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Food is the nutrients that people or animals eat or drink or that plant absorbs to maintain life and growth. With the huge increasing population of the world, the food production from natural resources could not meet their needs. So the researchers move to produce more food using molecular-level techniques. This type of food is called genetically modified food (GM food), the food whose genetic material has been altered which is not present already in nature. Because the GM food is made to increase the nutrient content by mutation it has many advantages for human-like it increase the nutritional content, formation of pest, drought, herbicide, and cold resistant plants. But at the same time, it has negative impacts also. It is genetically unsafe, causing organ damages, allergic reactions in the digestive tract. Genetically modified food has both positive and negative sides and in this essay we will analyse whether GMF is more good or bad for us.
Get original essayFirst of all, what is Genetically modified organisms? According to WHO (World Health Organisation), 'Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.’ GMOs are produced by using genetic engineering methods to insert a section of foreign gene into the organism which could lead to beneficial effects on the organism or the consumer. This could allow new ideas and development to solve the Sustainable Global Goals, which was set up the world leaders in 2015 and one of the 17 goals was to have zero hunger by 2030. A study conducted by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) stated the number of undernourished people in the world has risen for 3 years in a role since 2014 and just in 1 year (2016-2017) there is an increase of 17million undernourished people. But is GM food the answer to the problems, are GM foods a benefit or a hindrance and are there other possibility that could solve the problems.
How are GMOs made? Once the desirable trait is identified, scientist needs to identify the sequence of this gene and the location in the genome through the genomic library, which is 'a collection of clones that contains all the DNA sequences of an organism’s genome'. The gene can then be isolated and cut by a restriction enzyme and placed into a vector using DNA ligase, this vector is now placed into embryonic stem cell or injected into the blastocyst hoping it moved into the embryonic stem cell, tissue specific promoters could also be used to ensure the gene is specifically expressed in this tissue. A small percentage of the transgenic DNA could be inserted in the embryo’s genome due to DNA recombinase and it function of recombination of DNA. In the case of animals, the embryonic stem cell is now placed in a pseudopregnant female (Pseudopregnant defines a female after copulation with a vasectomized male. The animal behaves hormonally pregnant allowing its use as a recipient for embryos; e.g. for chimera production) which allows to produce homozygous offspring for the transgene.
GM food could be the key to solve the Sustainable Global Challenges. To match the ever-growing population for the demand of food we must first reduce our yield gap (difference between yield potential and actual yield) to reach the yield potential(yield of a crop cultivar when grown with water and nutrients non-limiting and biotic stress effectively controlled). This can be achieved by genetically modifying crops that are insect/pest/diseases resistance or increasing the survivability of crops in harsh environments such as fluctuating temperatures or low rainfall. This could benefit places like Northern India where the wheat production is only reaching 40% of it yield potential. An example of this is Bt corn, a GM maize with genes inserted from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which produce crystal protein which is toxic to pest such as European corn borer hence the name Bt corn. The European corn borer borrows and eat the stalk of the plant, reducing it ability to uptake water or nutrients and decreasing it structure support. With the introduction of Bt corn, the use of herbicides and insecticides decreased by 141.5 million kg from 1996-2008, this hugely reduces the expenses of the producers while increasing yield, in Zaragoza Spain, Bt corn had a yield increases of 1,110kg/hectare or 11.8% increase. Another of the 17 goals is good health and well-being, where 12.9% of the population are undernourished and nearly 50,000 people are dying from infectious disease, this could be improved by producing crops with increase minerals or vitamins content such as rice with vitamin A or providing a quick process of producing antibiotic to combat bacterial infection like penicillin.
