Ginsbergs Howl a Counterculture Manifesto Essay

Ginsbergs Howl: a Counterculture Manifesto Allen Ginsberg dives into the wreck of himself and of the world around him to salvage himself and something worth saving of the world. In this process, he composes Howl to create a new way of observation for life through the expression of counterculture. Protesting against technocracy, sex and revealing sexuality, psychedelic drugs, visionary experience, breaking the conventions of arts and literature; all basic characteristics of counterculture are combined and celebrated in Howl, as it becomes `a counterculture manifesto for the first time. Howl elaborates the results of technocracy, as it mechanizes the human soul, human creativity. Technocracy takes away the emotion, feeling, random†¦show more content†¦Howl is meant to appeal to the secret or hermetic tradition of art. This poem liberates readers from their false self-deprecating image of themselves and to persuade them that they are angels. Howl is a freedom of language, political honesty, and spontaneous mind. Howl ha s always been Allen Ginsbergs masterpiece- a horrifying, funny, surreal, and prophetic poem. Howl is a proper manifestation of counterculture. Counterculture is a movement, a protest, and a total rejection of all established assumptions. Counter culture is a culture so radically disaffiliated from the mainstream assumptions of our society that scarcely looks to many as a culture at all, but takes on the alarming appearance of a barbaric intrusion. It is the experience of radical cultural disjuncture, the clash of irreconcilable concepts of life. It started as a movement against government during 50s and 60s, mainly led by the students of Europe, as a campus rebellion, an act of war resistance, a demonstration against racial injustice. It goes against the futility of a politics, which concentrates itself single-mindedly on the overthrowing of governments, or ruling classes, or economic systems. Counterculture is a healthy instinct, which refuses both at the personal and political level to practice such a cold-blooded rape of our human sensibilities. It is the young, arriving with eyes that can see the obvious, who must remark the lethal culture of their elders, and who must remake

