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The construction of the city is influenced by historical architecture and the collective memory of the people, which help to shape both the layout of the city and reinforce the place's identity. This essay addresses the historical significance of Reading Abbey and examines its importance in both the past and the present in shaping Reading town. It will then further analyse the building through the scientific tools created by Aldo Rossi in The Architecture of the City, focusing specifically on analysing it against three key aspects of Rossi's ideology including, the urban artefact, the monument and the collective memory. It will then be concluded whether Reading Abbey aligns with Rossi's view on the importance of urban artefacts in shaping and sustaining an urban landscape, alongside the relevance of Rossi's ideas today.
Get original essayAldo Rossi's approach to urban design, which is discussed in his book The Architecture of the City, unites architecture and the city as a collective where buildings within continually evolve "the city is thus understood as a homogeneous continuum". Rossi, who was an influential practising architect and theorist, wrote The Architecture of the City in 1966. The book is divided into four sections: The structure of Urban Artifacts, Primary elements and the concept of Area, The individuality of Urban Artifacts and the Evolution of Urban Artifacts. Rossi begins by discussing the development and growth of the city as subject to certain rules which enable its construction, he describes the city to be understood as architecture as construction. To Rossi, architecture means the construction of the city over time, with the process of construction uniting both the past and the present.
The way Rossi believed the city should be understood is evident in the title; the city is made of architecture. Throughout this book, Rossi describes his tools for scientific analysis of a place. He believes that to understand a place you must understand its urban artefacts, and from there be able to work out the primary elements, monuments and the influence of memory. Rossi depicts the city as based on primary elements, these are key monuments, buildings and public spaces which when combined form the overall fabric of the city. Primary elements are integral to the 'dynamic of the city', and architecture critic Rafael Moneo further draws on primary elements as once installed, can influence the collective memory of a place .
Firstly, Rossi uses the term urban artefact throughout this novel, which is not an object but an act. To him cities are full of acts of people in the past, specifically acts of construction, that influence the surrounding town and remains throughout time. These acts affect the surrounding urban landscape and the way people view it, creating memories. This furthers his view on buildings having a character and a history which should be protected and preserved. At the time Rossi's views on the city were revolutionary and opposed architects like Le Corbusier, who saw history as an obstacle which is demonstrated in his plans to remove historical buildings in Marseille and replace them with tower blocks. Arguably, throughout history urban buildings functions and their form have evolved - things have been added, destroyed and rebuilt, yet there is a continuation of their identity. The building has been rebuilt because of its iconic status as an urban artefact, and its importance in people's memories. Additionally, Rossi identified that the city is structured around the artefact and as a result, is of great importance in shaping the urban landscape around it .
In relation to urban artefacts, Rossi focuses on monuments. To Rossi, monuments are the foundation of the city, and their remains ensure the continuation of historical ideas in the urban landscape. For example, Rossi discusses the Amphitheatre in Nimes who's, following a series of historical events, function evolved to become a fortress. The versatility of these pivotal buildings that withstand the passage of time, remain throughout history to help sustain the form of the city. However, alongside sustaining the layout of the city, monuments also evolve and their change in function help accelerate "the process of urbanization in a city". Nevertheless, despite a monument's changes its importance to a place remains constant. Historian Diane Ghirardo in her book Aldo Rossi and the spirit of architecture discusses the role of the monument in the construction of the city. She raises the issue of the identity of a city and concludes that monuments help sustain the identity of a place, and is furthered by collective memory, thus aligning with Rossi's views of the city. Additionally, collective memory is mentioned throughout Rossi's book as fundamental to the formation of the city. The city is a unified memory of its people, that over time shape the urban form and result in a distinctive sense of place. Moneo expands on Rossi's ideology declaring that the city is a collective entity, a place full of history that relies on people's memory of historical monuments for its continuation.
The influence and relevance of Aldo Rossi's theories detailed in this book have long been debated such as critic Rafael Moneo whose modern perspective examines and criticises Rossi's influence in European architecture. Nevertheless, architecture practices such as Grafton Architects have regarded Rossi's renewed focus on the history and construction of the city over time as influential to the formation of their practice. Rossi's approach to the city is still relevant today as more influential historic buildings are being rediscovered by a new generation, and they are continuing to help shape the modern urban landscape.
Reading Abbey was established in 1121 by Henry I and, since its construction, has remained an integral part of the town. The abbey is situated by both the River Kennett and Thames and subsequently became a stopping place for travellers to and from London, thus ensuring its important role throughout the middle ages. The twelfth-century experienced major changes in architectural styles and techniques, such as the rise of gothic design. Reading Abbey was not isolated from these advances, which is evident in the construction of the Lady Chapel in 1314 which had a completely new style to the rest of the abbey. Benedictine monks resided in the monastery for more than four hundred years with thousands of pilgrims travelling to Reading specifically for the abbey, reinforcing this monument's international significance. Throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the abbey became the centre of the religious community in Reading and eventually became one of the largest and wealthiest abbeys in the country. However, it was subjected to Henry VIII's dissolution of monasteries in 1536 where the land and wealth of monasteries including Reading Abbey were seized by the crown. From that pivotal point in history, the building's purpose evolved into royal accommodation. However, the siege of Reading commenced the dismantling of the abbey in 1643 where its stone was instead used to build defences and fortifications. Following the English Civil war, the building changed owner's numerous times and as a result, areas that used to be covered by this historical building were demolished and redeveloped to serve an entirely new purpose, demonstrated by Reading Prison which was constructed in 1786 on abbey land. Today, a large part of Reading town is occupied by the fragments of a once-great Benedictine monastery and serves as a reminder of medieval life, emphasising the abbey's role in carving out Reading's place in medieval architectural history.
This essay will apply Rossi's theory of the city and the importance of historical urban artefacts in shaping the history and layout of the city, to Reading Abbey. The analysis aims to prove that Reading Abbey is still as relevant today as it was when it was first constructed, and through its protection, it will continue to have a positive impact on Reading town's identity. In order, three of Rossi's urban theories will be addressed including the abbey as an urban artefact, the abbey as a monument and the collective memory of the abbey.
The first element explored concerning Aldo Rossi's urban theory is Reading Abbey as an urban artefact. Rossi describes an urban artefact as a pivotal building that has a key role in city history, a building that is so important that its iconic character is worth more than its material manifestation or form. As well as the physical remains of the abbey ruins, Ron Baxter explains that the memory of the Abbey remains in "street names like Abbey Street, Abbey Square and Forbury Road". This emphasises the building's importance in informing the layout of Reading town, thus relating to Rossi's belief that pivotal buildings shape the urban form. Ultimately, the town has assumed its form around the Abbey. In addition to Ron Baxter's interpretation, historian Daphne Phillips describes the gifts from Henry I, who established the Abbey, ensured that the abbots of Reading became Lords and as a result gained control over the town affairs. This existing layout can still be seen in streets today such as Broad Street, London Street and Forbury Gardens. Furthermore, in the twelfth century the Market Place, which closely adjoined the town, was created by the monks and weekly markets were held here for many years, thus contributing to Readings historic identity as a market town.
Additionally, Rossi discusses the evolution of an urban artefact's function and form which reveals the persistence of the city and echo signs of the past. Following the dissolution of the abbey, its form evolved. Between 1550 and 1553 piers were removed and timber was stripped from the roof and reused in St Marys church, which had also suffered the effects of dissolution. The dismantling of the abbey adds to the history of the building and alters the collective memory of Reading from a pivotal religious centre to ruins. Nevertheless, the abbey ruins consist of layers of history and the remains demonstrate the part it played in centuries of history, which led to its survival today. Therefore, its meaning and historical significance remain the same, which aligns with Rossi's theory that despite its physical manifestation the buildings iconic status as an urban artefact remains.
