Body Piercing and Tattoos Essays

Body Piercing and Tattoos Essays Body Piercing and Tattoos Paper Body Piercing and Tattoos Paper but many scholars believe that Nubians brought the practice to Egypt much earlier. There was little anthropological attention to tattooing in the early part of the century because of preconceived notions of its insignificance to cultural analysis. (Robert S. Bianchi, 1988, 21-28). Archaeological evidence indicates that the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures performed tattooing and scarification, and that the practice is thousands of years old in Asian cultures. Although tattooing was practiced in pre-Christian Europe, the word tattoo does not appear in English until Captain John Cook imported it after a journey to the Pacific Islands in the eighteenth century. Captain Cook claimed the Tahitians used the word tatua, from ta, meaning to strike or knock, for the marks they made upon their bodies. Captain Cook recorded this word as tattaw. The Polynesian word tapu, from which the word taboo derives, indicates the status of the person while being tattooed. Although no connection has been made between the words tattoo and taboo, it seems highly likely that they are related. While enduring the process of acquiring socially meaningful marks, the tattooee is being formed and shaped into an acceptable member of society. Prior to the completion of the tattoos the person is not only physically vulnerable because of the possibility of contamination during the penetrating process of tattooing but symbolically vulnerable as well. No longer without a tattoo, but without a finished tattoo, the persons body and therefore the self are not yet completed. The person is a liminal entity not yet in society and therefore taboo. (Per Hage, Frank Harary, Bojka Milicic, 1996, 89) Although the origin of tattooing is uncertain, anthropological research confirms that tattooing, as well as other body alterations and mutilations, is significant in the spiritual beliefs of many cultures. Various peoples tattoo or scarify during puberty rituals. In traditional South Pacific Tonga society, only priests could tattoo others and tattoos were symbolic of full tribal status. Eskimo women traditionally tattooed their faces and breasts and believed that acquiring sufficient tattoos guaranteed a happy afterlife. In many African cultures scars indicate social status and desirability as a marriage partner. Scarification patterns often identify the bearer as a member of a specific village. Many of these practices are changing and fading as Western influences enter African cultures. Until the mid-nineteenth century, Cree Indians living on the Great Plains tattooed for luck, for beauty, and to protect their health. Cree men with special powers received tattoos to help them communicate with spirits. A dream conferred the privilege of receiving a tattoo, which would be inscribed during a ceremony conducted by a shaman authorized to tattoo. The tattooing instruments were kept in a special bundle passed on from shaman to shaman. The ability to withstand the painful and tedious process of tattooing, which often lasted two to three days, confirmed the tattooees courage. Blood shed during the process was believed to possess magical power and was absorbed with a special cloth and kept for future use. tattoo. about. com In a Liberian initiation ceremony the novices are resuscitated to a new life, tattooed, and given a new name they seem to have totally forgotten their past existence. (Mircea Eliade, 1958, 31). The ritual recreates the flesh bequeathed to initiates by their parents and experienced during childhood. The physical change marks a symbolic rebirth into a new spiritual, social, and physical reality as well as a real physical change. This magical use of the body reiterates the idea that physical and spiritual existence and their interactions are deeply entwined. The trajectory of piercing from an underground activity to a fashion in mainstream magazines illustrates the American adoption of marginalization as a trendy practice. Piercing various parts of the body, which is a more or less painful procedure depending on the body part, has become more popular and commercialized in the past two decades, and extremely fashionable in the past few years. Although some people self-pierce, most individuals go to a boutique that pierces and sells piercing jewelry. Clients frequently request nipple, navel, and nose piercings, and less commonly obtain eyebrow, lip, cheek, or tongue piercings. Piercings through various glans or skin folds of the genitals are even less common. dmoz. org/Arts/Bodyart/Magazines_and_E-zines Although one can construct histories of self-mutilatory beautification practices, such as leg-shaving, hair-tweezing, and body sculpting, body piercing practices in Western cultures remain virtually undocumented. James Myers, an anthropologist at the University of California remarks on the stigma attached to body piercing and discussion of Western nonmainstream body mutilation, and notes that the general public conceives of people who pierce, scar, brand, and burn themselves as psychological misfits. Myers refutes any connection between these practices of body modification and pathological self-mutilation, and he discusses body modification as a cultural rite of passage. Although Myers attempts to normalize the perception of body modification, his ethnographic research is problematic because it is conducted with a select group of participants, a greater than average proportion of whom are gay and involved in sadomasochistic activities, therefore already marginalized by society. A more representative sample of the general population might show that certain forms of piercing have now become popular in mainstream culture, whereas the more extreme pierces have gained popularity with individuals who engage in what dominant culture defines as deviant. (James Myers, 1992, 90-92) Nose and navel piercings have become more common in the general population. It is probable that until now few individuals pierced ornamentally, and those who did rigorously hid their unusual adornments from sight. Ear piercing, once considered barbaric for women and a badge of homosexuality for men, is now an accepted, common practice