emerged. This band went by the name of Led Zeppelin. Even though these two bands did not start heavy metal, they brought it to the public. Sabbath and Zeppelin are two of the most popular rock, let alone heavy metal, bands of all time. They faced much criticism at first, but as more people hated them, others started loving them. These people were the â€Å"rebels†, the ones that did not want to listen to their parents because it was their lives, not their parents'. Because of these â€Å"rebels,† heavy metal's popularity has grown drastically over the years. Regardless of what their parents said, they continued buying heavy metal albums, sometimes they even bought more than usual, in spite of their parents. This sparked rise of heavy metal in later years. That is how heavy metal began, now it is time to learn about the impact it has had on society. Heavy metal has had a drastic impact on society today. According to Encyclopedia Metallica, which is an online website that displays news about Metallica, â€Å"All Metallica albums are banned in Jordan because newspapers called them â€Å"satanists† and â€Å"devil-worshipers.† People were listening to Metallica and destroying things around town, so they had to ban Metallica. During the '80s, parents disliked the heavy metal music so much, they decided to try to get some kind of warning on the albums. This resulted in the Parental Advisory sticker on every explicit CD you see today. This is not the only impact that heavy metal music has had. In 1990, heavy metal band, Judas Priest, were sued because the parents of James Vance, and Ray Belknap believed that Priest's music contained subliminal messages that forced these two men to commit suicide. It was found that these two men were highly suicidal before finding Judas Priest, therefore, Priest were found innocent. This is, yet, another situation where the parents dislike heavy metal so much, that they blame the bands for the death of their children. Sadly, this is a recurring action taken by the parents that will not stop until the hate of heavy metal music is gone, which will not happen any time soon. This is the impact that heavy metal has had on society. Heavy metal music has been alive since the '60s. Even though Black Sabbath are credited with being the first worldwide popular heavy metal band, they did not start it. Heavy metal has become quite popular since it began, and has changed society from day one. So, today you learned what heavy metal music is, about the beginning of heavy metal, and it's impact on society. So, I leave you with a quote from AC/DC, â€Å"For those about to rock, we salute you!†

The Legacy Of The Golden State - 1633 Words

The Golden State has been portrayed and imagined as a state that had the potential of becoming a beacon of modernity, originality and beauty. Boosters of the region sold California as a romantic destination that rivaled scenarios from the country it tried to emulate, Spain. This imagination brought forth growth, both economically and socially, to cities like Los Angeles but with danger and controversy in their way. In the process of building a defining image for California, these boosters embraced but erased the people and cultures that existed in California before the arrival of the Anglos. They essentially took away what these cultures had built upon in California and took them as their own while keeping these cultures out of the picture. This racial exclusion persisted throughout 20th century California. One city where this exclusion was persistent was Los Angeles which throughout much of its 20th century history, the habitants of Los Angeles practiced racial exclusion both explic itly and implicitly. Such arguments like the rise of suburbanization, natural disasters having a double standard in terms of social class and the exclusion of the races in California’s history warrant that the city and state alike had problems in dealing with racial tensions; so much so that the booster tried so seemingly to hide from everyone else. Regardless, everyone living in Southern California was put in danger by these boosters who kept information about the nature of the area from all itsShow MoreRelatedImpact Of Sports In The 1920s884 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The 1920s has been called the Golden Age of American Sports†(Sumner par 1). The roaring twenties had many sports icons and many sports upcomings. Some highlights of the Golden Age are from baseball, football, basketball, boxing, golf, and horse racing. All these sports were relevant and popular during the 20s. Sports has had an impact on society since the 1920s and still has an impact on society today through exciting sports and exciting players. In the 1920s sports started to change. The twentiesRead MoreHercules: A Greek Tale 1170 Words   |  5 Pagesplays as an important setting in many Greek myths, such as the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and many other important roles in Greek Mythology. The demigod, Hercules has an interesting origin, he is most famous for his 12 labors, and leaves a legacy in words and expressions. Hercules has an interesting origin. Hercules was conceived by Zeus of divine nature and a mortal woman named Alcmene. Zeus appeared to her one night disguised as her husband, Amphitryon. Her actual husband reappeared toRead MoreAristotles Balance of Eudaimonia880 Words   |  4 Pagesnorthern Greece. During his lifetime, he studied variety of subjects and brought