The Three Penny Opera and the Musical Gestus of Kurt Weill - Literature Essay Samples

In a 1929 review of The Threepenny Opera, Felix Salten wrote:the young Weill’s music is as characteristic as Brecht’s language, as electrifying in its rhythm as the lines of the poems, as deliberately and triumphantly trivial and full of allusions as the popularizing rhymes, as witty in the jazz treatment of the instruments, as contemporary, high-spirited and full of mood and aggression, as the text.(qtd. in Hinton, 188)These characteristics which Salten describes seem to relate to the concept of gestus, which is a difficult word to interpret but nevertheless has become the crucial link connecting Brecht’s theories of acting, playwriting and theatrical production. In epic theatre, actors become demonstrators of a character, rather than the characters themselves (rather than using Stanislavsky’s method of acting, which relies on an actor â€Å"stepping into a character’s shoes†). Brecht intended his actors to always remember that they were pla ying another person’s story and emotions. Most importantly, epic performers are always concerned with wider social relations, rather than the egoism of becoming wrapped up in one’s character. Gestus expresses these wider social relations with â€Å"the idea of contradiction and opposition and the need to find a visible and theatrically effective way of expressing both opposites and the unity of these opposites† (Morley 186)1. Simply put, the gestus is the portrayal of the theatrical moment that expresses the social relationships and attitudes with which the play is concerned. The intended effect upon the audience is verfremdungseffekt, literally, â€Å"the effect of making strange.†2 This would force the audience to examine their environments by removing from the performance that which they took for granted.As a composer, Weill contributed to the gestic concept of The Threepenny Opera by creating ways to musically assist the performer in showing the appro priate attitude at any given moment. The music, Brecht said, â€Å"became an active collaborator in the stripping bare of the middleclass corpus of ideas† (Brecht on Theatre, 85-6). Music deliberately set at odds with its lyrics works to emphasize the satirical nature of The Threepenny Opera and the folly of its bourgeois characters. Musically, Ronald Taylor suggests that gestic music is initially expressed â€Å"in ‘the rhythmic disposition of the text’, then driven home by the insistent rhythms and spiky harmonies of the accompaniment and given its final penetrative edge in the brash, intrusive jazz-band instrumentation, the sharpest weapon in Weill’s satirical armoury† (137). While Peter W. Ferran and others are concerned mostly with the lyrical gestus of The Threepenny Opera, the lyrical gestus goes hand-in-hand with the musical gestus (as described by Weill and Taylor) in each song,3 and it is the combination of the two that makes the songs eff ective. These different gesti serve to create one large gestus, through which the piece’s intentions and satirical social attitudes are conveyed to an audience. In order to show these attitudes musically, Weill deliberately rejected traditional Handelian opera and wrote a jazzy, syncopated, dissonant score, working in melodies from popular North and South American music, which were a fad in Berlin at the time (Fuegi 199). This music encapsulated the ironic tone of Brecht’s lyrics4 and libretto5, satirizing the workings of both traditional opera and the German bourgeoisie.This satirical gest is thrust upon the audience at the very moment the orchestra strikes its first note of the performance. The instrumentation shuns the traditionally operatic string ensemble in favor of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, timpani, banjo and harmonium (Sanders 115). The prologue’s description of an opera â€Å"so cheap even a beggar can afford it†6 is followed by a mockingl y pompous Baroque-like overture, which is harmonically minor and rhythmically plodding. The listener can almost imagine Weill’s mocking grin as he first wrote the scale-based, repetitive melody and the Haydn-like sforzandos7 of every single beat. As Foster Hirsch notes, the overture is in 3/4 (as are a good number of Threepenny songs), â€Å"but asymmetrically and with unpredictable, seemingly inept voice-leading within its repeated chords† (44). This style unseats the audience from the very beginning; it becomes clear that â€Å"here is a music which will speak with a forked tongue† (Taylor 137).The Ballad of Mac the Knife (â€Å"Moritat vom Mackie Messer†), in the historically recognizable Bà ¤nkelgesang format, is a perfect example of a work that matches the gestical. According to Peter W. Ferran, â€Å"a Bà ¤nkelsà ¤nger was a medieval and early Renaissance balladeer who traveled the central European countryside performing a type of admonitory son g about legendary figuresOne species of Bà ¤nkelgesang was the Moritat, which celebrated – in moralizing form, with the aid of illustrated placards – the heinous deeds perpetrated by notorious criminals† (7-8).The music for â€Å"Mac the Knife† is based on the motto tune,8 which, according to Hans Keller, proves not only the melodic, but also the harmonic cell of much of the work (147). The added sixth, which David Drew calls the â€Å"Moritat-motif† (151), is a common device in jazz composition, providing a somewhat jarring feel to the entire structure. This discordance is due to the sixth’s quality as â€Å"the inhibitory degree par excellence, because its opposition to the tonic is based on the strongest possible measure of agreementhence the arch-inhibition, the interrupted cadence V-VIthe added sixth is the rightest ‘wrong’ note† (Keller 147).The ballad is played at an easy, blues-like tempo and with a deceptive near -repetition of its sixteen-measure melody (Fuegi 202). As Kim Kowalke notices, â€Å"each stanza after the first two is clothed in new musical attire pieced together from altered instrumentation, rhythmic patterns, countermelodies, and dynamics† (qtd. in Fuegi 202). The lull of the 4/4 blues stands in marked contrast to the lyrics, which read like a rap sheet of Macheath’s crimes:By the Thames’s turbid watersMen abruptly tumble down.Is it plague or is it cholera?Or a sign Macheath’s in town? (3PO 3)9The list is rather long, encompassing nine stanzas. One gets the feeling that this is only the beginning of the extensiveness of Macheath’s transgressions, as if the Street Singer could go on listing Macheath’s crimes for an entire evening.Here, Weill’s sentimental melody and Brecht’s biting lyrics work together to jab at the bourgeois audiences who constantly occupied the Berlin opera scene. The hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie is expo sed, drawing a parallel between the criminals of Macheath’s world, who drown men and rape women, and the criminals of Berlin’s financial world, who add to their personal wealth by robbing the poor. Macheath echoes this sentiment in Act Three: â€Å"What’s breaking into a bank compared with founding a bank? What’s murdering a man compared with employing a man?