Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay To the fascist artist, his or her own art is merely a vessel that encapsulates his or her own socially-motivated beliefs. The works of Yukio Mishima and Leni Riefenstahl, for instance, embody the essence of their individual nationalities at the height of their individual careers—nationalities that might transcend origin and geography, yet extol   culture, tradition, ritual and society.   Mishima and Riefenstahl exhibit incredible parallelism in their works. Mishima, in his short story Patriotism, describe the human form with such detail and meticulousness reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s style in her 1930’s films. Much like Riefenstahl’s The Last of the Nuba, the naked body is depicted as a means of fascist iconography—the body, perfect and pure in its own way, merges with a bigger community of bodies of like characteristics (Evans 31). Susan Sontag’s treatise on the works of Riefenstahl, Fascinating Fascism, breaks down the latter’s appreciation and fascination of the strong and beautiful Nuba figure as examples of Nazi ideology corresponding to the idea of aesthetics for fascists. Sontag writes, â€Å"Riefenstahl’s portrait of them evokes some of the larger themes of Nazi ideology: the contrast between the clean and the impure, the incorruptible and the defiled, the physical and the mental, the joyful and the critical (par. 27).† This description is echoed in Mishima’s Patriotism, when the lead character Takeyama decides to commit seppuku—ritual suicide by disembowelment—as an act of redemption from the dishonor incurred when his comrades formed alliances with the mutineers.   Mishima’s imagery of Takeyama and his wife Reiko’s preparations for the ritual, as well as the metaphors he uses in describing the couple’s physical forms conveys a fascination for perfection and beauty a la Riefenstahl—remarkable symbols of fascist iconography, as Sontag would consider. In its own effect, Takeyama, Reiko and the Nuba become examples of the â€Å"master race†, where everyone is beautiful, strong, and does not age (Trimborn McCown 256). Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works are also parallel in such that their depictions of death are detailed, beautiful and almost enthralling.     In Patriotism, death in is portrayed as a reward, a happy and celebrated ceremony that requires the utmost preparation. In the Nuba culture, death is a central event, along with fighting. In the Japanese culture, as evidenced by Mishima’s paramount detail in describing Takeyama’s death, death is a way for one to demonstrate his or her enduring loyalty and nationalism to the Imperial system. Death in both Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works surpass life’s merriest events—birth, marriage, love—at times besting even life itself. Mishima writes, â€Å"All around, vastly and untidily, stretched the country for which he grieved. He was to give his life for it. But would that great country, which he was prepared to remonstrate to the extent of destroying himself take the slightest heed of his death? He did not know; and not matter (par. 63).† Takeyama’s examination of self not only mirrors the authors suggestions of his own death wish, it also echoes the sentiments of those under the spell of a fascist ideology—their so-called patriotism—that converts their idea of nationhood as something not only territorial, but equally and incredibly spiritual. The young lieutenant and his bride chose their own death by seppuku, which may be seen as either an honorable and extremely devout approach, or as a self-destructive and deadly consequence of their fanaticism. Mishima unintentionally diverts the reader’s attention from this concept with his alluring illustrations of fascist ideals and concepts, again reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s imagery in her Nazi films. Sontag would consider it an absolute expression of fascist art, in the sense that it â€Å"glorifies surrender, exalts mindlessness, and glamorizes death (par. 36).† Above everything, Mishima verifies in his work and own life the burden that comes with the duty to abide by cultural tradition—duty can be all in one beautiful or ugly, life or death. Works Cited Evans, Mark. Movement Training for the Modern Actor. London, UK: Taylor and Francis,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008. Mishima, Yushio. â€Å"Patriotism.† Trans. Geoffrey W. Sargent. Mutantfrog Travelogue. 27   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 2009. http://www.mutantfrog.com/patriotism-by-yukio-mishima/ Sontag, Susan. â€Å"Fascinating Fascism. â€Å" University of California Santa Barbara. 27 June 2009.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/33dTexts/SontagFascinFas  Ã‚  Ã‚   cism75.htm Trimborn, Jurgen McCown, Edna. Leni Riefenstahl: A Life. New York: MacMillan, 2007.

