Effect of Art Essay Example for Free

Effect of Art Essay Traditionally, we have believed that art imitates life. The painter represents what he or she sees by producing a scene on a canvas. The sculptor does the same with bronze or stone. A photographer or film maker does it even more directly. A writer describes life in his or her books. This simple concept is known as mimesis. But some have questioned the one-way nature of mimesis by arguing that art also changes the way we view the world, and in fact, life sometimes imitates art rather than the other way around. The person who first articulated this belief effectively was Oscar Wilde. Speaking about the foggy conditions in London in the late 19th century, he wrote that the way we perceive them changed because of art. Referring to the wonderful brown fogs that come creeping down our streets, blurring the gas lamps and turning houses into shadows he argued that poets and painters have taught [people] the loveliness of such effects. According to Wilde, They did not exist till Art had invented them. And you don’t have to look too far to see anti-mimesis in our lives. To what extent is our outlook on life altered by ideas we read in books? The portrayal of people in films? The styles we see in fashion photography? One great example of this is the TV series The Sopranos, and how it affected both the Mafia in the USA and the FBI. Art’s influence on society: propaganda and censorship Throughout history, it has always been the case that art has the power to change society, especially when new media are used to express an idea. During the First World War, for example, movie cameras were used for the first time to record trench warfare – when the film was shown in cinemas in Britain, audiences ran out screaming. This led to the government censoring further such use of such a powerful medium. And in government censorship, and use of art as propaganda, we see how seriously governments take the effect of art. All of the major dictators of the C20th understood the power of art to influence the population. In Nazi Germany, Hitler set up the Ministry of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. It was headed by Goebbels, who made sure that nothing was published, performed, or exhibited without his approval. When this happens, you know there isn’t going to be a happy ending. And what Goebbels approved, of course, only fit in with Nazi ideology and ideas. In terms of art, this meant no modern and abstract art, certainly nothing hostile to the regime, and nothing that featured images other than the stereotypical blonde-haired, blue eyed set in idyllic pastoral scenes of blissful happiness. In Stalinist Russia, there was also a keen understanding of the power of art. Art portrayed contented peasants, industrious workers, and Stalin himself. In fact, Stalin was shown god-like in many paintings, a phenomenon known as the Cult of Stalin. Just as in Germany, gigantic architectural projects expressed the power of the state. However, there is no doubt that in Russia there were greater artistic achievements than in Nazi Germany. Composers worked with fewer hindrances – as seen in the works by Prokoviev and Shostakovich, and film-makers such as Eisenstein emerged. Art’s influence on society: the trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover But even under less oppressive governments, the artistic expression of certain ideas can be subject to control. One great example is the book ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ by DH Lawrence, which was deemed offensive on many levels. In this book, Constance Reid, a woman from a progressive liberal middle class family marries a minor member of the aristocracy, Lord Clifford Chatterley, and takes the title ‘Lady Chatterley’. But her husband is injured in the First World War, confined to a wheelchair, and left impotent. Despite this, he becomes a successful writer and businessman. It is more his obsession with financial success and fame rather than any physical difficulties which come between him and his wife, and she begins an affair with their gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. The largely aristocratic ‘establishment’ of Britain at the time – the book was published in Italy in 1928 were shocked by many aspects of the book. First, there was the fact that the book was ‘obscene’, in the way it went into explicit detail the affair that took place (see below). Second, there was the fact that a women was breaking her marriage vows, something considered far worse than a man behaving in the same way. Finally, it represented an intimate relationship between a member of the ‘lower’ classes (although it emerges during the story that Mellors is actually well-educated, and became an officer in the army during the First World War) and the ‘upper’ classes, a concept that was totally taboo in Britain at that time. The book was duly banned. But the book was republished by Penguin books in 1960. The attorney general, Reginald Manningham-Buller (dubbed ‘Bullying-Manners’ by the journalist and author Bernard Levin) had to read only four chapters to decide to prosecute Penguin books for publishing it. What annoyed him was not just the content, but the fact that the price of the book meant it was