Female Independence in Frankenstein and Jane Eyre

Female Independence in Frankenstein and Jane Eyre Visions of Female Independence in Frankenstein and Jane Eyre. There are considerable ironies in the fact that, of the two novels considered here, it is Jane Eyre which is far more profoundly concerned with the possibility of female independence in a male-dominated world. Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the proto-feminist, and of the radical thinker Godwin. She was the wife of the revolutionary poet Shelley, and a friend of Byron. Yet Frankenstein, for all its shocking subject matter, is in many ways a conventional work of its time, a sort of encyclopedia of Romantic attitudes, and its vision of the role of women makes little attempt to disturb the accepted views of her contemporaries. Charlotte Brontà «, by contrast, was a vicar’s daughter, whose most intense experience, it might be argued, was within her own family group, and who finally married a clergyman, and yet Jane Eyre is an intense exploration of a woman’s efforts to understand and maintain the integrity of the self against innumerable pressures â⠂¬â€œ the tyranny of Mrs Reed, the bullying of Brocklehurst, the inevitable inferiority of being the salaried employee of Rochester, and later his gilded possession, and then the massive egotism of St John Rivers in its guise as religious selflessness. The longing for independence is indeed the central issue of the novel, and it is the intensity of the vision and the complex and unhysterical analysis of Jane’s experience that give the novel its importance. Of course, the protection of the self is not just a female issue; it figures largely in Arthur Clennam’s story and in Pip’s. But for nineteenth-century women it had a particular poignancy, and as Jane longs for a wider life than that offered by Lowood, she declares that â€Å"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do† (Brontà «, 1966, 141). The work is, as Margot Peter s says, â€Å"a novel essentially radical in its preoccupation with the themes of independence and liberty for the subjugated sex, Victorian woman† (Peters, 1973, 148). To apply a feminist critique to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein must be a matter of some tact. There is little evidence of a direct influence of her mother’s ideas in the novel, though the critic Charles Robinson has argued that she was fully aware of her mother’s views, and was proud of her parentage. He claims that A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) and Frankenstein (1818) are  two radically different English romantic works that nevertheless address similar issues about education and parenting. Mary Shelley may have been denied direct advice and nurturing from her mother, but she could at least indirectly seek that parent’s wisdom by reading her works. (Buss, Macdonald and McWhir,128). Frankenstein is full of the ideas of its time. The monster’s story is a study in Rousseauism. The landscape is Wordsworthian. Byronic and Beethovenian images can be detected in the notion of exploring, going beyond. Similarly the presentation of women in the novel is typical of its time. Men are the explorers, the scientists, the travelers, while women stay at home and offer affection, stability and compassion. Walton at the beginning of the novel is writing letters to his â€Å"dear sister† at home, a wife, who is â€Å"my dear, excellent Margaret† and whom he thanks â€Å"for all your love and kindness† (Vol I, Letter I, 18), while he asks â€Å"do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose?† (ibid, 17). He writes of the master of the ship, who had planned to marry a Russian lady. He selflessly released her from the engagement when she revealed that she loved someone else, but her father insisted on the original match for financial reasons. â €Å"She was bathed in tears, and, throwing herself at his feet, intreated him to spare her† (Vol I, Letter II, 21). She is entirely in thrall to male power, and only the generosity of the master saves her. â€Å"What a noble fellow!† (ibid, 21). Such episodes simply reflect the conditions of the time. It is unlikely that Mary Shelley’s aim in this episode was to stir rebellion. Walton sees his sister as a mother figure. His youth was spent â€Å"under your gentle and feminine fosterage† (ibid, 20) which has refined and civilized him. This the monster notably lacks. Frankenstein’s story presents the female actors in a very restricted role. Elizabeth is the novel’s central positive female force, â€Å"the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations and my pleasures† (ibid, 37). Curiously, she is presented to Frankenstein as a sort of property, â€Å"mine to protect, love, and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own† (ibid, 37). This piece of charming childish naivety in his thinking has an edge that must grate on the modern reader. The educations of Frankenstein and Elizabeth are most revealing. She is â€Å"of a calmer and more concentrated disposition† while he is â€Å"more deeply smitten with the thirst for knowledge.† So while she interested herself in such â€Å"girly† things as contemplating â€Å"the magnificent appearances of things, I delighted in investigating their causes† (Vol I, ch.II, 38). Girls do arts subjects, while boys do sciences! There is a tendency to stereotype here. Elizabeth has a â€Å"saintly soul† (ibid, 39), but acts largely as a supporter of others, â€Å"Her sympathy was ours: her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of her celestial eyes, were ever there to bless and animate us. She was the living spirit of love to soften and attract† (ibid, 39-40). In fact she has little other role. Frankenstein is away from home for six years, but we have very little information about what she does all that time, or what she thinks. After the death of the mother of the family (which, characteristically, is â€Å"calm† (Vol I, Ch. III, 45)), Elizabeth explicitly takes over the mother role, â€Å"the comforter to us all. She looked steadily on life, and assumed its duties with courage and zeal† (ibid, 45), and the only thing she can do when Frankenstein leaves for the university is to â€Å"bestow the last feminine attentions† (ibid, 46) on him. The energy of life, even if misdirected, is left to Frankenstein himself, who pursues scientific knowledge with a passion which seems to be confined to men. Elizabeth writes, longing to help him in his illness, describing her own life as filled only with â€Å"trifling occupations† (Vol I, Ch VI, 66). Justine is another bearer of female charm and good nature: â€Å"She is very clever and gentle, and extremely pretty† (ibid, 67). In fact all the women in the book share these harmless and undramatic positives. The only disagreeable one is the old woman in the Irish prison (Vol III, Ch IV). Elizabeth weeps over the death of William and blames herself, and Justine goes to her death full of benevolence and piety. The monster’s account of the De Laceys in their cottage continues the picture of the female as gentle guardian of the civilized. Agatha impresses him with her â€Å"gentle manners† (Vol II, Ch iii, 110), her job is preparing food, comforting the old man and â€Å"arranging the cottage† (ibid, 111). Safie is noted for â€Å"a countenance of angelic beauty and expression† (Vol II, Ch V, 119) and is characteristically occupied in â€Å"wiping a few tears from her lovely eyes† (ibid, 120). She sings â€Å"like a nightingale of the woods† (ibid, 121). Her â€Å"generous nature† is â€Å"outraged† by her father’s duplicity and tyranny (Vol II, Ch VI, 129). It is here that the monster begins to reflect on his own lack of parents, though it is the role of father he invokes; from the papers he discovered in the coat pocket â€Å"I learned†¦ that you were my father, my creator† (Vol II, Ch VIII, 141). He has seen so few mothers, after all! But the monster wants a mate, effectively an Elizabeth for himself: â€Å"My virtues will necessarily arise when I live in communion with an equal. I shall feel the affections of a sensitive being, and become linked to the chain of existence and events, from which I am