Secondly, Rossi discusses the importance of the monument as a type of urban artefact with a strong and unique identity. These monuments have a strong relation to time and their influence is not reliant on them still existing, but that their importance is continued through collective memory. Rossi describes the idea of monuments as the foundation of the city, and they serve as physical signs of the past. Ultimately, it is indestructible; you can replace parts and build houses on the site where parts of it once stood but its dominance will remain as an integral part of the urban landscape. The survival of a monument is significant when it survives the changes of time and accommodates different functions to ensure its persistence. Abbey gateway is a substantial part of the remaining abbey and is not only a historical reminder of the original abbey, but also the Victorian rebuild in 1861. The listed gateway overlooks Forbury Gardens and historically was used as a division between the public area of the abbey and the private part used by the residing monks. Following a partial collapse, the gateway was restored in 1861 by St George Gilbert Scott who also designed Reading prison. The fabric of the gatehouse includes remnants of the original medieval structure, however, most of the visible fabric was from the restoration. The Victorian restoration of this crucial part of this building, despite the majority of the abbey was in ruins, indicates that it was rebuilt because of its iconic status, reinforcing Rossi's theory that monuments are influential on both the town and users of the town across time. This is further supported by the Reading Abbey Conservation plan in 2015, which describes not only the historical importance of the gateway but the integral communal role it played following the dismantling of the abbey. The gate allowed various groups and societies to use the building including the Berkshire Archaeological Society. This echoes Rossi's theory that a monument stimulates interactions between community and history, thus altering the collective memory of Reading.
Finally, Rossi describes historical monuments as significant which is reinforced and sustained through collective memory. Collective memory helps to renew interest in these historic buildings and continues to shape the urban landscape. The history of the city is continued through the collective memory of the people and is evident in the abbey remains, which demonstrates significant societal changes. However, new buildings and developments were constructed over the Reading Abbey site, ultimately destroying integral parts of the abbey. The abbey quarter, which was once a prestigious aspect of Reading town, has now evolved into a commercial area with numerous modern buildings and office blocks. The site itself has become the Abbey Quarter Commercial District, which was set up to improve this business location and help businesses expand. Arguably, the Reading Abbey Conservation Plan describes the redevelopment of the abbey quarter, particularly the Blade which can be seen in figure 8 as a "marker identifying the Abbey Quarter as well as symbolising the revival of Readings town centre". However, the construction of an office zone has hidden the abbey ruins and contrasts to John Speeds Mapping in Figure 9 which shows the building as the dominant structure over reading. The destruction of parts of this monument goes against Rossi's belief that historical buildings should be sustained and protected, thus turning the historic memory of the abbey into a commercial one.
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Get custom essayRossi's theories on the city provide a unique analysis on understanding the urban landscape and the value of both the past and the present in constructing the city. His theories on restoration are relevant to contemporary architects, specifically the rebuild of Notre Dame, which has raised questions as to how to maintain the historical identity while restoring the church. Furthermore, Reading Abbey, aligns with Rossi's theories and remains a significant part of the town with its historic importance appealing to a new generation, and contributing to the collective memory of Reading. Rossi's theories could be applied to the entirety of reading town to analyse the key monuments and urban artefacts, and then compare that to the significance of the abbey.
The title of this book is The Hunger Games and was made by Suzanne Collins in 2008. This book is set in a fictional version of America. In the nation of Panem at a date of which is not specified. With characters all along the story that are very interesting with the main ones caring about others and not being selfish.
Get original essayA 16 year-old girl from District 12, named Katniss Everdeen lives in the coal-mining district. It is is the 74th annual Hunger Games and during the Reaping, Katniss’ younger sister, Primrose, is chosen as a tribute.Katniss was not okay with this and decided to volunteer as tribute, becoming District 12’s female tribute and saving her sister from the games. The male tribute chosen is a baker’s son named Peeta Mellark who gave Katniss bread to save her and her family from starving Before she leaves, Katniss comforts her mother and tells her to stay strong for Primrose.
Katniss and Peeta are taken from their district by Effie Trinket and travel to the Capitol. Katniss and Peeta later get together with Haymitch in another car of the train and he tries to give them advice like how if they want to survive with better chances, they need to get the public to like them.. Peeta waves to the crowd while Katniss does not. Katniss meets her stylist, Cinna, who tells her that they need to make the people of the capital remember them, especially by the sponsors. Cinna says that someone as brave as Katniss should have a great costume for the Parade where each pair of tributes wears an outfit reflecting their district’s main feature. Katniss and Peeta wear black suits with actual fire coming from them to symbolize the coal-mining district. Peeta takes Katniss’ hand and raises it into the air during the parade for more effect. One tribute named Cato is hot-headed and imposing, proving to be a possibly serious threat. Later, over a meal, Haymitch tells Peeta and Katniss about the Careers district from which Cato comes from. All of the possible tributes train until they’re 18 before openly volunteering to participate in the Hunger Games. Katniss refocuses on Peeta, describing his impressive strength, but he rebuffs her compliments and confesses that his own mother thought Katniss to be the superior tribute.When Peeta is bullied by the other tributes during training, Katniss suggests he show off his strength by throwing a large weight across the room. Peeta manages to perform the feat successfully and gains a small amount of respect from the tributes. Later, in succession, each tribute is instructed to show off to the game makers and sponsors, including Seneca Crane. Angered by the sponsors’ attitude towards her, Katniss fires an arrow straight through an apple in a roasted pig’s mouth, right in front of the stunned sponsors. Katniss sarcastically thanks them for their consideration and leaves. Many tributes achieve high scores of 9 to 10, including the Careers Cato and his partner Clove. Peeta receives an 8 while Katniss scores an 11, the highest of all the tributes.
The President of the Capitol, Snow addresses Seneca and tells him that the Hunger Games is about giving the districts hope but that too much hope can actually be dangerous. During another meal, Haymitch tells Katniss about Peeta’s decision to go without his help because of the fact that there can only be one winner.
On the extravagant Hunger Games TV chat show, each tribute is introduced individually and interviewed by the flamboyant host, Caesar Flickerman. Katniss elicits laughs from the audience during the interview and impresses them by showing off her dress which displays real fire as she twirls. During his interview, Peeta eats the audience up, garnering some laughs himself. It is then that he announces his crush on Katniss, something which angers her intensely. Backstage Katniss pins Peeta to the wall, demanding answers for his behavior.Just before the games, Haymitch warns Katniss to avoid the bloodbath at the beginning by heading to the high ground in search of water despite having to leave her bow and arrow behind. The tributes are all injected with a tracking device in their arms as they travel via helicopter to the outdoor arena. The tributes are then taken underground where they report to certain checkpoints before being loaded onto platforms that deliver them to the ground level of the arena. Before she is hoisted up, Katniss says farewell to Cinna who has seen her off. Then she, along with the other tributes, are raised into the arena and a countdown to the Hunger Games begins. As the horn sounds, the tributes rush towards the center cornucopia full of weapons and backpacks, brutally attacking and killing each other in the process. Katniss manages to grab a pack and barely escapes Clove, who embeds a knife in her backpack. Once at a safe distance, Katniss finds a rope, an empty canteen, and a coat inside the backpack. She takes Haymitch’s advice and locates water in a nearby stream before she ties herself high up in a tree for the night and attempts to get some sleep. Loud bangs from a cannon indicate the deaths of tributes and we learn that thirteen were killed within the first 8 hours. Katniss witnesses from her tree perch that Peeta has joined with a group of Careers during the night with the intent on leading them to her. While exploring the next day, Katniss gets too close to the outer regions of the arena. She is then spotted by Cato and 4 other tributes, including Clove and Glimmer who have banded together. We learn that, apparently, the Careers come, collectively, from Districts 1, 2, and 4 who are trained illegally before volunteering to fight; this group of 4 from two districts chases Katniss who eventually escapes by climbing a tree. Peeta suggests that the group wait for Katniss to eventually come down for food and water.