for women, and has lost much of its stigma for men also. Punk subculture introduced multiple ear piercings to the public eye, and fashion spreads quickly popularized the look with a large percent of the population. The marginalized groups that contributed to popularizing ear piercing, homosexuals and youth subculture, are also responsible for introducing other body piercings into the public arena. As of 1993 a well-known and burgeoning piercing Los Angeles boutique, the Gauntlet, which originally catered to a large gay population when it opened in 1975, performed 18,000 piercings a year. www. gradeatattoos. com Piercing practices have been pathologized as expressing sexual perversity and affiliation with marginal members of society, and as with tattooing, it is difficult to separate myth from reality. Tattooing has most often been mythologized as a proof of masculine heterosexuality, but the association of tattooing with gay culture has some validity, as tattooist Samuel Steward, also known as Phil Sparrow, notes. In his diary accounts of his years as a tattooist, which he kept for Alfred Kinseys research at the Institute for Sex Research, Steward estimates that fewer than 1 percent of his clients were obvious homosexuals and perhaps a total of 20 percent were gay. Although Steward acknowledges that his customers sometimes exhibited homoerotic motivations, masochistic pleasure, and even fetishistic tendencies toward tattooing their own bodies or others, his experiences as a tattoo artist in Chicago in the 1950s led him to conclude that the homosexuals he knew were reluctant to tattoo because they considered it marring the body unaesthetically. (Samuel M. Steward, 1990, 56) Reference: Brumberg Joan Jacobs. The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. New York: Random House, 1997, 132 James Myers, Nonmainstream Body Modification: Genital Piercing, Branding, Burning, and Cutting, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 21. 3 (1992): 290-92. Michael Atkinson, Tattooing and Civilizing Processes: Body Modification as Self-Control; The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 41, 2004 Mircea Eliade, Birth and Rebirth: The Religious Meanings of Initiation in Human Culture, trans. Williard Trask (New York: Harper, 1958), 31 Per Hage, Frank Harary, Bojka Milicic, Tattooing, Gender and Social Stratification in Micro-Polynesia; Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. 2, 1996, pp 89 Robert S. Bianchi. Tattoo in Ancient Egypt, Marks of Civilization (Los Angeles: Museum of Cultural History, University of California, 1988), 21-28. Samuel M. Steward, Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos: A Social History of the Tattoo with Gangs, Sailors, and Street-Corner Punks, 1950-1965 (New York: Harrington Park Press, 1990), 79. www. adrenalinetattoos. com tattoo. about. com www. gradeatattoos. com dmoz. org/Arts/Bodyart/Magazines_and_E-zines

One Step Back †Using Smaller Markets To Break Into Larger Ones

One Step Back – Using Smaller Markets To Break Into Larger Ones When breaking into a large market – especially where you have no prior experience – rejection is a certainty. Not everyone can nail the perfect pitch on the first try, and writers should keep their heads up and keep trying. But what happens when the rejections keep coming in, no matter what you try? Each person would have their own reasons as to why they arent nailing the pitch. It might be the pitch being bland, it might be the ideas not hitting the target, or it might be good, solid ideas that have been covered already. To help hone what part of the process is letting you down, you can try pitching to publications lower down the rung. This move backwards can either be very simple or extremely hard, depending how niche your target publication is. Someone writing about technology could probably have an easier time than those wanting to write about model trains. If moving downwards seems impossible, consider going sideways: find a publication which doesnt necessarily feature your niche, but still utilizes it. Once youve found your target, its time to start! You may find that articles that were rejected from your original target are more than suitable for the smaller publications, given the fact that theyre in more need to fill up slots for their publication schedule. Once you get an acceptance, you can develop a working relationship with the editor: talk them through pitches, note what they reject and accept, see why they reject specific articles and hone your pitches and ideas to suit them. After a few months, you may begin to notice that the publication becomes very easy to pitch to. This means its time to spread your wings and go for bigger, better-paying publications – mainly, your original target! Use your new-found skills to make a second attempt at landing that acceptance. The best part is, any queries that fail to strike the fancy of your target can very easily become accepted ideas with the editor you work with. I learned this the hard way when I decided that bite-sized, factual articles would be great fun to write. I was first drawn to Listverse because of its simplicity: research ten points, write the article, send it in, and get paid $100 for the enjoyment of creating a well-researched article. It seemed ideal, but I couldnt break in at all. I decided to try the waters with another website, TopTenz, despite their paying only half of what Listverse does. They liked the ideas that Listverse didnt, and I began to work with the editor of TopTenz to get my ideas out there and earning some money. I learned a lot from the months of working with the editor, and when I look back at the pitches I gave Listverse, I cringe at how naive I was. While I still work with the TopTenz editor closely, I recently decided to use my new-found knowledge to try to break into Listverse once again. On the second pitch of my re-attempt, I got a green light that eventually lead to an acceptance and payment! I highly doubt I could have crafted a winning pitch if it were not for my experience with TopTenz. If youre having issues getting into a publication, try mastering the level below it. Once youve done that, the only feasible step is to move up – and thats when youll be much better equipped to land that gig youve wanted.