now excluded† (Vol II, Ch IX, 151). The female will offer sensitivity and compassion. If a concern for independence seems absent from Mary Shelley’s women, for Jane Eyre it is a constant desire, and something by which she defines herself. She seeks liberty, not simply for license, but in justice to her sense of her own individuality. She will willingly serve, but not under conditions that violate that notion of self. At Gateshead she feels â€Å"Speak I must: I had been trodden on severely, and must turn† (Brontà «, 68), not because she wants revenge, but because of an intolerable feeling of injustice. She â€Å"would fain exercise some better faculty than that of fierce speaking† (70), but she is driven by the same drive that later will send her away from Rochester, a self-respect that will not be crushed. At Lowood she is again oppressed, by the bullying and hypocritical Brocklehurst, but here a solution is offered to her by Helen Burns, who reads Rasselas and demonstrates the power of a stoical courage in the face of adversity. Her advice is o f immense value to Jane, but ultimately the superhuman qualities in Helen make it impossible to follow her. When Helen is unfairly punished Jane wonders â€Å"How can she bear it so quietly?† (84). Helen is right to tell her â€Å"It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself† (88), but Jane is too red-blooded, to human and real to be able to accept Helen’s attitude. If Jane â€Å"thinks too much of the love of human beings† (101) as Helen says, that is a weakness that makes humanity valuable. Heaven and Hell cannot satisfy Jane, and Helen’s stoical quietism cannot satisfy her energetic self. Helen dies, perhaps indicating the impossibility of such a position for ordinary mortals, and Jane finds a satisfaction at the school under the intelligent Miss Temple. But in time she must seek â€Å"liberty†¦ at least a new servitude† (117). Thus she comes to Thornfield and Rochester, who finds her interesting because of the very quality of independence and self-respect which drives all her actions. As Mrs Leavis says, â€Å"The courtship scenes are peculiarly un-Victorian† (17) in their emphasis on equality between the partners, the result largely of Jane’s refusal to act the role of the humble dependant in their conversations together. She finds his directness refreshing: â€Å"A reception of finished politeness would probably have confused me†¦. The eccentricity of the proceedings was piquant† (152). She is not frightened of him; it is not in her nature to be so, such is her sense of the integrity of her selfhood. She is his employee, but â€Å"I don’t think, sir, you have the right to command me, merely because you are older than I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (165). She likes his informality, but tells him that â€Å"for insolence†¦ nothing free-born would submit to, even for a salary† (166). He knows that â€Å"Not three in three thousand raw schoolgirl governesses would have answered me as you have done† (166), but delights in the freedom this leads to as much as she does. She feels she is being treated with true respect, and life opens up for her. When she goes away to Mrs Reed’s deathbed, and shows her true maturity in her wish to be reconciled with her, her absence only clarifies for her what she loves about Thornfield. She has been able to live â€Å"a full and delightful life† (281) in which her precious self has at last been allowed to flourish. â€Å"I have talked, face to face, with what I reverence, with what I delight in† (281). As he proposes to her he says â€Å"my equal is here† (282), the perfect tribute to her being, and the explanation of their mutual love. When she accepts his proposal she continues to fight with an almost instinctive strength against his attempts to convert her into a love object. She recoils from the unreality of his desire to â€Å"load these fairy-like fingers with rings† (287). She will not be â€Å"an ape in a harlequin’s jacket† (288), and would â€Å"rather be a thing than an angel† (291). She will not dress up for him, and hates the business in the silk warehouse (296). She feels â€Å"annoyance and degradation† (297), and thinks explicitly of the precious freedom of the self: â€Å"It would, indeed, be a relief†¦ if I had ever so small an independency† (297). She feels that he has become a conventional lover, whose aim is possession. All this, of course, co-exists with a passionate love for him. And her decision to leave him after the revelations about Bertha is similarly driven primarily by the horror of betrayal of the independent self. To see her action as sim ply moral horror is as beside the point as to complain of her inability to take a more emancipated attitude. To stay with him â€Å"I should then be your mistress† (331), and to do this would make her â€Å"the successor of these poor girls† (339) he has kept before. As she thinks of her own insignificance in the eyes of the world – who would care if she did give way to him? – what she hears is the voice of her own independent self: â€Å"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself† (344). Although she speaks of laws and training, it is the deep sense of the vital importance of her own integrity, her own self-respect, which drives her to act with such resolution. In the novel plot is replaced by a series of revelatory episodes, each helping Jane to come to realization of what she truly desires. Her contact with St John Rivers clarifies what she wants and does not want. Being the teacher at the village school, for all its deprivations, is â€Å"independent† (381) and â€Å"free and honest† (386) compared with being Rochester’s mistress, but Rivers’ self-denial is unattractive, ultimately because it is dishonest, a distortion of his true self from â€Å"the bent of nature† (387), and, at core, a subtle weapon to destroy her independence and swallow up her precious integrity. But, although his appeal has immense power over her, she knows enough now to resist. â€Å"I want to enjoy my own faculties as well as to cultivate those of other people† (415), and when happiness beckons â€Å"I feel I have adequate cause to be happy, and I will be happy† (417). She tells him that she scorns his idea of love , with its wretched self-abasement, and she knows now that â€Å"God did not give me my life to throw away† (439). When she finally devotes herself to Rochester it is anything but a sacrifice. â€Å"What do I sacrifice? Famine for food, expectation for content† (470). The circumstances of nineteenth-century women, in a world where the opportunities open to men were almost all closed to them, make Jane Eyre a radical and courageous document, though Jane’s concern to maintain the integrity of the self is a central human issue rather than simply a feminist complaint. In Mary Shelley’s case it can hardly be argued that she is aware of or troubled by the restricted role of women in her novel. Despite her own mother’s views, it was difficult for her to escape from history, and from the deepest assumptions of her time. Indeed, if there is a feminist element in the book it is in the condemnation of – characteristically male – intellectual daring, and the dangers that result from the desire to go beyond the limits, which inspires Frankenstein to make his monster, and Walton to explore the Arctic. â€Å"The primary pattern underlying feminist writing is that of Frankenstein, a world in which cerebral man and monster are o ne† (Gordon, 428). Works Cited Brontà «, C. Jane Eyre. Introduction by Q.D.Leavis. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1966. Gordon, L. Mary Wollstonecraft. London: Little, Brown, 2005. Peters, M. Charlotte Brontà «. Madison and London: Univ of Wisconsin, 1973. Robinson, Charles. â€Å"A mother’s Daughter: An Intersection of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.† In Buss, Helen M., Macdonald, D.L. and McWhir, Anne. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. Writing Lives. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier U.P., 2001, pp.127-138. Shelley, M. Frankenstein. 1818 edition. Edited M.Hindle. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1992.