The group settles for the night beneath the tree and Katniss ties herself to the tree to sleep. Her attention is then caught by a young 12 year old girl in an adjacent tree named Rue from District 11. Rue, however, is friendly to Katniss and points out a large tracker jacker nest just above Katniss and dangling over the Career group below. Katniss manages to climb down the tree and manages to grab a bow and arrows. As she begins to hallucinate, she sees Peeta approach her and seemingly yell at her to run. Regaining some sense, Katniss escapes but eventually collapses. After a night of hallucinations and nightmares, some involving her father, Katniss awakens beneath a tree trunk with leave bandages covering her stings. Unclear as to who exactly helped her, Katniss stumbles around, thinking it must have been Peeta. Rue is to start small fires to distract the remaining Careers while Katniss detonates the booby-trapped mines surrounding the mound. The Careers become distracted by the smoke of the fires while one tribute, a boy from District 3, remains at the cornucopia, standing guard. Katniss then notices a female tribute unseen by the others. Foxface from District 5 sprints towards the pyramid of food and supplies, unnoticed by the guard.Katniss then shoots at a bag of apples on top of the pile which causes them to cascade down and detonate the mines. Katniss watches, triumphant, as the Career group rushes back to the clearing. The guard tribute from District 3 is equally confused but Cato’s anger makes him murderous and he snaps the boy’s neck. Katniss leaves, disturbed by Cato’s ease to kill. Katniss finds Rue trapped under a net and releases her just before they are attacked by Marvel, a tribute from District 1. Marvel throws a spear but Katniss dodges the attack and shoots an arrow into his chest, killing him. Distraught, Katniss tries to calm Rue and sings to her peacefully as Rue dies. Katniss then gathers flowers from the forest and spreads them over Rue before her body taken back to her district via hovercraft. His district follows his rebellious example and they destroy the stage showing the games. As Katniss makes a peace gesture to the camera, the ’Peace Keepers’ of District 11 arrive and shoot Rue’s father dead. President snow is enraged by the rebellion in District 11 and wants to change the game’s rules and circumstances to ensure that Katniss is killed. Haymitch pleads with Seneca to keep Katniss alive, issuing a plot of teen romance as a main reason.
Two winners instead of just one will be allotted so long as they belong to the same district. With this knowledge, and having just overheard the remaining Careers mention leaving Peeta for dead by the river, Katniss sets out in search of him. She finds a trail of blood near the river and follows it to where Peeta has camouflaged himself in the rocks. Katniss helps move him to a nearby cave where they are well hidden.Katniss attempts to heal Peeta’s sword wound but realizes he has blood poisoning, something that can only be cured with a special medicine. Katniss despairs as there could be no way Haymitch could send some since it would be too expensive at this point. However, as if by magic, an announcement rings out that there will be a feast at the cornucopia for all the tributes but, instead of food, there will be something each tribute desperately needs. Peeta begs Katniss not to leave him and risk her life trying to save him. He asks her to stay and Katniss reluctantly agrees, though she knows there may very well be medicine at the cornucopia that could save his life. However, this hits a nerve with Gale watching back home who is clearly smitten with Katniss. Katniss waits until Peeta has fallen asleep before leaving for the cornucopia.
When she arrives, she sees Foxface sprinting towards the supplies, surprising the other tributes with her speed and escaping without much incident. Katniss decides to mimic Foxface’s moves and sprints out to grab the medicine but is thrown off guard when she is hit with a knife launched by Clove. She teases her with bloodlust and mocks her for teaming up with the ’little monster from District 11’; Before Clove can slit Katniss’ throat, she is lifted by Thresh, the male tribute from District 11, and thrown against the cornucopia wall. Thresh tells Katniss that she gets this one chance since she helped Rue but, after this, everything is fair game. Katniss escapes.She returns to the cave with the medicine and administers it to Peeta and herself, healing their wounds. During her hunt, Katniss hears a cannon signaling another tribute death. Panicked, she runs back to where she last saw Peeta. In a mix of anger and relief, Katniss slaps Peeta, telling him that the berries are Nightlock and extremely poisonous. Katniss and Peeta sprint through the forest as two more of the dogs begin to pursue them. They are chased to the cornucopia where Peeta helps Katniss climb on top of it, barely making it up himself.
Cato, however, is also on top of the cornucopia and attacks Katniss, attempting to throw her to the dogs. The three fight each other and Cato grabs Katniss by the throat, holding her near the edge of the structure before Peeta manages to fight him off her. Cato gets the upper hand and gets Peeta in a choke hold to either break his neck, as seen before, or throw him to the mutant dogs.
Katniss unsheathes an arrow and points it at him, uncertain whether to shoot or not. Cato, dripping blood, laughs sadistically, telling her that he knows what the games are about now. The tributes aren’t just entertainment; Peeta, who is still being choked, appears to try and tell Katniss something while Cato talks. Katniss shoots his hand, forcing him to let go of Peeta. Peeta then pushes Cato off the edge to be mauled by the dogs. Katniss and Peeta watch a moment as Cato is savagely attacked before Katniss shoots an arrow into him, ending his misery. The last cannon goes off and Katniss and Peeta realize they’ve won the Hunger Games. Peeta begs Katniss to kill him so that she may win but she takes out her hand and holds out some Nightlock berries. She takes some for herself and gives the rest to Peeta, hinting that she’d rather the Capitol have no winners instead of one. They are brought back to the Capitol where Haymitch tells them how foolish they are to have defied the Capitol like that and instructs them to play up the star-crossed couple routine at their final interview.Peeta and Katniss travel back in District 12 by train. Although they are met with a hero’s welcome, Haymitch warns Katniss that she is now a political enemy after such a public defiance against the society’s leaders. Peeta takes Katniss’ hand and holds it up in the air.President Snow watches the District 12 welcome from the Capitol. Walking away, he wonders what to do about the two victors and the feelings of rebellion they may have created in the Districts.
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Get custom essayI would recommend this book to most people. It Was a good book with many characters, like Katniss and Peeta, who fight for their lives to keep others in their family safe and to come back to them. With there being a little bit of a romantic twist in this bloodbath of The Hunger Games. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with some twist, a little bit of romance, and a bunch of action. It is one of those books that you would feel good about after you read it and want to read it again.
Within any society, there are borders that separate all of the citizens of the populace into different classifications. Among those borders are race, class, and gender. Crossing any of these borders stands as a great accomplishment for the person undertaking the challenge. Unfortunately, however, any feat of crossing a border -- whether in terms of race, as W.E.B. Du Bois in The Souls of Black Folk, class, as Dalton Conley in Honky, or gender, as Jenny Boylan in She’s Not There -- is viewed as a threat to the surrounding population. Passage over a racial boundary is generally perceived as the greatest threat to those in the vicinity of the crossing.
Get original essayRefuting the belief that anyone can “get ahead” in life by moving up to another class, Conley writes in his memoir, Honky, that only wealth can help someone move up in terms of class. Living among minorities while associating with the white population, Conley witnessed firsthand life in both the lower and upper-middle classes. As an adolescent, Conley’s best friend, Michael Holt, and his family were affluent and able to live in the upper-middle class: “Honesty and household morality were such a given that the Holts could move on to a more ambitious agenda. They often went to, spoke at, and even organized political rallies, and not just in the P.S. 41 schoolyard” (Conley, 83). Because they were well off financially, the Holts were able to move into and bask in the upper-middle class. This showed that the only way someone would be able to move into another class was by being financially sound; because very few would ever earn enough to move up in terms of class, those already in the upper classes were less vulnerable to the threat of border crossing.