† (3PO 76).Geoffrey Abbott tells us that in the original production of Threepenny Opera, Weill used â€Å"Mac the Knife† as an instrumental accompaniment to Macheath’s entrances, with the style corresponding to the mood of the particular scene. For example, when Macheath is being led to the gallows, the song was to be played â€Å"as a funeral march† (168). Apparently, this device is no longer commonly used in productions of Threepenny Opera, but it may be useful to remember Brecht and Weill’s satiric intent in the production, while also remembering that parody and s atire are created partly by repetition. It is possible that in repeating â€Å"Mac the Knife† throughout the production, Brecht and Weill were taking a subtle swipe at the world of opera music (which constantly repeats melodic themes, but in all seriousness), as well as the world of the German upper class, whose circumstances may vary, but core â€Å"melody† (or way of life) remains the same.The Moritat-motif of the added sixth crops up again in â€Å"Peachum’s Morning Hymn† (â€Å"Morgenchorale des Peachum†), in which Jonathan Peachum cynically tells the audience of his world, which is full of dishonest criminals. The song is delivered as a deliberate, sanctimonious waltz in a dirge-like minor key, reading like a sermon and accompanied by a large organ. (Melodically, we have already classified this as one of the â€Å"Moritat-motif†; however, rhythmically and stylistically, we could call this the â€Å"Peachum-motif†.) Peachum sees h imself as above these â€Å"ramshackle Christians† (3PO 5), although the â€Å"angry pietism† (Sanders 115) that Peachum delivers is hardly fitting for a man who runs a business outfitting beggars and taking a fifty-percent cut of their meager earnings. Non and Nick Worrall note that Peachum’s angry character especially comes through in the original German text, â€Å"Verschacher dein Ehweib, du Wicht!† (â€Å"And sell your old woman, you rat!† [lxvi]) These guttural consonants enable the actor playing Peachum to spit out his words with a pious fury that clearly illustrates his character from the very beginning. Peachum commonly sings in a slow, even manner, as if he realizes his hypocrisies and hopes that his style will do the proselytizing for him.Drew suggests that by using this repetition of the added sixth, the chord acquires, during the course of the score, a signalling [sic] function so prominent that one may well describe it as the Dreigros chenoper chord (Drew 151). He describes the use of the Dreigroschenoper chord and the Moritat-motif as necromantic conjurations (150) but does not explain the dramatic connotations of the motif. By using these two examples listed above, it is possible to find a dramatic through-line within a melodic through-line, and in doing so, find Weills satirical gestus in these tunes. The two songs together constitute a single message to the audience, using the Moritat-motif as a grouping mechanism. First, the Street Singer appears and tells us the story of Macheath, with his knife â€Å"not in such an obvious place† (3PO 3). This scene immediately gives way to Peachum’s song, in which we see another man who takes advantage of the poor, albeit by a less violent means.10Later in the first act, Macheath and Peachum’s daughter Polly are married in a stable with Macheath’s cohorts as witnesses. After the men are unable to provide an adequate wedding song (â€Å"Wedding Song for the Less Well-Off† or â€Å"Hochzeits-Lied†), Polly volunteers her talents for the entertainment. The song, â€Å"Pirate Jenny† (â€Å"Seerà ¤uberjenny†) is the story of a barmaid that Polly saw in a dive bar in Soho. The barmaid, fuming over her customers’ ill treatment of her, predicts that one day a pirate ship â€Å"with eight sails and all its fifty guns loaded† (3PO 20) will appear in the harbor and destroy the entire town, save Pirate Jenny herself. The song is based on Senta’s revenge ballad in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, and here Weill creates a similar â€Å"quasi-Wagnerian atmosphere of mystery and lofty expectation, translated into neurotic twentieth-century terms† (Sanders 117). The song has two contrasting sections: the breathless patter of the verse, in which Polly describes the actual process of killing the lot, and the slow, sustained, awe-filled description of the ships (the instruments of d estruction) in the chorus.However, it would be a mistake to interpret this song as an empowering ballad for either women or the lower classes, as it has sometimes been described. Foster Hirsch notes that if â€Å"Pirate Jenny† were sung as a conventional opera, Jenny’s revenge would have been accompanied by â€Å"the orchestra crashing in andthe soprano spinning through endless histrionic roulades to denote her triumphant retribution† (46). But as we see, when the pirates ask Jenny who of the town will die, she answers softly, â€Å"the lot! And as the first heads roll, I’ll say: hoppla!† (3PO 21) In Weill’s score, Jenny’s â€Å"hoppla† is spoken a cappella. Hirsch suggests that this inflection is akin to today’s â€Å"whatever,† a flippant phrase deadened of emotion and devoid of meaning (46). The chilling chord progression moves towards the dominant but never resolves, leaving Jenny to sail off in uncertainty, r ather than a flourish of newly-found strength.â€Å"The First Threepenny Finale – Concerning the Insecurity of the Human Condition† (â€Å"I. Dreigroschenfinale†), features the Peachums and their daughter, Polly. Peter W. Ferran rightly points out that there are two vocal modes at work here (15). The first is personal (â€Å"Is it much that I desire?†), in a major key and a quick tempo. This illustrates Polly’s naivetà © in what she thinks to be love: she wants to â€Å"enjoy a man’s embraces† (3PO 32), not realizing (yet) that her new husband has at least three other lovers on the side. Peachum cuts in with his pious moralizing, complete with a Bible in hand. (Notice the reappearance of our â€Å"Peachum-motif†: the allegro tempo of Polly’s words pull back into Peachum’s deliberate, sustained delivery accompanied by the organ.) The impersonal second vocal mode takes over here (â€Å"Who would disagree?