Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Important Event in Chinese History Essay Example for Free

Important Event in Chinese History Essay The May Fourth Movement (traditional Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ© â€¹Ã¥â€¹â€¢; simplified Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¨ ¿ Ã¥Å  ¨; pinyin: WÇ”sà ¬ Yà ¹ndà ²ng) was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese governments weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem. These demonstrations sparked national protests and marked the upsurge of Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization and away from cultural activities, and a move towards populist base rather than intellectual elites. The broader use of the term May Fourth Movement often refers to the period during 1915-1921 more often called the New Culture Movement. Backgrounds: Following the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. This marked the end of thousands of years of powerful imperial rule, and theoretically ushered a new era in which political power rested with the people. However, the reality was that China was a fragmented nation dominated by warlords, who were more concerned with their own political powers and private armies than national interests. The Chinese Beiyang government was occupied with suppressing internal affairs, and did little to counter the influence exerted by imperialist foreign powers. The Beiyang government made various concessions to foreigners in order to gain monetary and military support against their rivals. Defeats by foreign powers and the presence of spheres of influence inflamed a sense of nationalism among the emerging middle class and cultural leaders. Leaders of the New Culture Movement believed that traditional Chinese values were responsible for the political weakness of the nation. This created a rather peculiar situation, in which Chinese nationalists called for a rejection of traditional values and the selective adoption of Western ideals of science and democracy. May fourth Movement (Chinese Students Protest) In 1989 there were growing economic hardship caused by high inflation set the ground for a large-scale protest movement by students intellectuals and other parts of a disaffected urban population. University students and other citizens in Beijing camped out at Tiananmen Square to protest against those who slowed reform. Protests also spread to many other cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou.Martial law was declared on May 20 1989, military units were deployed in Beijing. Demonstrators were suppressed brutally, most observers believe that casualties numbered in the hundreds.The entire world expressed horror at the brutal suppression of the demonstrators, the central government eliminated opposition, held in custody large numbers of protesters and urged for required political re-education not only for students but also for party cadre and government officials.

Monday, January 20, 2020

McCarthyism in Film Essay -- Film Analysis

Two films, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Good Night and Good Luck, are produced over five decades apart and illustrated similar anti-communist sentiment. The first film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, was produced in 1951 during the height of the anti-communist movement or in other words McCarthyism. Good Night and Good Luck, which George Clooney directed and starred in, was produced in 2005 as a black and white docudrama film. These two films portray the mood felt by society during the 1950s through two complementary perspectives. The first film shows an overt view by the media toward Senator McCarthy while transmitting a hidden message to the United States government. The second film does the same only five decades earlier. As stated, both films share a hidden agenda which is disgust and distrust toward Washington D.C. from Hollywood. The media and entertainment industry felt hatred toward Washington D.C. and expressed their feelings through cleaver movie scripts and metaphors. Two films in particular, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Good Night and Good Luck carried the message loud and clear. Good Night and Good Luck chose to illustrate the unjust and biased actions of Senator Joe McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Because of his outspoken negative slander McCarthy was considered the high-status target. McCarthy led the charge against Soviet infiltration and in general did not hide his negative feelings toward Communist activity. While Good Night and Good Luck showed a retrospective chronological view of the early 1950s The Day the Earth Stood Still was actually a product of this era with the writers choosing to use fictional characters. The characters helped illustrate their viewpoi... ...2012. Doherty T. Good Night, and Good Luck. Cineaste [serial online]. Winter2005 2005;31(1):53-56. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 22, 2012. Pardon J. Revisiting a Science Fiction Classic: Interpreting The Day the Earth Stood Still for Contemporary Film Audiences. Journal Of Popular Film & Television [serial online]. Fall2008 2008;36(3):141-149. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 22, 2012. Briley, Ron, and Robert Brent Toplin. "Good Night, And Good Luck." Journal Of American History 93.3 (2006): 985-986. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. "George Clooney: 'Good Night, And Good Luck' Came Out Of Anger." Huffington Post. Huff Post Entertainment, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Pop Art and Mass Media Essay