In The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois states his belief that education would be the key for African Americans to join the same class as the white population. The founding of universities would help the South to educate its citizens, “but [the South] lacks that broad knowledge of what the world knows and knew of human living and doing, which [the South might] apply to the thousand problems of real life to-day confronting her” (Du Bois, 70). Du Bois argues that receiving an education from any of the colleges across the South would help to revive the distinct diversity of African Americans along with their history and culture. That education would also create a threat to the white class, however, because African Americans would have the same education and be in the same class as well.
In her autobiography, She’s Not There, Jenny Boylan depicts how others felt somewhat threatened when she crossed the border from male to female. All of Jim Boylan’s life, he knew that he was a woman on the inside, but he always wondered if others around him felt threatened by his longing to be a woman: “I thought I looked fine [dressed as a woman], if you didn’t look too close. Still, I stayed indoors. I did not want to jeopardize the program or my own professional integrity by risking intrigue” (Boylan, 115). After her surgery, he knew that Jenny would have to explain herself: “The more we feel compelled to keep explaining ourselves, the less like others we become” (Boylan, 250). Jenny tried to tell others that they shouldn’t be threatened by her gender border crossing, and through this she became even more independent. Boylan’s crossing from male to female was a transformation of identity, however, not an example of integration with others; that was why it was not as threatening to those around Boylan as the crossing of class and race borders.
As Du Bois depicts in The Souls of Black Folk, the crossing of a racial border poses a huge threat to those on the other side of it. Even after the slaves in America were freed, African Americans were still not treated fairly. They were free, but they still did not have the same rights as everyone else. The declared integration of these two races threatened white people everywhere with the prospect of equality. “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land. Whatever good may have come in these years of change, the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people—a disappointment all the more bitter because the unattained ideal was unbounded save by the simple ignorance of a lowly people” (Du Bois, 7). As freed slaves crossed the border from black to white, the white population was extremely threatened by their quest for equal rights.
Similarly, Conley noted in his memoir how others seemed threatened because he was white in a minority-filled environment. As one of the only white children in a school of minorities, Conley learned that he was being treated differently because he was white: “By the time I left the Mini School I had learned what the concept of race meant. I now knew that, based on the color of my skin, I would be treated a certain way, whether that entailed not getting rapped across the knuckles, not having a name like everyone else, or not having the same kind of hair as my best friend” (Conley, 51). Each teacher in the school gave him special treatment just because he was white. When Conley crossed the border from white to minority, others seemed threatened by his white status, giving him special treatment and handling him differently.
Among the possible border crossings of race, class, and gender, the racial boundary stands as the most vulnerable and therefore is the most closely monitored by the surrounding population. Du Bois explained how the white population was threatened by freed slaves after the Civil War, and Conley witnessed firsthand how he was treated differently because he was white in a school full of minority students. Breaking the boundary of race is far more threatening to those surrounding the crossing than breaking boundaries of class or gender because of the perceived danger of racial integration; that crossing therefore remains the most challenging because it meets with the strongest opposition.
Thomas King’s “Borders”, written in 1993, is a short fiction story showing an indirect characterization about Mother. The story allows the reader to understand the difficulties Mother encounters, of not disclosing the citizenship of the country she belongs to. However, taking the pride, of showcasing the cultural identity as ‘Blackfoot’. Identically overcomes the various difficulties faced during that phase of life. By Analyzing Borders by Thomas King, this essay discusses how the short story explains the pride that Mother takes for being a ‘Blackfoot’.
Get original essayThe theme of the story is set to be misread/misidentified and is an irony showing the conflicts between identity and the belonging love. The beginning of the story tells that it is rare for young women to leave the reserve for no reason, “She had not, as my Mother liked…hadn’t been pregnant”. It tells that, young girls usually leave if they're after some boy, or if they're pregnant. It's not common for someone to simply leave, because Letitia [She] found a job. The story is about a Mother who wants to meet her daughter staying in the Salt Lake City in the U.S. The main setting of the story is at the U.S. border where Mother is questioned and is refused an entry into the U.S. because of not disclosing her citizenship.
The Mother is considered to be the cause of conflicts in "Borders". She is a very stubborn lady with a narrow thinking concerning to the things other than her native community. She doesn't state that whether she is a Canadian or an American while struggling to cross the border, in this way starting an argument with the border guards. With a number of tries by the border guards, the Mother has a fixed single answer for her identity i.e “Blackfoot”.
Mother is portrayed as a protagonist. It isn't specifically expressed in the story, yet the story pushes further and explains that the Mother, wants to meet her daughter in the Salt Lake City in the U.S., driving to the U.S. border, the Mother is asked over and again by the border guards, yet she doesn't disclose her citizenship and rather tells them that she is a "Blackfoot" and her daughter in the U.S is a "Blackfoot" as well. The time, when asking her more than once about her citizenship, to one point explains that Mother is stubborn and tough.
The author in a conversation with Stella, tells her “ ‘We were Blackfoot and Canadian’ ”. But the author is not counted because he is a “Minor” (137). The author is a child who is unreliable. Stella tells the author that, if Mother doesn’t disclose her citizenship, they will have to return to where they came from. Mother being stubborn and tough, refuses to reveal the citizenship and turns to the car and drove back to the Canadian border.
Driving back to the Canadian border, Mother is inquired the same way as the U.S. border. Mother says she's not an American or a Canadian but a “Blackfoot”. The Round character in this story is Mother because she is proud about her native community. From those points of attention. The first three guards are from America, and none of them shows sympathy or consideration to Mother, yet the fourth one who is from Canada does. Some of the TV people were at the border and talked to Mother after which at some point late, Mother was allowed to enter the U.S.
Letitia assumes that the Salt Lake City was "One of the natural wonders of the world". Her attitude towards Blackfoot changes, after she saw her mother's story at the border on TV, she feels so proud of her mom that she wants to hear the story over and over; even better, she tells her mother that she is thinking about moving back to Blackfoot.
Mothers are a symbol of love, care, strength and hope, but one does not know the care and love, what a Mother expresses. The Mother is loyal to her native community. She stayed faithful to the reserve, until the guards lastly let her cross the border. In the story “Borders” by Thomas King, pride is a quality that can be developed in a character and its belief is to protect the pride and give equality to every community.
Over the past decade, the rights of Indigenous people have improved. Unfortunately, some rights and freedoms have not yet seen any improvement at all, and some have even worsened. Thomas King's 'Borders' is a short story demonstrating self-identity and the national pride of Indigenous people. Throughout the story, readers realize the theme is set to showcase the self-identity of the Mother and her difficulties of portraying herself as a 'Blackfoot.' However, pride plays a vital role in aboriginal nationality, provoking conflicts of identity, and the many privileges that were, unfortunately, lost.
To begin, the author uses a storytelling method to demonstrate how aboriginals inherit cultural information from one generation to another, and this information is a source of immense pride. Furthermore, this brings readers to the role of pride. Pride plays an essential role in BORDERS; the main character Mother, always insists on her cultural heritage despite the possibility to lie. For example, 'Blackfoot, Blackfoot,' my Mother repeated. 'Canadian?' 'Blackfoot' (King 133). Indeed, Mother is a very stubborn character; she symbolizes love and is a caring figure to her children; she is loyal to her aboriginal inheritance and faithful to her reserves. Nowadays, Aboriginals have lost their symbols of being First Nations; the world has shown a high amount of discrimination towards First Nation people. Throughout the story, even when everyone was against her, she stood her grounds; she was proud of her nationality. Thus indicates the importance of respecting the founders of our land; hence the world grew up forgetting the roots of our tree.