Between Art and Architecture in The Landscape Essay

Between Art and Architecture in The Landscape - Essay Example The paper tells that expressions that are in architecture are distinguished by the works of various architects, movements of different time frames and approaches to creating the buildings. There are distinguishing characteristics associated with the different architectural structures and landscapes, specifically which are based on the approaches which the architects take. A feature which is considers in terms of architecture is based on the artistic influences that are portrayed in each of the buildings. While architectural pieces may be considered as artistic, there are several artistic structures that do not represent architecture. Identifying and defining the differentiation as well as the approaches of various artists and the aesthetics of architecture then creates a defined meaning of what is associated with various movements. Even with the use of experimentation of mediums and the expectation of using art as architecture, are still specialized aspects that show there are altern atives that are created from both mediums. This is developing controversial aspects to the artists and architects as well as how the use of both mediums is able to develop distinctions between both categories. Identifying the spatial differences, crafting alterations and the approaches and ideologies which are taken by different architects is also able to create a different approach to how the architects and artists remain as distinct categories that are able to develop alternative movements and experimentation based on the individual mediums. Defining Contemporary Art and Architecture The concept of art and architecture has traditionally been associated with two different mediums based on the aesthetics and functionality of the pieces. Architecture implies a building or other area which is used for lifestyle needs or which is based on creating what is known as a spatial practice. The artistic works imply an expression an aesthetically valuable approach that is able to convey a mess age or meaning that is more critical in nature. The combination of both is known as a critical spatial practice and is now regarded as intertwining between both mediums. This consists of site specific art and public art, urban interventions, conceptual designs and collaborative groups which are developing hybrid approaches to the artistic and architectural endeavors within a spatial area. The changing meaning of art and architecture is one which has altered specifically because of implications based on the developments between each medium (Rendell, 2006: 3). The similarities and differences with contemporary art and architecture as well as the blurred lines which have been created have furthered into changing characteristics of what identifies art and architecture. The identification is one which is no longer based on the functionality and images that are approached as well as the use of space or context that comes from either art or architecture. The combination of both has led int o a different visual reasoning of the work. Conceptual ideas as well as figurative approaches are both being used with art and architecture to show a shift in the perspectives of what both mediums relate to. The change is one which is no longer identifying and defining the rules and regulations which were approached in terms of visual designs and the systems which were before required for art and architecture. Instead, there is a direct link to the visual landscape that crosses in terms of art and architecture as the same approach to structure (Goldschmidt, 2003: 158). Social and Cultural Changes in Architecture The movement into art and architecture as interchangeable and as a hybrid concept has not only

73 PROPERTY LAW QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED WITH 73 ANSWERS, ONE ANSWER Essay

73 PROPERTY LAW QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED WITH 73 ANSWERS, ONE ANSWER FOR EACH QUESTION - Essay Example s laundry, or pay the rent, the former being personal and the latter being proprietary, and the burden under the personal covenants would run with the land provided the assignment was NOT in contradiction of any of the covenant stipulations. Moreover, the only time a burden under the covenant may not run with the land is when it is expressed to be personal (s 2 and 3 of the LTCA 1995). This shall be considered below. (a) As regards the repair covenant, it is enforceable against the assignee, as the burden passes to Meg by power of the statute so long as the assignment was not in contradiction of any other covenant. Since Emma was obligated to obtain consent of the landlord under the lease prior to an assignment (probably to make her sign an Authorised Guarantee Agreement under ss 5 and 16 of the LTCA) which she did not, it is reasonable to assume that she has breached the covenant herself, hence, she was not statutorily released from liability (s 5). Thus, Richard may sue Emma for damages for breach and Meg for specific performance, though it is difficult to enforce a repairing covenant as the courts regard it harder to monitor. However, in light of exceptional circumstances, where the tenant is in breach of her covenant to obtain consent before assignment, it is likely that the courts would grant specific performance to Richard against Meg requiring her to repair the property (Rainbow Estates v Tokenhold (1988)), owing to Richard’s benefit of the repair covenant. Moreover, since there is no distinction made under the act between personal and proprietary covenants, nor was it expressed the be personal, Richard may enforce the painting covenant against Meg (ss 2 and 3 of the LTCA). (b) Richard has the ability to forfeit the lease owing to the forfeiture clause in the original lease and thereby obtain possession of the property. However, in order to do this successfully, he needs to follow the exact procedure laid down in s 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925

Citibank Budgeting Essay Example for Free

