The Great Gatsby :: Essays Papers

The Great Gatsby "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired." This quote by author F. Scott Fitzgerald describes his life perfectly. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896. In June 1918 Fitzgerald was assigned to Camp Sheridan, near Montgomery, Alabama. There he fell in love with a southern belle, 18 year-old Zelda Sayre, the youngest daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. The Fitzgeralds went to France in the spring of 1924 seeking quietness for his work. He wrote The Great Gatsby during the summer and fall in Valescure near St. Raphael, but the marriage was damaged by Zelda's involvement with a French naval aviator. The story begins when Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island, a wealthy but unfashionable area home to the new rich, a group who have made their fo rtunes too early to establish social connections, and who only care about displaying their wealth. Nick's next-door neighbor on West Egg is a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a giant Gothic mansion and throws extravagant parties every Saturday night. As the summer progresses, Nick eventually receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's legendary parties. He encounters Jordan Baker at the party, and they meet Gatsby himself, a surprisingly young man with an English accent, has a remarkable smile, and calls everyone "old sport." Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan alone, and, through Jordan, Nick later learns more about his mysterious neighbor. Gatsby tells Jordan that he knew Daisy in Louisville in 1917 and is deeply in love with her. Various literary techniques are evident in this novel. First of all, symbols are an example of a literary technique. There are many symbols located through-out The Great Gatsby. For example, situated at the end of Daisy's East Egg dock and barely visible from Gatsby's West Egg lawn, the green light represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and in Chapter One reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. Because Gatsby's quest for Daisy is largely associated with the American dream, the green light stands also as a symbol of the American dream.