Secondly, Border demonstrates an actual example of the difficulties most aboriginals go through; in fact, many go through a transformation in their identity. This difficulty is shown within the protagonist Mother and her beliefs. As a Blackfoot, she could easily refer to herself as a Canadian, but she knows her true identity and will not let go of it. She said, 'The side of the Blackfoot' (King 82); she decides to respect her cultural heritage, and this shows the trouble Aboriginal people must go through. Apparently, the cultural identity transformation was shown by Laetitia exhibits through her lack of awareness. Leaving the cultural reserve and refusing to speak 'Blackfoot' by doing this she is disclaiming her origins and her true identity. Consequently, society forces mixed races to pick a side in order to survive. 'This begs the question, what is considered a mainstream culture? However, what if you do not want to pick sides, like mother. Furthermore, caught in the no-man 's-land between two countries, which is an analogy for the entrapment of mothers' feelings and cultural status which are silenced, due to it being brutally unaccepted'. Mother's journey of crossing the borders has a starting point and an ending point, which involves experiences and returns. For example, every Border crossed returns a valuable lesson in identifying her new self, hence establishes the difficulties aboriginals have of understanding and respecting their identity.
Lastly, Unfortunately, many privileges and rights were lost, and this was very apparent throughout the short story. The indigenous people have, for the last century, been represented in Canada as 'the Indian problem'. The core of Indian, Aboriginal Problem is that they reject what white people value and in these countries such as Canada and the US, rejecting their values has a considerable cost to pay. Those are the problem that is mostly shown in Border. Unfair policies, unequal health care and education colonial exploitation.
To conclude, this short story by Thomas King explicitly demonstrated the real struggles of indigenous people and what kind of discrimination they are going through in this day and age. This statement was seen through the position of the protagonist, where she provides a claim on her Blackfoot citizenship. It is fundamental to understand the historical memories and quotidian reality of the First Nations, there conflicted, loss of privileges and pride. King views a world of cultures coexisting where all identities feel embodied.
Imagine being tossed from a moving vehicle by your own mother. This is how Trevor Noah, anchor of 'The Daily Show,' begins his riveting life tale. Trevor's autobiography is filled with hilarious tales and self-deprecating jokes that beautifully reflect his difficult life in South Africa in the 1990s. 'Born a Crime,' Trevor Noah's book, is a collection of anecdotes about him growing up in apartheid-era South Africa.
Get original essayTrevor was born in 1984, as the title suggests, as a result of his black Xhosa mother's unlawful relationship with his Swiss father. His mother purposefully set out to produce him despite the fact that mixed-race children were illegal. He recounts his childhood as the son of a white Swiss father and a black mother. Trevor's book deals with themes of race, adolescence, faith, relationships, and abuse while telling the tale of his childhood as the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother. It's a humorous and honest memoir of the famed comedian's coming of age in South Africa after apartheid ended. Noah, the son of a black mother and a white father, had to adjust to a range of challenging settings on a regular basis, prompting him to consider race and the country's history of racism and colonialism. Throughout these ordeals, Noah was held together by his mother, Patricia, whose hopes for her son ensured that he would rise beyond his privileged background. Trevor recounts his experiences as an oppressed person growing up in South Africa in a compassionate and humorous manner. Insights regarding South Africa's culture, systems, and history are mixed with stories of Noah's life. He frequently talks about the hardship of being torn between two worlds and two identities. Born A Crime is an engrossing, fast-paced, and vivid account of Noah's early childhood, set against the absurdities of apartheid, in which he was unable to stroll freely with either of his parents. From his troubled years at school, his brief incarceration, to his growing career as a hustler selling stolen CDs and DJing at parties, he was often closeted inside his grandmother Frances Noah's two-roomed Orlando home, where he was mistaken for a white child. Noah is well-known as a comedian and television host, particularly in the United States, where he shows The Daily Show, but Born a Crime focuses on his origins rather than his rise to celebrity. There are few characters in the novel outside his family because it spans his entire adolescence.Noah grew up under apartheid, which was a collection of laws and restrictions enacted to regulate native Africans' interactions with white colonizers. His memoir of growing up in South Africa as a mixed-race individual emphasizes the relevance and complexities of racial identity. Noah explores serious subjects in depth, such as racial profiling, the connection of race and money, and the persistent feeling of never quite fitting in any one group, using his childhood as a thread.Trevor provides a colorful picture of a childhood in South Africa as he strives for identity, belonging, and liberation through funny anecdotes, deep and traumatic experiences, and a rigorous critical analysis of the institutions that maintained apartheid.
The book's best feature is its humor. It can be difficult for authors to incorporate irony and humor into writings about such serious subjects, but Trevor succeeded admirably. Trevor’s witty tone and approach put the reader in the awkward situation of deciding whether or not to laugh.Noah makes jokes about everything, including issues that most people wouldn't dare to bring up, such as South Africa's underlying anti-native culture. To lighten the tone in some parts of a novel, any writer may want to incorporate some type of humour. Few people are capable of making racism and apartheid amusing. Given Noah's background as a comedian, this style was unsurprising. Trevor's ability to keep the humor from detracting from the severity of some of the book's issues is even more astounding. Trevor addresses themes such as patriarchy, racism, and abuse in a way that both teaches and raises awareness while never depressing the reader. For instance,“But the more we went to church and the longer I sat in those pews the more I learned about how Christianity works: If you’re a Native American and you pray to the wolves, you’re a savage. If you’re African and you pray to your ancestors, you’re a savage. But when white people pray to a guy who turns water to wine, well, that’s just common sense.”He effectively used his wit and humor to draw awareness about the horrors of South African apartheid. I really like how he combined historical facts with his own personal experiences and depicted it all with a sense of humour. All of the stories and history become more acknowledged when this personal touch is added.“There were so many perks to being ‘white’ in a black family, I can’t lie. I was having a great time. ”Noah writes about his profiling as a white person in a black society, with remarkable insight and humour. He claims, 'I was having a terrific time.' Only Trevor didn't think he was getting special attention because he was fair-skinned, but rather because 'I assumed it had something to do with Trevor.' It wasn't a case of 'Trevor isn't abused because he's white.' 'Trevor doesn't get beaten because Trevor is Trevor.”I was pleased by Trevor's positive attitude while facing major challenges. Several chapters from Trevor's childhood and adolescence are really funny .For example, after realizing that, despite his remarkable linguistic talents, he had no languages in common with his prom date, he spent a whole date urgently searching for a translator. Trevor himself underscores the point: he grew up in a violent environment, but he never allowed it consume him, and he has maintained enough optimism and good humour to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. That is something I admire.
Overall, the book “Born a Crime” is informative, contemplative, and moving, especially when it describes real atrocities. Despite this, the tone of the novel is upbeat. It shouldn't work, yet it does, and I believe that is the book's most compelling feature. Born a Crime tries to find some hilarity in the situation, no matter how bad Noah's life was becoming. Despite the fact that there is a great deal of pain, this is not a book about getting destroyed.
Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born A Crime, describes how the impromptu intellectual and, occasionally, spiritual lessons of his youth led him to become a successful comedian. Noah was born and raised near Johannesburg, South Africa at the peak of apartheid to a white father and black Xhosa mother. Interracial relationships were illegal during this period, hence Trevor Noah, being of mixed race, really was born a crime. His autobiography gives readers a culture shock as he facilitates how South Africa’s modern-day segregation was so influential. Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime is analysed in the essay. Here we will see how Noah brings to light his experiences of being a pariah in the apartheid era. The author also exemplifies how the value of language and misbehavior of all sorts shaped his character.