The Evolution Of Dance In Theater Theatre Essay

The Evolution Of Dance In Theater Theatre Essay Dance is defined as the art of movement. It can be used to express feelings, to exercise, to perform, and some can even interact and have nonverbal conversation though the art of dance. Dance is usually performed through the rhythm and beat of music, but it doesnt necessarily have to involve music. Sports even sometimes incorporate a certain dance, or type of dance. For example, a martial arts kata is simply a series of movements put together to be performed with the grace and strength of a dance. Dance is also used in sports such as synchronized swimming, ice skating, and gymnastics. There are many types of dance, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, and contemporary just to name a few. Most people cant go through the day without seeing a type of dance performed in some way. Whether its seeing kids dance at a prom, a person walking down the street moving to the beat of their iPod, or simply turning on the television, its something thats in our everyday lives. But have you ever wondered where it all started, or how it became what it is today? Angel 2 It was believed that dancing was a ritual in early ancient civilizations; priests would dance to the rhythm of harps and pipes to tell stories to the ancient gods, people also danced at funerals to express their sorrow. Around this same time period ballet was beginning to evolve in France. As it continued to spread through Italy, England, and Russia, it became a concert dance, which is often, even today, seen in movies and events all over the world. Dancing has continued to blossom into what it is today, and the best way to show how it has become what it is today, is though film. One of the first movies that involved sing and dance was the 1952 film, Singing in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Donald OConnor and Debbie Reynolds. This movie was more of a Broadway musical, but it is one of the first movies that involved dance at all. The most famous part of this movie is when the main character, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), dances through the streets with an umbrella as he twirls and sings the title song. He then grabs onto a pole and swings around it continuing to sing. During the filming of this scene he had a 103 degree fever, but thanks to the help of the camera crew, this scene only had to be shot one time. After the production of this movie, dancing became the new craze. Dances such as, the Bop, the Stroll and the Swing became popular. Also when the song Willy and The Hand Jive was released, it stayed at the top of the charts for 16 weeks. Poodle skirts and pony-tails were the style, and Do Wop music was what everyone wanted to hear. Angel 3 The 60s rolled around quickly and with a new decade, came new traditions. A brand new dance became the new trend. In 1960 Chubby Checker released his song entitled The Twist. The Twist was the first Rock Roll dance in which partners didnt have to touch each other. The Twist was once said to be like, putting out a cigarette with both feet and drying off your bottom with a towel to the beat of the music. It was performed with the feel shoulder width apart, standing straight up, with the arms fully extended and slightly bent at the elbows. Then the next move was simply to twist the body back and forth. Other popular dances during this time period were the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Madison. The Baby Boomers definitely played a role in all the dance explosion of the 60s. Throughout the end of this decade many of these dances were seen in movie productions and on Broadway. Next we enter the retro years of the 70s, KC and the Sunshine Band topped the charts, and Disco was the new craze. Everyone was aware that sooner or later the sex appeal of disco would make its way to the film industry. There isnt a movie that shows this better than Saturday Night Fever starring, John Travolta and Karen Lynn Gorney. Saturday Night Fever became an instant box office hit with the famous dance by John Travolta to the Bee Gees smash hit Stayin Alive. Disco was one of the fast dances of the decade, with 110-140 bmp (beats per minute). It wasnt long before everyone wanted to become a part of the raging disco scene, eventually Angel 4 groups such as Kiss, and The Rolling Stones, and people like Cher and Rod Stewart were all in on the fun. As the years passed Broadway musicals became popular for a short period of time. After the great success of Hair in 1970, movies continued to make it from Broadway to the big screen. Grease, All That Jazz, and Dreamgirls, just to name a few. Toward the end of the 70s came the first big Broadway film to hit the box office. Grease hit the cinemas in 1978 and it soon became a dance sensation. The dances from this film are often recreated in dance classes, at recitals, shows and other events; some of these dances are even trademarked. This movie was not only a musical it was also very popular for its energetic cast and its feel good love story. One of the most famous dance moves from this movie was The Hand Jive. Since then there have been many different variations of how it is done. Grease is one musical that has been said to never get old with the catchy songs and the disco and jive moves of John Travolta. Grease produced one of the best selling soundtracks in the world. Also, once Grease went to Broadway, it was one of the longest running musicals of all time, until Cats overtook it just recently. The next movie of the 70s that shows a definite change in the music and dance of the decade was All That Jazz in 1979. This film starring Roy Scheider and Jessica Lange is based on the aspects of a dancer, a choreographer, and a directors life and career. It was inspired by the Angel 5 directors effort to edit a film, while also staging a 1975 musical Chicago. This film closed out the 1970s with a bang. It was awarded many honors, and four Oscars. Also, in 2001, the United States deemed the film culturally significant and it is now preserved in the National Film Registry. So to wrap up the 70s the Twist, the Bump, the Jitterbug, the Hustle and the Swing were all very popular dances, but through these years nothing compared to the Americans love for the Disco. It was the last immensely popular move driven by the baby boomers generation, but soon enough came the 80s and with a new decade came new traditions, fashions, and of course a brand new dance. The 80s was definitely one of the best decades for new dance moves, and movies that portrayed this. From the musicals like Fame and Footloose, to the break dancing skills showed in the film Breakin, a rewind