Argument/Persuasion Free Essays

Barbie dolls have been faithful companions of American girls for generations. Millions of young American women have grown going to sleep with their glamorous companions. Now, however, more and more feminist voices are rising to accuse Barbies of stereotyping girls’ perceptions of their bodies, making them strive for unattainable ideals. We will write a custom essay sample on Argument/Persuasion or any similar topic only for you Order Now Emily Praeger in â€Å"Our Barbies, Ourselves† vindicates the producers of toys for instilling in girls harmful stereotypes, creating unrealistic expectations of men that taint love life for years after, and showing a cold sexless world instead of real love. To many, these worries may seem overdrawn. However, a closer look of issues involved in the Barbie controversy reveals that concerns of mothers and the community have valid reasons. These elegant dolls do affect young girls, creating body stereotypes that often last a lifetime, negatively impacting the life of an adult woman. 1. The Role of Toys in Child Education In the first place, toys do play a role in a child’s upbringing, and a very serious one. Rachel Karniol and Amir Aida (1997) state that gender stereotypes heavily influence the games with toys in which children engage in their childhood. The use of toys that corresponds to their gender stereotypes is important for most children, so that girls prefer to engage with toys depicting women and boys with toys portraying men. Even the notion of ‘badness’ in children stems from the moment when they â€Å"draw an inference that violating gender stereotypes is bad† (Karniol Aida 1997:2). The research about children who condemn other children breaking toys revealed that girls â€Å"judged toy breakers who violated gender stereotypes more severely than toy breakers who did not violate gender stereotypes† (Karniol Aida 1997:10). This was an experiment with preschool kids that shows the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes. From our early years, they shape our perceptions of the outside world. We know that girls should play with Barbie dolls, and boys with men toys and cars and toy weapons. The images imprinted on the young girl’s mind. When she consistently sees a portrayal of a beautiful woman with large breasts, thin waist, and long legs at the time when her own gender stereotypes are formed, she will inevitably retain this image on the subconscious level well into her adulthood. 2. Childhood Impressions Lead to Adult Problems With time, the imprinting that occurred on the childhood level can cause serious conflicts in the time when a woman has fully grown. The problem can get especially painful if the girl’s appearance happens to be very different from the Barbie image. This can be seen in the story of Graciela H. Rogriguez, an 18-year-old Latino girl who ended in prison when she tried to improve her appearance by dropping from size seven to size three in a short while, responding to the recommendations of an agent whom she wanted to hire her as an actress or a model. There is clearly a problem with the fashion industry if it will not accept anybody out of proportion, and even more so with the actor’s profession that, as we all hope, should bring talent on the screen, not breasts or buttocks. But there is equally the problem with the girl who will accept such treatment of her body – perhaps because she had been pre-programmed in her childhood that her body is wrong because of its size. The problem is clearly not just the Barbies; instead, it lies in the whole fashion and movie industry that makes women strive for one single ideal that is out of reach of many. Of these influences, Barbies also form an important part. It is the type of stereotyping that makes girls like Graciela feel â€Å"depressed, thinking [she] would never look like model because [she] came from a line of full-figured Mexican women (Rogriguez). Having been brainwashed with the unattainable ideal in her childhood, the girl may spend the rest of her life struggling with normalising her body image. It seems simple to feel positive about one’s body, yet today’s womanhood cannot come to terms with their own bodies. The childhood stereotypes are too strong, the real-life women too far away from these ideals (excluding plastic surgery, of course), and the psychological crisis becomes inevitable. Ophira, the editor of AdiosBarbies.com in her travels around the world has found body image to be â€Å"a topic that people of all walks — male and female alike — can get passionate about† (Ophira). 3. Are Concerns over Barbies Just Empty Fantasies? While many point to Barbies as source of problems with body image, there is also opposition to this viewpoint. The opponents of Barbie’s importance suggest treating the doll’s unnatural appearance as a minor problem. For example, the Editors of Mothers Who Think ridicule the recent shift in the fashion industry that has created Barbies of healthier and more real-life proportions. Instead, they call the allegations against the favourite toys of generations â€Å"the paranoid fantasies of conspiracists who’d like us to believe that the doll is an agent of antifeminist mind control† (So What’s It All About, Barbie?). The claim that the slim toy is â€Å"being partly responsible for eating disorders in teenage girls as well as breast implants and cosmetic surgery in adult women† is proclaimed ridiculous (So What’s It All About, Barbie?).    However, the question arises then who is at all responsible. Few would say that Barbie is the only culprit. It is a combination of influences that occur throughout one’s formative years. The Barbie and other toys, however, play a major role by occurring early in a girl’s lifetime, and there is little reason why this harmful influence should be not corrected. Conclusion The fashion industry and toy manufactures have a responsibility to those they affect with their well-crafted work. Their produce does affect an average girl’s body image, and while there are problems, they are also partly responsible. Gender stereotypes are formed early in our lives and are found already in preschool kids. Toys and images found in glossy magazines are simply bound to exert influence on these stereotypes, and few can deny the link between this propaganda of sexy slim bodies and later problems with girls who feel uneasy about their bodies. The pervasiveness of problems with the body image makes it difficult to deny that in this particular case the toy is not just a toy – it is a symbol, a cultural phenomenon, and an educational tool – and because of this, it has to be produced by responsible people evaluating its repercussions. Bibliography   Karniol, Rachel, and Amir Aida. â€Å"Judging toy breakers: gender stereotypes have devious effects on children.† Sex Roles: A Journal of Research (February 1997). 18 April 2006 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_n3-4_v36/ai_19532577. Ophira. Journal. 18 April 2006 http://www.adiosbarbie.com/journal/index.html. â€Å"So What’s It All About, Barbie?† Salon 26 November 1997. 18 April 2006 http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1997/11/cov_26feature.html. Rogriguez, Graciela H. Breaking the Model. 18 April 2006 http://www.bodyoutlaws.com/read_rodriguez.html.    How to cite Argument/Persuasion, Papers