Get original essayPrior to each chapter, the author delivers a brief historical context. At the very start of the book, a page is dedicated to the Immorality Act of 1927. This legislation revolves around the punishments for interracial sex and relationships. Yet, the reality of the law is that the black person in the affair would receive a much greater punishment than the white person. Both people would be liable for imprisonment, though the black person would have been more harshly sentenced. The white person might receive a warning, and would rarely have to serve time in jail. This is shown when Noah recounts the meeting of his mother and father. However, in other domestic affairs regarding only black people, the law, if any, was disregarded and the cases were almost always ignored.
Noah begins his autobiography by explaining how he never truly fit into the societal norms. Noah is classified as “colored” via the laws of apartheid. This not only separates him from his parents and his community, but it also puts his well being in jeopardy. For the majority of the first part of the book, Noah expresses the difficulty with his identity in an extremely racially polarized nation since he does not resemble any of his family members nor his neighbors. “The only time I could be with my father was indoors. If we left the house, he’d have to walk across the street from us. I couldn’t walk with my mother, either; a light-skinned child with a black woman would raise too many questions”. Noah’s naive mind is confused and perceives this treatment as neglect. These were difficult concepts to comprehend as a child because of societal discrimination. In a way, Noah is almost denied the right of having a family as he never had a decent father figure around. Though his mother was exceptionally loving and passionate, publicly, she had to be extremely cautious of her affection. The author very openly admits how this form of rejection negatively affected him.
Later, Noah recalls how he was instantly ignored and discarded like he “was a bag of weed” if police officers appeared threatening. While at home, Noah was treated like every other kid, with love and affection, but publicly he was invisible to those he loved. It was so perilous for him to even exist, that he often wished he was just black. Noah is now able to make jokes regarding the ridiculousness of apartheid but at the time, the circumstances which impacted his life were so prevalent. He later discovered that comedy was the perfect coping mechanism for his mentally traumatizing adolescence.
The author finds himself regularly feeling isolated and ashamed of his mixed heritage. Noah writes about being verbally teased for acting either too white or too black for a person of color. Once again, Noah’s racial identity is intently questioned by both his peers and himself. He struggles to find the means to conform to a society that had already purposefully instituted a racial-prejudice foundation against him. The people who cared for and about him, feel powerless and saddened in this circumstance because Noah, himself, is just a reminder of the danger and criminality they all faced at this time.
Noah is cautious when advocating for himself in dire situations. Noah’s ingenuity benefits him significantly throughout the story. When being confronted by a childhood bully, he decides to ask his stepfather, Abel, for advice. “I could see the anger building up inside him [Abel]. He started whipping him. He wasn’t doing this to teach the kid a lesson. He was just beating him’. Abel’s outrage toward the child, in Noah’s eyes, was completely ill-intentioned. The torment imposed was not deserving regardless of what Noah had faced. To this day, the author feels unfathomably guilty and is scarred from the unnecessary pain inflicted on the child. The brutality towards the child directly mirrors the corrupt police brutality of people of color during apartheid. His stepfather doesn’t quite teach him how to face discrimination head-on, but Noah eventually learns how to, independently.
Noah accentuates his vigilancy towards the abuse from his stepfather and often questions the authenticity of the relationship between his mother and Abel. Noah’s mother, Patricia, was a prominent supporter of the family and was not easily manipulated by her husband. Abel’s violence continued to have an effect on Noah’s life until his mother’s critical head wound. With that, Noah ultimately loses all respect for his stepfather. The author epitomizes how violence in any means, regardless of the situation is just a recipe for disaster.
Noah continuously incorporates his mother’s impact on his life. Patricia Noah always gave Noah the confidence he needed to live in his divided world. She encouraged Noah to become multilingual. For the most part, it is advantageous to him as it gets him out of trouble. Noah’s inspiration is based on Nelson Mandela’s saying, “‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart’”. This directly influences Noah when he is in jail with another man and attempts to translate for him. South Africa’s demographics were comprised of various different tribes and of migrants from all over. The demographics and languages influenced the internal segregation between the groups, as there was not an official language of the nation. Noah’s mother emphasizes that being able to respect and understand the viewpoints of one another is more important than the outrageous reality they lived in. A bit earlier, a relevant idea is expressed. Noah describes apartheid as perfect racism because it did efficiently separate the different races. Nevertheless, it created an intense hatred towards the ethnic groups.
In the third part of the book, Trevor Noah reinstates how he transitioned from a delinquent lifestyle to be able to broaden his understanding of others’ perspectives. Noah and his friend Siwze were involved in DJing at events and selling pirated goods. Noah had little, if any, encounters with law enforcement prior to being caught driving a stolen automobile. He is arrested, put in jail and, unbeknownst to him, translates for an inmate whom he learns a valuable life lesson from. “[The man] finds his way to Johannesburg, looking for work, trying to feed his children back home. The world has been taught to be scared of him, but the reality is that he is scared of the world because he has none of the tools necessary to cope with it. So what does he do? He takes shit. He becomes a petty thief”. This realization is crucial for the growth of his character. This aspect of criminal behavior easily corresponds to the idiom don’t judge a book by its cover. One cannot judge nor understand what another person is going through simply by their actions. Though the man in the cell, was committing a crime, he was doing it for the greater good for him and his family. The law will only highlight the illegal deed whether or not the intentions or results were innocuous.
Racism continues to be a universal social issue today. The shock factor of Born a Crime is that it reminds us that even in the late 20th century, the world was educated about the horrors of apartheid, however, nations decided to turn a blind eye. Civic human rights were being disenfranchised and violated, and families and friends were divided. Though the horrors of apartheid have ended, some South Africans are adamant in the belief that it brought prosperity and benefitted the country. Others disagree. This story provides us with another perspective of history. As mentioned at the beginning of the autobiography, when the Europeans came to Africa to claim land and slaves, they left no records of the natives living there; and the native tribes were killed and their versions of history were silenced.
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Get custom essayTrevor Noah compares this to how people approach the Holocaust. Documentation of the Jews was kept and how its records are treated. He agrees that both acts were inherently bad, but the events that go unannounced are often forgotten or oppressed. The apartheid story is even similar to the Rohingya genocide happening in Myanmar. The crises were not dealt with in a timely manner or treated with the urgency that was required. Later, people began to boycott businesses that traded with South Africa as a way to illuminate the circumstances. The publicity of both issues was scarce in America, especially. Born a Crime opens the eyes and mind of the readers by indulging in how racism, specifically, diversity in language, and all of the other relevant themes in this memoir impact the world. One is enlightened by how apartheid affected the globe indirectly and how racism affects the globe directly.
The Renaissance Era was a period when theatre, among other forms of art, bloomed in its adolescence, as it outgrew old, traditional characteristics of the Middle Ages, and gradually evolved into what would later become known as modern history. Unlike tragedies of previous eras – which depended highly on one fatal flaw of the protagonists to lead them to perpetual torment – tragedies of the Renaissance age saw a great shift in the complexities of the characters in a play, as the period was highly influenced by humanism. Characters were no longer ‘flat’ but ‘dynamic’, thus, resembling that of real-life individuals more accurately than before. With such shifts in characterization, themes and conflicts in theatre consequently underwent similar developments from being plain and straightforward, to thought-provoking and relatable. One such thought-provoking and relatable theme found in The Duchess of Malfi is the concept of inferiority and its necessity for advancing in society; a concept which can be identified and explored through the characters Bosola and Antonio.
Get original essayCunning, malcontent, and vengeful Bosola is the catalyst to the tragedies which befall the Duchess and her family. From the very first act, Bosola is introduced as an ex-criminal who vocalizes his frustration with how underappreciated he is for his services. He finds it difficult to accept his lowly position given the fact that he has done so much for his employers. He compares himself to a “soldier that hazards his limbs in a battle”, and receives “nothing” in return, while “there are rewards for hawks and dogs when they have done us service.” Even Antonio acknowledges this misfortune of Bosola’s, stating, “’Tis great pity he should be thus neglected: I have heard he’s very valiant. This foul melancholy will poison all his goodness…” which also hints to readers and the audience of the future corruption that Bosola will embody. However, Bosola perseveres, and is determined to “thrive some way”, even if it means having to degrade himself to a creature unworthy of honour and respect.