affordable to women and members of the lower classes (remember that only few women worked at this time, and husbands were generally in charge of family finances). The trial was a disaster for Manningham-Buller and the prosecution. They had failed to find any experts to support their case, in stark contrast to Penguin’s defence team, which had brought in authors, journalists, academics, and even members of the clergy to defend the book. Manningham-Buller and his team had very little idea of what Lawrence had been trying to express in his book, regularly being caught out by the superior insight of the witnesses they were trying to catch out. And although they tried to shock the jury – in his opening speech, Manningham-Buller announced: The word fuck or fucking appears no less than 30 times . . . Cunt 14 times; balls 13 times; shit and arse six times apiece; cock four times; piss three times, and so on. they were unable to prove that the book would have a negative influence on the readers it was aimed at. According to the Guardian: No other jury verdict in British history has had such a deep social impact. Over the next three months Penguin sold 3m copies of the book – an example of what many years later was described as the Spycatcher effect, by which the attempt to suppress a book through unsuccessful litigation serves only to promote huge sales. The jury – that iconic representative of democratic society – had given its imprimatur to ending the taboo on sexual discussion in art and entertainment. Within a few years the stifling censorship of the theatre by the lord chamberlain had been abolished, and a gritty realism emerged in British cinema and drama. (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning came out at the same time as the unexpurgated Lady Chatterley, and very soon Peter Finch was commenting on Glenda Jacksons tired old tits in Sunday Bloody Sunday and Ken Tynan said the first fuck on the BBC.) Homosexuality was decriminalised, abortions were available on reasonable demand, and in order to obtain a divorce it was unnecessary to prove that a spouse had committed the matrimonial crime of adultery. Judges no longer put on black caps to sentence prisoners to hang by the neck until dead. Can we say, though, that it was art in this case that changed society, or was it an interaction between human sciences (ie, the law) and the arts (the book) that led to change? This is from the same Guardian article: †¦the message of Lady Chatterleys Lover, half a century after the trial, is that literature in itself does no harm at all. The damage that gets attributed to books – and to plays and movies and cartoons – is caused by the actions of people who try to suppress them.

Discuss the creation and purpose of a strong sense of setting and :: English Literature:

Discuss the creation and purpose of a strong sense of setting and atmosphere Poets use a strong sense of setting and atmosphere in their poems to get across the emotions and content of their writing. â€Å"To Autumn† and â€Å"Ode on Melancholy† create a strong sense of setting and atmosphere. These two poems are both Odes. Odes are very thoughtful poems and are usually dedicated to someone or something. Also Odes are very disciplined in the way they are written, in terms of structure. Both poems are written by an author named John Keats. John Keats had a very hard life, in that he watched his mother and brother die from what is now know as leukaemia. He also knew that he would die from the same disease. Therefore John Keats may have observed things differently and was more appreciative of things. He seemed to be able to pick out the positive things when times were bad, especially â€Å"Ode on Melancholy†. These poems were also written in what is called the Romantic Era. â€Å"To Autumn† is about John Keats feelings and thoughts towards autumn. Straight away, in the first line Keats sets a strong sense of atmosphere for the poem. â€Å"Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness,† The word mists implies beauty and mellow suggests calm and relaxed. The way John Keats has used alliteration, makes the reader focus on the two words â€Å"mists and mellow†. Not only does it start the poem of with a soft and gentle tone, it makes the reader bring to mind autumn in just these few words. Like many other poets Keats uses poetic devices to make an image or to explain things in further detail. Keats goes on to using personification in the next two lines. â€Å"Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless† In these lines Keats personifies the sun and also autumn. The reason for him doing this is it makes an image, that autumn and the sun are more than what we think they are, they’re friends and they work together to grow crops. Repetition of the idea of being friends, â€Å"Close bosom-friend†. The repetition emphasises the relationship between the sun and autumn, which makes the reader more clear and aware of the imagery created. â€Å"For Summer has o’er-brimme’d their clammy cells.† This line at the end of the first verse is another image created of the process of autumn. The setting is changing from summer to autumn. This line suggests, summer has come to an end because all the goodness of summer is full and is beginning to over flow into autumn.

