Culture Behind the Curtain Essay - 2940 Words

Francis Fukuyama, in The Origins of Political Order, suggested that nation-states are mountain ranges. No sooner do they begin to rise, does erosion begin to immediately tear them down. It is a tragic paradox: as nation-states become more powerful they become more fragile, as beneath the formal structures of state bureaucracy there exist populations connected by informal relations and cultural constructions. If at any point these relations or constructions shift political order is lost. In the late 1980s the USSR was eroding: slow economic growth, broken living standards, corrupt political systems, lagging innovation, and shortages of consumer goods were a prominent reality. Communism was being quashed by the reality of costs associated†¦show more content†¦It was an essential feature of US strategy to advance understanding and appreciation of American cultural and political life. Accordingly, both the US Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and the US-Soviet C ultural Exchange Agreement of 1958 encouraged the use of all prevailing communication media (radio broadcasts, print publications, educational exhibitions, film and cinematic productions, and cross-cultural exchange programs) to strengthen US-USSR relations through cultural infiltration. The aim was to allow both countries to learn about one another, and it was thought that allowing each nation to tell their own story, promote their achievements, and encourage study of their language would be mutually beneficial. For the US, such exchanges would produce an erudite pool of scholars specializing in matters of the USSR, and the Soviets, if all went as planned, would accumulate â€Å"a growing number of scholars who had seen the West, and who had recognized how far behind the Soviet Union was, that communism had failed them, and that the Soviet media were not telling them the truth.† The ultimate goal would be to convince the Soviet population to embrace and embody Western valu es. Between 1958 and 1988 more than 50,000 students,Show MoreRelatedCulture Behind the Curtain1317 Words   |  6 Pagestourists. This American culture, especially the scores of Jazz records and recordings, grew incredibly popular. Jazz orchestras sprung up across Moscow and the Soviet bloc, and these groups longed for the opportunity to play American scores in their own styles. Music became a common vehicle conveying the culture of the West within the USSR. Following the war, however, Stalin and his Generals became apprehensive about the damaging effect that substantial exposure to Western culture could have on the PartyRead MoreEssay about Culture Behind the Curtain1931 Words   |  8 Pageswould attempt to jam transmissions of this music too, by the early 1970s, rock culture began to be embraced by bloc governments who simply couldn’t quell the massive public demand for it. Zinaida Soumina, a Dnepropetrovsk official, explains, â€Å"The youth waited for when the fresh music records from the West would appear on the black market. Young people had forgotten their national roots, and their own national culture.† It had become clear that the soviet population wanted not only to listen to theirRead MoreBehind The Formaldehyde Curtain And The Fear Of Dying By Elisabeth Kubler Ross869 Words   |  4 Pagesone can escape death. It’s one of so few unavoidable certainties in our lives and has held an important position in every human culture since time immemorial. Of course, this position has is different from culture to culture, and shifts over time. This is particularly evident in western culture. The shift is discussed at length in two essays: â€Å"Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain† by Jessica Mitford, and ‘The Fear of Dying’ by Elisabeth Kà ¼bler-Ross. Both explore different aspects of these themes – Mitford’sRead MoreThe Danger of Using Literature and Fiction as a Historical Source971 Words   |  4 Pagesli ves of wealthy Japanese and Italian men, women of affluence lived highly secluded lives in each culture. Women in Aristocratic Japan and Italy lived subordinate and entirely secluded lives. In both Japan and Italy, women were excluded from institutionalized learning. Thus, they were less likely to know language. They spent their life indoors if they were wealthy and did not need to work. Neither culture allowed women to hold public positions, but they could inherit and own property. Japanese womenRead MoreDifferences Between Hamlets Mental/Emotional Conflicts and Beowulfs Physical Battles960 Words   |  4 PagesFrisians, far and wide, that the king is gone†. Has Beowulf failed his people? Like Hamlet in the last act of the play, who avenges for his father’s death, Beowulf