of 70s disco in Saturday Night Fever, the mambo and freestyle dance of Dirty Dancing, to the unusual dance moves of the extremely popular Michael Jackson. The 80s was another step to make dancing what it is today. These 10 years were some of the best in dance history. One of the first 1980s dance movies to earn a spot in the all-time movies hall of fame is Fame (1980), starring Eddie Barth, Irene Cara and Laura Dean. Fame mainly took part at a Performing Arts Academy, with many great performances. Fame is considered a musical with a large amount of singing and dancing. It was awarded 3 honors, 2 Oscars, as well as 16 other Angel 6 nominations. It wasnt a huge hit, but it still remembered by some and it showed how the sing and dance of this time period was done. 1983s Flashdance was a major pop culture influence, with a style of its own. This film is the story of a Pittsburgh woman (Jennifer Beals) that juggles two jobs, one as a welder, and the other as an exotic dancer. Of course, during this time exotic dancing wasnt twirling on a pole and taking off clothes, it was much different. She longs to make a career of her dancing and apply to a ballet school, but doesnt have to confidence in her skills to apply. Flashdance had a worldwide box-office gross of 100 million, won 10 honors, one Oscar, and was nominated for 13 other nominations. This was a very stylish movie that entertained millions with the 80s pop music and new dance moves. Flashdance popularized the dance of the 80s with many new hit songs and dances. The next movie that shows an evolution in the dance moves of the 80s is actually a sequel to the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever. Stayin Alive was a 1983 movie starring John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, and Finola Hughes. This film begins five years later with the main character, Tony Manero, dancing on the weekend nights at a disco club to run from his problems. Eventually he decides to leave his life as a dance instructor and club waiter to pursue a career on Broadway. He ends up getting the lead role in a Broadway show called Satans Alley. This film brought in 65 million, it was a lot less than its predecessor in 1977, but it managed to be one of the top 10 successful movies of the 80s. Angel 7 In 1984 Kevin Bacons moves and energy made one of the best high budget dance movies of the 80s. Footloose combines great dance music with dancers and a story of a guy that came from a big city, to a small town where dance is banned. Jazz, Hip-hop and freestyle were the main dances of choice throughout this film. Around this time in the 80s Footloose was a rival to Flashdance, but it was said many times that Footloose was definitely the favorite for most people. This film starring not only Kevin Bacon, but Lori Singer and John Lithgow as well, brought in 80 million, it was nominated for 2 Oscars and 4 other nominations. The next 1984 movie was one of the lower budget movies, and according to some, it put some of the higher budget movies to shame. Breakin was one of those movies that were very different than what most people were used to. Unlike most movies, it used talented dancers, rather than talented actors to dance. The difference with this movie rather than most during the 80s was that its a celebration of dance; it doesnt really have any particular style it was more of a freestyle dance movie. This movie was about a jazz dancer named Kelly (Lucinda Dickey) that meets two break dancers who combine their dance styles. Although the acting wasnt great, the dancing definitely made up for it. The sequel was released a year later, but it wasnt near the hit as this one. Because this movie wasnt like the traditional movies of the 80s it was only nominated for one award and it only brought in 38 million, however this movie was also very different than the rest during this time period that was a major fa ctor in the downfall. Angel 8 In the film industry of the 80s one of the biggest successes was Dirty Dancing. This is a 1987 film starring Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey and Cynthia Rhodes. Personally this is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Something that most people dont know was that Dirty Dancing was a true story based on the screenwriter, Eleanor Bergsteins own childhood. This movie was the story of a 17 year old girl and her family who goes on vacation at a resort, eventually Baby Housman (Jennifer Gray) falls in love with the resorts dance instructor (Patrick Swayze), while her family strongly disapproves. She spends her entire summer with him as he teaches her to dance. When this film was finished and about to be put in theatres the directors and cast were informed that this film would be a huge flop and possibly one of the worst films made during this time period. Little did they know that Dirty Dancing is considered today, the best dance movie ever made and it would still be the favorite of many people today. As of 2007 this film earned $213.9 million worldwide, and it was the first home video to sell more than a million copies. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack also produced two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles. This film went on to win an Oscar, as well as 9 other awards, and 5 nominations. Although there wasnt a movie about the dance styles of Michael Jackson, I believe that he played a major part in the shift of styles in the 80s. Michael Jacksons career was booming with new dances, songs and styles during this time. In 1982 his album Thriller still remains Angel 9 today, the bestselling album of all time, and remained on the Billboard 200 peak position for 37 weeks straight. It contained 7 top ten hits, and it was only a 9 track album. We Are the World and Bad were also big hits during this time period, making music and dance even more popular. As the 80s continued Michael Jackson was said to be one of the biggest stars of the world. He popularized dances such as the Moonwalk, the Kick, the Soulful Robot and the Never-Ending Spin. The 80s has been said to be the decade of dance, there was break dancing, the Worm, the Moonwalk and more. During the 80s the dancing definitely took a step up to what it is for most people today. Also, many movies through these 10 years showed a change in the dance styles. The beginning of the 90s dance styles was very similar to the 80s. Michael Jackson was still popular; the same dance movies were being watched over and over; and most people were still stuck in their 80s ways of life. As the 1990s continued dance moves such as the Macarena, the Cha Cha Slide, the Running Man, and the Electric Slide. One of the first dance movies in a long time