knowledge to all aspects (Blackburn). He viewed that as a human, a subject who’s determined goal is to reach virtue and Arà ªte, is connected with nature and its balance (Golden Mean). Aristotle also viewed a good life as political questions. He analyzed that human’s basic shape of desire and aim is formed at the age of six (Hare). The good life, then, was defined by Aristotle as ‘the activity of the soul in accordance withRead MoreCase Study : Heineken s Beer Market1607 Words   |  7 Pages MGMT720 Project Team 4 Paper Topic: Heineken in Myanmar Assignment C: Personal trust building Matthew Luk Introduction: The Myanmar’s beer market that has long been dominated by Myanmar Brewery, a state-owned firm which is closely connected with the Myanmar military, with ~80 percent market share. Although Myanmar’s beer consumption is some of the lowest in Asia at just 3.2 liters per person, it is estimated to undergo rapid growth as the market is opening after the election of Aung SanRead MoreFast Food Is Responsible For The Biggest Legacy Of Food Industry997 Words   |  4 PagesGolden Arches Fast food is the term given to food that is prepared and served very quickly, first popularized in the 1950s in the United States. The â€Å"fast food† term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. Once you take your first bite you only find yourself coming back for more. Fast food is responsible for the biggest legacy in food industry, plays the biggest role in our economyRead MoreTo What Extent Was There a ‘Post War Consensus’ in British Politics from 1951 to 1964?913 Words   |  4 Pageswasted’, whereas historian Robert Blake (a supporter of the Conservatives’, regards it as a ‘Golden age of growth’. The likes of Kevin Jeffrey’s even argue that consensus had even started before the war. Overall, the central issue was the idea of a mixed economy. If we were to argue that there was indeed a post war consensus in British politics from 1951 to 1964, it would be easy to turn straight away to the legacy of the feats in Clement Atlee’s government policies from July 1945 to October 1951. Atlee’sRead MoreMy Grandfather s Legacy Of Life978 Words   |  4 Pagesencountered in his life. My Grandfather’s legacy does not rest solely with the number of years he has been alive on earth. Instead the legacy of his life remains with the the individuals he has a made an impact on. His love rests in the soils of the earth as he has reaped the rewards of kindness and rewarded to every individual. I imagine that as my Grandfather passes the age the eighty five years old a golden cord is tied between him and my great grandmother. This golden cord is vital lifeline between theRead MoreExplain the Archaeological/Written Evidence of the Uniqueness of Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Eighteenth Dynasty.1264 Words   |  6 PagesExplain the archaeological/written evidence of the uniqueness of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Eighteenth Dynasty. Tutankhamun was an Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh whose legacy extends to the present, and currently one of the best-known ancient Egyptians of all-time. The â€Å"Boy King† inherited the throne at the age of nine, his reign lasting only ten years before his sudden unexpected death. The traditional burial customs and funeral processions were carried out upon him, but the tomb he was laid to restRead MoreUnderstanding The New Kingdom Of Egypt1723 Words   |  7 Pagesagriculture, Nubian Pharaohs, religion, and war. Of particular interest is the manner in which this historical knowledge is repeatedly made relevant in today’s world. Culture Spanning approximately 1550 to 1070 BCE, the New Kingdom of Egypt represents a golden age, one which was almost the opposite of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt in terms of its accomplishments. Some of the most prestigious names of ancient Egypt come from this period, such as Hatsetshup, the female pharaoh, Thutmose III, Ramses II, theRead MoreThe Roman And Roman History1542 Words   |  7 PagesEmperor Augustus ruled over a period that is known as the Roman Peace (Pax Romana), from his reign in 27 B.C to his death in 14 A.D. In Virgil’s character Anchises (As seen above), Augustus is portrayed to have brought to fruition a golden age in Roman history. His ability to turn Rome from the ravages of civil war into a prosperous empire was accomplished through the harnessing of his exceptional administrative powers. Emphasis placed on religious reinvigoration and social reform helped forge a

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Analysis of Act 3 of A Dolls House Essay - 661 Words

Analysis of Act 3 of A Dolls House For most of the play, we see Torvald delighting in Nora’s dependence upon him but not in his control over her, but as the play progresses the side of Torvald we see is more pushover than dictator. In the scene following the party, Torvald’s enjoyment of his control over Nora takes on a darker tone. He treats her like his possession, like the young girl he first acquired years ago. Contributing to the feeling of control that Torvald is exercising over Nora is that the evening has been of Torvald’s design—he dresses Nora in a costume of his choosing and coaches her to dance the tarantella in the manner that he finds â€Å"desirable.