knows what he must do as king and what has been appointed to him and takes actions of his culture as a heroic warrior. In William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, the play is a Renaissance tragedy in Denmark about revenge and cultural identity for Hamlet by the duty of his father and the duties to his society. Hamlet’s father was murdered and HamletRead MoreGetting For Yes, By Roger Fisher And Looking Behind The Curtain1589 Words   |  7 Pagesthird approach. They call the third approach â€Å"principled negotiation† or â€Å"negotiation on the merits†. I submit that the procedures proposed in Getting to Yes alternatively break down to two simplistic themes, â€Å"Emotional Chess† and â€Å"Looking Behind the Curtain,† which are broadly applicable in contemporary negotiation. Additionally, I submit that within the authors’ procedures are four tactics which vary in applicability depending on the details the negotiation. The first of the two themes in GettingRead MoreFilm Adaptation of William Shakespeares Hamlet1644 Words   |  7 Pagescreated an adaptation of the story to fit their cultural and national perspectives. In the western world, adaptations of Hamlet have been more concerned with psychological or military theories regarding the story more than the inclusion of their unique cultures. Hamlet has been called by some as a universal story because it appeals to such a large array of different peoples. Each adaptation of the play chooses to focus on different aspects of the play in order to draw audience attention to certain pointsRead MoreThe Cause For The Vietnam War1442 Words   |  6 Pagesanti-communist policies of Western culture had the greatest direct influence in causing the Vietnam War, but were not enough reason to send troops to the area. The United States and Western Europe had similar attitudes toward communist ideologies, with political leaders implementing policies that were intended to limit the spread of communism. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke of the division between communist and democratic capitalist states by calling it an Iron Curtain that had cut Europe inRead MoreThe Role Of Black Women And The 18th And 19th Century Art1659 Words   |  7 Pagesappears to be a church, and this is evident considering that there is a cross in the top right corner. The pulpit, in the bottom left corner, also confirms that the space is indeed a Christian space of worship. To the left of the figure is a dark blue curtain that confines the figure in the painting. The most basic building block of any artwork is line; Kaphar uses classical lines to direct viewers’ eyes around the artwork, a type of line that is analytical and identified by horizontal and vertical linesRead MorePostcards from Chinatown - Analysis1299 Words   |  6 Pagesof Singapore’s past and heritage, likening the past to no more than just a cinematic film, where it is just a hologram projected onto a screen. In â€Å"Postcards from Chinatown†, the poet calls our daily lives â€Å"our performance†, and our proclaimed culture as merely a â€Å"stage†. But what can we draw from the poet assimilating the past to a stage performance? Firstly, stage performances provide the audience with a sense of intimacy as well as reality. The performance is acted out live in front of

Proposal of Director’s Interpretations for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most well loved plays and the mastermind behind it is none other than the great Shakespeare. This story has become one of the most iconic tragic teen love stories of our time. It has been reinterpreted differently by various people, each trying to present their own ideas and take of the play. Therefore, as a director, we have a tricky job. How do we in a way add more to the play? What is it that we can do to give our audience a fresh experience? Therefore, this interpretation of the play, my interpretation, has been thoroughly thought about to address all these concerns. I sincerely hope our audience has a wonderful experience as we bring to light new concepts and ideas. One of the biggest worries when reinterpreting the play is whether or not to change is context; for our audience, as a director we must contemplate about whether or not it is better to change the context to make it more applicable to our society or to just leave it. However, in this case, I have decided to change the setting of the play by modernizing it to be set in modern America. The modernization of the play will allow for a new canvas where a whole new variety of ideas can be explored. As I want to emphasise the extent of the violence and rivalry originally embedded in the play, I have also decided to have the concept of gangs incorporated into my interpretation of the play. The concept of gangs will also be a medium to expand on the theme of the â€Å"ancient grudge†. The