When Ferdinand offers him gold and a better position in return for spying on the Duchess, Bosola fervently refuses and proclaims that he would much rather kill than spy on a woman. Moreover, the task would make him an “impudent traitor”; “a very quaint invisible devil in flesh.” Yet, strangely, Bosola accepts the task – with some unwillingness, it seems – which highlights the extent this man is willing to demean himself in order to rise in the social ladder. This is the first scene in the play that outlines the question, “Does a ‘preferment’ in the world necessitate admission of inferiority?”
This scene is not unusual; nor is this question only applicable to the period of time when this play was composed. The act of degrading yourself in one way or another – whether out of humility or mere greed – in order to rise in power and attain wealth, is and has always been a popular theme in literature and art throughout history. Evidently, Bosola’s motive for accepting the task of a spy is out of greed and ambition. On the other hand, Antonio exhibits a similar notion of unavoidable subordination towards the Duchess but does so with all the admirable qualities of a good, loyal, and humble servant.
Antonio does not conceal his admiration, respect and fidelity for the Duchess. She is introduced in the play through his exaltations of her, as though she were a being devoid of flaw, almost goddess-like. This highly subjective opinion insinuates possible feelings of love towards the Duchess, but being her social inferior, we, the readers and the audience, are fully aware that any such feelings for his employer is to be cast aside, for he could never openly court her. So, when the Duchess reveals her love for him and takes the initiative to woo and propose to Antonio, it does not seem completely absurd as she is in a position to do so. However, her gender must have obviously been a factor that made her proposal highly unorthodox at the time, if not absurd. Moreover, the fact that the audience and readers know that the Duchess slyly plans to propose to him whereas Antonio has absolutely no idea of her underlying intentions emphasizes his inferior position. This shift in gender roles – caused by the restrictions which social class conventions imposes upon society – is not overlooked by Antonio. He points out his awareness of this peculiar gender-role-swap, saying to his wife, “These words should be mine,” as the Duchess not only takes on the role of a confident leader during the proposal, but even throughout much of the play; such as repeatedly reassuring Antonio of their safety, because Antonio is constantly fearful of eminent danger.
With regards to the notion of inferiority, it is manifest in Antonio’s actions that he has no choice but to humble himself before the Duchess. His love for her is unquestionable, and so his feelings of “unworthiness” is most likely an outcome of his veneration for the woman he loves. However, he is still a male character of the 17th century and putting aside his pride as a man in order to accept being proposed to must have taken some impressive amount of modesty. On top of that, there is the possibility that Antonio is motivated to cast aside his male pride because he is aware of the power he would gain if he were to accept this proposal. “Ambition, madam, is a great man’s madness,” he says. This is evidence of his consciousness and caution of the situation. Antonio is a righteous character who fears that his reasons for marrying the Duchess may be mixed with both love and ambition. Whether he accepts the proposal out of pure love alone, or both love and ambition, Antonio does advance in the social hierarchy through the necessary act of admitting his inferiority – much like Bosola. What differs between the two major characters is that Antonio’s advancement is out of being simply good and honest. He advances through the holy and romantic system of matrimony, whereas Bosola advances through deceit and immoral means.
To sum up, Webster has made this idea of indispensable subordination – and the inescapable act of embracing it – a prominent theme in The Duchess of Malfi. Through Bosola and Antonio, two extremely different characters, Webster has evoked the question of whether a rise in social status or power necessitates the admission of inferiority. The answer is an unsettling truth which Webster demonstrated through this play. It is proven that there is no escaping it; our inferiority cannot be ignored when an advancement in life is at stake. It is an answer that is manifest in the question itself, for why would there be a need to ‘rise’ at all if we are not inferior in some way?
Judicial History: North Carolina inmates sued in federal district court. The inmates alleged that the state’s failure to accommodate them with legal research facilities revoked them access to the courts in infringement of the fourteenth amendment. The district courts admitted the inmates’ motion for summary judgment. This then ordered the state to set up a legal research assistance program. In addition, a library plan was suggested by North Carolina and accepted by the court. The court holding granted the states to not have to provide legal advisors. The court of appeals affirmed, the state asked for review, and the Supreme Court was allowed certiorari.
Get original essayFacts: As the prisoners filed the claims in the District Court, there was only one poorly built state prison library. Meanwhile, no other legal assistance was accessible to the inmates who hoped to plan and file habeas corpus and civil rights actions.
Issue: Are states obligated to protect the rights of prisoners to have access to the courts by giving law libraries or any type of legal assistance?
Holding: States need to administer prisoners with a sufficient legal service. For example, legally qualified persons.
Reasoning: All prisoners have a constitutional right of entry to the courts. This entry needs to be fair, sufficient, and relevant to stop claim infringements of key constitutional rights.
It is imperative that prisoners file correct claims in order, considering the court can pass on the complainant’s sooner. This grants in forma pauperis and can decline the case if it seems to be pointless. In addition, without a library, a prisoner could not negate the state’s arguments.
The right to legal assistance is critical here, due to civil rights and habeas corpus actions placed on constitutional negligence. They have not disputed past arguments.
Concurring Opinion-Powell: The Court’s holding forms no indication to the outlook of the prisoner’s claims in the state and federal court.
Dissenting Opinion-Burger: Seeing that there is no federal constitution right to intrude state convictions secondary in federal court. The federal court may not wish for states to fund prison law libraries.
Dissenting Opinion-Stewart: Important admittance to courts is rare by constructing law libraries for prisoners.
Dissenting Opinion-Rehnquist: There is no structure written to access the federal court to challenge state court convictions. The prisoners had forthright appeal over the state court system.
History:
The sport is invented by Christopher Monck the second Duke of Albemarle. He arranged a boxing match between his butcher and butler. Christopher was an English soldier, and a politician who sat in the House of Commons when he takes over the Dukedom and sat in the House of Lords. Boxing was developed in Albemarle, North Carolina.
Get original essayBoxing is started being played because it’s a great workout. It will make your body looks like hard, lean, ripped without an ounce of fat like Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather, and if you win a match you will receive a price, even you lose you still have a prize. Like Pacquiao when he fought against Mayweather even to he lost he still got $60 million guaranteed.
Boxing developed in 688 BC (Ancient Greece). After many years some of the rules changed. Long time ago they are playing boxing without gloves but with knuckles or bare hands, obviously that will hurt so much you might also die if you got punched with the brass knuckles. But now for the safety of the boxers they need to put bandages, head guards (if you are not an Amateur or Pro Boxing Player), and gloves.
Major Rules:
Rule 1) Eligibility of Boxers
Rule 2) Registration of Boxers
Rule 3) Weigh- In
Rule 4) Duration and numbers of rounds
Rule 5) Field of Play
Rule 6) Supervisor
Rule 7) Competition Manager
Rule 8) Ringside Doctors
Rule 9) Boxing Gloves Specifications
Rule 10) Bandages
Rule 11) Competition Uniform
Rule 12) Equipment Guidelines (Gloves)
Rule 13) Foreign Boxers Draft Regulations
Rule 14) Transfer and Loan Rules
Rule 15) Referees and Judges
Equipments:
Boxing Gloves
Boxing Ring
Speed Bag
Heavy Bag (Punching Bag)
Protective Equipment ( Head Guard, mouth guard, hand wraps, a supporter and cup, and boxing shoes).
Influential Individuals:
Muhammad Ali is a heavyweight champion and he is the most celebrated athlete in the 20th century, he was also known for his long time battle with Parkinson’s disease and public stance against the Vietnam War.