Alloway views pop art as a form of tool that was used to break the hegemony of elitist aesthetic standards that had been set over the years and that had defined art. In a sense, pop art could be seen as a democratization of art just as in the area of governance the advent of democracy in modern society broke the power of absoluteness wielded by the monarchy and its aristocracy. Alloway is of the opinion that though population explosion and the industrial revolution in Europe during the era of the Enlightenment had a seismic effect in transforming society, this transformation had been lacking in the field of art as traditional ideas still persisted. In effect these traditional ideas became a limitation on the development of art. Consequently, having pastoral and elitist conceptions about art prevents an art critic, for instance, from appreciating art forms emanating from the mass media. The mass media and pop art present an artistic relationship where themes and expressions of pop art are easily discerned as offshoots of the mass media. Andy Warhol’s John Wayne Silkscreen – 1986 (figure 1 beneath) is a typical example of artistic expression based on a popular theme/personality in the mass media. Again Andy Warhol’s Triple Elvis – 1963 (figure 2 beneath) shows the intersection between mass media and pop art. In both the John Wayne Silkscreen and the Triple Elvis, popular personalities in the movies (and in popular music i. e. ith regards to Elvis) patronized by the masses are depicted holding guns in typical Western movie fashion. The persistence of pop art that draws its themes and expressions from the urban instead of the conventional and pastoral, and from the mass media/popular urban culture as against the artistic standards of the minority elite, signifies the demise of elitist definitions and standizations of art. The process of change in the fine arts as compared to the mass arts is however mitigated due to the fact that the fine arts have traditionally been invested with the ‘duty’ of being the repositories of cherished societal values. Thus change or acceptance of change in the expression of the fine arts comes with the added hurdle of having to deal with time-bound values. The mass arts on the other hand are easily adaptable and readily responsive to technological changes. Advances in electronics have for instance changed the cinemas, TV and radio in the way they films, serials and programmes are presented to the audience in a way that appeals to them as consumers. These technological advances spur on consumer centric presentations in the mass arts. The advent colour in cinema and TV for can be seen being replicated in mass printed glossy colour magazines. The ability of the mass arts to also depict fantasy in a way that appeals to audiences can be seen being depicted in popular comic art for example. Just like the examples of John Wayne and Elvis given above, the focus on heroes and personalities (some of them sex symbols) are fantasies in the mass media that audiences readily identify with and these consumer centred fantasies depicted in art become a continuum from the mass media.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Conflict Of Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare

Peace vs. Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Conflict is like winter, and peace is like spring, warm and filled with satisfaction that is rewarded from facing a harsh winter. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is about two teenagers from feuding families that fall in love, but fate, however, is not on their side and they eventually chose to kill themselves rather than live without each other. In the midst of chaos, the Capulets and Montagues get into fights and arguments, making the actions taken on by Romeo and Juliet much harder. In Romeo and Juliet, conflict is necessary to achieve peace through the feud, which is detrimental to the pride of both households, causing romantic conflict, physical violence that leads to death, and opposition of fate, resulting in the necessity for the balance of life in everyday society. In Romeo and Juliet, conflict and peace are not opposing elements, but instead, coexistent. The most extensive conflict altering all actions taken by the characters is the feud between the Capulets and Montagues, who are â€Å"both alike in dignity† (Prologue 1). This reflects the concept that the two households have the tendency to let their egos and pride get to the best of them. Because this line is the first point mentioned in the play, it reflects the power of the feud. It is mentioned before Romeo and Juliet, foreshadowing the significance it will have on the play and the characters in it. When Romeo and Juliet take their lives for oneShow MoreRelatedViolence and Conflict in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare765 Words   |  4 PagesViolence and Conflict in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare. This play is about star crossed lovers who are from two different warring families, the Capulets and the Montagues. 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