†) and Ferran notes the shift from a description of the Peachum’s own circumstances into an observation of common worldly attitudes (15). Finally, the song ends with a â€Å"‘last-word’ rhythmic gesture: eight measures of decisive, sixteenth- and eighth- note diatonic finality in G minor, half a step higher than the song’s concluding F-sharp minor† (17). This tonal shift seems to musically symbolize the universality of the message: â€Å"the world is mean† (Blitzstein). The song is sung in multiple keys, and therefore, its message is applicable in multiple societies.Macheath and Jenny’s â€Å"Ballad of Immoral Earnings† (Zuhà ¤lterballade) is probably the best example of the contrast between music and lyrics in Threepenny Opera. The song is written as a tango, a South American style most often associated with exoticism and romance. Although the meter of tango is a rather simple 2/4, the marcato quarter-note drives the beat and is overlaid with a somewhat complex pattern of dotted-eighth and dotted-sixteenth notes, followed by a pair of eighth notes. (This is what tango dancers refer to when they describe the â€Å"slow, slow, quick, quick, slow† rhythm.) Again, the syncopation subtly reminds the audience of the current jazz craze in Berlin, while giving them enough of an uneven rhythm to keep them from being lulled into a sense of complacency. The marcato quarter-note plays a huge role here – each note is a new attack, rather than every note moving gracefully into the next. (This can be compared to the repeating sforzandos of the Threepenny â€Å"Overture†.) The minor key exudes a false romanticism, especially when one considers the lyrics, which are most definitely un-romantic. Tango music and dance were new to Europe in the early 1920s, and Weill seems to have used this novel and complex style to underscore the fact that Macheath and Jenny’s relationship (or, rather, sexual arra ngement) is anything but simple; rather, it is a patter of syncopated, sadomasochistic attacks. Jenny describes how Macheath would â€Å"knock [her] headlong down the stairs† (3PO 44). The final verse tells the story of Macheath accidentally impregnating Jenny, but to take care of the problem, they â€Å"flushed it down the sewer† (3PO 44). Alienation here is expressed in the contrast between the music and the lyrics. Just as importantly, it is expressed in the lovers’ use of the third person when describing each other in a duet (â€Å"She was generally booked up† [3PO 44]). The epilogue to this song, in which Jenny betrays Macheath, can be seen as another verse illustrating this violent relationship. Through the song and the following scene, the world of Threepenny Opera clearly emerges: no one is to be trusted, and anyone will betray anyone in order to earn their thirty pieces of silver.This idea connects with the next song, The Second Threepenny Finale – What Keeps Mankind Alive? (â€Å"II. Dreigroschenfinale†), which ends Act Two. It is in this song that Brecht seems to become expressly political. It is actually composed of three separate systems. Ronald Sanders describes the first system as appropriately starkthe least operatic of the scores finales, this number sounds like a nightmarish version of a Salvation Army hymn, a choral preachment turned into an antibourgeois black mass (121). It is in this system which Macheath and Jenny utter the famous lines, Food is the first thing/ Morals follow on and Mankind can keep alive thanks to its brilliance in keeping its humanity repressed (3PO 55). Men live by feasting upon each other, and morality ought not to be discussed as long as the poor are still starving.Macheath takes over the second system, asking, What keeps mankind alive? It is important to note here that the question is not, What keeps the rich alive? The question is extended to all of humanity. In this way, Brecht and Weill work together to form the idea that all men survive by bestial acts (3PO 56), be it the wealthy Berliners in the audience, men like Jonathan Peachum, or common prostitutes like Jenny. Therefore, the audience should be left to think about the complicated way in which the human race survives, regardless of social status. It is also interesting to note that Macheath sings his initial question (What keeps a man alive?) in a strong, fermata-filled rubato (as if Macheath is saying, â€Å"Listen to this†), in a major key. By doing so, he seems to infer (or at least hope) that the answer to the question is both easy and satisfactory to all. However, this is not to be, as he launches into a litany of brutal complaints against the human race, employing cannibalistic language and derisive cynicism (Blitzsteins Macheath sarcastically reminds us, Forget that theyre supposed to be his brothers).It is here that the chorus joins in for the third system. Peter W. Ferran menti ons that it is the chorus which makes the thesis statement of the song: So gentlemen, lets face reality: We all survive by criminality (17). He goes on to argue that since an operas chorus usually enunciates an eternal truth, the chorus here becomes the voice of the times, addressing the hypocrites of the world. The over-articulation of the lyrics and the music, with its booming strophes and antistrophes, pointedly keeps the audience in check, reminding them that they are the ones to be trusted with this message.Macheath has bribed Smith, an officer, to let him out of prison; however, he is betrayed again by Jenny and finds himself in prison again, waiting to be hanged. As he is led to the gallows, Peachum interrupts the action, telling the audience that he can’t risk offending them; therefore, a different ending will be substituted. Here, â€Å"justice give[s] way before humanity† (3PO 78), and in â€Å"The Third Threepenny Finale – Appearance of the Deus Ex M achina† (â€Å"III. Dreigroschenfinale†), Macheath is reprieved by Brown on horseback.Although exaggerated in its execution, Brecht instructed that the cast â€Å"must carefully carry out the formal obligations of this final chorus† (Ferran 19). This is, as Weill wrote, â€Å"an instance of the very idea of ‘opera’ being used to resolve a conflict, i.e. being given a function in establishing the plot, and consequently having to be presented in its purest and most authentic form† (qtd. in Manheim Willett, 90).Macheath is saved from the gallows, and Jonathan and Cecilia Peachum step in front of the curtain to directly address the audience and to remind them that â€Å"saviours on horseback are seldom met with practice†11 (3PO 79). The Peachum-motif appears again here, in Peachum’s deliberate rhythm and sermon-like prose. Drew notices that the â€Å"anapaestic rhythm† of the C minor allegro moderato echoes Macheath’s â€Å"Call from the Grave† and Polly’s â€Å"Pirate Jenny†, â€Å"while the continued commitment to the minor mode reinforces the idea that in truth nobody has been saved – for the world remains poor and man remains evil† (157). However, Weill and Brecht rescue us from the notion that we are doomed in an outburst of dominant seventh12 harmony. The dominant seventh is commonly used by composers, especially those of jazz, to destabilize the triad before (usually) bringing it to resolution with a major chord.13 This progression reminds the audience of the previous scene: tension and trepidation (as illustrated by the seventh chord) followed by release and freedom (as illustrated by the resolving dominant/tonic chord). Here, Macheath’s experience of being freed from the gallows is reproduced both musically and thematically for the audience.14 In addition, the question posed in the Second Finale, â€Å"What keeps mankind alive?