But is GMOs more good than harm? GMOs have foreign genes inserted in their genomes this changes the structure the sequence of the host DNA, this increases the mutation rate 5(the frequency with which mutation take place at a given locus or in a population) as the changes in the primary sequence of the DNA allows more mistakes to be made during transcription and translation and this could lead to the production of proteins that is not associated with the organism. This could cause unwanted allegoric reactions or lead to the development of allergies. In 1999 a year after GM soy was on the market in UK, there has been a 50% increase of people with soy allergies. The ingestion of foreign protein could also lead of changes in the immune system, mice being feed with GM peas which have passed the allergy test have suggested to be a cause that ‘leads to the synthesis of structural variants possessing altered immunogenicity’ from the consumption of alpha-amylase inhibitor which is not present in the non-GM peas. GMOs could lead to the disruption of the symbiotic relationship between other organism such as pollinator like bees, they help pollinate plants to produce crops, yet genetic modification could lead end this relationship as it could accidentally permanently turn/off genes through creating a gene 5knockout organism which could attracts these pollinators. This could lead plants to undergo asexual reproduction which greatly reduces gene flow and decrease genetic diversity and causing all the GMOs all suitable to one disease. Even though GMOs are resistance to a pest/disease there is always a chance where it could develop resistance to the protein or chemicals it produces, and this could wipe out the entire food production as after penicillin was mass-produced an penicillin resistance bacterium was found four years later in 1947.
With the introduction of newer technology, genetic modification is now more accurate and more efficient. With the introduction of cDNA library it allows the gene to be more accurate transcribed, instead of inserting the whole gene, it only contains 3DNA copies which made from mRNA, as a result cDNA library only contains expressed genes and there will be no mistake of coding introns during transcription. The process of creating clone copies of DNA is further improved by the development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by Kary Mullis in 1986. PCR could create a clone of the targeted gene within hours just with primers complementary to the targeted gene and being exposed to varying temperature to allow denaturation, hybridisation and extension to occur. The invention of CRISPR-Cas9 or Cluster Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats further revolutionises gene editing technology, it allows highly accurate gene editing in bacteria, animal and plant cells. CRISPR sends a complementary single-stranded guided RNA (sgRNA) to the targeted DNA once attached to the endonuclease it called Cas9 and form sgRNA-Cas9 complex, Cas9 breaks the double bond by producing blunt ends, repairs enzymes incorporate foreign DNA at the position indicated by a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) and fixes the damage caused by Cas9.
Eutrophication is another issue concerning food production, this is caused by fertilisers being wash away from the fields and into the water system, ultimately intoxicated the whole body of water as it removes all the oxygen in the water. In the US alone there have been 762 areas reported to have been impacted by Eutrophication and or hypoxia. Plant in nitrogen for growth, it is the bases of formation of DNA and chlorophyll and without it plants grow decrease hence affecting crop yield. Could we genetically modify bacteria or specifically nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia which is normally found in the roots of legumes family to form symbiotic relationship with more family of plants to turn nitrogen into nitrates.
Is genetic modification really an artificial process, could it be speeding up the natural process of evolution? Why are introns (non-coding sections) removed by spliceosome after transcription is finish? Introns are though to be placed to reduce the risk of mutation and prevent exons getting spliced, but it could also allow movement between domains to form new proteins with new function that benefits it survival in the current environment. Plants develops different mechanism order to survive and reproduction such as the evolution of Bryophytes to Magnoliophyta, isn’t this the same as developing pest resistant for protection?
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Get custom essayOverall genetically modified foods could be a risk, but the chances of a GMO mutating into a harmful organism is very low as mutation are usually non-beneficial or not visible due to degenerative nature of the genetic code. The benefits far outweighs the risk, and with the continue development and invention new technology, this allows safer, quicker and more accurate gene editing and help solve some of the Sustainable Global Goals.
Genetically modified organisms have become a highly controversial topic in science despite the fact that people have been changing the genes of crops for years. It begs the question as to why the topic has become an issue. Genetic Engineering mainly referrers to methods that make use of recombinant DNA technology (gene cloning).
Get original essayGenetic Modified Crops are crops in whose original DNA makeup has been altered to produce a version of the crop that has desirable traits. The concept of changing a crop’s genes is not new technology at all. Technology that has the ability to remove undesired and add desired traits to an organism, must have some major advantages and disadvantages for humankind. Genetically Modified Crops have caused stirs in communities around the world, raising issues of ethical concerns. Seed Banks are the places where seeds are stored in order to preserve genetic diversity. Seed Banks store various seeds from different times and places, thus ensuring biodiversity of future plants.
Based on my extensive research, I am to see the negative impacts of GMCs but I do not believe that this practice should end because of the major benefits and the potential it holds.