Kingdom By The Sea Essay Example For Students

Kingdom By The Sea Essay In this essay I will be examining the main character in Robert Westalls Kingdom By The Sea, Harry Baguely. The novel is set in the middle of the Second World War and follows Harrys journey up the north coast of Northumberland. I will be showing the development of Harrys personality from when he was a bright-faced, clean 11 year old right through to the end of the novel when he becomes a grubby faced but emotionally mature 12 year old. Throughout Harrys journey, he has experienced many negative events, the first being the bombing of his house and the apparent killing of his family, his mum, dad and little sister Dulcie. After this incident Harry was left with nothing but an attach case and memories so the way he acts after this makes me think he is emotionally scarred as shown by the few days Harry wandered around the streets aimlessly; The next time he found himself again he found he was in Rudyerd Street. This displays the impact of his familys deaths and the emotions he went through. Because Harry was left to fend for himself, his character changed enormously as he picked up the pieces of his life. This is demonstrated when he lies to the Fish and Chip shop owner and his customers; he almost ran out of answers and sweated. This adds to our knowledge that Harry is changing because before his desperation he would not have lied to any grown-up. Much later on in the novel, Harry comes across a nasty character called Corporal Merman, who at first Harry did not understand and did not know how to respond to, but after a while Harry realises Merman is some sort of paedophile or another. Harry felt uncomfortable around Merman, as demonstrated when Merman arrived at the pillbox where Harry was temporarily living; Harry covered his bare legs up as he realised it was Merman. From this evidence it is clear that Harry dislikes Merman and knows what Mermans game is. Don the dog Harrys companion was always the one who saved Harry from danger but in the situation with Merman, Don was not around to defend Harry. Harry felt defenceless without Don, for example, When he called for Don and Don did not come his stomach seemed to sink down inside him. This adds to our picture of Harrys more vulnerable side and the strong friendship of Harry and Don shown at certain points in the novel. As well as negative experiences there are also many happy, positive events throughout Harrys journey, one of them being Harry meeting Mr Murgatroyd. Harrys behaviour towards Mr. M. shows us that at first Harry was shy around Mr. M. but gradually gained confidence. Harrys shyer side is portrayed when Don visited the vets; Without Don Harry suddenly felt very embarrassed. Harrys timid personality has not been shown very much throughout the book because when Don is around Harry, he gives Harry composure. I feel one of the happiest moments in the book is when Don finds Harry on the beach when Harry is trying to pull himself together; Harry heard an explosive snort and saw a big, black, shaggy dog sitting in front of him. This is an important stage in the novel as Harry realises he would never be completely alone again.  Overall, Harry has been through a lot good times and bad and has emotionally matured a lot, so much so that when he was reunited with his family he felt they wouldnt be able to have the same relationship they had before. Harry has learnt how to survive alone on the streets and in the long term I think this was a good experience for him, because now he knows the only way to survive on the streets with no money is by doing the things he never would have done normally.

Adventures Of Huck Finn Essays (1007 words) - English-language Films

Adventures Of Huck Finn Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn All children have a special place, whether chosen by a conscious decision or not, this is a place where one can go to sort out their thoughts. Nature can often provide comfort by providing a nurturing surrounding where a child is forced to look within and choices can be made untainted by society. Mark Twain once said, Don't let school get in the way of your education. Twain states that this education, which is provided by society, can actually hinder human growth and maturity. Although a formal education shouldn't be completely shunned, perhaps true life experience, in society and nature, are a key part of development. In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain throws the curious, yet innocent mind of Huck Finn out into a very hypocritical, judgmental, and hostile world, yet Huck has one escape--the Mississippi River constantly flowing nearby. On the river, nature is presented as a thought-provoking environment, when experienced alone. The river is a quiet and peaceful place where Huck can revert to examine any predicament he might find himself in: They went off, and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low?Then I thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on, - s'pose you'd a done right and give Jim up; would you felt better than you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad? (p.127). Only a few weeks with Jim and still feeling great ambivalence, Huck returns to the river to think. Twain tries here to tell the reader how strong the mob really is, and only when totally alone is Huck able to make the morally correct decision. The natural flowing and calm of the river cause this deep-thought, showing how unnatural the collective thought of a society can be. The largest and most obvious test of Huck's character is his relationship with Jim. The friendship and assistance which he gives to Jim go completely against all that sivilization has taught him. At first this concept troubles Huck and causes him a great deal of pain, but over time, through his life experiences and shared times with Jim, Huck crosses the line upheld by the racist South and comes to know Jim as a human being. Huck is at a point in his life where opinions are formed, and by growing on the river, Huck can stand back from society and form his own. Eventually he goes as far as to risk his life for Jim: And got to thinking of our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me, all the time, in the day, and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a floating along, talking, and singing, and laughing. But somehow I couldn't see no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind?I studied a minute sort of holding my breath, and then I says to my self: 'All right, then, I'll go to hell'? (pp.270-271). After a long and thought-provoking adventure, Huck returns to the raft one final time to decide the fate of his friend. Symbolically, Huck makes the morally correct decision away from all others, thinking on the river. Although it might not be evident to him, Huck causes the reader to see that sivilization, in their treatment of blacks especially, is not civilized at all. Every person Huck and Jim come across seems to just be following someone else blindly, as the whole country was some sort of mob. In the last few chapters, Tom Sawyer is re-introduced and the reader is left to examine how different environments: sivilization and nature (the river) have affected the children's growth. It is distinctly evident that Huck has turned out to be the one with a clear and intelligent mind, and Tom, although he can regurgitate worthless facts about Louis XVI and Henry VIII, shows no real sign of maturity. The first time I catched up to Tom, private, I asked him what was his idea, time of the evasion? What it was he planned to do if the evasion worked out all right and he managed to set a nigger free that was already free before? And he said, what he had