† is twisted slightly to say, â€Å"What will keep mankind alive?† The answer is here in the final statement issued by the entire company: â€Å"Injustice should be spared from persecution: Soon it will freeze to death, for it is cold† (3PO 79). The music here, although a parody, is also â€Å"decidedly hymnicfrom piously distended melody to organlike orchestration† (Ferran 19). These four lines remind the audience to â€Å"track down injustice† (Blitzstein), but that it, too, will pass away. The implication here, however, is that the poor will freeze to death long before injustice does, so the poor had better do something about their situation before it is too late. The music here is reminiscent of many of Bach’s cantatas, in which â€Å"solos alternated with choral figures and dialogue was dressed in recitative† (Hirsch 51).Manheim and Willett’s translation has no trace of an epilogue; however, the Blitzstein version brings back the Street Sing er, who repeats the opening tune of â€Å"Mack the Knife†. This reprise brings the audience back to reality: the beggars disappear into the shadows while the Street Singer laments that â€Å"we divide up those in darkness from the ones who walk in light† (Blitzstein). In typical Brechtian form, the final lines are a challenge to the audience. This denies them a final resolution, and therefore, catharsis. As Brecht wrote, this gives the end of the opera a sense of â€Å"consequence-less-ness† (qtd. in Ferran, 20), since the final message of the opera is one that spurs the audience into action.But with all of its success (from the 1928 opening up to current productions), it still seems that the 1928 Berlin bourgeois audience satirized by Brecht and Weill either missed the satirical gestus of the play or reveled in it, using the play to justify its own corruption. The critique of capitalism in The Threepenny Opera became profitable,15 and not only for Weill and Bre cht. Within weeks of the show’s opening, a ‘3-Groschen-Bar’ opened in Berlin, which, as Franz Jung noted, attracted â€Å"whoever considered themselves part of culture† (qtd. in Hinton 58) and played only music from The Threepenny Opera. One store even sold Threepenny Opera wallpaper, so that a bourgeois fan could decorate a kitchen with pink and yellow images of the killer, Macheath, and his favorite prostitute, Jenny (Taylor 145). Brecht lamented the show’s success, since it was due to â€Å"everything that didn’t matter to me: the romantic plot, the love story, the music† (qtd. in Kowalke, â€Å"The Threepenny Opera in America†, 78), rather than the critique of society. However, Weill still viewed the show as a success, despite the fact that it had become â€Å"industrialised†: this, he said, â€Å"speaks for it rather than against it, and we should be lapsing into the errors of our old ways if we were to deny the imp ortance and quality of a piece of music simply because it had become popular among the masses† (qtd. in Taylor 146).In his essay â€Å"Gestus and Music,† Weill wrote: â€Å"The structure of an opera is faulty if a dominant place is not given to the music in its total structure and the execution of its smallest part. The music of an opera may not leave to the libretto and the stage-setting the whole task of carrying the dramatic action and its idea; it must be actively involved in the presentation of the individual episode† (29). In The Threepenny Opera, the music combines with the lyrics in various ways to ultimately create â€Å"a new type of musical theatre† (qtd. in Manheim and Willett, 90). These combinations, rather than the individual songs on their own, make Weill’s composition a minor work of gestic genius.Notes1 Morley’s essay discusses gestic music generally; I hope to use his statements as a springboard to discuss the specific use of gestic music in The Threepenny Opera.2 In English, this is commonly referred to as â€Å"the alienation effect.†3 Space prevents me from describing all twenty-two songs; therefore, I will concentrate on the ones which I feel best illustrate this concept.4 Unless quoting a work which uses another translation, I use Manheim Willett’s translation of The Threepenny Opera (London: Methuen Publishing, 2005). The original German is often used in scholarly works, but not translated into English. I have listed both for clarity. Some of my analysis requires the use of Blitzstein’s translation; these are appropriately noted.5 Although Brecht is often credited with adapting John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera, The Threepenny Opera was almost entirely the work of his assistant, Elisabeth Hauptmann. Nevertheless, Brecht walked away with 62.5% of the royalties (Fuegi 196).6 This prologue is from Marc Blitzstein’s translation, which is currently the most widely p erformed. The Manheim/Willett translation carries no trace of the prologue.7 Sforzando is a dynamic notation meaning â€Å"play with emphasis.† Franz Joseph Hadyn wrote Symphony no. 94 (one of his most famous pieces) as a tranquil piece emphasized by a sudden, unexpected sforzando, intended as a joke.8 The theoretical structure of the â€Å"motto tune† is third-fifth-added sixth, also known as mediant-dominant-submediant, or â€Å"mi†-â€Å"sol†-â€Å"la†. For the sake of clarity I will refer to specific musical intervals numerically, i.e. third-fifth-sixth.9 The abbreviation â€Å"3PO† will reference Manheim Willett’s translation.10 This idea was visually expressed in a production at the University of Wisconsin in 2004, in which Macheath and Peachum were dressed in costumes reminiscent of one another to subtly remind the audience that the two were not so different after all.11 This is sung in the Blitzstein recording, but spoken in the Manheim/Willett translation.12 The dominant seventh is a major triad (root-third-fifth) with an added seventh.13 Dominant sevenths have become more and more popular in composing since the beginnings of jazz and its subsequent transition into pop music; the Beatles’ â€Å"All You Need is Love† and â€Å"Golden Slumbers† are two perfect examples of songs which use the dominant seventh to set up a tension before resolving. Weill must have been sure that jazz-wild Berlin would recognize the â€Å"jazziness† of the songs.14 This should not be mistaken as a form of catharsis. Brecht clearly sets up the idea that the audience has a responsibility; the resolution of the chord merely indicates that all is not lost.15 â€Å"Mack the Knife† has been commercially successful on its own, even to this day. Dozens of covers have been recorded, most notably by Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Sting, and Ella Fitzgerald. In the ultimate ironic twist, McDonaldâ€⠄¢s created a character called â€Å"Mac Tonight† in the 1980s, who sold hamburgers with a jingle based on Brecht and Weill’s violent tune.