Genetically modified organisms have become a highly controversial topic in science despite the fact that people have been changing the genes of crops for years. It begs the question as to why the topic has become an issue for both farmers and consumers when scientists have laid down the benefits of this science. In this report, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Genetically Modified Crops as well as ethical issues surrounding the topic, and if it really is the answer to world hunger. My initial opinion on GMC’s is that of a positive note. I believe that it does play a role in producing crops with better yield and quality and thus play a key role in ending world hunger
In order to fully grasp the concept of Genetically Modified Crops, we have to understand the science of Genetic Engineering. According to Britannica Encyclopaedia and Science YouTuber, Kurzgesagt, Genetic Engineering initially was the term used to refer to different techniques where the makeup an organism has been modified or manipulated through the process of hereditary and reproduction. In the 20th century, however, the term mainly refers to methods that make use of recombinant DNA technology (gene cloning) where segments of the DNA molecule from more than one source, are combined into a cell which is then placed in the host organism where the cell containing the combined DNA, is allowed to multiply or form more of itself.
Genetic Modified Crops are crops in whose original DNA makeup has been altered to produce a version of the crop that has desirable traits such as a bigger size or better taste. The concept of changing a crop’s genes is not new technology at all. According to various documentations, humans have been altering genes of organisms to meet their dietary needs from approximately 10 000 years ago through a process called selective breeding, where humans take the crop that they would like to alter and mate them with crops that have desirable traits, until the farmer was satisfied with the produce of the crop, the classic example being corn which was made from a grass teosinte.
Selective breeding has been officially declared science practice by Robert Bakewell during the British Agricultural Revolution in the 18th century. Even though genetically modifying crops builds on selective breeding, the two methods differ greatly in precision and accuracy. Selective breeding mostly happened by chance whereas GMCs are more accurate and precise. GMCs are made by extracting the DNA of the crop and “cutting out” the undesired trait or “cutting” desired traits from another crop’s DNA, placing that trait into the DNA of the selected crop and placing that DNA into still developing crops. If traits are taken from a crop and placed into the DNA of the same type crop, scientist call this GMC a “cisgenic” crop but if the trait is taken from a completely different crop, this crop is called “transgenic” Technology that has the ability to remove undesired and add desired traits to an organism, must have some incredible advantages to humankind.
Some of the major advantages of Genetically Modified Crops are:
Even though Genetic modification shows promise in the production of crops, altering the genes of an organism can cause huge risks and disadvantages which include:
Genetically Modified Crops have caused stirs in communities around the world, raising issues of ethical concerns such as not knowing where the food that they ingest comes from if it is not made naturally. Genetic Modification is still a new technology with many unknowns of the harmful effects it may cause. It is because of these issues, that many people around the world protest against the production of GMO crops calling it “unnatural” and “dangerous to humans and animals”.
Some ethical and legal concerns include:
Foods that are made with GMCs are not currently ladled to say that they are Genetically Modified so people who do not want to eat GMC’s have no way of telling GMCs pose a risk to the environment and the food web. Even though Genetic Modification was designed to decrease the farming’s impact on the environment, GMCs have sparked the increase in the use of the herbicide, Glyphosate. According to Food & Water Watch, GMCs were initially designed to decrease the use of herbicide/pesticide however this has not been the case. In actuality, according to the USDA and EPA data used in their report, the quick adoption of genetically engineered crops by farmers has increased herbicide use over the past 9 years in the U.S. The report as well as a report written by Washington State University research professor, Charles Benbrook, both focus on the topic of “super weeds” which become resistant to the herbicides used despite their variations, and hence, more herbicides are used.