The Past America and Beyond

The end of the Second World War has brought so many changes in international relations, political, economical and social changes. The most important and most influential of these is the rise of two super powers in the world: the United States of America and the USSR. The emergence of these two states has brought so many political and economic changes that became influential from the past decades until the present.The rise of the US government into power has become massive and became the indicative factor in settling international relations. The events that took place after the Second World War created massive impact on policy formations in the international arena. The Cold War for example, has been the biggest offspring of the war. Consequently, from the Cold War emerged different political and economic changes that from the past decades until now have still served their purpose, and until this era have played as decisive factors in creating foreign and domestic policies.  For the purpose of this paper, we shall be studying events that happened in the following decades: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The events that will be tackled are those events that tool place that have had great and influential changed in American policy, and those that are until now still prevalent in international relations.1950: The Rise of the American DreamThe years from the 1950s have highlighted the growth of the American community. Central to this interval is the modernization of the American life, the development of more modernized society, and the peak of what they called the â€Å"American dream†. During these years were the improvement in technology, infrastructures, and the rise of mass cultures.The emergence of this abrupt modernization in American society was a response to the slump that was caused by the war. This response created a boom in American economy. High consumer spending became the coping mechanism of the civilians to recover from the war, which in turn also brought in higher government spending, a booming military industrial sector, which became the offset for a prosperous economy (Leffler, 1994).The rise of this modern industry for the American society was a fulfillment for their American dream. Every society and every individual were accountable for their own changes and emancipation. Their goal was to create a society that was free, modernized, superior and on top of every nation. Moreover, this economic boom and high consumer spending brought in the development of new innovations and quality inventions that enhanced not only the purpose that it must serve, but also took note of its aesthetic factors.The rise of the automobile industry for instance is a good example of the general idea that this occurrence has made a strong impact on. The emergence of their automobile industry is a starting point and an important facet in the current economic trend that the US has subliminally inculcated towards the people around the glob e. (McKinlay, 1993) This emergence has brought in the culture of planned obsolescence, which is now an important factor in the success of globalization and modernization, not only of the American society, but as well as to their allies that follow their trails.1960: The Era for Civil EmancipationFollowing the modernization of the American society, was the rise of the various legal fights against racial discrimination. The postwar era created an avenue for greater equality for the black Americans. This era highlighted the establishment of various associations that fought for civil rights and equality. Further, aside from the African American rights, the Latin civil society also gained consciousness towards their own civil rights.Aside from the civil anti-segregation fight of the blacks and the latinos, their political and economic power were also empowered in the new era of southern racial relations. The rise of several personalities highlighted this fight during the era. Martin Luth er King Jr., served as an influential icon in the fight for justice and equality among the blacks and the whites. And consequently, his influence became rampant that further rallies turned into crusades of trying to overpower the black discrimination. (Badger and Ward, 1996)Following the strong movements for civil rights, John Kennedy upon the start of his term as president legalized a civil rights act. The Civil Act Right of 1964 embodied provisions that prohibited any display of discrimination by race, color, religion, sex and nationality. In addition, the Voting Acts Right of 1965, which increased black voting by a large percentage. (Branch, 1988).This challenge of fighting racial discrimination during this era encouraged a lot of changes in the society, politics and economics. This era exemplified strong resistance of the blacks from further discrimination. However, even though the efforts were strong, nonetheless, the black community has never achieved full redemption against d iscrimination. Although in this contemporary era where there are black personalities that emerged triumphant and successful within the fields that they chose, today, discrimination against blacks is rampant and their economic conditions are never emancipated as most of the black population still lives in poverty.1970: The Economic Turmoil and Political DeteriorationThe 1970’s was an advent of return to conservatism. During the administration of Richard Nixon, he administered policies that were geared towards the establishment of countering running liberal programs. In contrast to liberalist programs, he favored â€Å"income strategy† which initially encouraged individual initiative, personal freedom and lessened government bureaucracy.However, Nixon’s attempt in reversing liberal ideas became detrimental to the economy. The stagflation in the economy forced Nixon to adopt liberal remedies. This economic recession in US caused a decrease in the demand for goods, workers were laid off resulting to an increase in the unemployment rate, and manufacturers were forced to cut prices in their products and reduce wages for their workers in order to preserve profit margin.   During his first term was mostly concerned with finding solutions on how to end the Vietnam War. As a whole, his first term was satisfactorily carried out. And despite the economic stagflations that US experienced during his term, the American community was nonetheless contented with his regime.Despite the moral controversies and the economic downfall that US experienced during Nixon’s administration, nonetheless he still won the presidency during the next held elections. However, this triumph has caused Nixon to become complacent in running his government, and abuse of power rendered him detrimental setbacks in his governance. His second term however was battled with controversies including the Watergate scandal. He used his powers to eliminate radical counterculture à ¢â‚¬â€œ from media practitioners who criticized them to anti war activists. (Nixon Presidency).These occurrences during the era marked certain importance in the US history. The lesson of how they dealt with the Vietnam aggression is an important benchmark in their history. It has proven significant policy changes that are currently affecting how US has played with regards to foreign aggressions.1980: New American InfluxThe 1980s was highlighted by international migration. At the peak of this era, America was occupied by â€Å"Americans† of international decent. A large percentage of America was occupied by Asian Americans, as well as Latinos which enlarged the foreign immigration.This influx in fact prompted the government to legislate acts that shall restrain illegal migration to control the influx of foreign nationals inside the borders of the US. The Immigration and Control Act of 1986 limited and tightened border security. However, the law also provided amnesty for immigr ants who arrived earlier than 1986 and allowed them to become legal residents. (Immigration and Control Act of 1986)This event lead to the internationalization of the American community. This further opened links towards global relations, it shaped American society in such a way that they can directly create relationships amongst neighboring countries. This paved the way for an easier connection in the global world which made it easier for them to penetrate and dominate international relations. In addition, the end of the cold war became beneficial to the American community as it increased global responses in the Americanization of the world. And thus, the fall of the Soviet Union nonetheless provided a larger array of development and opportunities for political and economic domination around the globe.1990: The New Globe1990s was started at the height of Bill Clinton’s leadership. During his administration he focused more on domestic issues rather than following the usual in ternationalist trend. And during this era, America has experienced a rather powerful economic expansion, with little economic inflation. This economic rise in the country allowed them to decrease public debts and budget deficits.Clinton pushed his leadership towards the independent states of American communities. During his leadership, he passed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The organization of NAFTA linked US closer to Canada and Mexico which provided larger trade opportunities and generated greater jobs (Remarks from President Clinton†¦)These occurrences eventually lead to the strengthening of US economic and political relationship with other allies. This created a world order that is closely linked towards one another. The improved ties between countries made specific changes and opened up better opportunities for their market.The turnouts during this era were important and delicate part of the developments that the US has gone through in the following yea rs. The end of 1990s marked the start of the Bush era which turned out to be an offset for the start of the 19th century. The series of events that took place in the 1990s are still prevalent in the contemporary times, wherein the global community that were started in this decade eventually elevated to form a stronger link in global relations. Hence, the 1990s was a starting point for the current trend of globalization.2000 and BeyondThe events that took place from the 1950s towards the 1990s proved to be benchmarks for the current international trend. The modernization in 1950s, the emancipation of civil rights in 1960s, the economic downfall of 1970s, the influx of international immigrants in the US during the 1980s, and the establishment of the new world order in the 1990s became integral to the emergence of US as they developed to become the international leader and authority based on economic, political and military supremacy.These occurrences are pillars of the economic and po litical activities of the current US society. The continuing influence of the US over other countries shall prove their supremacy and moral ascendancy in the international relations. The 1990s most importantly had a very distinct impact on the US development and how they were able to gain world power.Globalization as an offspring of the establishment of new world order is the most significant factor in the world domination. The US’ continuing influence in the globalized community shall always prove to be beneficial to their existence. The US policies and impositions towards their allies are so integral that these policies are geared towards further empowerment of their society.   In the future, America is still seen to post political, economic and military supremacy over other countries. Although there are current aggressions against several nations posting ideologies different from that of the Americans, still, the American prevalence is still evident and their allies have been expanding and further growing in strength in the absence of a strong contender that shall challenge their world leadership.ReferencesBadger, Tony and Ward, Brian. (1996) The Making Of Martin Luther King And The Civil Rights Movement. Washington Square: New York University.Branch, Taylor. (1988) Parting the Waters: America in the king Years, 1954-1963. New York: Simon and Schuster.Immigration and Control Act of 1986. Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.oig.lsc.gov/legis/irca86.htmLeffler, Melvyn and Painter, David. Ed. (1994) Origins of the Cold War: An International History. London: Routledge.‘Remarks of President Clinton in Signing of NAFTA† The White House: Office of Press Secretary. (14 September 1993) Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.multied.com/Documents/Clinton/SigningNaFTA.htmlMcKinlay, Alan. (1993) Strategy And The Human Resource : Ford And The Search For Competitive Advantage. Oxford: Blackwell.Nixon Presidency. Retrieved November 16, 20 07 from http://nixon.archives.gov/thelife/apolitician/thepresident/index.php