Gun Control Is A Decent Answer For The United States

Throughout the years there have been numerous of debate confrontations about regardless of whether weapon control is a decent answer for the United States. Therefore, two extremely particular sides have shaped: one for gun control and one against it. As of late, the pro weapon control side has contended that the numerous school shootings were halfway an aftereffect of our nation s negligible firearm control. To numerous this might appear like a sensible contention, however in actuality it is an over-speculation; there are numerous different variables that have impact in horrendous occasions like school shootings. Those against firearm control have contended that weapon control laws are an infringement of subject s protected rights†¦show more content†¦Those supporting firearm control contend that in the event that we confine weapons then murder and wrongdoing rates will drop. Be that as it may, until we tackle the disdain on the planet there will dependably be wrongdoing and murdering. Hoodlums will discover different weapons or figure out how to get firearms wrongfully. Contemplates demonstrate that in ranges with more weapon laws, wrongdoing is higher. Until we can begin getting serious about the individuals who perpetrate violations, firearm laws can do nothing to offer assistance. It is not the weapon that executes, but rather the individual pulling the trigger. Samuel Jackson said, â€Å"I don’t think it’s about more gun control, I grew up in the south with guns everywhere and we never shot anyone. This [shooting] is about people who aren’t taught the value of life.† The individuals who advocate weapon control have contended that 66% of murders are conferred with a gun (Zimring 1978). Be that as it may, even with weapon control, manslaughters would assuredly proceed with in light of human instinct (Zimring 1978). Killers would simply swing to another weapon and we would see more manslaughters conferred with blades, tomahawks, clubs, or different weapons (Zimring 1978). In the event that somebody needs to execute sufficiently gravely for all intents and purposes anything can be transformed into a weapon. This can be demonstrated by insights that

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Constitution And The Constitution1612 Words   |  7 PagesThe U.S Constitution is one of the most, if not the most, important documents ever written in political history. The constitution established America’s national government and provided the fundamental framework for the present and future legal parameters by which the american people would be governed by. The Constitution was officially signed September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia during a constitutional convention. In order for the constitution to actually be an official document, it had to have beenRead MoreThe Federalist Papers No. 78 Publius1383 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Federalist Papers No. 78 Publius asserts that the need for the judiciary has been well established and focus es instead on what he considered the key concerns raised by those against ratifying the constitution. These concerns were how Supreme Court justices would be chosen, how long a justice would remain in office, more specifically if lifetime appointments were appropriate and the division of authority between the different courts and their relationship to each other. While I would agreeRead More The Life and Political Career of James Madison Essay4338 Words   |  18 Pagesthe experiences enabled Madison to write the Constitution as well as a number of influential essays in response to his views on the incompetent confederacy. Madison challenged the ideas of the Anti-federalists through his strong arguments and rhetoric, while leaving behind a balance between central government and individual rights, as well as the idea of being an American. Madison’s education revolved around his bad health, which often dictated where he studied. Madison believed he wouldRead MoreEssay on Political Transitions in America2833 Words   |  12 Pagesworld from the British colonies to the first president with a central government then the secession of the south and Civil War until Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal. The English colonies were the starting basis of the new world. Jamestown, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania all had their own ways of governing their people. Jamestown’s first political structure was the House of Burgesses which was the first government and was limited by the governor and Joint Company to decide. Also all freeRead MoreThe Contributions Of James Madison Essay2531 Words   |  11 PagesPresident of the United States. Before he took office as Commander-in-Chief in 1809, he made a great deal of contribution to the American government as most know it today. An argument can be made that James Madison was the most influential of our founding fathers through him promoting the United States Constitution for ratification through the writing of the Federalist Papers, drafting as well as promoting the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution, as well as being responsibleRead MoreBranches of Government Paper1986 Words   |  8 PagesBranches of Gover nment Paper University of Phoenix July, 26 2010 Branches of Government Former President Thomas Jefferson once said, â€Å"Government are instituted among Men, deriving their just Power from the Consent of the Governed.† Since the second continental congress declared America’s independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 the United States government has sought to realize the fundamental principle on which our nation was founded. This was the start of the government we now know

1984 a Novel by George Orwell Essay example - 905 Words

In the novel 1984, by George Orwell, the thematic element of control is clearly portrayed through a variety of perspectives such as newspeak, telescreens, thoughtcrime, or in other words psychological, and physical manipulation. Firstly, telescreens play a very imperative role in 1984. The party use telescreens mainly for monitoring all members. Microphones are also hidden all across the city for an even better atmosphere of supervision. The party controls the telescreen by broadcasting propaganda about Oceania’s military victories, economic production figures, the nation anthem, and the Two Minute Hate Films. â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You† (3) is a slogan that is always shown or mentioned using telescreens. This itself is intimidating†¦show more content†¦They had no choice but to live in a state of fear, which was developed by the propaganda. The party controlled the information that the Oceanians were exposed to. By controlling every source of information, and rewriting all newspapers and histories, the memories of citizens became unreliable. This resulted in Oceanians believing what the party had to say. By controlling the present, the party had a way of manipulating the past to their benefit. The party doesn’t allow records of the past to be seen by anyone, therefore Oceanians have no choice but to believe the authority figure of Oceania; which is The Party and Big Brother. â€Å"If the party could thrust its hand into the past and say of this or that even, it never happened  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬-– that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death?