Seed Banks are the places where seeds are stored in order to preserve genetic- diversity according to Sourcetrace.com. Seed Banks are considered to be “libraries” of seeds and play a very important role in restoring plants that are on the verge of extinction. Seed Banks also provide the assurance of the availability of food if food supplies dwindle. Science.Howstuffworks.com provides us with a very good explanation on how seed banks work. They describe it as having a “bank account” where seeds are “deposited” and “withdrawn” when needed in the future. Scientists uses these seeds to plant in case the plant/crop die out, hence, it is very important to preserve seed banks. Naturally produced seed banks are seed banks made in nature. A scenario of naturally produced seed banks is when sees fall on a litter of leaves. This is not a permanent method unlike its artificial counterpart. Artificial seed banks are man-made structures used for the sole purpose of preserving seeds throughout time. Artificial seed banks are beneficial in the production of GMC’s because if something goes wrong when producing these crops, the crops can be scraped and a seed from a seed bank can be planted. Seed Banks allow for seeds to remain present and free from extinction through the course of time. On ecological timelines, seed banks represent local ‘biodiversity reservoirs’ that can contribute to plant population persistence and biodiversity maintenance through temporal storage effects, as well as remnants of population.
In conclusion, Seed Banks store various seeds from different times and places, thus ensuring biodiversity of future plants. Growth regulators are natural in seeds as they are responsible for the germination of seeds. In seed banks, these growth regulators lay dormant and therefore disable the seeds ability to sprout and therefore remain seeds.
My opinions on GMCs and seed banks I do completely agree with the ethical issues surrounding GMC seeds and seed banks. I do not think that GMC seeds should be stored for the simple reason being, what if scientists discover that GMCs could be quite dreadful to human and animal health and the government decides to scrap the method? If we stored the seeds instead of the original plant seed, we would not be able to reverse the production of the crops as we would be forced to plant them in order to have food. If something were to go wrong with GMC, having natural seeds could be a really good alternative.
I came into this investigation strongly believing that Genetically Modified Crops can bring an end to world hunger, I still believe in this thought, however, based on my extensive research, I am to see the negative impacts of GMCs but I do not believe that this practice should end because of the major benefits and potential it holds. Genetic Engineering allows for more crops to be made on a less amount of land, reducing resources. I do not think that the question people should be asking is “Is Genetically Engineered Food the answer to world hunger?” because it most definitely holds the ability to, however, I believe that the question we should be asking is “How can we make GMC’s a more credible science that can have a lesser impact on human health, the environment and animals?” and “How can we make this practice trusted among consumers?” Has my viewpoint been influenced? My viewpoint on the issue concerning world hunger still stands. GMCs can solve world hunger however, my glorious idea of Genetic Engineering has faltered a bit due to my research. I do believe that Genetic Engineering has great benefits to both humans and the planet however; the science is much too new to completely agree with it because there are far too many unknowns, yet I cannot completely disagree with it either.
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Get custom essayA scenario, not included in my research, had me feeling completely neutral to the idea of GMOs. My father bought this watermelon and it was huge, far greater than an ordinary watermelon. I remember thinking “how amazing it is for humans to develop a tool that enables fruits of crops to grow to a large capacity. This one watermelon could feed two families.” On the other hand, I also thought about how the whole process is not natural and how altering genes of a crop may disrupt the functioning of another organism that ate it.
The aftermath of genocide and mass violence has become a popular topic of interest over time. Genocide and episodes of mass violence have the ability to impact relationships between diverse groups of people and conflict. Genocide has a major impact on nations, ethnic group and families even after the violent episodes occur and over the years that follow. There are three social classifications of people involved in genocides which are perpetrators, bystanders and victims.
Get original essayAfter Genocide occurs, the mindset of individuals can be altered negatively which can be crippling. When it comes to moving forward after enduring genocide or mass atrocities, resources are available that can aid an individual with their healing process mentally and emotionally. When it comes to genocide, prevention is important. Educating others on genocide prevention is the first step in early prevention tactics and practices.
Genocide is a crime that affects the lives of everyone involved. Not just one particular group of people are traumatized, but instead everyone that it effects both directly and indirectly. While there are many lives affected by genocide, there are also many consequences that each party is left to deal with after the violent occurrence such as mental, emotional and physical trauma. These factors all affect an individual’s daily life and creates an impact of the lives of those who may stem from them in future generations. As survivors deal with trauma, there are resources available that can help survivors process through their emotions and help them fully process the events that transpired as well as coping mechanisms that can be utilized as a means to lessen the mental and emotional trauma experienced.
