Historical materialism

“Contemporaries have to modify and adjust history so it serves modern agendas.” So states scholar Xiao Ming in his book, The Cultural Economy of Falun Gong in China: A Rhetorical Perspective. The use of language to construct tone and mood remains not only important in the field of English and literature, but affects other fields such as history as well. The specific word choice of various pieces in both news media as well as the academic field aid the reader in passing judgement or constructing…

Bruccoli, Matthew J. "Introduction." New Essay on The Great Gatsby. New York: Cambridge UP, 1985. 1-14. Bruccoli consistently compliments Fitzgerald’s work in The Great Gatsby as an “intricately patterned” masterpiece. He discusses cultural themes including disillusionment, success, time, excess, and hedonism using the context of 1920’s culture that Fitzgerald was immersed in while crafting the novel. Bruccoli recognizes Fitzgerald’s legacy as an author and admires the immense revisions and…

the mass upheaval in the spheres of American culture, technology, and labor that cinema emerged as both literal and symbolic refuge from the “traumatic” effects of industrial modernity. Although the cinema for Hansen no doubt participated in the “historical upheaval of traditional coordinates of space and time” marked by the experience of modernity, “it also offered a refuge in which the violence of the transition could be negotiated in a less threatening, playful, and intersubjective manner.”…

America constantly seeks to be the global leader in every field on Earth, and following the Mercury and Apollo space programs it is was clear that America was at the forefront of that which was outside of Earth as well. Apart from more prestige and scientific knowledge through America’s triumph in the space race, a deeper connection between the individual and the grandeur of the cosmos become evident. Astronauts and spectators of the Mercury and Apollo missions gained a new perspective of their…

Lorraine Hansberry, African American playwright and writer, was the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. Lorraine Hansberry completed her first play in 1957, which opened in March of 1959, taking her title from Langston Hughes ' poem, "Harlem” and that play was A Raisin in the Sun. Lorraine Hansberry was a great playwright that lived a short life. Hansberry died at the age of 34 but her work lived on. A Raisin in the Sun put Hansberry in the ranks of being a great…

Cassy Kelly Sociological Theory 5/11/15 Various sociological theories have gone on to shape and mold our society into what is today. Sociology became a science of society in the 18th century. However, it wasn 't until the 19th century that it became systemized. Sociology can be defined as the study of social problems. Studying the development, structure, and functioning of a society is greatly beneficial to those living there. Despite the fact that various sociological theories have…

bus segregation policy was unconstitutional. In 1963, Luther programmed boycotts in Birmingham, Alabama, as a consequent Luther ended in a jail, but from the jail, Luther eloquently spelled out his theory of nonviolence. On August 28, 1963, in the historical march on Washington, Luther in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial made his famous speech “I have a Dream.”Subsequently, many people began to question the nation’s Jim Crow Law. As a result, “The passage of The Civil Rights Act of 1964…

Newman, Ernest. Wagner as Man & Artist. New York: Tudor, 1946. Print. Newman makes the point that Wagner liked to create new things for the German people. Wagner's operas are just one example of his influence over the Germans. Newman also states that Wagner could not keep his opinions or political stances to himself. He used his opera to express his opinions. This created something new for the audience. It made Wagner satisfied with introducing something new to the public and these new…

Sandra Cisneros’s short story, “Barbie-Q”, describes the hardships endured by a young girl, never identified by name, and the less-fortunate life she and her family lead. The child discloses the rarity of new toys, but purchases damaged Barbie dolls while on a trip to the flea market. The narrator acknowledges the flaws of the Barbies, but counters the stereotypical “perfect” woman standards by implying her gratefulness of possessing any dolls at all. Through this struggle, the girl learns to…

Experiments with Truth”. He believed in The Bhagwat Gita. He led a simple life and tried to purge the Indian society of the evil of caste system. His dress was minimal, his requirements were the bare necessities and he preferred spiritual poise over materialism. He bore no ill will towards…