Stefan’s Diaries Bloodlust Chapter 30-31 Free Essays

Chapter 30 October 19, 1864 I’m out of danger, but I don’t feel safe. I wonder if I’ll ever feel safe again, or will I forever long for a desire that I’ll never fulfill? Will I get used to the ache? Twenty, two hundred, two thousand years from now, will I even remember these weeks? And will I remember Callie and her red hair, her laugh? I will. I have to. We will write a custom essay sample on Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 30-31 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Callie has saved me and given me another chance at life. In a way, it’s like she was the daylight that followed the darkness Katherine had cast upon my existence. Katherine turned me into a monster, but Callie has changed me back into the Stefan Salvatore I’m proud to be. I wish her love. I want nothing but the best for her. I want for her to live in the light and find a man–a human–who will appreciate and adore her, who will take her away from Gallagher’s house forever to a quiet home on a lake, where she can teach her children to skip stones. I woke in the middle of the night to what I thought were hailstones bouncing against the windowpane. Despite Lexis rules, I peeked through a tiny slit in the curtains and squinted into the darkness. The trees were bare, their branches like ghostly limbs stretching toward the sky. Though it was a moonless night, I could see a raccoon scamper through the yard. And then, a figure standing timidly behind one of the columns on the portico. Callie. I hastily pulled on a shirt and slipped down the stairs, taking care to not make any noise. The last thing I wanted was for Buxton or Lexi to know that a human had followed me home. The door shut with a thud behind me, and I saw Callie jump. â€Å"Im here,† I whispered, feeling thrilled, confused, and excited, all at once. â€Å"Hi,† she said shyly. â€Å"Are you going somewhere?† I asked, nodding at her bag. â€Å"I hope so.† She clasped my hands with her own. â€Å"Stefan, I dont care what you are. Ive never cared. And I want to be with you.† She looked into my eyes. â€Å"I I love you.† I gazed at the ground, a lump in my throat. Back when I was a human, I thought Id loved Katherine until I saw her, chained up, muzzled, and foaming at the mouth. Id felt nothing but disgust at that vision. And yet Callie had seen me unconscious, bleeding from vervain, staked by captors, and pummeling my brother in the ring, and she still loved me. How was that possible? â€Å"You dont have to respond,† Callie rushed on. â€Å"I just had to tell you. And Im leaving no matter what. I cant stay here with Father, not after everything thats happened. Im getting on the train, and you can come with me. But you dont have to. But I want you to,† she babbled. â€Å"Callie!† I interrupted, placing a finger to her lips. Her eyes widened, shifting between fear and hope. â€Å"I would go with you anywhere,† I said. â€Å"I love you, too, and I will for the rest of my life.† â€Å"You mean your un-life,† she said, her eyes dancing. â€Å"How did you know where I lived?† I asked, suddenly shy. Callie blushed. â€Å"I followed you home once. When you ran away after the first vampire fight. I wanted to know everything about you.† â€Å"Well, now you do.† Unable to restrain myself, I pulled her into my arms and lowered my lips to hers, no longer afraid to hear the blood coursing in her veins or to hear her heart beat faster in anticipation. She tightened her grip around me, and our lips touched. I hungrily kissed her, feeling the softness of her lips against mine. My fangs didnt grow, my desire was all for her, in her human form, as she was. She was soft and warm and tasted like tangerines. In those moments, I imagined our future. Wed take the train as far away from New Orleans as possible, maybe to California, or perhaps even sail to Europe. Wed nest in a little cottage and keep livestock for me to feed from, and Callie and I would live out our days together, away from the prying eyes of society. A nagging thought tugged at the corner of my mind: Would I turn her? I hated the thought of doing it, of sinking my teeth into her white neck, of making her live a life in which she craved blood and feared the daylight, but I also couldnt bear the thought of seeing her grow old and die in front of me. I shook my head, trying to release those thoughts. I could deal with them later. We both could. â€Å"Stefan,† Callie murmured, but then the murmur turned into a gasp, and she slipped out of my clutches and onto the ground. A butchers knife stuck into her back, blood pooling out of it. â€Å"Callie!