When studying genocide, most researchers have categorized different roles involved in a genocide. These roles, as mentioned above, are perpetrators, bystanders and victims. However, a factor that is important to note when thinking about separating people into categories is that these labels often don’t show or provide enough background information about an individual’s behavior and their role during a genocide. When studied, it has been shown that people classified as perpetrators viewed themselves as victims when the true victims were merely just fighting back against them. Often times, bystanders were also seen as potential victims or even as an accomplice to the perpetrator which creates a triangular link between all parties. Individuals may be classified in those three categories; however, it is possible for someone to have played all three roles.
Research on psychological consequences of genocides involving perpetrator groups in many cases has placed focus on the victims. After a genocide has been committed and time has evolved, the mindset of those associated with the perpetrator fluctuates. Some use personal bias and try to clear their ancestors of their crime by blaming anyone or anything else. When attempting to clear the name of someone in a perpetrator group, exoneration strategies are often their first line of defense. Utilizing exoneration strategies is their way to justify what occurred or try to place the blame anywhere but on the perpetrators themselves. They manage to persuade themselves that acts of genocide was the result of external factors and even go to the extent of blaming the victims for their own fate.
However, not all people associated with perpetrator groups wish to clear those involved in a genocide. For example, children and even grandchildren of Nazi perpetrators may engage with other genocide survivor relatives, for example like those from the Holocaust (Bar-On & Kassem, 2004). Through these interactions differences can be discussed and an understanding of each other can be learned. Although it may be difficult for members of a specific party to listen to a viewpoint they may disagree with, the door can be opened for reconciliation down the line by recognizing the viewpoint of others.
Although there may be apologies offered both personally and publicly, not all are sincere. Some apologies may only be made for the sake of a groups image or reputation. Perpetrators may believe their actions were justified given a set of circumstances, however, violence is never justified nor is it the correct way to handle personal conflict with a large group of diverse people.
A crucial aspect studied amongst genocide survivors is the trauma associated with mass violence. For example, a common condition that stems from such trauma is PTSD. Trauma can come in all forms such as PTSD, flash-backs and many other emotionally and mentally charged reactions Most survivors need assistance after a genocide which can be quite intense, however, it’s what is needed to help victims suffering from extreme trauma take their lives back.
One question that has raised many questions is whether or not signs of trauma can be inherited by next generation offspring or family members of genocide victims. Research has found that the transferring of trauma is supported within first generation offspring from the survivor, but there is less research to provide clarity on the effect that trauma has on second and third generation family members other than accumulated knowledge. However, it is studied that there is an impact made on the second-generation survivors as well as the third.
Second generation survivors may especially struggle with separation anxiety and controlling aggression while third-generation struggle with anxiety, drug use, depression. Those who are part of the third generation however tend grab onto memories that belong to their ancestors and as a result create false memories for themselves which can contribute to a form of PTSD.
On the topic of bystanders and their role in genocide, they can either intervene or do as the name implies--standby. When bystanders do nothing to stop the genocide, they are allowing the perpetrators to commit these crimes and this can serve as motivation for perpetrators to continue their horrendous behaviors because they feel that they aren’t in the wrong. It’s important to not, however, that bystanders aren’t just those who are present and spectating during the time of genocide, but includes anyone who is allowing it to happen (Woolf & Hulsizer, 2005).
Bystanders themselves if bearing witness are considered just as much participants by allowing harm to come to others. Bystanders may in the long run develop feelings of guilt for the actions of their past relatives based off of their ability to understand from the perspective of someone else. By taking the time to intervene or see a different perspective from the lens of a victim there can be an overall change in how a bystander reacts during the time of a genocide. Bystanders, even if it’s just one person, can make a difference and implement change.
When acts of genocide and mass atrocities are committed, they are attacks that are intended to inflict pain and harm onto others. The consequences of genocide vary from person to person and by groups as a whole who share a common perspective of another group of people (Imhoff et al., 2013). Victims of a genocide are forever impacted. Not only physically and mentally, but emotionally. These negative consequences for the victim linger and can never be erased. However, with the impact made on victims, their pain can in turn begin to affect the perpetrator and make them question their motives and the reason behind their actions.