† The hollowness of Torvald’s promises to save Nora shows how†¦show more content†¦He panics upon learning of Nora’s crime, not because he cares about what will happen to her but because he worries that his reputation will be damaged if knowledge of Nora’s crime becomes public. Instead of treating Nora with understanding and gratitude for her noble intent, he threatens and blames her and then immediately begins to think of ways to cover up the shame that she has cast on his family. His proclamation of â€Å"I’m saved† after Krogstad’s letter of retraction arrives reflects that he has been thinking only of himself in his panic. He says nothing about Nora until she asks, â€Å"And me?† His casual response—â€Å"You too, naturally†Ã¢â‚¬â€reveals how much her well-being is an afterthought to him. Torvald’s selfish reaction to Krogstad’s letter opens Nora’s eyes to the truth about her relationship with Torvald and leads her to rearrange her priorities and her course of action. Her shift from thinking about suicide to deciding to walk out on Torvald reflects an increased independence and sense of self. Whereas she earlier she succumbs pressure from Torvald to preserve the appearance of idealized family life, she now realizes that she can exist outside Torvald’s confined realm. Torvald’s explanation for refusing to take the blame—that a man can never sacrifice his integrity for love—again reveals the depth of his gender bias. Nora’s response thatShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House 970 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House Ashleen Kaushal TOPIC: The theme of heredity in the play I. Introduction Henrik Ibsen’s three-act play, A Doll’s House, follows a seemingly typical housewife as she becomes painfully aware of the flaws in her marriage with a condescending, chauvinistic man. Ibsen uses the ideology of a Victorian society as a backdrop to inject the theme of heredity in the play. He employs several characters to demonstrate the different facets of heredity in order to highlight how this conceptRead MoreA Critics Opinion of a Dolls House1743 Words   |  7 PagesDestiny Maxfield Mrs. Collar Engl. 1302 19 November 2012 A Critic’s Opinion of A Doll’s House In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House many views could be seen from both sides of the gender world. Critics will argue about the true meaning of the story and why Ibsen wrote the story. The main points of the play that critics discuss are sexuality i.e. feminism, the wrong doing of the father figure, and spiritual revolution. I believe these critics are each right in their own way from my understanding of theRead MoreWritten Task Dolls House1173 Words   |  5 PagesOutline Prescribed question: Power and privilege: â€Å"How and why is a social group represented in a particular way? Title of text for analysis: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, Norway 1879. Task is related to course section: Part 3: Literature texts and context Task focus: This essay focuses on Ibsen’s way of representing women, it explains why does he represent them in that specific particular way and how the time, era and context he lived in affected this aim. It states that women areRead More Analysis Of Ibsens A Dolls House Essay1839 Words   |  8 PagesA Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attemptRead MoreAnalysis of Doll House Play Essay1916 Words   |  8 PagesMrs. Mary Rorke English 102 1st Nov. 2005 A Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wifeRead MoreComparing The Historical And Intellectual Circumstances Surrounding The Writing Of Two3390 Words   |  14 Pageshistorical and intellectual circumstances surrounding the writing of two formally contrasting plays, commenting on their impact upon each play’s purpose and reception. (Choose one realist and one non-realist play from the list of set texts) A defining act, speech or movement can make history. When someone goes against the norm and convention is thrown aside, defining work is immediately recognised. History is made up of good and bad, the moral and immoral, but all encompass one another. The thought ofRead MoreThe Theme of Feminism in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay2521 Words   |  11 Pagesand social dependence, and her dependence through her children. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen argues that a dependent woman will be passive and unwilling to speak her mind. She will not try to understand the abstract reality of life, unless it contain to her lifestyle at home. Instead she will let the title of her marriage suppress her. She will lose sight of finding her own independence and instead become a doll living in a house. Nora, the protagonist of the play has all of these qualities Nora’sRead MoreIbsen11859 Words   |  48 PagesBrasher, M.F.A. Committee Member ______________________________ Kenneth Cleaver, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ James Nutter, D.A. Honors Director ______________________________ Date Forshey 3 Abstract In Henrik Ibsen’s plays, A Doll’s House, The Wild Duck, The Lady from the Sea, and Hedda Gabler, the theme of captivity is demonstrated in the female protagonists Nora, Hedvig, Ellida, and Hedda. The theme of captivity also serves as a performance guide for the portrayalRead MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesMa. Jennifer S. Yap Dr. Sherwin Perlas World Literature January 14, 2012 A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen Translated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. 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Should We Spend Time In The Sun Free Essays