Elegy to and Unfortunate Lady Essay -- essays papers

Elegy to and Unfortunate Lady In Alexander Pope’s poem â€Å"Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady,† Pope uses a great amount of war-like imagery to enhance his vision of the suicide described. He creates allies and enemies, weapons and invasions, as well as the gruesome death that only seems to come from war. These pieces add to the overall meaning of the work and the vision of the event that has occurred, giving the reader an image of a battle occurring. The first images of the war or battle are that of the victim of battle. Starting at line four and extending to line ten, I find that Pope is using a great amount of imagery to depict the woman’s wound and the fate upon which she has fallen. In line four he describes her wound in only three words â€Å"bleeding bosom gor’d,† but he then extends the depiction of her wound into how it was obtained. He describes the knife or the dagger that she must have used to kill herself with as a â€Å"sword†, which is something that would typically be found in battle rather than in the case of a suicide. He also brings in the theory of the ancient Roman justice system for not just war but any crime. It is much greater and braver to die by your own sword than by any other. She kills herself for the simple fact that in her eyes she must be punished for loving some one too much; however, her death is the start of the real war, between Pope and the society and family that abandoned her. Pope sides with the ghost in the poem and criticizes her family and society for her death. In line thirty he states clearly his great dislike for the uncle who he labels as â€Å"Thou, mean deserter of thy brother’s blood!† This is an apparent line drawn between what Pope believed should have occurred and w... ... else, at least through her father or uncle, but once she died, all of her titles, wealth, beauty and honor meant nothing. They are things that could not be carried with her in her death. The lines about her becoming a pile of dust also fit with the image of a soldier who has fallen in battle because she is a pile of dust, which â€Å"all the proud shall be†. Every proud soldier who dies what they believe in becomes a pile of dust just like the lady in the poem. The war imagery in Pope’s poem helps define and clarify the point of view Pope has on the even that has occurred. It also gives Pope a poetic platform on which to condemn the opposite side. He uses the imagery to describe the victim of war, the way death and battle are in war, and the opposing sides of this war and why they are battling; creating a new view of the woman’s suicide and her as a soldier for love.

Cliques in High School Essay

In high school, students feel presured to fit in with a certain group of people share the same intrests as them, this is better known as cliques. This makes many students feel left out and lonely while at school. Cliques are always around eachother wiether its in between classes, at lunch, or after school. There are many different reasons that cliques in high school are formed. The fear of surviving alone in high school is a main concen for many students that find it hard to make friends, this is one example of why cliques are formed. Cliques are developed by student’s needs to establish an identity and to be accepted. Students always seeks their identity and one way to do that is to choose a group of students who have the same identity as them. Teenagers love to explore and take risks. In forming cliques, especially with those groups who are popular, they develop a sense of power. Cliques are also formed because of peer preasure. This is because teenageres feel a sense of security when they are around people they look up to. There are many different types of cliques students form in high school. Typicly in highschool the athletes tend to hang out together. This clique is known at the jocks. The intrests of the students that make up this group include sports, dating, and their apperence. The guys in this clique are appealing to most girls in the school. Jocks feel a sense of superiority and tend to bully or pick on the other students they are not a part of this clique. The students in this group are made out to be the most popular kids in school and many others become envious of them. Another clique formed by highschool students are the nerds or the geeks. This students that make up this group are intrested in learning, computers, and video games. These students tend to make good grades and are very smart.  Most nerds tend to be in the school band. This group is most of the time known as the least popular in the school. Therefore they get picked on more than any of the other cliques, mainly by the jocks. The students who dress in dark colors and are very intriverted are refered to as the emo group or misfits. The intrests of the people who make up this group are loud music, skateboarding, and art. The apperence of this group differs from the others in that they have a very unique style. Dyed black hair, tight t-shirts and skinny jeans are only some ways this group would express themselves. There are many disadvantages of being involved in a clique throughout high school. For example, being in a clique can lead students to make stupid mistakes and decions. People involved in cliques are more likely to get pregnant or do drugs while in high school. Being involved in a clique could also spark jealously in less popular people. Along with the disadvanges comes many more advantages of being involved in a clique. Being involoved in a clique allows students to learn to be more comfortable around others. It also helps increase students’ self confidence. Students who are involved in a clique have a greater chance of not getting picked on throughout high school. Having a large group of friends and knowing that someone always has your back is another advantage of being in a clique. This, as many students should know, helps getting though high school much easier. In conclusion, being in a clique makes high school much easier to get through but can also cause a lot of unnesicary drama. Since fitting in is so important to in high school, cliques are an easy way for students to feel a sense of belonging. Cliques are very influencual in high school because they affect every student in some way or another.