Citibank Budgeting Essay 1. Analysis of Budget Process at Citibank Direction and control of Citibank’s international branches are conducted via two formal management processes. Each year, top management sets sovereign risk limits for its independent branches based on proposals by country managers. Country managers may choose to operate with self-imposed limits below this upper guideline. Following, there is the budget setting process, where headquarters only provides administrative guidelines but not specific targets, with operating managers being responsible for budgets for the following year. Indonesia often set their targets above these long-term goals. Performance is measured and compared against the budget each month, and a new forecast, which will be reviewed by the division manager, is drawn up each quarter for the remainder of the year. This structure of bottom-up budgeting is appropriate for a decentralized firm like Citibank. This is evident from the freedom Mr Mistri has over Indonesia’s operations and the different business segments and divisions, as shown in Exhibit 2 3. Such a participative process is likely to increase management commitment to achieve the targets since country managers are responsible for influencing their own targets. More importantly, country managers know the local business environment and culture better than group managers, therefore their targets are likely to be more accurate and realistic. Furthermore, bottom-up budgeting is a form of action control while the frequent reviews of the budgets serves as preaction review. Both facilitate information sharing within the organisation, with long-term strategic goals of the firm being communicated downwards and local business potentials and risks conveyed upwards via the budgets and forecasts. They also encourage managers to think further ahead about what they want to achieve in the near future. However, Citibank’s budgeting process appears to have an imbalanced focus with most of the emphasis placed only on financial measures. Although these measures can be easily obtained and are inexpensive because they are by-products of the accounting system, it does not fully represent all aspects of the organization’s strategies and goals. Instead, the budget could be restructured to include other non-financial aspects such as customer satisfaction and employee morale to obtain a balance, which will be vital towards the long term success of Citibank. None of Citibank’s budget items extend beyond the next year; instead there is an emphasis on a fixed short horizon. This can result in managers developing a myopic focus instead of measuring the fulfilment of Citibank’s long-term goals or the local government’s societal expectations. Myopia is aggravated by the monthly performance reviews which reveals the focus on short term goals. Citibank should look at its budget with a longer horizon. Moreover, the budgeting process in Citibank appears to be tedious and too time-consuming. The requirement for operating managers to conduct discussions and forecast all the line items shown on the submission form seems to take up significant time and effort. Such a process could be costly for the firm in terms of opportunity costs related to unnecessary time and resources spent. The benefits of such a tedious budgeting process must be high enough to justify the related costs. Also, there seems to be no connection and a mismatch between the two management processes. It is only reasonable that these two processes should go hand in hand as higher returns may only be possible with a higher risk appetite. However, increase in profit goals is not matched by an increase in risk tolerance (sovereign risk limit). Moreover, sovereign risk limits is set yearly but not adjusted when budgets are revised each quarter. Citibank should consider allowing country/division managers to adjust risk limits to match any revisions in budgets during the year. Use of the Budget for Performance Evaluation of Managers Performance is monitored every month against budgets, and incentive compensation for managers were linked to budget-related performance. Incentive compensation could range up to approximately 70% of base salary although awards of 30-35% were more typical. Assignment of bonuses were based approximately 30% on corporate performance and 70% on individual performance, primarily performance related to forecast. This emphasizes results accountability as it involves rewarding the managers for generating good results that are aligned to the budgets. As such, it influences actions because it causes employees to be concerned about the consequences of the actions they take. However, the contradiction in this is that while these managers will not be constrained in what actions they can take to achieve their goals, they are also empowered to take whatever actions they believe will best produce these desired results. Hence, it is highly dependent on personnel controls with regards to the managers hired. Provided that budgets were adequately set with appropriately extent of goal difficulty, these budgets act as results controls and affects a manager’s motivation since the targets are linked to performance evaluations and compensation. Furthermore, it is beneficial that manager’s compensation is tied directly to both individual(70%) and corporate performance(30%), allowing a larger perspective to be considered. Differentiation of base earnings from extraordinary earnings for which managers are not held accountable for is in line with the controllability principle. This is vital because setting performance targets to attain for each measure allows the managers to assess their performance and also get rewarded, encouraging behaviors that lead to desired results. As such, this will promise manager rewards that provide the most powerful motivational effects in the most cost effective ways possible. However, performance evaluations based on budgeted information is backward looking (extrapolating past trends) while it is best that the evaluations be forward looking. It should be evaluated based on the future cash flow/profits that can be brought to the firm instead of historical performance to promote a higher performance in the future. Furthermore, as their compensation is tied to meeting targets, it might promote game-playing and politics. As for Citibank, their culture encourages aggressive mark-ups to budget with managers constantly setting challenging budgets. For Mr Mistri, he will feel the extra pressure since the aggressive targets can barely be met with the deteriorating conditions in Indonesia. In conclusion, the current budget and performance evaluation system, which is mainly bottom up with top down guidance, matches the decentralized structure of Citibank. Although there seems to be trade-offs and problems with Citibank’s current bottom up budgeting system, there is no perfect budget system to optimally serve all the different purposes of budgeting. What Citibank can do is to put in place measures to minimize some of these shortcomings. 