Organizations and institutions Essay

Maintaining and preserving the environment has been one of the key issues that have been prevalent in the present time. Creating avenues for environmental sustainability has continuously been evident among states, organizations and institutions. The same applies for the marine ecology particularly the Giant Blue-Fin tuna. The continuous decline of its population has been alarming different sectors in the economy as well as different environmental NGOs. Thus, it created numerous efforts among different organizations and governments to protect the Giant Blue-Fin Tuna. By controlling the amount of Giant Blue-Fin Tuna captured daily, the population of such species can be saved and be prevented from extinction. The Giant Blue-Fin tuna is considered one of the most prized species in the marine kingdom. â€Å"Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), aka bluefin tuna, horse mackerel, northern bluefin tuna is regarded as one of the most highly evolved fish species and one of the most prized fish in danger of over fishing. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) A Giant Blue-Fin is characterized under the category of ‘tuna’ due to their unique composition. â€Å"Tuna, originating from the Greek word meaning â€Å"to rush,† usually swim at speeds of 1. 5-4 kts, can maintain 8 kts for some time, and can rarely break 20 kts for short periods. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) The Blue-Fin tuna is classified under the Scombridae family and it is considered to be the largest specie under such classification. â€Å"It is one of the largest bony fishes and can reach lengths of up to 3 m, although they are more commonly found from . 5-2 m in length. Adult weights range from 136-680 kg, although the upper weight range is rare. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) Its appearance can be described to be â€Å"dark blue to black near the dorsal surface and silvery near the ventral surface. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) In addition, Giant Blue-Fin tuna lives from 15 – 30 years. Also, Giant Blue-Fin tunas are considered to be warm blooded fishes. â€Å"Atlantic bluefin are homeothermic (â€Å"warm-blooded†) and are therefore able to thermoregulate keeping their body temperatures higher than the surrounding water, which is why they are so well adapted to colder waters. † Locations The Giant Blue-Fin tuna are only located in certain places. â€Å"Bluefin are highly migratory and limited numbers of individuals may cross the Atlantic in as little as 60 days and are widely distributed throughout the Atlantic and can be found from Newfoundland all the way to the coast of Brazil. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) In addition, â€Å"they range in the eastern Atlantic as far north as Norway and down to northern West Africa. Bluefin tagged in the Bahamas have been captured in Norway as well as off the coast of Brazil. Bluefin in the South Atlantic belong to a distinct southern population, with known spawning areas south of Java, Indonesia. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) Current Problems In the course of time as development begins to step into the picture, certain negative and adverse have began to emanate from the process. The most affected sector in the development process is the environment. As humans continue to develop technologically the consequences of such improvements have been the environment and the ecosystem. With this, it can be argued that the marine ecosystem has also been suffering the same fate. Such occurrence does not spare the Giant Blue-Fin tuna as its population gradually and continuously declines over the years. It is widely known that the Giant Blue-fin tuna serves as an important source of food and income among the fishing industry. â€Å"Once, giant bluefin migrated by the millions throughout the Atlantic Basin and the Mediterranean Sea, their flesh so important to the people of the ancient world that they painted the tuna’s likeness on cave walls and minted its image on coins. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) The Giant Blue-fin tuna are regarded by many to be a source of delicious food particularly in the making of sushi. â€Å"The giant, or Atlantic, bluefin possesses another extraordinary attribute, one that may prove to be its undoing: Its buttery belly meat, liberally layered with fat, is considered the finest sushi in the world. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) Too much hunting With the huge demand for its meat, the Giant Blue-fin tuna has been a victim of excessive hunting by different fishermen and institutions. â€Å"Over the past decade, a high-tech armada, often guided by spotter planes, has pursued giant bluefin from one end of the Mediterranean to the other, annually netting tens of thousands of the fish, many of them illegally. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) In addition, with the application of the technological advantages in fisheries, the decline of Giant Blue-fin tuna rose exaggeratedly. â€Å"The decimation of giant bluefin is emblematic of everything wrong with global fisheries today: the vastly increased killing power of new fishing technology, the shadowy network of international companies making huge profits from the trade, negligent fisheries management and enforcement, and consumers’ indifference to the fate of the fish they choose to buy. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) Enforcement or Request There had been different efforts by states as well as international organizations in addressing these issues. Fishing of Giant Blue-fin can never be banned due to the relative demand of consumers for their meat. Thus, organizations and states arranged quotas for local and international fishermen on how much each should fish. However, these quotas are oftentimes neglected or not followed. â€Å"The group charged with managing bluefin tuna stocks, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), has acknowledged that the fleet has been violating quotas egregiously. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) In addition, recognizing the constant decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna in the ocean, ICCAT has requested different states and companies to reduce their quotas to allow these species to populate and multiply, however, these organizations and states declined. â€Å"But despite strong warnings from its own biologists, ICCAT—with 43 member states—refused to reduce quotas significantly last November, over the objections of delegations from the U. S. , Canada, and a handful of other nations. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) It has been predicted that if this type of fishing continues, then such industry would collapse and the Giant Blue-fin can become extinct. â€Å". Scientists estimate that if fishing continues at current levels, stocks are bound to collapse. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) What can be done There are different mechanisms that environmentalist and the government have tried to enforce to prevent the continuous over fishing of these species. However, little compliance can be seen in the process due to the high demand posed by the Giant Blue-Fin tuna especially in the world market. Thus, it is necessary for states and groups to enhance the level of monitoring and implementation of rules and legislation. In addition, stricter measures must be enforced to facilitate a better future for these creatures. Effective Management Effective management can be a solution to the long and impeding problem of over fishing in the ocean for Giant Blue-Fin tuna. â€Å"Experts agree that, first, the world’s oceans must be managed as ecosystems, not simply as larders from which the fishing industry can extract protein at will. †(Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) By creating effective and efficient management mechanisms can help enhance the efforts in improving the overall status of Giant Blue-Fin tuna. â€Å"Second, the management councils that oversee fisheries, such as ICCAT, long dominated by commercial fishing interests, must share power with scientists and conservationists. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Cutting Fishing Vessels The constant decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna are due to numerous fishermen who catches them. One possible scenario that legislators and organizations can do is limiting the number of allowed fishermen and industries who will engage in such actions. By doing so, it can help the population of the Giant Blue-Fin tuna to increase. â€Å"Further, governments must cut back the world’s four million fishing vessels—nearly double what is needed to fish the ocean sustainably—and slash the estimated 25 billion dollars in government subsidies bestowed annually on the fishing industry. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Setting quotas and marine sanctuaries By creating quotas, Giant Blue-Fin tuna population can be maintained and can provide an avenue for an increase in population. â€Å"For giant bluefin in the Mediterranean, that may mean shutting down the fishery during the spawning season and substantially increasing the minimum catch weight. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) But with this situation comes with effective and efficient inspection and enforcement among the state, agency and organization in-charge of the process. Also, by creating marine sanctuaries in the area, Giant Blue-Fin tuna can survive the excessive amount of fishing by fishermen in a certain area. Marine sanctuaries seek to protect the overall area where Giant Blue-Fin tuna are situated. This means that they cannot be caught. â€Å"Another crucial step, both in the Mediterranean and around the world, would be the creation of large marine protected areas. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Campaigning for change can also help in the process of conservation and sustainability. â€Å"Also important are campaigns by such groups as the Marine Stewardship Council, which is working with consumers as well as retail giants to promote trade in sustainably caught fish. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Conclusion The Giant Blue-Fin tuna is characterized to be an important part of the overall marine ecosystem. Taking them out in the overall system can create disparities and consequences in the marine ecosystem. Thus, the continuous decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna must be addressed to sustain the continuous demand of people in the future. By creating efficient and effective monitoring mechanisms as well as legislation, the lives of Giant Blue-Fin tuna shall be sustained. It is our responsibility to continue addressing this for it shall be the future generations that will suffer if actions shall not be put into place and changes to occur in near time. References MarineBio. org (2007) Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from http://marinebio. org/species. asp? id=236 Montaigne, F. (2007) ‘Still Waters: The Global Fish Crisis’ in National Geographic: Interactive Edition. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from h http://www7. nationalgeographic. com/ngm/0704/feature1/index. html

Transformations Emma and Clueless - 1297 Words

