The human being has always been fascinated with what exists in the future for us; where we go after we die, how the world might end and what our role is in the grander scheme of things. These are some of the existential questions we ask ourselves. Geoff Ryman creates a utopic future for us to see how some answers to these questions could play out. In Ryman’s story Everywhere, Ryman shows that to achieve a utopic society one of the essential components is an advancement in communication; he shows this through examples such as the ability to communicate with animals, the advancements of communication with technology and the ability to speak with the deceased. These advancements bring life to an idea of technology bringing us into union with the…
In the “Bread Givers” the story of the Smolinsky’s was set on Hester Street in lower Manhattan after immigrating to the U.S. In this house patriarchy was the rule of the day, where Reb Smolinsky dishes out is absolute power and savagery and small-mindedness on his wife and four daughters where he displayed his patriarchal rule and dominance. Mr. Smolinsky epitomizes the old the old world Russian Judaism tradition and values, he forces his family to work and provide for him while he rejected the notion of working, since his only job was devoted to studying the Torah in synagogue every day of his life and be closer, even if that means his daughters and wife must live under deplorable and disgusting condition. Nothing is wrong with studying the…
Joseph Green and Konrad Tom's film Mamele depicts a vastly different cultural and family dynamic in a different setting than the dynamic found in traditional Jewish shtetls. Whether it be incorporating Jewish holidays or traditional family roles, producers actively depicted Jewish cultural roots into their films prior to Mamele in 1939. In Mamele, a daughter named Chavchi takes on many household responsibilities after the death of her mother and is consequently given the nickname "mamele," or little mother. The family is nontraditional as a result, as Chavchi picks up familial responsibility due to the lack of care and initiative from a drunkard and gambling-addicted father. In addition to an unconventional father figure, Chavchi's many siblings…
There is a line in the musical Spamalot where Sir Robin sings to King Arthur; “In any great adventure, if you don 't want to lose ... you won 't succeed on Broadway if you don 't have any Jews!" (PBS, Broadway Musicals). If you can look past the sweeping generalization, Sir Robin’s surprising lyric turns out to be very true about musicals. Historians have recognized that Jewish immigrant culture heavily influenced the content of musical theatre when it was popularized in America during the early twentieth century. But in turn, it was the sociopolitical and racial climate of the 20th century that inspired the creative and thematic content of Jewish productions as well.…
I have recently read your publicize article “Hip Hop Planet” in this article, McBride was trying to make his audience understand about hip hop and how it influences us. Mr.McBride I understand what you're trying to explain to the readers so they understand hip hop a little more but i’m going to have to find out more about this on this. I think that you could’ve been more persuasive towards the readers and been more opinionated because your writing what you had thought about hip hop and how it influences our planet. Also McBride needed to be more happy about what he was writing instead of mad or whatever he was. I believe Mr.McBride wants us to know how to express ourselves in ways we would’ve never known about us.…
Research Assignment Final: Bensonhurst Like many neighborhoods in New York, Bensonhurst has also been subjected to gentrification and reurbanization. Undeniably, over the years, my neighborhood has experienced death and life as an authentic urban place. Essentially, the drastic changes of the population, social relations, and etc. have led to the development of its current authenticity related to its new beginning. Bensonhurst has undergone a cultural, social, and economic transformation; evident from how the attributes of the new, innovative Bensonhurst remold the old, historical one.…
The Formation of a Collective Society “Totalitarianism begins with using the word “we” without every I’s permission” (Wiśhiewski). In Anthem, Ayn Rand gives a glimpse of what it is like to live in a collective society. Equality 7-2521 is unlike his brothers and is “cursed” because of those differences. Throughout the story, Equality goes on various adventures such as finding light and leaving his society along with its collective nature. The process behind creating a collective society in Anthem requires the burning of the past, the regression of technology, and the removal of choice.…
The Mennonite community of East Village has separated themselves from the outside world to keep their traditions and beliefs strict for its members and keep outsiders from interfering. Miriam Toews presents Nomi Nickel as the narrator to view the community of East Village from the perspective of an insider who recognizes issues and examines them. Toews’s writing, specifically from Nomi’s point of view, allows the audience to examine the culture from the insider’s standpoint. Their views and practices affect Nomi in such a way that she questions and eventually, rebels against the Mennonite lifestyle. All the while, she still harbors some affection for her upbringing, as she frequently has flashbacks to her life as an obedient Mennonite child.…
Enter Lenny, his protégé who, according to the book, will take over the bookstore and get The Pinch published. It appears that Lenny has gotten by through life by making very little effort and is working in the bookstore to bide his time until he is drafted. He is practically a squatter, and deals drugs on the side; otherwise he would have no social life to mention. Lenny appears throughout the book at the wrong place at the wrong time. He manages to find himself, during an errand, in the middle of a sanitation union strike.…
The language of war is commonly used by American culture nowadays in order to figuratively express ideas. In the essay “Fighting Words: The War Over Language,” Jon Hooten argues that integrating the language of war in a metaphorical sense will cause negative impacts in the actual world. When readers realize how common the language of war is in everyday language, they must wonder if Hooten’s statement that American culture has learned to casually use the language of war applies to them as well because of the multiple rhetorical strategies Hooten incorporates in his essay. Hooten assertively presents to his readers that using the language of war carelessly can desensitize us to the horrors of war and develop into real events through the usage…
Individuality is the greatest threat to a utopian society, if one person doesn’t like the way the leader is running the show, then why should you continue to follow their lead? This is the problem I tackled in my final project, as I produced a seminar that was telling students from a fictional institution how to run their utopian societies in a way where they could eliminate or control individuality. Of course their are many different ways to see a utopian society, sometimes it is optimistic, Where To Invade Next (2015) while others are much darker, 1984 (1984). I quickly decided to ignore the optimistic utopian societies, since many times the citizens are the rulers. Instead I focused on the utopian societies that were completely controlling…
Apartheid The Europeans thought that because they have a different lifestyle or look different from the Dutch and English, they were better. This lead to Apartheid, which was a longer period of time filled with discrimination in South Africa (1948-1994). I chose this project for two reasons, one, my friend Holly who also chose this era asked me to write on this topic. Two, I was drawn deeper into the idea of two sides, one side, foreign invaders, and on the other, the inhabitants of the invaded land.…
With just a paper and a pen, the power of language can transform the world around you. Language has established a system of human communication, incorporating the application of words in a structured and customary way. Its purpose can profess emotions from one human to another and suddenly make you feel the lost emotions inside of yourself. In Coming Into Language written by Jimmy Santiago Baca, he emphasizes his wildly dangerous journey of life and being found in the influence of language within the walls of his jail cell.…
“Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” ~Rosa Parks. The roots of racism have passed down through generations because parents force their children to follow racial traditions in order for them to continue those norms for future generations.…
Does communication with God exist? Paulo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist certainly believes so. His deep novel packed with lesson brings the reader through a journey with the main character, Santiago. Through him, Coelho can demonstrate how God is communicating in various ways. Dreams are one of the first things mentioned in the novel, and is one of the ways that Coelho believes God communicates.…