2. Are managers at Citibank committed to achieving budget targets? Yes, managers are committed as a result of their freedom to set their own budgets subject to guidelines provided by top management. Mr Mistri can choose to operate with a self imposed sovereign risk limit which is lower than the one approved by the New York Headquarter if he thinks that the one set by the top management is too aggressive. The fact that he has control over this means that he will be less pressurised to set unrealistic goals or engage in budget slacks. These will garner higher commitment from managers since the budgets set are not restrictive and offer flexibility to managers according to the business conditions. The commitment to achieve targets is augmented as incentive compensation for managers is linked to budget-related performance. Thus they will work towards getting more incentives for themselves through surpassing the budgeted forecast. On the other hand, the amount of commitment may be limited by the constant revision of budgets each quarter. Managers may be less motivated to hit their budget target if they know that those targets can be revised lower in the next quarter if performance was unsatisfactory. In addition, the frequent changes may make managers unfocused and reduce their motivation to work towards the goals set. If so, are the budget targets too challenging? The targets may prove to be too challenging. This can be shown by the fact that although incentive compensation could range up to 70% of base salary, awards of 30-35% were more typical, implying that it may be difficult to surpass the budgeted levels. Furthermore, Mr Mistri felt that the increased profit goal by $500K to $1mil set by Mr Gibson is too much as the budget he submitted is already very aggressive, judging by the bleak short term outlook due to the decrease in oil prices. This is supported by the self-imposed sovereign risk limit that Mr Mistri is operating at in order to minimise his exposure which will reduce the likelihood of the firm achieving higher returns due to the lower risk. We also doubt the achievability of the budget set. Though the forecasts and budgets are set by the operating managers themselves, we have to take into consideration Citibank’s risk-taking culture. While challenging targets induce motivation, the aggressive year-on-year increase in targets might prove to be detrimental to the achievement of the firm’s strategic objectives. Firstly, this is especially so when targets are not adjusted in times of bad macroeconomic conditions. With the incentive compensation for managers linked to budget-related performance, it seems that managers might be motivated to set unrealistic targets and employ excessively risky methods to accomplish them. Such a system would eventually serve to promote short-term gains at the expense of long-term losses for the organisation. In addition, the practice of comparing actual performance to budgeted amount monthly is too short termed and may render managers to become myopic. This may encourage managers to engage in gamesmanship such as earnings management, manipulating data to receive additional bonuses especially towards the end of a quarter. Is there any evidence of budget gaming? Yes, there is evidence of budget gaming. The main reason Mr Mistri used to justify his less than ideal budget (as compared to Mr Gibson’s) is likely to be false and there are unhealthy motivations for him to engage in such behaviour. Mr Mistri justified his budget by claiming that the Indonesian economy had slipped into a recession when oil prices decreased significantly. This is supported by the fact that Citibank’s Indonesian operations growth paralleled that of the Indonesian economy. However, evidence in Exhibit 4 suggests otherwise, revealing both the net and inflation-adjusted GDP of Indonesia to be increasing steadily over time. Even in 1983, GDP increased 5%. Moreover, a fall in oil prices will not necessarily lead to a recession. As such, Mr Mistri’s concerns are unlikely to be true and a simple check by the group managers would have allowed this to be uncovered. Moreover, even though Indonesia’s economy is highly dependent on oil prices, a fall in oil prices is also likely to affect Citibank’s other operations in different regions. The group managers will probably have considered this effect when setting the $4mil profit goal for South East Asia. In our opinion, Mr Mistri is likely to be acting as a Sandbagger. By presenting less ambitious budgets, there will be higher likelihood of positive variances in actual performance. Given that compensation is tied to budget-related performance, such gaming behavior will probably increase Mr Mistri’s bonuses and salary. Another motive for budget gaming could be to cover up the ongoing high staff turnover problem with the bad economic conditions. Mr Mistri just lost his chief of staff and two senior officers, and is concerned with constraints to growth due to his lack of experienced staff. This could in turn affect his bonus and salary. Since managers are not accountable for extraordinary earnings or losses at Citibank, by blaming the external economy (recession) for a less aggressive budget rather than on internal problems, his bonuses will not be affected. Furthermore, Mr Minstri has the freedom to operate at a sovereign risk limit lower than the group’s since country managers are given substantial autonomy in deciding their country’s budget and risk limits. He is likely to be able to get away with a less than optimal budget if his group manager trusts him. This way, his budget gaming behavior will escape the suspicions of Mr Gibson and other group/division managers.