The Duomo Of Florence Essays - Western Art, Lorenzo Ghiberti

The Duomo Of Florence Essays - Western Art, Lorenzo Ghiberti The Duomo Of Florence In the Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, there is a cathedral church whose octagonal dome, built without the aid of scaffolding, was considered the greatest engineering feat of the early Renaissance. Dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, Our Lady of the Flower, it is also known as the Duomo, after the Italian word for cathedral. Created by many great Early Modern artists, this piece of architecture is a perfect example the Renaissance style. We can come to a better understanding of why this is so by exploring what the characteristics of the Renaissance style. To understand the properties of the Florence Cathedral that fit the Early Modern style, I will begin with a description and its history. The cathedral's architectural style, although greatly influenced by French Gothic elements remained distinctively Florentine, especially the geometric patterns of red, green, and white marble on the building's exterior. Construction of the cathedral began in 1294 on the site of a Christian church founded in the 6th or 7th century and continued until 1436. Several celebrated Italian architects were involved in the project, including Giotto, Arnolfo di Cambio, Andrea Orcagna, and, most notably, Filippo Brunelleschi, who was responsible for designing and building the dome. The cathedral's exterior is ornamented with sculpture and mosaics by Italian artists Donatello, Nanni di Banco, and Domenico Ghirlandaio, among others. The building's stained-glass windows are the work of the Italian architect and artist Lorenzo Ghiberti, and the interior is decorate d with sculpture and fresco paintings by several Renaissance masters. Construction of the campanile (bell tower), situated to the right of the entrance to the Duomo, was begun by Giotto and completed according to his plans in 1359, after his death. Nearly 278 ft high, the campanile is embellished with red, green, and white marble panels of relief sculpture by Italian artists Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia, and niches with sculpted figures by Donatello and other masters. Facing the cathedral and campanile is a smaller, octagonal structure, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, noted for its gilt-bronze doors, elaborately worked in high relief by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti. With that background information about the cathedral, one question comes to mind: what is it that makes the Renaissance style distinct? Renaissance Art is painting, sculpture, and architecture produced in Europe in the historical period that has been called the Early Modern period. Though the piece I selected is a piece of architecture it has all the aforementioned forms of art, and the elements of the Renaissance style encompasses all these forms. The three main components of Renaissance style are the following: a revival of the classical style originally developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, an intensified concern with non-religious life, and an interest in humanism and emphasis on the importance of the individual. The Renaissance period in art history corresponds to the beginning of the great Western age of discovery and exploration, when a general desire developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world. This greatly influenced the art that was produced during this p eriod. During the Renaissance, artists were no longer regarded as mere artisans, as they had been in the medieval past, but for the first time emerged as independent personalities, comparable to poets and writers. When he was discussing architecture in his book Lives of the Artists, Giorgio Vasari writes, some idea of form and some approximation of the good ancient rules were rediscovered by the better architects, who have left examples of their style throughout Italy in the oldest as distinct from the antique churches (Vasari, 39). They sought new solutions to formal and visual problems, and many of them were also devoted to scientific experimentation. In this context, mathematical or linear perspective was developed, a system in which all objects in a painting or in low-relief sculpture are related both proportionally and rationally. As a result, the painted surface was regarded as a window on the natural world, and it became the task of painters to portray this world in their art. Conseq uently, painters began to devote themselves more rigorously to the rendition of landscapethe careful depiction of trees, flowers, plants, distant mountains, and cloud-filled skies. Artists studied the effect of light out-of-doors and how