He was an American professional boxer, social activist and a philanthropist. He became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960, and in 1964 he became the world heavyweight champion. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement in 1994. He died on July 3, 2016.
Floyd Mayweather is one of the best pound fighters in history. 27 knockouts, 50 wins and 0 loses. The American boxer has won championships over five weight divisions. Mayweather was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Before turning into a professional boxer he won three national Golden Gloves and an Bronze Olympic Medal in 1996. He claimed his featherweight championship in 1998 and he retained an undefeated record until he retired boxing.
Manny Pacman Pacquiao is considered one of the greatest boxers in the world, he has won world boxing titles in eight different weight divisions. Pacman was born on December 17, 1978, Philippines. He began professional boxing in the age of 16. In his country’s House of Representatives he was twice elected and won a Senate seat i 2016. His parents Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao and Rosalio Pacquiao raised him in Kibawe, located in the Bukidnon province of Mindanao. When he was a teenager he left his family and boarded a ship to Manila so he can train as a boxer and launching a career in the sport.
A caterpillar must crawl, inch by inch, across the earth before it can mature, grow wings, and soar beautifully above the land in which it was born. So too, in James Joyce's A Portrait Of The Artist as a Young Man, must the central character, Stephen Dedalus, live a terrestrial life as that young man before he can take the skyward route of the artist. As the novel is in most respects autobiographical, the story recounts the rising (and successive falling, rising, falling) of James Joyce as a boy growing up in Ireland. Of significant interest, though, are the parallels that exist between the Greek myth of Daedalus (from which Stephen gets his surname), Stephen's own tale, and the political and social states of Ireland. All three face a conflict where being land-locked prevents them from their goal of freedom, and must make a change, or metamorphosis, in order to achieve that goal.
Get original essayIn Ovid's Metamorphoses, a man named Daedalus, an exile from Athens and a masterful craftsman, is imprisoned in the Labyrinth, a giant maze that he himself designed for Minos, the King of Crete. The Minotaur--a monster with half the body of a man, and half the body of a bull--ruled over this Labyrinth at one time. Understanding how wandering the labyrinth would take him only to dead ends, Daedalus sets to work at escaping. However, because of the Labyrinth's walls, the only way to do this is by air. Thus, the craftsman fashions two sets of waxen wings--one for him, and one for Icarus, his son--transforming the land-locked pair into masters of the sky. Before they make their escape, however, Daedalus warns his son "to keep the middle way," as flying too low to the ocean might crash him into the waves, and flying to high would cause the wings to melt from the sun's heat. "Fly midway. Gaze not at the boundless sky," he admonishes. Unfortunately, Icarus foolishly soars too high, and plummets to his watery death. Daedalus, however, succeeds in his escape.
Joyce takes advantage of how rich the myth of Daedalus is, and masterfully crafts his tale of Stephen Dedalus to fit beautifully in line with the work. In Portrait, Dedalus is a young man, plagued with internal conflict, and living amidst a nation that is all but torn asunder by its own internal disputes. Throughout his life, Stephen intently observes what is going on around him, and struggles to make sense of it. Like the exile, Daedalus, Stephen feels much like an outsider, never really finding his place among his contemporaries. Life in his current situation, in fact, becomes a labyrinth for him. Though he has many paths in life to choose from, like becoming a priest or a politician, he recognized that such careers would inevitably lead him only to a dead end.
"His destiny was to be elusive of social or religious orders... to learn his own wisdom apart from others or to learn the wisdom of others himself wandering among the snares of the world."
Stephen clearly sees that his destiny involves leaving his nation and wandering the world in search of wisdom, both his own and of others. This path, however, is only conceivable by flight, or by leaving behind the land of his birth. He must cease from being a young man bound to the soil, and go through the metamorphosis that will change him into a winged artist. In this way he parallels the flight of Daedalus and Icarus. Also, just as it was important for the winged escapers to "keep midway," it is important for Stephen to keep watchful eye on his own altitude. Stephen knows that his art must be significant and powerful in order to take him high enough to avoid being lost in the crashing waves. Conversely, there exists the possibility of failure if he strives for too much, and, like Icarus, he can suffer a disastrous fall because of it. Stephen's art, like the sky, is potentially "boundless," but it is imperative that he keep control over it. Though it is a risky escape for Stephen to attempt, he is strongly motivated by the dire need of his nation for a hero, someone to give them the voice: the wings they need to escape their own prison.
Ireland was a country in need of a rebirth. Just as the Labyrinth was an endless prison, so too the Irish felt virtually imprisoned in their own home. Under the control of Britain, it could not define itself as a nation, could not create for itself its own world as the artist does. The myth connects further. In the biblical book of Daniel, the prophet sees a vision of a multi-horned beast, whose horns would symbolize different worldly kingdoms. Knowing this, if Ireland was the labyrinth, then the Minotaur that ruled over it, with its two symbolic horns, could justifiably represent the political and religious control bearing over the Irish by both the British government and the Roman Catholic Church. These two entities also separate the Irish, throwing them into a discord that prevents them from establishing their own identity. Other signals that also hint at such conflict line Portrait's pages; for instance, the green and maroon brushes of Dante, and the argument at the Christmas table. Joyce continues this theme in his later work, Ulysses, where Stephen clearly states that two masters, one Italian and the other British, rule him. This type of feeling is not only his own, but represents the inner feelings of much of Ireland. Other artists, such as Lady Elizabeth and William Butler Yeats, also spoke of such internal conflict in their works. One of the greatest obstacles for Irish freedom was that it had divided feelings towards the goal. In his poem "September 1913," Yeats accused the Roman Catholic Church, which tended to include the Middle Class Irish, of choosing money and convenience over freedom and independence. The English writer Lady Gregory continued this theme in her play "The Rising of The Moon," which tried to unify the two opposing Irish sides towards that goal of freedom.
Stephen himself characterizes this conflict, as throughout the novel he is constantly rising and falling in the pursuit of his goal. Eventually Stephen, however, sees that neither a life in politics, nor one in religion, will help Ireland attain its freedom. Charles Stewart Parnell, the man who did the most for Ireland, was dead, first effectively and then physically. Many held that the church was indirectly to blame for his death, as it was religious conventions that caused Parnell to lose his support. Ireland could not attain freedom until it stopped kicking out its own legs. To Stephen, only his art could offer hope, as his mission statement mentions:
"Welcome, O Life! I go to encounter to for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race."
Stephen is preparing for a life where he can "soar" away by means of his art, which is where the novel closes. Whether he is able to succeed in his flight, or instead become like Icarus and suffer a disastrous fall, is not mentioned in Portrait. However, as the story is largely autobiographical, it can be seen in the life of Joyce himself how his art has had a profound effect on the identity of Ireland.
Stephen's goal finds fruition in the life of Joyce, who was very much aware of the impact his writing would have on the nation.
"I seriously believe you will retard the course of civilization in Ireland by preventing the Irish people from having one good look at themselves in my nicely polished looking glass." (Norris 56)
Joyce was able to be boundless with his writing, reaching new heights with his prose and in so many ways succeeding in flight. Part of his success was the power of his words. He was able to transcend the rules of the printed page, having language mold like wax in his hands. He was the great artificer. His writing also gave wings to Ireland as a nation: his works accurately described their plight both to European readers and the Irish themselves. In the end, the almost mythical tale of Stephen, the artificer, and his native land, has taken flight, proving a transformation from that earthbound boy, into the eternal and boundless winged artist.
-- Works Cited --
Norris, David and Carl Flint. Introducing Joyce. New York: Totem Books, 1997.
"Portrait of The Artist as A Young Man" Book Rags.com. 2000. October 3,
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