Apple Inc. Case Study - 1494 Words

Apple Inc. Case Study TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPANY OVERVIEW General Description Historical Outline Industry Current Challenges Ethics and Responsibility STRATEGIC INFORMATION Mission Statement Competition SWOT Analysis HISTORICAL FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Historical Financial Information Competitive Financial Analysis Summary FUTURE PLANS Competitive Advantage Recent Performance Business Environment Recommendations Zackery Butler, Connor Daugherty, Stanashia Davis, Gabrielle Drohan, and Lauren Spears COMPANY OVERVIEW General Information Based in Cupertino, California, Apple Inc. has become one of the titans of the technological industry in the 39 years since it was created in the spring of 1976. This growing company employees over 115,000 people and has 450 retail stores in 16 different countries. With an annual revenue of $233 billion in 2015 Apple Inc. is the most prosperous technological company in the world. Along with its many retail locations Apple also runs the online Apple Store making it a truly global brand. Over the years Apple has expanded their product line; in its infancy the company specialized in personal computers but more recently the main product line is phones and tablets. Apple’s other significant products include computer software and other consumer electronics (iPod, Apple Watch, and Apple computers). B. Historical Outline Apple Computer Company was founded in a residential garage by Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak in AprilShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Apple Inc.1349 Words   |   6 Pages Case Analysis: APPLE INC.: IPODS AND ITUNES Donna Martinelli TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY September 3, 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Defining the Challenge...............................................................................................3 Analyzing the case data....................Read MoreCase Study : Apple Inc. Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesCase Study: Apple Apple Inc. focuses on the design, manufacture, and marketing of personal computers, mobile phones, multimedia devices, and portable music players. Apple Inc. offers consumers manufactured goods under the brand names Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, and Apple TV. Enhancing the customer experience through their proprietary software applications iOS, X, OS, and watchOS brands; and services across their Apple Pay and iCloud products (Forbes.com, 2016). Explored in detail, Apple’sRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.1971 Words   |  8 PagesCritical Essay Introduction Apple Inc. is a globally recognised pioneer in the tech industry. It is a corporation that designs, develops and sells electronic products such as tablets, computers and phones. Founded by Ronald Wayne, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, it is a multinational corporation with headquarters in Cupertino, California. Tim Cook has been CEO since Jobs’ passing in 2011. Labour conditions Despite its global recognition and status, Apple Inc. has come under scrutiny in recentRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.2083 Words   |  9 PagesBackground This paper presents a case study of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is a technology based corporation with emphasis on computer software and hardware (MAC and Apps), tablets (IPad), smart phones (IPhone), and mp3 plays, (ITouch). Apple Inc. has grown tremendously over the years and ever since 2001 has expanded its brand and retail stores to over 375 stores/outlets globally. The business has seventy two thousand eight hundred employees in thirty eight countries. Apple Inc. has truly become one of theRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc. Essay6014 Words   |  25 PagesIntroduction On a daily basis we all encounter all forms of technology. There are several technological corporations in the current industry but one stands out†¦.Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an international corporation, situated in Cupertino, California. The company designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics and computer software products. Apple is well known for its hardware products such as Macintosh computers, the iPod, the iPhone and its innovative software such as the Mac OS X operating systemRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.1943 Words   |  8 Pages Apple Inc was incorporated in 1977 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. As a startup company Apple Inc went through several management changes and conflicts which caused the company to lose some of its competitive advantage against companies like Dell, Gateway and Microsoft. The company designs and manufactures various products in the computer and music industry. Apple being strictly a personal computer company decided to venture into marketing other products like the iPod, a digital music player, andRead MoreApple Inc Case Study851 Words   |  4 PagesApple inc. 1) Introduction Background and summary This article present the story of Steve Jobs and it’s Apple company through two aspects. From the company history perspective and the product industry perspective. On company history side: Apple was founded by two Steves. Apple board later fired Jobs and gradually went near bankruptcy. Till 1997, Apple brought back Jobs and became the most valuable company in the world in 2012. On the product industry side, Article dig into the fieldRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.1417 Words   |  6 Pageschanged the world with Apple Inc Company. Both of them was out of college, they were making so much money in the computer company Apple was started with introduction of computer I computer on April 1, 1976. Apple was incorporated January 3, 1977. The Apple II was introduced on April 16, 1977 at the first West Coast computer Faire. The Apple II was chosen to be the desktop platform for the ground breaking use call spreadsheet program. He was created a business market for the Apple II and gave home usersRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.1732 Words   |  7 PagesApple Inc. is a California based company that was incorporated in 1977. According to University of Oregon Investment Group, â€Å"Apple operates out of 8 different segments: Desktops, Portables, iPod, iPhone, iPad, other music related products and services, peripherals and other hardware, software, service and oth er sales† (2012). According to the company’s 2013 10-K, â€Å"Apple sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force, as well as through third-party cellularRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.867 Words   |  4 PagesApple Inc. is a Multinational Corporation situated in Cupertino California. Macintosh produces iPods, IPhones, I Pads, and Mac PCs. They most as of late have declared the dispatch of their new apple watches alongside new iPhone models. Apple is an organization known for offering smooth, simple to-utilize, very looked for after items around the world. The organization builds up a long haul association with customers of offering so as to change age’s great administration in their retail locations furthermore