† (37) They slowly changed the way people thought. By manipulating so many perspectives on the lives of Oceanians, it made it extremely difficult or even conceivable to not love Big Brother. The Party even had a say in people’s personal lives, such as relationships. People were forced to suppress their sexual desires and or affection for one another. Affection was always meant for Big Brother and The Party only. Relationships meant distractions and less of a passion for Big Brother. Therefore, by banning intimacy and feelings between individuals, it was more likely that all attention would go towardsShow MoreRelatedThe Novel 1984 By George Orwell1332 Words   |  6 PagesOF INHUMANITY. WHAT CORE ELEMENTS OF HUMANITY THAT NOVEL EXPLORES? George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ shows the crucial need for love, independence, hope and freedom in the midst of inhumanity. Bob Dylan once said â€Å"No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky (Dylan, n.d)†. In ‘1984’ Winston attempts to remain human whilst everyone he knows is doing otherwise. That is until he meets Julia, a young woman who surfaces desire and hope in him. Orwell shows the core elements of humanity such as independenceRead MoreThe Novel 1984 By George Orwell954 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel â€Å"1984† by George Orwell exemplifies the issues of a government with overwhelming control of the people. This government controls the reality of all of their citizens by rewriting the past, instilling fear, and through manipulation. This is an astounding story because of the realistic qualities that are present throughout the text about an extreme regulatory government and its effects. This society is overwhelming con sumed with the constructed reality that was taught to them by Big BrotherRead MoreThe Novel, 1984, By George Orwell923 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Orwell, known for his dystopian novels, wrote his most famous book, 1984, in the 1940s. Almost 60 years later in 1999 the Wachowski brothers wrote and directed one of the greatest film trilogies of all time, The Matrix. Both the novel and the movies depicted post apocalyptic dystopian worlds under some form of an oppressive government. Oppression, control, and sexuality are some of the prominent themes throughout the storylines. While some may argue that the novel 1984 did not inspireRead MoreThe Novel 1984 By George Orwell1013 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel 1984 by George Orwell exemplifies the issues of a government with overwhelming control of the people. Throughout the text there are realistic qualities that exemplify an extreme regulatory government and its effects. This government controls the reality of all of their citizen s by rewriting the past, instilling fear, hindering their freedom, and through manipulation. This society is overwhelmingly consumed with the constructed reality that was taught to them by Big Brother. The authorRead MoreThe Novel 1984 by George Orwell554 Words   |  2 PagesThough written sixty-five years ago, 1984 by George Orwell was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. Orwell’s depiction of a futuristic dystopian society makes the novel prophetic and thought provoking. We will divulge into: Orwell’s background; Winston Smith, the novel’s protagonist, and the origin of his name; the structural conventions in the novel; Orwell’s use of important characters that’s never-seen; the story’s turning points, the mentorRead MoreOrwell s Novel, 1984, By George Orwell1235 Words   |  5 Pagesduring their time. During the peak of George Orwell’s career was when Communism was at an all -time high. Hence, he was warning the world of what terrors came with the control of a totalitarian country. In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the main character Winston fights to protect his life and preserve the real meaning of being human by rebelling against the government, all while Orwell warns the reader of what a totalitarian government can do to humanity. Orwell significantly gets his point across andRead MoreThe Novel 1984 by George Orwell Essay944 Words   |  4 Pages 1984, Orwell’s last and perhaps greatest work, deals with drastically heavy themes that still terrify his audience after 65 years. George Orwell’s story exemplifies excessive power, repression, surveillance, and manipulation in his strange, troubling dystopia full of alarming secrets that point the finger at totalitarian governments and mankind as a whole. What is even more disquieting is that 1984, previously considered science fiction, has in so many ways become a recognizable reality. OrwellRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel 1984 By George Orwell1782 Words   |  8 PagesIn the novel 1984, by George Orwell, the government of Oceania is able to have supreme control over its population. The citizens of Oceania live in angst of the â€Å"Big Brother.† This instills a great amount of fear in the citizens who believe they must fulfill the government s expectations. The government not only invaded the person privacy of the Oceanic citizens, but they took away their basic human rights. By stiripping its citizens of their rights, like freedom of speech, The Party is able toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel 1984 By George Orwell951 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel, 1984, composed by George Orwell, presents a frightening picture, where one government has complete control of the general population. The story takes place in London, England. The government that is made in the novel is controlled by Big Brother. In 1984, the protagonist, Winston, really despises the total itarian government, that tries to control all aspects of his life. So many freedoms that we all need to live a happy and healthy life are being stripped away from the citizens of OceaniaRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel 1984 By George Orwell1289 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel â€Å"1984† by George Orwell explores the meaning of humanity and the tactics that a totalitarian government may use to strip humanity from the people in order to maintain power. The main character Winston strives to preserve his humanity throughout the novel in his ability to think freely. The government tries to control its constituent’s thoughts, through tactics of propaganda, regulation, telescreen monitors, the thought police, and five ministries. These tactics are to control the constituent

Symptoms And Treatment Of Skin - 887 Words

Skin tags are common, obtained benign skin buildup that looks like a small balloon of hanging skin. Skin tags are harmless growths that can range in numbers from one to hundreds. Males and females are alike liable developing skin tags. Being overweight is related with skin tag development. Although some skin tags may fall off unexpectedly, most stay once formed. The medical name for skin tag is acrochordon. Skin tags are bits of flesh colored or darkly pigmented tissue that projected from the surrounding skin from a small, narrow stalk. Skin tag removals are very common, harmless. Early stages of skin tars may be as small as a flattened pinhead sized bump, at approximately one third to one half the size of a pinky fingernail. However some skin tags may become as large as a big grape.Skin tags tend to occur on the eyelids, neck, armpits, and under the femalesbreast, upper chest. Skin tags are typically thought to occur where skin rubs against itself or clothing. Not only males and fem ales tent to get a skin tags, they are more affected in females than males.They are also, much more common in middle age, and increase up to age 60. Even though it is less common in children, it may occur in babies who are plump may also develop skin tags in areas where skin rubs against skin, like the sides of the neck. Younger children may develop skin tags at the upper eyelids, often in areas where they rub. Older children and teens my develop skin tags in the under arm area fromShow MoreRelatedSymptoms And Treatment Of Skin1446 Words   |  6 Pages and trouble breathing. Severe edema is one of the major causes for impaired skin integrity. Skin integrity is defined as â€Å"the state in which an individual’s skin is at risk of being adversely altered† (kloop, Storey, Bronstein, 2012). There are three major factors that can relate to client’s skin alteration: decreased tissue perfusion, prolonged bed rest, and pulmonary edema. One factor that can cause impaired skin integrity is decreased tissue perfusion. Decreased tissue perfusion refers toRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Skin Cancer1774 Words   |  8 Pages Skin Cancer Research Paper Sarah Klein was once a teenager with psoriasis, skin build up that causes an itchy patch. Her