came out in the year 2000, Center Stage, starring Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana and Peter Gallagher was one of those dance movies with a plot that wasnt so good, but the dancing was excellent. This film revisits styles of ballet, Broadway dancing, and disco, and blends together styles of its own. It also shows the difficulty Angel 10 and common issues of professional dancing and how some people cope with the stress without computer special effects. The next movie isnt exactly a dance movie, but it shows how dancing has recently been incorporated into other activities, such as cheerleading. Bring it On was the 2000; film starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku and Gabrielle Union. Bring it On shows how cheerleading involves dance as well, and how had dance has spread to other activities. Not only does cheerleading involve dancing, but many other sports too, such as synchronized swimming its nothing more than a dance in water, or figure skating. Even professional football players are sent to ballet classes to obtain balance and poise. This is an excellent film that shows the importance of dancing in sports such as cheerleading. The year 2004 takes us to a memorable movie where the style changes to ballroom dance. Shall We Dance shows many types of ballroom dance, like the Waltz, Quickstep and Tango. This film was first a Japanese film, but this version starring Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandon, is the story of a workaholic lawyer who is getting bored with his daily routine, and he decides to take ballroom dance classes to make his life a little more interesting. As the time he dances continues he finds joy in it more and more. This film brought in 57.8 million dollars and was nominated for 4 awards. Angel 11 The next film takes us back to the musicals of the 70s and 80s, Hairspray, starring Zac Efron, John Travolta, Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer was the fourth highest grossing musical film in US cinema history, behind Grease, Chicago and Momma Mia! This film is set in Baltimore in 1963; the story is about a plump teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) who seeks stardom as a dancer on a local television show. The 1988 original version of Hairspray earned 6.6 million and was nominated for 4 awards, while the 2007 version earned 188.8 million in the box office, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes, won 12 other awards, and had 18 other nominations. This was an energetic dance movie, much like Grease, with plenty of heart, it was said to make people want to get up and sing and dance. The final and most recent successful 2006 dance movie is very similar to Dirty Dancing. Step Up, starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, is a perfect example of what dance has become today. Step Up is the story of a privileged ballet dancer who meets a free style dance rebel with a dream of making it in the real world of dance. In this film there was a mix of hip-hop, ballet, modern and break dancing to make this film perfect for this list of movies that helped our styled evolve today. This movie earned 65.3 million in the box office, and won one award and was nominated for 3 other awards. Things have definitely changed from the 1950s until today, but one thing in common with all of these movies is the real message; follow your dreams, and never give up on the things that you want. Another thing that all these movies have in common, it that it gives most people the urge to get up and dance.

Legalization Of Weed :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this country, we are locked in a war we simply cannot win. We strive to protect over 10,000 miles of border, against enemies who are driven by the lure of a huge profit. We fought a version of this war before with prohibition, and we lost that one. All that has really resulted from this war is the overcrowding of prisons, the expansion of law enforcement’s ability to infringe on the personal lives of ordinary citizens, paranoia and distrust. If its not obvious already, I am referring to the war on drugs, marijuana in specific. Why spend millions of dollars fighting a war that can not be won? Legalizing marijuana would not only make the government money, but also improve society as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To most the financial reasons for ending the war are the most convincing. For example, it costs over $30,000 per year to house a prisoner - this does not include processing and legal fees. There are over 1.5 million non-violent drug law offenders in prison right now, and this number is increasing daily. That means we are spending a minimum of $45 billion per year keeping former tax-paying citizens locked up with murderers and rapists. When these people get out of jail, they will have criminal records which will make it nearly impossible to get a decent job. Most of whom had jobs and were contributing to the economy in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States spend $37 billion per year funding police efforts to fight the war on drugs.. Recent evidence suggests the CIA has been involved in drug-trafficking to fund its own private wars. Currently there is over $150 billion worth of drug traffic that remains untaxed. If you figure a tax rate of 15%, that is a total of $22.5 billion of taxes that America doesn't see. The U.S. Treasury estimates America wastes a minimum of $104.5 billion per year fighting a war that can not be won. Meanwhile crime rates continue to rise (because of the huge profits made possible by the risks involved in the drug trade as drugs remain illegal), and the quality of education, medical care and environmental protection falls due to lack of money in the budget.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem with drugs is not their effect, it is the corruption that is tied to the huge profits that doing illegal business commands. Increasing penalties for drug crimes will just increase the prices and thereby the profits for people willing to take the risk. Along with these profits will come increasing war in our neighborhoods as gangs and

Welfare Essay -- essays papers