Rules About Treatment of Numbers

Rules About Treatment of Numbers Rules About Treatment of Numbers Rules About Treatment of Numbers By Mark Nichol The basic rule about referring to numbers, according to The Chicago Manual of Style, is to spell them out when the total is one hundred or less and use numerals for larger numbers (the Associated Press Stylebook and some other style handbooks set the cut-off point after nine), but there are many exceptions. This post outlines those exceptions. When referring to categorically similar totals, spell the pertinent numbers out if all totals are one hundred or less (for example, â€Å"sixty-five chairs arranged around twelve tables†) but use numerals if one or more totals are one hundred or less and one or more totals are more than one hundred (for example, â€Å"127 chairs arranged around 20 tables†). This rule applies only to two or more such numbers in proximity; previous or subsequent isolated numbers pertaining to the same category need not adhere. (Nor do unrelated numbers.) However, text with a concentration of statistics- whether an entire piece of content or one section- will likely benefit from the use of numerals in place of spelled-out numbers. When totals appear in direct discourse (as when a speaker is quoted), spell out numbers, with the exception of years and elements of proper names; again, however, a concentration of numbers is perhaps best treated by using numerals. When reproducing quoted written material, however, do not alter number style. Spell out large round numbers that include orders of magnitude (hundred, thousand, etc.). Recast a sentence that begins with a numeral: For example, revise â€Å"2020 is the next leap year† to â€Å"The next leap year is 2020.† If the sentence must begin with a number, spell it out. In such cases, omit and in expressions such as â€Å"five thousand and three hundred.† When a number consists of or includes a fraction, spell it out or use numerals according to the guidelines above, but numbers with decimals should be styled as numerals. These rules also apply to quantities such as units of time or distance; exceptions can be made for such categories as temperature, clothing sizes, and miles per gallon. Style quantities expressed with an abbreviation or a symbol in numeral form, and use numerals when a range is separated by an en dash (for example, â€Å"25–50 participants†). Refer to percentages with numerals. (However, spell out the word percent in nontechnical usage; use the symbol in statistical references.) When referring to small amounts of money, spell out casual, isolated references but treat concentrations of such figures with the same guidelines as those for statistical materials. In addition, generally, express sums of more than one hundred dollars with numerals or with a combination of figures and words, such as in â€Å"$500 million budget†). Related post: 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With41 Words That Are Better Than GoodHow Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?

High Heeled Shoes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

High Heeled Shoes - Essay Example The history of heels is not clear, although they date back to pre-Christian times. Egyptian butchers wore high heels to raise them above the carnage, and Mongolian horseman had heeled boots for gripping their stirrups firmly. The first recorded year heels were worn for vanity was 1533, when Catherine de Medicis brought heels from Florence to Paris for her marriage to the Duke d'Orleans. The style was instantly set forth by ladies from the French court (The history of heels, n.d.). High heels are not a modern day invention. Rather, they enjoy a diverse history, for both men as well as women. Despite arguments over when high heels were first used, but there is a consensus that heels were worn by both men and women throughout the world for many centuries and for a range of reasons (heeled wiki). The first officially recorded moment of the wear of high heels involved the 1533 marriage between Catherine de Medici with the Duke of Orleans. She wore heels made in Florence for her wedding, which made high heeled shoes a norm for ladies of the Duke's court in France. In fact, it's plausible that the "modern" high heel was invented by non other than Leonardo da Vinci (heeled wiki). Within the next century, European woman walked on heels 5 inches and higher, balancing with canes so as not to fall. As the working class couldn't afford to wear such shoes high heel shoe heights fell. And therefore after they rose or fell according to the fashion (NU heels). Use of high heeled shoe Although most people equate high-heeled shoes with women, this is not only not the case throughout history; it's still not the case today. Many men throughout the Western world, including Europe, the U.S., Canada, and other countries, wear high-heeled shoes on a regular basis, and for a diversity of reasons. High-heeled male dance shoes (often called Cuban heel or Latin heel shoes) are fairly common, especially for shorter male partner dancers and are not considered effeminate or transvestite wear (heeled shoe wiki).How women use high heeled shoe In the 19th century the high heeled shoe became the top style to own. Although Europe brought the new trend for high heels, America wasn't far behind in becoming of style. In 1888 the first heel factory in the United States opened, making it unnecessary for women to import their shoes from Paris (The history of heels, n.d.). Newly liberated, women in the early part of the 20th century favored sensible shoes. But in the 1920s, as hemlines rose, legs and feet were suddenly on display and shoes needed to be as beautiful as they were practical (The history of heels, n.d.). Despite being in and out of style, high heels reached new level with the advent of the stiletto in the 1950s. And to the dislike of many women, high heels popped up again in fashion magazines in the 1990s. Still, whether a woman thinks heels are the height of fashion or the height of pain, she usually has a least five pair in her closet for the occasion when flat shoes just won't do (The history of heels, n.d.).Despite women have a love/hate relationship with high-heeled shoes. This does not prevent the most of women from owning a number pair of high heels. A small number of women