primary doctor had recommended her to use ultraviolet rays as a solution, but little did they know that was going to cause her to have stage IV metastatic melanoma once she was older with a family. In the human body there are the processes of mitosis and apoptosis, the necessary functions the body needs for proper growth and development. But there are times when newRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Skin Tears1079 Words   |  5 PagesSkin tears are traumatic wounds, which usually occur on the extremities of the elderly. Not to mention the amount of deaths that occur when skin breakdown doesn’t get treated. The article, â€Å"Preventing in –facility Pressure Ulcers, â€Å" states that, â€Å"60,000 U.S. patients will die from complications related to hospital-acquired Pus†. (Preventing, 2013). When you think about all the different diseases and illness that can kill someone, pressure ulcer don’t normally come to mind. If we have less skin breakdownRead MoreSkin Cancer : Symptoms And Treatment1462 Words   |  6 Pages Skin Cancer Project Wong,KaYan. Li,Suzy. Chen,Xu 10/06/2015 Tuesday ^-^ Skin Cancer Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in our society. It also can be said that it is the abnormal growth of the skin cells. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that one in every five Americans will experience skin cancer during their lifetime. Cancers are mostly caused by the overexposure of UV radiation that damages the human DNA which lead to DNA mutation. There are three types of skin cancer, squamousRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Skin Cancer1357 Words   |  6 Pagesincidence of non melanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis (AK) has increased. The tumours are treated with the help of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and topical therapies to manage superficial carcinoma and actinic keratosis. This review briefs about skin physiology, non melanoma skin cancer, relationship between actinic keratosis(AK) and skin cancer, different drugs used in dermal preparations for management of actinic keratosis and novel approaches for targeting drugs to skin neoplasm and actini cRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Dry Skin Brushing1948 Words   |  8 Pagesheard of dry skin brushing, but it is something I ve been doing for most of my adult life and has become an important part of my daily routine. I know that dry skin brushing is a practice that is centuries old and is something that spas and salons offer as a cellulite treatment. (Of course, I don t have cellulite) As a detox exercise, skin brushing has been one of the most effective things I ve ever used to improve my health and well being. Skin brushing feels good. Not just for the skin, but forRead MoreCellulitis Essay886 Words   |  4 PagesDescription Main purpose of cellulitis treatment process is reduction of severity cellulitis infection, fast recovery, pain relieve, cure affected skin and prevention of recurrence - definition of treatment for cellulitis. In most cases healing process contains treatment with antibiotics drugs. Antibiotics are used orally or intravenous depending of severity of affected skin area. Period for using oral antibiotics (by mouth) is 10 to 14 days. In this period is crucial to take every single pillRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Melanoma982 Words   |  4 Pages(cancer) cells form in the skin cells called melanocytes (cells that give the skin color). It can also occur in the eye and is called intraocular or ocular melanoma; however it can happen anywhere on the body. It is the most dangerous of the common forms of skin cancer and oftens appears as a growing coloured skin spot, usually occuring in adults, but it is sometimes found in children and adolescents. The disease is more aggressive than ba sal cell skin cancer or squamous cell skin cancer. CAUSE: MelanomaRead MoreTreatment Options For Excoriation Disorder1232 Words   |  5 PagesTreatment Options for Excoriation Disorder Sarah Rebecca Carter Auburn University School of Nursing â€Æ' Treatment Options for Excoriation Disorder Excoriation disorder, also known as skin picking disorder, is characterized by the frequent scratching or picking of the skin. Picking most commonly occurs in areas of the body that the patient can reach, such as the arms, inner thighs, face, fingers, and upper back (Turner, Sutton, Sharma, 2014). The incessant skin picking can cause physical and/orRead MoreWhy Rosacea Affects Those Who Show Symptoms Of The Disease While Mentioning The Possible Treatments And Preventions1405 Words   |  6 Pagesshow symptoms of the disease while mentioning the possible treatments and preventions. It also discusses the reasons to why there has not been a cure to the disease and how it negatively affects a person’s daily life. Rosacea is a skin disease that is very common in people with fair skin and causes undesirable appearances. The disease can sometimes be confused with acne because of its similar appearances. However, rosacea has no cure and can only be dealt with through medication an d treatments to relive

Cultural Component free essay sample

After all of the congratulations on seeing another year on this earth were done, we set out to our destination. Usually we just order pizza and call it a day but we wanted to make this day special. Our place of choice was the great Arawak Key, or as I like to call it, food central. As we arrived there was rake n’ scrape music playing and people dancing. It was also obvious that we weren’t the only ones with that idea. Hungry faces as far as the eye can see, but no one was as hungry as me. I searched all around for an empty restaurant to seat me family of five. It felt like it was hopeless because every restaurant we looked in, a full house of hungry faces looked back at us. We finally found a diamond in the rough with a slightly empty restaurant. This restaurant had a cozy feel to it. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Component or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It had basic light brown paint and Bahamian art strung up on the walls. These paintings were probably purchase from schools which made me wish I did better in art. As we ordered our food another component of culture came to me. The menu was stacked with Bahamian dishes, from the almighty conch snack to the luxurious lobster and shrimp snacks. I ordered two different meals for myself only and when I was finished, I still wasn’t full. Secondly, I went to an event known as Fam Fest. This is a free gospel concert held annually on Arawak key. This brings up another cultural component which is beliefs. The majority of the Bahamas is of the Christian denomination. This was seen excellently with the numbers of people that showed up. Although it could have been due only to the fact that it was free, because something that is free and a Bahamian is never far apart. Getting back to topic, with a gathering of Bahamians there has to be food. The entire right sight of the venue was covered by vendors set upped to sell their dishes. Hundreds of people gathered to praise the lord and satisfy their stomachs, not a bad combination. Arawak key is a Bahamian culture haven. From the food, the music, and the dancing, it all is truly a culture filled place. Also the clothes worn by employees to accentuate their restaurant’s Bahamian qualities are brilliant. Firstly, the food is pure Bahamian influenced. The sound of conch salad being prepared fills the air and the smell of fried foods just flow through your nostrils. Furthermore, the rake n’ scrape music played by live bands or speakers just set the mood and make for the perfect Bahamian experience. Also, the dancing, although mostly done by drunken men and women, still gives a nice feel to the place. In conclusion, it is clear to say that the components of culture, or just culture itself is evident almost everywhere you go. Arawak Key is a perfect place to go if you want a true culture experience. Although some of the components are seen more than others, each of them plays a vital role in the complete culture of the Bahamas.