Sunbathing and getting a suntan is getting more and more popular nowadays. Researches show a trend of getting suntan, just for fashion and good-looking, as they consider suntans to be healthy and attractive. Especially in the case of teenagers, no matter boys or girls, who mostly do this because of following their idols’ appearance or even as a habit or an obsession (Source 1 and 2). We will write a custom essay sample on Should We Spend Time In The Sun? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Because of this, more and more people tend to spend their holidays abroad as to get a suntan by holidaying in hot countries and using sunbed. Between 1971 and 2001, the number of trips had increased form 4. millions to 38. 7 millions, making a huge difference of over 9 times (Source 3). Also people are spending a lot of money to create fake tan and to use sunbed. Unfortunately, researches show that people who sunbathe show a higher risk of getting skin cancer, and the earlier they start, the higher the risk (Source 2 and 4). From the researches, I can see that in recent years, more and more people are willing to spend money on using sunbeds and creating fake tans (Source 2), so the income and popularity of these businesses increases. Also, a trend of holidaying in hot and sunny countries is shown (Source 3 and 4), creating more business opportunities for tourism in countries such as Italy and Spain. It is believed that spending time in the sun is the main cause of skin cancer (Source 5 and 6). The energy from the sun contains Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and there are two types of rays that exist in it, which are Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB). They damage DNA, the genetic material that makes up genes. Genes control the growth and overall health of skin cells. If the genetic damage is severe, a normal skin cell may grow abnormally in the way of cancer cells. UV can also cause sunburn, and other damage that makes the skin look prematurely old and wrinkled. That is why many protection attempts are taken, such as avoiding excessive exposure to the sun (Source 6), and using sunscreen to increase our protection, the higher the Sun Protection Factor (SPF), the higher the protection you get (Source 7 and 8) The chances of getting a suntan, sunburn or skin cancer depend on many factors. One of the main factors is your skin colour (Source 9 and 10), the darker your skin, the lower the chance of getting any of the above. The other factor is the Sun Protection Factor of the sunscreen you apply (Source 8). The more you apply and the higher the factor gives more protection, and this results in less solar energy absorption. Another factor I found is the life expectancy. Due in large part to advances in medical technology, life expectancy for newborns has increased continuously over the past 70 years, from 57. 1 years in 1929 to 77. years in 2004, and an increase of more than two years in the past decade. (Source 11) Life expectancy affects the amount of sun exposure in a lifetime, which causes a higher risk of getting skin cancer because of a longer time of sun exposure. On the other hand, moderate and sensible sunlight exposure can help prevent skin cancer and some other cancers. In the case of skin cancer, sunlight causes vitamin D to synthesize in the body, giving some protection from the risk. This production of vitamin D can act as an immunity response from the body receiving Ultraviolet B rays from sunlight (Source 12, 13 and 14). Studies also show that people who get malignant melanoma but also have a high amount to daily sun exposure have a higher survival rate than people with less exposure. It is said that sunlight is more powerful than any drug, which is safe, effective and available free of charge (Source 12). I also found out that the amount of vitamin D our body need can be fulfilled by around thirty minutes in the sun each week (Source 15). Having some sunshine also affects our mood, as it stimulates the pineal gland to produce mood enhancing chemicals, called trytamines in the brain (Source 14). The sun can also help you achieve a good look if you like a healthy suntan (Source 14). In my opinion, I think we should not spend time in the sun, because our health is very important, and we should never take the risk of having skin cancer, especially not because of the desire for a suntan and to sacrifice their health. I think it is a waste of money and time to sunbathe. As for the production of vitamin D in our skin, which can be easily fulfilled by a thirty minutes sun exposure each week, we can do that by just having a walk. How to cite Should We Spend Time In The Sun?, Essays

A Post Modern Age Essay Example For Students