† I cried, sinking to my knees. â€Å"Callie!† Frantic, I tore a vein in my wrist, trying to feed Callie my blood to heal her. But before I could press my arm to her gasping mouth, an unseen hand yanked me up by the shirt collar. A low, familiar chuckle cut through the night air. â€Å"Not so fast, brother.† Chapter 31 I whirled around, my hand ready to strike, my fangs bared. Before I could move, Damon grabbed my shoulders and flung me across the street. My body hit the road, hard, my arm snapping at an unnatural angle. I scrambled to my feet. Callie was lying in the grass, her red hair fanning over her shoulder, a pool of blood darkening around her. She let out a quiet moan, and I knew she must be in agony. I started to race back to her, pumping my blood to my open wound so she could feed easily. But Damon intercepted me, lowering his shoulder into my chest and knocking me backward. I scrambled to my feet. â€Å"This stops now!† I yelled, ready to pounce. I flew toward him, ready to rip him apart, to give him what hed wanted for so long. â€Å"Does it stop now? Before dinner?† Damon asked, a slow smile forming on his face. I watched in horror as Damon knelt down, bared his teeth, and sunk them into Callies neck, drinking long and hard. I tried to push him away, but he was far too strong. How many people had he fed from since our escape? I kept tugging, trying to free Callie, but Damon stayed in the same position as if he were a marble sculpture. â€Å"Help! Lexi!† I roared, as Damon sent me flying backward with a swift jab of his elbow. I hit the grass with a thud. Damon kept drinking. I realized with horror that Callies moaning had stopped. So had the steady, thrumming sound of blood Id gotten so used to hearing in Callies presence. I fell to my knees. Damon turned toward me, his face smeared with blood. Callies blood. I blanched at the sight. Damon chuckled. â€Å"You were right, brother. Killingiswhat vampires do. Thanks for the lesson.† â€Å"Ill kill you,† I said, rushing toward him once more. I knocked him to the ground, but Damon took advantage of my injured arm and flipped me over, pinning me to the ground next to Callie. Damon shook his head. â€Å"I dont think I will die tonight, thank you. Youre done being the one to make the life-and-death decisions,† he hissed. He stood up, as if he were going to walk away. I crawled over to Callie. Her eyes were wide open and glassy, her face pale. Her chest was still rising and falling, but barely. Please live, I thought, gazing into her unblinking eyes in a desperate attempt to compel her. I saw her eyelids flutter. Could it be possible that it was working? I want you to live. I want to love you while you’re alive, I thought, squeezing blood from my wounds into her open mouth. Then, as drops fell on her face, I felt an agonizing pain in my abdomen. I sprawled on the grass as Damon kicked me over and over and over in the stomach, a demonic look in his eye. Summoning all my strength, I scuttled on the dew-damp earth away from Damon. â€Å"Help me,† I called again toward the house. â€Å"Help me!† Damon mocked in a sing-song voice. â€Å"Not quite the big man, anymore, are we, little brother? What happened to taking over the world? Got too busy having tea parties with your little friends and falling in love with humans?† He shook his head in disgust. Something inside me snapped. Somehow, I pushed myself to my feet and raced toward Damon, fangs bared. I pushed him to the ground, my fangs carving a long, jagged cut along his jugular vein. He fell to the ground, blood draining from his neck, his eyes closing. For a moment, he looked like my brother again. No bloodshot eyes, no voice laced with hatred. Just the broad shoulders and dark hair that always symbolized Damon. And yet he wasnt Damon anymore. He was a monster on a spree of destruction, stopping at nothing to make his threat of making my life miserable come true. I surveyed the ground around us, finally glimpsing a small tree limb, a few feet away, fallen after a storm. I crawled over to the branch and raised it high above his chest. â€Å"Go to hell,† I whispered, fervently meaning each word. But as the words left my mouth, Damon lunged up from the ground, his eyes red and his fangs bared. â€Å"Thats no way to talk to family.† He scoffed, throwing me to the ground. â€Å"And thats no way to hold a stake.† He raised the branch high over my chest, a gleam in his eye. â€Å"Heres the death you didnt let me have. Slow, and painful, and Im going to enjoy every second of it,† Damon said, cackling as he brought the stake down with all his might against my chest. And then everything went black. How to cite Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 30-31, Essay examples