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey Essay

The Kurdish Struggle to Establish an Autonomous State within Turkey - Essay Example Most of these countries (particularly Turkey) have issues with the formation of an autonomous Kurdish region for several reasons which will be discussed within this paper. The Kurds have their own unique culture, language and religious beliefs that set them apart from the general population of the countries in which Kurdistan is currently politically part of, and have been persecuted by these nations throughout history. One of the main issues in Kurdistan is the struggle to form an autonomous nation that recognizes the rights and rich history of these people. Interestingly, the Iraqi government recognized the state as early as 1970 (Houston, 2008), giving the Kurdish people within Iraq autonomous rule, but the other governments, in particular Turkey, have not recognized the area as separate and autonomous and this is a constant source of tension within the area today. Within Turkey, the Kurds are the largest non-Turkish ethnic group (Barkey & Fuller, 1998), a fact which the Turkish p eople perceive as the main reason why the Kurds are the biggest threat to Turkish national identity and perhaps why these people struggle within Turkey. This essay will focus primarily on the Kurdish people within Turkey and identify some of the key issues and solutions in this situation. Current events will be utilized to show the troubles within the area and highlight the positives and negatives of being a Kurd in modern Turkey. History of Kurdistan To properly understand the struggles of the Kurdish people in Turkey, it is necessary to have a complete historical background of the area and discuss how the language and culture of these people has developed over time. Not only is this an interesting standalone topic, it highlights some of the differences between the people of Kurdistan and the Turkish population, a source of great tension between the two cultures. Kurdish culture can be traced back to ancient history. It has been suggested that the ancient Kingdom of Corduene is ana lagous to the modern-day Kurdistan (Houston, 2008), and may of the ancient districts of this area correspond well to modern district. The first reference to Kurdistan (or Land of the Kurds) is found in a Christian document which describes the Christian Saints of the area, people who were driven out of the area by Pagans (Barkey & Fuller, 1998). The Kurdish language is believed to have developed from a dialect of Iran in the early centuries of the Common Era (Houston, 2008). From here on, there is a clearer history of the area. The Middle Ages saw the development of several Kurdish provinces such as Shaddadid, Marwanid and Rawadid (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), all fairly autonomous regions which can be likened to modern-day emirates. They were under religious and political control of Khalifs, but this was indirect and not particularly forceful, allowing the Kurdish culture to begin to develop into something recognizable today. Islam was first brought to the area in 641CE by an Arab leader known as Utba ibn farqad (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997), and was followed by a number of uprisings, revolutions and conquests by Muslim leaders. It was the loss of power from the Byzantine and Sasanian empire by these Muslim caliphates that led to the Kurdish people being allowed to identify mountain administrators and set up independent states in the eastern Taurus mountain ranges, where Kurdish people can still be found today (Meiselas & Bruinessen, 1997). The modern history of Kurdistan is also fascinating. The 16th century brought many wars to the area and eventually the modern area of Kurdistan was split between the Safavid and Ottoman empires. Most Kurds lived in the Ottoman empire until World War I, when the Allied troops tried to split the area into several distinct