A Post Modern Age Essay A Post-Modern Age? Introduction: Post-Modernism can be described as a particular style of thought. It is a concept that correlates the emergence of new features and types of social life and economic order in a culture; often called modernization, post-industrial, consumer, media, or multinational capitalistic societies. In Modernity, we have the sense or idea that the present is discontinuous with the past, that through a process of social, technological, and cultural change either through improvement, that is, progress, or through decline life in the present is fundamentally different from life in the past. This sense or idea as a world view contrasts with what is commonly known as Tradition, which is simply the sense that the present is continuous with the past, that the present in some way repeats the forms, behavior, and events of the past. I would propose that traditional ways of life have been replaced with uncontrollable change and unmanageable alternatives, but that these changes and alternatives eventually create something that may result in the society that traditionalists actually seek after; the balance between Nature and Technology. Modernity itself is merely the sense that the present is a transitional point, not focused on a clear goal in the future but simply changing through forces outside our control. I will first describe how Modernity came about, and then to indicate some of the features for which Post-Modernity is meant to be a reaction, response or addition to modernization. Beginnings of Modernity: First, I aim to give a broad historical picture against which we may understand the rise of Modernity as an idea related to science and society or as a framework for a view of rationality. We know that we experience change as either progress or transition, that is, we view our historical situation and our lives presently as deriving meaning and value in some unrealized future. The shift from Renaissance humanism to Modern rationalism can be understood in terms of four shifts: 1 from an oral culture in which the theory and practice of rhetoric played a central role to a written culture in which formal logic played a central role in establishing the credentials of an argument; 2 from a practical concern with understanding and acting on particular cases to a more theoretical concern with the development of universal principles; 3 from a concern with the local in all its stable diversity, to the general understood in terms of abstract multi nationalisms; and 4 from the timely a concern with making practical decisions in the transitory situations which demand wise and prudent responses, to the timeless a concern with understanding and explaining the enduring, perhaps eternal, nature of things. There are several societal factors that have indicated and resulted in the rise of Modernity. The origin of Modernity may have its roots in several periods: the year 1436, with Gutenbergquot;s adoption of moveable type; or in 1520, and Lutherquot;s rebellion against Church authority; or 1648, and the end of the Thirty Yearsquot; War; while even still, it could have begun during the American or French Revolutions of 1776 or 1789; or even the rise of Modernism in fine arts and literature. How we ourselves are to feel about the prospects of Modernity depends on what we see as the heart and core of the modern, and what key events in our eyes gave rise to the modern world. Societal Responses to Modernity: During the period of the 1500quot;s thru the 1900quot;s the framework and presuppositions about Nature and Humanity were being progressively challenged and overturned by many scientific advances, until not one, or very little of their elements were accepted by reasonably educated people. European society was becoming known as traditional, hierarchical, corporate, and privileged. These features had characterized Europe and much of the rest of the world during these few centuries. Virtually every society on the globe by the opening of the eighteenth century could be characterized by social dependencys and discrepancies between wealth and poverty. All of these societies also confronted the problems of scarce food supplies. After a time during the same period, important changes began to occur in the societies of the world from Asia to Europe. A population explosion due to an improved food supply created pressures on the existing traditional and newly modernizing social structures. Commerce, banking, and agriculture improved greatly and a more stable and certain money supply were established; however, only Europe at the time was becoming highly industrialized. Eighteenth-century Japan stood, of course, in marked contrast to both Europe and China. Tokugawa rule had achieved remarkable stability, but Japan had chosen not to enter the world-trading network, except as a depot for Dutch and Chinese goods. The population grew less rapidly than that of Europe or China, and the general economy seemed to have grown slowly. Like the situation in many European cities, guilds controlled manufacture. In all these respects, Japan in the eighteenth century sought to spurn innovation and preserve stable tradition. Throughout the eighteenth century, Africa continued to supply slave labor to both North and South America. The slave trade drew Africa deeply into the transatlantic economy. Latin America remained at least in theory the monopolized preserve of Spain and Portugal; however, that monopoly could not survive the expansion of the British economy and the determination of Britain to enter the Latin American market. At the same time, British forces established control in mid-eighteenth-century India that would last almost two centuries. Seen in this world context, European society stood on the brink of a new era in which the social, economic, and political relationships of past centuries would be destroyed. The commercial spirit and the values of the marketplace clashed with the traditional values and practices of peasants and guilds. Modernism vs Postmodernism EssayThe benefits of Modernity or of Post-Modern structures can be questionable; many individuals of this new electronic age do not completely embrace consumerism, and in