Inner Evil Revealed in Film and BBC Productions of Shakespeare’s Richar

Inner Evil Revealed in Film and BBC Productions of Shakespeare’s Richard III   Ã‚  Ã‚   All the passions of the irascible rise from the passions of the concupiscible appetite and terminate in them. For instance, anger rises from sadness, and, having wrought vengeance, terminates in joy. --   St. Thomas Aquinas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Richard III, Shakespeare creates evil personified.   The wicked protagonist conspires against kin, plots political takeovers, woos widows, sets assassins against children, and relishes each nefarious act.   We watch Richard's bravado with wicked glee and delight in each boasting comment sent our direction.   Once the bad guy becomes seductive, even amusing, in his blatant cruelty, the playwright must intervene to counterbalance his own brilliant wit.   But how can this devil Richard be brought to his knees with the appropriate high style demanded by the script's momentum?   Shakespeare leaves us the briefest of stage direction: "Alarum. Enter Richard and Richmond; they fight; Richard is slain" (V.v.).   Once "the bloody dog is dead," Richmond prays for "smooth-faced peace" (V.v.2,33).   So soon after Richard's tormented dream of accusing ghosts, this closing scene enforces a mood described by Robert Ornstein as "one of somber reflection, not of joyous celebration" (263).   However, the interpretive liberties taken by three twentieth-century filmmakers establish elaborated messages about the horrors of bloodshed, the inevitability of power struggles, and the mythmaking of villains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 1982 BBC production takes the audience through a series of reactions: the bloodthirst for revenge, the prayer for redemption, and the vision of hellish destruction.   We watch Richard circled by soldiers, baited like a bea... ...thin this structure, his body will pull him downward with the mocking demands of its physical being" (35).   Structurally, the gargoyles often function as gutter drains, spewing forth wastewater to protect the aesthetics of the church.   Similarly, Richard epitomizes our hatreds and cruelties, reminding us of the evil inside; whether he cleanses our sins through his death depends on the director's approach to redemption and transference. Works Cited Eccles, Mark.   "Richard III on Stage and Screen." Richard III.   New York: Signet Classic, 1988.   265-78. Hallett, Charles A. and Elaine S. Hallett.   The Revenger's Madness.   Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1980.   (Epigraph) Ornstein, Richard.   "Richard III."   Richard III.   New York: Signet Classic, 1988.   239-264. Spivack, Charlotte.   The Comedy of Evil on Shakespeare's Stage.   London: Associated UPs, 1978.

Strength: Debut Albums and Johnny

Strength They are taking the casket away to the burial site. It is made of a dark maple wood with an arrangement of white roses on top. The preacher says only family can come. So the son stands up and follows the casket to the burial site. He is wearing a gray shirt with a black coat and black pants. He doesn't seem to be shaken up about the funeral. He is quiet and stays to himself. Once they reach the burial site he stands next to the casket as they begin to lower it. He just stares and begins to think about the memory that caused this. Johnny was sitting at the kitchen table watching his mother Anita, cleaning the dishes.She was wearing her tired blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, beat up denims, and her hair in a low pony-tail. Anita’s favorite thing was to do the dishes. She always sang to herself while her blue eyes traveled out the window through the woods. She would think things of leaving and starting over. She never wanted Johnny to see herself that way but he di d. He saw her sadness. Many times she would stare at the little Eiffel Tower statue that was on the window sill or look at her and her husband, Jacks', wedding photo above the fireplace. The pictured showed a much younger, and happier Anita. The house was quiet.And Johnny liked moments like these. Moments that showed how cozy and peaceful their 700 square foot home could be instead of the tumble-down house it really was. It had a kitchen/den, two bedrooms, and a bath. Their family spent most of the time in the kitchen. It was painted a pale yellow, had a wooden table with three chairs, and had a window over the sink. It connected to a hallway which connected to the two rooms. All the rooms were small but the size didn’t really bother him, it was the only place he had known for his ten years. The house was light green with white shutters on the outside.The paint had faded so much that the home almost blended into the woods. Johnny didn’t have many neighbors but he had a n imagination that was as vibrant and wild as the Salmon River a few miles away. He would sneak there sometimes when his mother would be sleeping and his father was at work. One day as the sun was rising over the river he began a story of a boy traveling through the woods and ending up in a far away land. It was a much peaceful, newer, land than the one he knew. He became friends with them and they allowed him to go back and bring one person back to live with them. He brought his mother.Anita finished the dishes and turned around to look at Johnny. â€Å"Alright young man, it's time for bed. Your father will be home soon. † â€Å"Could you read me a story before bed? † â€Å"Sweetie, your father is almost home and you need to be in bed. † â€Å"Mama, please? † said Johnny. She looked at him; his big blue eyes, half covered by his unkempt hair, always won. They were her weakness. He was such a kind boy whose eyes always saw good, no matter the evil in fron t of him. â€Å"Okay† she said, â€Å"but it's going to be a short one. † She told him a story of a blue eyed, brown haired boy who travels to a distant land to save a girl who is in trouble.In the story the