The universality of themes pervading both Emma and Clueless in correlation with the humanistic, obviously flawed protagonists in both texts, captivates and immerses responders. This engagement leads to an involvement and enjoyment in the composer’s craft, which enables the responders’ to obtain sophisticated insight into the text’s concerns on both subjective and objective levels. Critiques agree that the transformation enables an audience to â€Å"enjoy cultural capital and aesthetic knowledge† while retaining a â€Å"connection to the past through classic text and cutting edge post modernism.† Responders of both texts are positioned to see familiar values and attitudes reflected in different worlds. From a â€Å"time characterised by massive†¦show more content†¦In parallel to Emma these transformations are equally materialistic, as shown in the impervious tone of Cher’s narrative voice over throughout, her unwavering popularity and fantasies, all culminating in the final scene of the movie. Here we see a changed Cher, not engaging in the fantastical plans of Di and Tai for their perfect weddings, genuinely affectionate to Josh, dressed in an appearingly conservative pale pink dress. All these assumptions are belittled in the throwing of the bouquet scene whereby Cher reverts to her old ways of self preservation and determination in her frivolous attempts to secure the bouquet (and thus Josh’s affections). A high angel shot of the pack of screaming girls with a hysterical Cher centred, reveals the inappropriate length of Cher’s attire simulta neously robbing her of the audience’s previous respect. The superficiality of her transformation is thus depicted, with her actions and motives seemingly unaffected by the previous climatic events of the film. Both protagonists commence and end their journeys of self realisation with â€Å"very little to distress or vex† them, an ambiguous â€Å"happy ending† enabling the text’s concerns to be further interpreted in the responders’ minds. This responder interaction continues as both texts explore issues ofShow MoreRelatedClueless a Transformation of Emma4584 Words   |  19 PagesHow does the composer of Clueless use film techniques to transform the social, historical and environmental context of Jane Austen’s Emma to the modern context of Clueless? Amy Heckerling’s Clueless involves a storyline, which closely follows the text of Jane Austen’s novel Emma. However, there are some key points of difference in the transformation that has taken place. This is due to the individual context of the nineteenth century prose text and that of the modern appropriated film text. TheRead MoreTransformation - Jane Austen Emma to Clueless2160 Words   |  9 PagesThe transformation process redefines a story to make it accessible to the culture and values of a contemporary context. The manipulation of medium, genre, setting, characters and plot enables the transformed text to be understood and connect with a new audience. Amy Heckerling’s post-modern film transformation Clueless (1995) is derived from Jane Austen’s classic novel Emma (1816) with both texts comparable as they use satire to address similar values. 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Through this comparison it becomes evident that many of our current beliefs are not as dissimilar to Austen’s period as we may have thought. Emma depicts marriage as the focus of a women’s life with all achievements and skills of a woman being employed to furtherRead MoreThe Connection Between Clueless and Emma Essay594 Words   |  3 PagesThe Connection Between Clueless and Emma A valuable connection can be made be made between Jane Austens Emma and Amy Heckerlings Clueless although fashion, customs, society and language differ between the two. The connection is made through the plot, characters and inevitable human nature. The themes of vanity, rank, status and gossip link the two medias and create a valuable linkage in relating the 19th century life with the contemporary world. Fashion is constantlyRead MoreEmma Clueless915 Words   |  4 PagesESSAY PLAN: TRANSFORMATIONS ( EMMA/CLUELESS Intro: C appropriates E’s 19th Century context into a contemp. Beverley Hill’s society embedded in material availability and conspicuous consumption. o Austen’s PURPOSE not changed ( C ( satire of context and human nature ( C has other purp. ( Question value and validity of texts ( POMO TRANSFORMATION THESIS: The transformation of a text helps develop and mold new meaning to its counterpart, and hence deepen the understanding ofRead MoreJane Austen s Clueless 1280 Words   |  6 PagesAmy Heckerling’s film ‘Clueless’ enhances our understanding of the transformation derived from Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ and communicates the issues of rigid social status and confined attitudes to women despite contextual realignments. By adapting the genteel society of Highbury to the superficial microcosm of Beverley Hills, we gain an understanding of the restricted values placed on social status and the objectivity of women. Both Austen’s and Heckerling’s satirical reflections on Regency EnglandRead MoreEmma and Clueless Essay1975 Words   |  8 PagesHow has the change in context of Emma and clueless shaped the values conveyed in the two texts? In Amy Heckerlings 1995 film clueless we see the deep transformation of Jane Austin’s more conservative 19th century classic Emma. In clueless we see the values and themes of high culture literature combined with the modern context of teenage society in the 20th century. The transformation of Jane Austens novel Emma to the 20th century film Clueless by Amy Heckerling allows for the same themes of socialRead MoreEmma and Clueless Notes2482 Words   |  10 PagesEmma/Clueless speech Draft thesis: The ideas of appearance vs reality, development of maturity and love are ideas explored through techniques, Appearance vs reality -blindness to truth Emma | Clueless | * Manipulating reality to suit perception of it * Resulting self-deception, confusion, misunderstanding * Dramatic irony empowering us to see through human flaws and social failings of Emma. This often has unexpected results:-Mr Elton’s proposal â€Å"she could have been so deceived...sheRead MoreComparative Analysis Between Emma and Clueless Essay1801 Words   |  8 PagesHowever, the transformation is usually apparent and thus a link can be established between the original and the new. The transformation can give the audience a better understanding of societal values and attitudes present in the texts. Jane Austens book Emma(1816), relevant to society in Regency England, is relived in a modern day context relevant to the 20th century American society in Amy Heckerlings â€Å"teen flick† Clueless(1995). Social status plays a crucial part in both texts. â€Å"Emma Woodhouse