some cases are critical of technology, but nevertheless embrace its potential. There can be no doubt that the historical circumstances of the late twentieth century are very different from those of earlier periods. What the transformations of contemporary social life has been, however, and the relative significance of these changes with respect to one another is a matter that can be highly varied, and I dont presume to know everything about Post-Modern thought or philosophy, because it can take on many aspects, and I/we could be entirely fooling ourselves if we try to express it. Post-Modernity does seem to represent some kind of a break with the past, in fact Post-Modernity may simply be an extension of Modernity. However, Post-Modernity in this age seems to be characterized by new societal forms, and relationships between the cultural, economic, political and social realms, and a return to traditional values. There is a new kind of enmeshing of the cultural, economic and political spheres in Post-Modernity, combining the Modernist with Marxian ideals creating together our Post-Modern Age. Transformation: There has been a transformation of the content and forms of contemporary culture and even in our notions ofculture for example, high versus low or popular culture including dramatic changes in the nature of the media and in the content and forms of presentation of media images the television generation, the electronic age, theinformation age, the voyeuristic society, etc. an increased awareness of the plurality of national, ethnic and linguistic viewpoints with the internationalizing of communications and global interaction, etc. A radical shift from colonialist to post-colonialist perspectives on modernization, and questions of Third World and community development which produces problems of coping with the plurality of perspectives on the world without any credible source; the loss of relative autonomy of the cultural sphere as distinct from the economic and political spheres with the recognition that culture and communications are an industry and that they are politicized, not objectivequot;quot;, neutral or necessarily critical. Similarly, there have been massive changes in the nature, content and form of economic structures and interrelationships, for example through the shifts which have made a large proportion of the worldquot;s production information rather than the production of goods and services; global unification controlling the means of production and a complementary diffusion, fragmentation and privatization individualization of consumption; new conflicts over development, modernization and exploitation versus the necessity of the ecology movement, conservation and the preservation of natural diversity; and so forth. Conclusion: The break away from 19th-century values and traditions is often classified as Modernism and carries the connotations of transgression, rebellion, and a loss of soul and humanity. However, the last twenty or so years have seen a change in this attitude toward focusing upon a series of unresolvable philosophical and social debates, such as race, gender and class. Rather than challenging and destroying cultural definitions, as does Modernism, Post-Modernism resists the very idea of boundaries. It regards distinctions as undesirable and even impossible, so that an almost Utopian or Marxist world, free from all constraints, becomes possible. It must be realized though, that Post-Modernism has many interpretations and that no single definition is adequate. Different disciplines have participated in the Post-Modernist movement in varying ways, for example, in architecture traditional limits have become indistinguishable, so that what is commonly on the outside of a building is placed within, and vice versa. In commercial terms Post-Modernism may be seen as part of the growth of consumer capitalism into multinational and technological identities. Its all-embracing nature thus makes Post-Modernism as relevant to the common folk of society as to the great thinkers and intellectuals. Post-Modernism it would seem is the reason for the emergence of interdisciplinary and cultural studies in universities. Post-Modernism, then, is a mode of consciousness and not, it should be emphasized, a historical period that is highly suspicious of the belief in shared speech, shared values, and shared perceptions that some would like to believe form our culture but which in fact may be no more than empty, if necessary, fictions. I believe we should be committed to salvaging what we can of the ideals of Enlightenment and Modernity. We need to stay open to all valid claims of reasoning, knowledge, spirit, tradition, and humanity; for we are not, and cannot be, all knowing in this life. To be focused so completely upon Post-Modernism or Modernity, suggests that we can somehow define a group, any group, in the sense of its cultural essence; which is not in truth completely possible or even wise. Are we in a Post-Modern Age? I would say yes as a defined theory or word, but in the reality of man and life, the answer is No. Man is continually changing and adapting and for ever continuing to progress in spirit, technology, and social/cultural adaptation. Whatever age we are presently in, we are modern compared to the one before, each age lives its own Modernity; each era obligated to find its own balance between Nature and Technology, Tradition and Progress; a continuous cycle until the end of man.