The Hunger Games Literary Critique free essay sample

The Hunger Games in some key areas of storytelling, but it does not redeem this blockbuster trilogy of its principal flaw: its future is never fully believable. I suspect that, like Twilight fans, what appeals to the bulk of its fan base is not just the action-packed premise, but the love triangle at the heart of the tale, between put-upon teen heroine Katniss Everdeen, her Games partner Peeta Mellark (with whom she must put on a show of romantic feeling, though on his part the emotions are genuine), and Gale, her longtime friend from home whom she realizes too late is the boy she truly loves. Thats all well and good, and Collins does build upon the emotional core of her story very effectively by emphasizing Katnisss internal conflict regarding both Peeta and Gale in this second volume. Her characters were already strongly relatable, and she only boosts their appeal in readers eyes this time. As a longtime SF reader who is just a tiny bit older than the target demographic here, I cannot help but read an SF novel for the whole package. That package includes convincing world building. This, Collins has not done. Consider: we are asked to accept a post-apocalyptic future in which the United States has been replaced by a nation, Panem, who fascism is so awesomely ruthless it would make Heinrich Himmler shudder. Fully 75 years after a series of rebellions, Panems Capitol still feels the need to select two dozen teenagers from the twelve (formerly thirteen) Districts it controls, and have them slaughter each other in high-tech gladiatorial combat. As there could be little punitive value in the practice after 75 years, all that can be realistically motivating the Capitol is senseless bloodthirst. Why the obsession with dead kids as entertainment? Did everyone forget how to play football? Lets look at the Capitol. It is a glistening, media-obsessed, higher-than-high-tech metropolis whose citizens lack for nothing and can indulge their every hedonistic pleasure. In contrast, the Districts citizens would be better off in the pre-WWII Warsaw ghettos. The Capitol has the technology to create arenas for its Hunger Games that include all manner of tricks, traps, genetically engineered beasts, artificial seas, controlled weather conditions, with the whole affair surrounded by an invisible force ield. When youve got invisible force fields, youre into Star Trek territory. The threat level from a bunch of starving poor people must be negligible at best. And yet, 100% of the resources of the Capitol appear to be directed towards the Hunger Games, the only goal of which is to oppress and humiliate peasant populations from deprived districts, some of whom barely get enough to eat, and whos e districts, in many cases, provide resources that the Capitol clearly doesnt even use. (District 12, where Katniss is from, mines coal. Thus, Panems economy must be based on other things than what it scrapes up in tribute from its Districts. Super-arenas with invisible force fields cant come cheap, after all. But Collins gives us no sense of any larger world outside the immediate scope of her story. Do other nations exist? Do they share diplomatic relations with Panem? If so, how do they view the Games? Does Panem, in fact, have any sociopolitical agenda at all other than gloating over teenage violence? We hear of corporate sponsors who support the Games. But who produces their products, if not the Districts? What are their revenue streams? And on and on. Yes, I am thinking of things that probably no fan of this series is thinking about. The problem is that Collins didnt think of them either. Her future is therefore shallow, and, in being so shallow, isnt fully believable. What makes an SFF future believable is when you can tell that there are many other stories that can be set in it other than the one the writer happens to be telling. Middle-Earth, Nivens Known Space, or even the settings of such purely commercial creations as Star Trek and Star Wars, have shown themselves to be a bountiful source of story ideas beyond the immediate adventures of Frodo, Kirk, or Luke. You dont sense that here. Panem and the Capitol are evil for the sake of being evil, simply so that Katniss can fill her role as heroine and liberator. In other words, its not meant to be a realistic future, just an easily-grasped symbolic one. Which is fine, except that I think a writer with a stronger background in SF than Collins obviously has wouldnt have treated it as an either/or narrative choice. I noted that Catching Fire was a better story, and it is. One thing about being a 17-year-old in a society that has devoted itself heart and soul to killing you horribly is that it would certainly result in some serious psychological trauma. Katnisss inner turmoil in this book is ratcheted up to nearly intolerable levels, and in the books best moments her distress will tug at your heart, far more honestly than the ham-fisted emotional manipulations Collins threw at us in book one. One thing I am sure resonates with the series fans is to imagine what it must be like to have all hope stripped from you at a time in your life when the joy of youth should have your cup running over with hope. Taken on these terms, Catching Fire will engage fans of the trilogy even more than The Hunger Games did. Katniss learns that the clever ploy she used to keep both herself and Peeta alive at the end of book one has sparked a new spirit of rebellion in the Districts. The Capitol is coming down on all this with the expected brutality. There are hints that the ruins of the long destroyed District 13 may be home to a secret underground resistance. Katniss, whose mockingjay pendant has become the rebellions logo, must watch her every move and every thought, as shes had it made abundantly clear she is on the shit-list of Panems President Snow. (Collins fondness for glaringly obvious, and just as glaringly ironic, symbolic character names is undimmed here. ) But Katniss has no way to suspect what fate he actually has in store for her. While the first third of the book — its divided into three parts, like book one, which will certainly make the screenplays easy to write — has the trilogys best and most chilling storytelling to date, by the time were near the end, in what amounts to a lengthy rehash of the first book, it has no surprises for us. Even the cliffhanger ending feels inevitable. However, it hints that were finally, maybe, about to get to the good stuff in the final volume at last. Im hopeful, but not terribly optimistic, that once the downfall of Panem gets rolling, this trilogy will at last begin to satiate my hunger.