Welfare1 The United States or The United Welfare States - A Cost Benefit Analysis The role of welfare within our society has always been controversial. This problem emphasizes the need to understand the roles of variable factors when pertaining to the subject of welfare within our society. The proposed analysis will address the phenomenon of welfare assistance and several factors which may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance to the poor in 4 ways: (1) by defining major concepts and any other concepts about which there is likely to be misunderstanding, (2) by further examining the past history pertaining to the subject of welfare assistance within the United States, (3) by developing the formulation of a hypothesis which will provide for an explanation of welfare, and finally (4) determining whether or not the benefits of welfare assistance outweigh the cost. Ultimately, the purpose of this research analysis is to investigate variable factors that may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance. This cost benefit analy sis is an attempt to explain the tentative assumptions of others pertaining to the subject of welfare, in order to determine and explain the relationship of welfare to the economic cost and benefits. Cost-Benefit Analysis before welfare assistance can be analyzed there is a need to define the terms that will be used. Policies like welfare assistance are worthwhile only if the benefits to society are greater than the costs. When choosing among a set of policies, the policy with the greatest net benefit (benefit over cost) should be chosen. Hence, this is where the term cost-benefit analysis comes from. Cost-benefit analysis is a technique for determining the optimal level of an economic activity such as welfare. In general, an activity such as welfare assistance should be expanded as long as it leads to greater benefits than costs. In purely economic terms, does the benefit of welfare assistance justify the costs of welfare assistance? (Mishan 13) Why Use Cost-benefit Analysis? Sin ce 1981, government agencies have been required to perform cost-benefit analyses called Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA's) for all major regulations within the United States. Many statutes require that cost-benefit analysis be undertaken and the results be reported to Congress (Mishan 2). Cost-benefit analysis can... ...ning have proven to help alleviate and shrink the welfare rolls. Do the benefits of endorsing welfare assistance programs outweigh the cost? Cost benefit analysis shows that as long as the government can stay on track with the new social welfare reform measures that have taken place over the past few years, then yes it is beneficial. However, when the day comes that it is no longer beneficial to support such programs should society follow economic indicators or follow its moral obligations? Work Cited Schiller, Bradley R. The Economy Today. 7th Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1997. Mishan, Edward J. Cost-Benefit Analysis. New York: Praegor Publishers, 1976. Sharp, Ansel, Charles, Register, and Paul, Grimes. Economics of Social Issues. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rowley, Charles, and Alan Peacock. Welfare Economics. London: Martin Robertson & Co. Ltd., 1975. Smith, Russell, and Dorothy, Zietz. American Social Welfare Institutions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. Myles, John, and Paul Pierson. Friedman's revenge: the reform of "liberal" welfare in Canada and the United States. Politics & Society, Dec 1997 v25 n4 p443 (30). Welfare Essay -- essays papers Welfare1 The United States or The United Welfare States - A Cost Benefit Analysis The role of welfare within our society has always been controversial. This problem emphasizes the need to understand the roles of variable factors when pertaining to the subject of welfare within our society. The proposed analysis will address the phenomenon of welfare assistance and several factors which may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance to the poor in 4 ways: (1) by defining major concepts and any other concepts about which there is likely to be misunderstanding, (2) by further examining the past history pertaining to the subject of welfare assistance within the United States, (3) by developing the formulation of a hypothesis which will provide for an explanation of welfare, and finally (4) determining whether or not the benefits of welfare assistance outweigh the cost. Ultimately, the purpose of this research analysis is to investigate variable factors that may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance. This cost benefit analy sis is an attempt to explain the tentative assumptions of others pertaining to the subject of welfare, in order to determine and explain the relationship of welfare to the economic cost and benefits. Cost-Benefit Analysis before welfare assistance can be analyzed there is a need to define the terms that will be used. Policies like welfare assistance are worthwhile only if the benefits to society are greater than the costs. When choosing among a set of policies, the policy with the greatest net benefit (benefit over cost) should be chosen. Hence, this is where the term cost-benefit analysis comes from. Cost-benefit analysis is a technique for determining the optimal level of an economic activity such as welfare. In general, an activity such as welfare assistance should be expanded as long as it leads to greater benefits than costs. In purely economic terms, does the benefit of welfare assistance justify the costs of welfare assistance? (Mishan 13) Why Use Cost-benefit Analysis? Sin ce 1981, government agencies have been required to perform cost-benefit analyses called Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA's) for all major regulations within the United States. Many statutes require that cost-benefit analysis be undertaken and the results be reported to Congress (Mishan 2). Cost-benefit analysis can... ...ning have proven to help alleviate and shrink the welfare rolls. Do the benefits of endorsing welfare assistance programs outweigh the cost? Cost benefit analysis shows that as long as the government can stay on track with the new social welfare reform measures that have taken place over the past few years, then yes it is beneficial. However, when the day comes that it is no longer beneficial to support such programs should society follow economic indicators or follow its moral obligations? Work Cited Schiller, Bradley R. The Economy Today. 7th Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1997. Mishan, Edward J. Cost-Benefit Analysis. New York: Praegor Publishers, 1976. Sharp, Ansel, Charles, Register, and Paul, Grimes. Economics of Social Issues. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rowley, Charles, and Alan Peacock. Welfare Economics. London: Martin Robertson & Co. Ltd., 1975. Smith, Russell, and Dorothy, Zietz. American Social Welfare Institutions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. Myles, John, and Paul Pierson. Friedman's revenge: the reform of "liberal" welfare in Canada and the United States. Politics & Society, Dec 1997 v25 n4 p443 (30).