boy had to learn that bravery isn’t just about doing what is right but also being able to sacrifice your feelings to do the right thing. As she neared the end of the story she heard her husband’s truck pull up. She hurriedly got to her feet and looked out the window. Her heart started to beat faster and there was a little bit of perspiration right above her brow. Johnny sat up and peered over her shoulder. They both looked and saw him and his gun fall out of their blue Ford F-150. Her husband picked up his gun and staggered towards the house. Anita turned around and tucked Johnny in.As she pulled away Johnny grabbed her hand, and in a very small but strong voice Johnny said, â€Å"Mama†¦ one day I’ll save you. I promise. † Anita sta red. The car door slamming knocked Anita out of her trance. She walked out of Johnny’s room, wiped the few tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes, and shut the door behind her. As Anita walked into the kitchen so did her husband Jack. He was a tall man who looked much older than he was. His skin was leathery and the tips of his hair were gray. His blue eyes which, used to hold so much promise, were now red with black sags under them. He and Anita meet in high school.They were in the same math class. Anita was failing math and Jack decided to help her with her studies. The friendship blossomed into a beautiful relationship. One time, when they were together, Jack gave Anita an Eiffel Tower statue and promised her that when he became a famous engineer he would take her there. This never happened though. Their junior year she got pregnant. They both dropped out to support their son. Jack was a loving man but as his dream got farther, the liquor bottle got closer. It became a continuous problem. Anita could count on one hand how many times she saw Jack without a whiskey bottle, in the past six months.The alcohol changed him, like many men, into a monster. â€Å"What’s wrong with you? † Jack asked while he threw his gun on the counter by the hallway and kicked off his old black boots. â€Å"Nothing, been cleaning all day. I’m a little tired I guess. How was work? † â€Å"Well, let's see, I worked an eleven hour day, at a job that I hate, with a boss who doesn't respect me, and I come home to a family that doesn't appreciate me. Its just another day. † â€Å"Oh now, come on, you know that Johnny and I love-† â€Å"Love me? † Jack interrupted. â€Å"Is that why I come home to half the house a mess, no dinner on the table, no poured drink, and my son already asleep.It’s starting to get real old Anita. I’m not up for all these games, never have been. † †I’m not playing games with you Jack. I have worked all day too and I take care of our son. God I don’t understand why you get so paranoid. † â€Å"Don’t call me paranoid! Anita you don't know when to shut the fuck up, do you? I am not paranoid you-† â€Å"You accuse me of everything! † Anita interrupted, â€Å"Last night we argued about how you think I am turning Johnny against you and how you think I am taking money. I think we know where the money is going. † Anita watched as Jack opened up the brown cupboard door, took out the whiskey, and poured himself a glass.There was no expression on Anita’s' face but her heart was pounding. Jack stopped in mid swig and stared at her. â€Å"What the fuck is this? † â€Å"Here you go again Jack accusing me. † Anita tried very hard to put on an easy face but the rage in Jacks eyes seemed to be building with every second. His hand on the bottle became a vice. â€Å"What did I tell you about touchi ng my whiskey? † â€Å"I didn’t touch your damn whiskey. † â€Å"You think because I'm drunk that I don’t taste the difference? You’ve done this before, Anita. † â€Å"Again with the para-â€Å" â€Å"Stop calling me paranoid! † Jack roared.All the blood in his entire body seemed to be at his face. The buttons on his blue and gray plaid shirt almost popped from his chest being out too far. He shut his eyes and took a breath. â€Å"Didn’t I tell you what was going to happen if you watered down any of my drinks again? † Jack said with an almost eerie calmness. Anita saw the familiar look in his eyes. Her body reacted in a way a deer’s' does when they know what’s coming for them: heart racing, fixed stare, muscles tense. She took a deep breath and tried to relax herself. â€Å"Jack, sweetie, I didn't touch your whiskey. I promise you. † â€Å"You think I’m dumb, don’t you?Ya know I try a nd be sweet and understanding, but you keep lying to me. Why do you do that? You know I can’t stand it when you do that. You say that you love me, and when you love someone you aren’t supposed to lie to them. You love me don’t you? † â€Å"Of course sweetie I love you. You mean the world to me. I don’t know-† â€Å"See, here you go again with those lies. It makes me angry. And what am I supposed to do? Just let you continue telling lies? We are raising a son together, and I don’t want Johnny to learn that habit. † The eerie calmness was still there, and Jack barely spoke above a whisper. He began streaming his fingers through her hair.He looked down at his bottle, and as his face rose again to meet hers it changed. He became a monster. â€Å"I told you I don’t like my whiskey being watered down. Is it that difficult to do as I say? † Jacks voice became louder and stronger. He grabbed Anita’s hair with his fi sts and shoved her head onto the table. The skin around her scalp was stretching from the force of the grip. Her arms were against the edge of the table trying to push herself up, but he was too strong. Tightening his grip, he bent down to have his face beside hers. â€Å"You have to learn. You fucking bitch, you have to learn. † â€Å"Jack please, I didn’t do it.Your hurting me, sweetie, stop. † As she spoke, the force of Jacks hand against her face became stronger towards the wooden table. Her heart was pounding and she was looking for any possible way to protect herself. Tears started rolling down her face. She didn’t know what to do. She knew he