The Roswell Incident Essay -- essays research papers

The Roswell Incident: Fact, Fiction or Military Cover Up?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some time in July of 1947, a mysterious flying object zigzagged across the skies of New Mexico. Within twenty-four hours the object disappeared from radar just as mysteriously as it had appeared. It was last seen in a small town in the middle of the Arizona desert, it’s name, Roswell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roswell incident is one of the most publicized and well-known accounts of a possible UFO crash in the world. Perhaps the greatest evidence that a UFO did indeed crash near Roswell, is the wide scale military cover up that took place after the crash. This along with numerous eyewitness accounts of the crash site, prove that what ever happened in the summer of 1947, was certainly not a normal occurrence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins on Tuesday July 1, 1947, when one Steven Mackenzie, who was stationed in Roswell at the time, was ordered to track an unknown flying object. By Wednesday the object was over Roswell. On Thursday afternoon officials from Roswell were flown in to observe the activity. Then on Friday the object completely disappeared from radar and was thought to have crashed. On Saturday July 5th a rancher, by the name of William â€Å"Mac† Brazel, discovered the wreckage on his ranch a few miles outside Roswell. Brazel reported the debris to the local sheriff, Gorge A. Wilcox, who then in Mirabile 2 turn reported it to military officials. Major Jesse A. Marcel was shown some of the debris by Brazel. Marcel returned to the base to consult with his superiors and is quoted as having said, â€Å"something unusual had occurred† (Dudley 31). The debris was soon removed from Brazel’s ranch and a land and air search was conducted by the military.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Early Thursday morning Marcel was authorized to give this press release: The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through the co-operation of one of the local ranchers and the sheriff’s office of Chaves county†¦ ...It was inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field and subsequently loaned by Major Marcel to higher headquarters. (qtd. in Berlitz 24) These two small paragraphs quickly made their way aroun... ...what they thought was an alien ship, but alien bodies as well. Among these is Lt. Col. Albert L. Duran, who admitted seeing Mirabile 4 small bodies and Sgt. Melvin E. Brown, who told his family that he had helped transport the bodies to a hanger in Roswell. The bodies were most often described as â€Å"smaller than human†(Dudley 35) with â€Å"large heads and eyes†(Dudley 36)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, in 1997, the US military admitted to lying about the object being a weather balloon. Instead they claim that the wreckage was part of a â€Å"top-secret experiment†(Mitton 11) involving some sort of balloon. Steve MacKenzie’s response, â€Å"if the object he tracked had been a weather balloon, secret or not, his superiors would have ordered him to ignore it.†(Dudley 35)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether or not the Roswell incident truly involved a UFO remains unclear. How ever, the military cover-up only served to fuel the fire of our imaginations. Interest continues to grow, as questions remain unanswered. Even Bill Clinton has been quoted as saying â€Å"†¦If the United States Air Force did recover alien bodies, they didn’t tell me about it either, and I want to know†(qtd. in Wright 105).

Construction industry

In construction industry, professionals must be able to follow different rules, policies for designing and building any infrastructure. One of these is the adherence of construction professionals for sustainable design. Accordingly, the practice of enhancing the efficiency of the buildings and their use of water, materials, and energy as well as reduction of building impact on the health of the people and the environment is called sustainable designing or also known as sustainable building.In doing so, the authorities responsible for green building adhere to this needs by conducting an effective and efficient complete building life cycle which include better sitting, designing, constructing, operation, maintenance and removal (Hopkins, 2002). Sustainable design brings together an immense array of approaches and practices to decrease or completely eliminate the negative effects of buildings on the environment.Accordingly, sustainable design can be defined as structures or buildings wh ich have minimum or low adverse effects on both natural and build environment as well as the immediate surroundings and the wider regional and global setting. The adherence of sustainable design can affect my career in many ways. First, sustainable design trends in terms of methods and materials may have a great influence on how I consider the materials and methods that I can use for sustainable designing.being a professional who adheres to the trends of sustainable or green building I can say that this concept affects me in thinking about how the construction materials and methods will affect the occupants. Herein, I am able to determine quality and the conditions of the materials and anticipate its impacts on the health of the occupants.Secondly, this context affects my career in a way that I can be able to be more competitive I using materials which has natural benefit to the design, In this regard, I can be able to be more resourceful and environmental friendly by fitting the co nstruction and its design procedures into the natural environment (Jones, 1998) in order to take advantage of existing free benefits like heat and light from the sun, the shading from the trees as well as the insulation from hillside topography in order to decrease the land impact and the need for non-renewable resources or wasteful use of resources.Lastly, my career can be affected by sustainable design in a way that it will help me broaden my knowledge in identifying the most appropriate and environmental-friendly technological and technical equipments. Some scholars believed that even if technology can enable people to gain sustainability, it also have the capacity to harm the environment if it will not be used cautiously.Hence, being a professional, I can be able to determine which can be used in the sustainable designing. Reference Jones, DL 1998. Architecture and the Environment, Woodstock and New York: The Overlook Press Hopkins, R. 2002. A Natural Way of Building. Transition Culture.

Polythene: Plastic Shopping Bags

Polythene pollution is everywhere, and the problem is getting worse. For most of us, the problem is seen as one of visual pollution, where plastic bags litter streets, roadways, and in some cases scenic areas across the country. No one will argue that polythene is useful. The plastic bags we use to carry home food or products are for the most part very light and very strong. Using these bags is not really the problem. The problem, leading to polythene pollution, is the improper methods of disposing of the bags.They've been marketed as throw-away items, and that is all too often what we do, except they don’t always end up in the garbage. Save A Tree – Polythene wasn't introduced as a bad thing. It wasn't all that many years ago that we started using plastic bags to â€Å"save a tree†. By using paper bags for groceries, it seemed like we were cutting down trees, using the wood or pulp products on a one time basis, and then throwing the product away. The message was , we were on the verge of making a renewable resource, trees, a non-renewable one.everal design options and features are available. Some bags have gussets to allow a higher volume of contents. Some have the ability to stand up on a shelf or a refrigerator. Some have easy-opening or reclosable options. Handles are cut into or added onto some.Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as â€Å"reduced or minimized packaging†.Depending on the construction, plastic bags can be well suited for plastic recycling. They can be incinerated in appropriate facilities for waste-to-energy conversion. They are stable and benign in sanitary landfills. If disposed of improperly, however, plastic bags can create unsightly litter and harm some types of wildlife.Bags are also made with carrying handles, hanging holes, tape attachments, security features, etc. Some bags have provisions for easy and controlled opening. Reclosable feat ures, including press-to-seal zipper strips such as Ziploc, are common for kitchen bags. Some bags are sealed and can only be opened by destroying the packaging, providing some tamper-evident capability.Bags can be made with a variety of plastics films. Polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE etc.) is the most common. Other forms, including laminates and coextrusions can be used when the physical properties are needed.Boil-in-bags are often used for sealed frozen foods, sometimes complete entres. The bags are usually tough heat-sealed nylon or polyester to withstand the temperatures of boiling water. Some bags are porous or perforated to allow the hot water to contact the food: rice, noodles, etc.Bag-In-Box packaging is often used for liquids such as wine and institutional sizes of other liquids.Often times, children may attempt to use bags as a sort of makeshift kite. By tying string to the handles, they are able to successfully glide them, provided there is a gentle breeze, until they lose thei r grip or grow weary of holding them and simply let go, unaware of the fact that they are endangering animals' lives.Plastic shopping bagsMain article: Plastic shopping bag Open bags with carrying handles are used in large numbers nationwide. Stores often provide them as a convenience to shoppers. Some stores charge a nominal fee for a bag. Heavy-duty reusable shopping bags are often considered environmentally better than single-use paper or plastic shopping bags.Waste disposal bagsMain article: Bin bag Flexible intermediate bulk container Main article: Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (Big bags, bulk bags, etc.) are large industrial containers, usually used for powders or flowables.Use of plastic bags internationallyThe number of plastic bags used worldwide has been estimated to be on the order of 1 trillion annually. The use of plastic bags differs dramatically across countries. While the average consumer in China uses only 2 or 3 plastic bags a year, the numbers are much higher in most other countries: Denmark: 4, Ireland: 18, Germany: 65, USA: > 300, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia: more than 400. In order to reduce plastic bag consumption, the European Union has suggested to pass new regulations.Danger to childrenThin plastic bags, especially dry cleaning bags, have the potential for causing suffocation. About 25 children in the United States suffocate each year due to plastic bags, 99.2% are under the age of one. This has led to voluntary warning labels on some bags which may pose a hazard to small children.Danger to marine wildlifePlastic bags, which escape the garbage collection process, often end up in streams, which then lead them to end up in the open ocean. Because they float, and resemble a jellyfish, plastic bags pose significant dangers to marine mammals, such as Leatherback sea turtles, when they enter their digestive tract. Because plastic bags cause damage to ocean marine life, litter city streets, and cont ribute to carbon emissions in their manufacture and shipping, some towns in the United States, including San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA and Austin, TX have begun to ban or restrict the use of plastic bags, usually starting with plastic shopping bags. Polythene: Plastic Shopping Bags Polythene pollution is everywhere, and the problem is getting worse. For most of us, the problem is seen as one of visual pollution, where plastic bags litter streets, roadways, and in some cases scenic areas across the country. No one will argue that polythene is useful. The plastic bags we use to carry home food or products are for the most part very light and very strong. Using these bags is not really the problem. The problem, leading to polythene pollution, is the improper methods of disposing of the bags. They've been marketed as throw-away items, and that is all too often what we do, except they don’t always end up in the garbage.Save A Tree – Polythene wasn't introduced as a bad thing. It wasn't all that many years ago that we started using plastic bags to â€Å"save a tree†. By using paper bags for groceries, it seemed like we were cutting down trees, using the wood or pulp products on a one time basis, and then throwing the product away. The message was , we were on the verge of making a renewable resource, trees, a non-renewable one. everal design options and features are available. Some bags have gussets to allow a higher volume of contents. Some have the ability to stand up on a shelf or a refrigerator. Some have easy-opening or reclosable options.Handles are cut into or added onto some. Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as â€Å"reduced or minimized packaging†. Depending on the construction, plastic bags can be well suited for plastic recycling. They can be incinerated in appropriate facilities for waste-to-energy conversion. They are stable and benign in sanitary landfills. If disposed of improperly, however, plastic bags can create unsightly litter and harm some types of wildlife. [3][4] Bags are also made with carrying handles, hanging holes, tape attachments, security features, etc.Some bags have provisions for easy and controlled opening. Reclos able features, including press-to-seal zipper strips such as Ziploc, are common for kitchen bags. Some bags are sealed and can only be opened by destroying the packaging, providing some tamper-evident capability. Bags can be made with a variety of plastics films. Polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE etc. ) is the most common. Other forms, including laminates and coextrusions can be used when the physical properties are needed. Boil-in-bags are often used for sealed frozen foods, sometimes complete entres.The bags are usually tough heat-sealed nylon or polyester to withstand the temperatures of boiling water. Some bags are porous or perforated to allow the hot water to contact the food: rice, noodles, etc. Bag-In-Box packaging is often used for liquids such as wine and institutional sizes of other liquids. Often times, children may attempt to use bags as a sort of makeshift kite. By tying string to the handles, they are able to successfully glide them, provided there is a gentle breeze, until t hey lose their grip or grow weary of holding them and simply let go, unaware of the fact that they are endangering animals' lives.Plastic shopping bags[edit] Main article: Plastic shopping bag Open bags with carrying handles are used in large numbers nationwide. Stores often provide them as a convenience to shoppers. Some stores charge a nominal fee for a bag. Heavy-duty reusable shopping bags are often considered environmentally better than single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. Waste disposal bags[edit] Main article: Bin bag Flexible intermediate bulk container[edit] Main article: Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (Big bags, bulk bags, etc.) are large industrial containers, usually used for powders or flowables.Use of plastic bags internationally[edit] The number of plastic bags used worldwide has been estimated to be on the order of 1 trillion annually. The use of plastic bags differs dramatically across countries. While the average co nsumer in China uses only 2 or 3 plastic bags a year, the numbers are much higher in most other countries: Denmark: 4, Ireland: 18, Germany: 65, USA: > 300, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia: more than 400. In order to reduce plastic bag consumption, the European Union has suggested to pass new regulations.Danger to children[edit] Thin plastic bags, especially dry cleaning bags, have the potential for causing suffocation. About 25 children in the United States suffocate each year due to plastic bags, 99. 2% are under the age of one. This has led to voluntary warning labels on some bags which may pose a hazard to small children. Danger to marine wildlife[edit] Plastic bags, which escape the garbage collection process, often end up in streams, which then lead them to end up in the open ocean.Because they float, and resemble a jellyfish, plastic bags pose significant dangers to marine mammals, such as Leatherback sea turtles, when they enter their digestive tract. Because plastic bags cause da mage to ocean marine life, litter city streets, and contribute to carbon emissions in their manufacture and shipping, some towns in the United States, including San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA and Austin, TX have begun to ban or restrict the use of plastic bags, usually starting with plastic shopping bags.