wasn’t going to believe her and he was so much stronger than her. She finally said the only thing she felt could stop it, â€Å"I'm sorry. † He eased up on his force but still kept a grip on her hair. â€Å"What did you say? † â€Å"I’m sorry. It's just, just your drinking changes you. And I like the old Jack. Honey I’m sorry. Please let me go. Anita’s voice was that of an innocent child. Her eyes locked on his. â€Å"Now, now doesn’t that feel better? † Jack said as he straightened his back and looked down at her. â€Å"Doesn’t it feel good to tell the truth and admit your problems? See, I am helping. But honey that doesn’t change the fact of what you did. You’ve done it before, and it's becoming a habit. † At that moment his full force returned. He lifted her head and slammed it into the table. Anita wailed in pain. Above her temple she started bleeding. He pulled her off the table and started dragging her across the white laminate floor with her hair.As he dragged her to the hallway entrance, towards the bedroom, he looked up for the first time and let go of his wife’s hair. She turned around and slowly stood up. They saw Johnny standing in the hallway. Johnny’s eyes were red with dried tears on his checks. He stood as if he were seven feet tall with all the confidence in the world, and just stared at his father. Anita looked at his sweet eyes, that for the first time realized there was no good to be seen in his father. Jack wasn’t looking at Johnny’s eyes like his wife was, he was looking at the pistol Johnny was holding up with both his hands.Johnny witnessed everything like he always had. When he heard his mothers screams he got out of bed and walked towards the kitchen. He saw blood running down his mothers face and couldn't control the anger that was rising in him. As his father slammed his mothers head into the wooden table, a second time, he grabbed the gun that was on the counter. Holding the cold unfamiliar metal in his hands, he stood tall and pointed it at his father. â€Å"Sweetheart,† his mother said, â€Å"everything is going to be okay. Alright? Come here, let me hold you. † Johnny didn’t say a word but kept starrin g at his father. â€Å"Son give the gun to me. † I gave mama a promise. † Johnny spoke with no hesitation. â€Å"Sweetie, it’s okay to break promises. This isn’t your battle to fight. This isn’t a story. Honey just look at me. † Anita was scared for her sons life. Neither her or her husband had taught him to shoot a gun. She was afraid the he would end up hurting himself. Johnny turned his head to look at his mother. He saw that the blood on her face was curving around the fake smile she was trying to make. As he looked down to see some of her hair on the floor, his father took the opportunity and lunged for Johnny. His grip wasn’t as tight anymore and he felt the gun falling out of his hands.His father picked him up and threw him against the wall. Jack started yelling and slapped Johnny across the face. Johnny began to cry. Anita felt the breaking point. Hearing her son cry was the key to unveiling her eyes. She knew, the only reason she stayed alive, was to protect Johnny. Her heart began to race. All the lost opportunities of running away led to this moment. Her blood started pumping faster. She would be damned if she let this happen to her son. She picked up the gun and thought back to the moment her daddy taught her to shoot. â€Å"Jack, put him down. † He didn’t turn around or even acknowledge her. â€Å"Jack! Jack turned around and dropped his son. â€Å"Anita, baby what are you-â€Å" Anita shot a bullet to the left of him. â€Å"Johnny come here. † Johnny got up from the floor and stood behind his mother. He had one hand around her leg and used the other to wipe tears from his eyes. â€Å"Sweetie, go outside. Mama will be there soon. † Johnny walked out of the kitchen door and sat by the truck. â€Å"I'm done with this Jack. I am his mother, I have to protect him. † Her grip became tighter. â€Å"What are you going to do? You have no job, no education. You need me. † Jack tried to seem calm but the fear in his eyes gave him away. â€Å"I don't need you.I will find my own way. † Anita raised the gun and pointed it straight at his head. â€Å"I hope your son can live with the fact that his mother is a coward and a murderer. When the kids ridicule him I hope you think of me. † Bam She did it. She put a bullet through his head and finally shut the bastard up. He laid there with a pool of blood flowing out of his head. Blood was everywhere. It was splattered all over the walls and cabinets. Her hearing slowly came back to her in a wave. She finally lowered her gun and just starred. Part of her couldn't believe what she had done. And she wondered if she was strong enough to handle it.She remembered Johnny sitting outside. She tossed her thoughts aside and walked to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror. Her shirt was ripped, she had patches of hair missing, and her face was covered in blood. She cleaned herself up and walked out to Johnny. Johnny ran into his mother’s arms. â€Å"Mama I’m sorry. â€Å"Honey, you look at me. Don't cry anymore. You did nothing wrong. Okay? We are going to call the police and you will tell them the absolute truth. Baby everything will be fine. † â€Å"Okay mama, ill be strong for you. † Why could you never let those words go? Johnny thought to himself. I hope your son can live with the fact that his mother is a coward and a murderer. † I know you loved me and you did what you had to do. You protected me. How could that man still have control over you after all this time? I tried to be strong and hide my tears forr you but you kept sinking further away. Maybe you knew that you wouldn't be able to handle it but you did it anyway? Like what you taught me in those stories when I was young: bravery isn’t just about doing what is right but also being able to sacrifice your feelings to do the right thing. Johnny lowered his head and, for the first time in eight years, cried.