From this, feelings of guilt may creep up on perpetrators and even bystanders which can become haunting and never ending. While victims work towards healing from the trauma that they’ve endured, perpetrators are also now being recognized for their harmful and shameful roles. After a genocide, when trying to insert themselves back into a society where they’ve done wrong, perpetrators are not always welcomed back into a community that they called home before they took part in mass atrocities. All three parties, bystanders, victims and perpetrators experience trauma whether it’s the perpetrator or bystander never being able to get the image of someone dying out of their head or the victim struggling to carry on with their life post-conflict (Scarlett, 2009).
Difficult living conditions, disagreements with others or hatred of another group of people paves the way for genocide to occur. The way people perceive others and the way they are currently living can lead to chaos throughout an entire society. People blame other groups of people for problems that arise and use violence as a means to be superior and gain control. When discussing genocide prevention, it’s important to state that education is key in instilling knowledge in people about violence and the negative marks it will leave on many people.
Educating others on tolerance is an important skill to teach at a young age. Parents and educators have a moral and ethical responsibility to teach children how to be accepting of other people regardless of differences in perspectives. Teaching adults and not just children or teens these important skills can be the difference between conflict and no conflict in a society where there are many diverse groups of people. Teaching children and influencing adults that intervening when they witness conflict can pave the way for change is a way that can make a difference is crucial to their own personal understanding of conflict and conflict resolution. If they don’t do or say something when involved, they too are a bystander who is allowing the negative behavior to continue.
Another key factor in preventing genocide is advocacy. It’s not enough to just wait until there is an active conflict to work towards a resolution. Advocating for change is important even when there is no conflict because it promotes the stages of early prevention which can ultimately decrease the chances of conflict altogether. Education and advocacy are the two most important prevention methods. Both of these methods send the message that violence shouldn’t be encouraged and that there are better ways to deal with personal conflicts then participating in genocide and mass atrocities.
After experiencing trauma related to genocide or any form of violence for that matter, resources such as therapy and small groups are available to help victims or anyone affected by violence. It’s normal to not want to discuss traumatizing events that were witnessed, however, having a conversation with the people around you may open the door for further conversation and coping strategies. The mind of those involved will be altered due to stress and fear, but showing interest in helping those affected can ensure that a positive change will occur. Allowing for an open conversation can help ease the mind of victims and help them clear their souls, however the trauma will never fully leave them, but can lessen (Shakespeare-Finch et al., 2014).
Recognizing that what happened did in fact happen is the first step to being able to fully heal. Although emotionally painful, being able to move forward can only happen if faults are recognized and methods to implement change are created. Seeking out necessary help can assist in the healing process and also provide a sense of comfort and reassurance for victims suffering after being involved in a genocide or mass atrocity.
When it comes to life after a genocide, there have been many ways that people have coped with their trauma. A few of commonly utilized methods for coping include religion, seeking support, relying on family, expressing emotion or not talking about the trauma. Religion was one factor that brought many genocide survivors some sort of peace. Relying on prayer and the guidance from something greater than ourselves is what helps many people get through the pain of their experiences.
Another two commonly linked strategies are seeking support from others such as therapists and focusing on family. When seeking support, family often become the primary target. When someone has been through a traumatic experience they seek help where they feel the most comfort which is in the company of those they trust and love. Falling into this category also is utilizing the expertise of a therapist. Therapists are able to provide those who experienced trauma with tools to help them psychologically and mentally which family members don’t always have the resources to do.
More coping strategies that are unique to the victims and other survivors includes expressing emotion, working and also keeping to themselves. In order for a victim to truly move on and be able to heal in a healthy way, they need to recognize what happened and let themselves feel their emotions and express them. Showing emotions and allowing yourself to feel those emotions will provide a freeing feeling even if temporary for the victim and allow them to be vulnerable. Also, every victim is different so expressing emotion may be difficult for them so they may choose to not talk about traumatic events they’ve witnessed at all. Some people can’t deal with rehashing painful experiences so they keep in tucked away in the back of their mind and work to suppress those memories.
Genocide and mass atrocities have many effects on a variety of different people ranging from perpetrators, bystanders and victims to anyone associated with them in later generations. Regardless of a person’s role in a genocide, everyone is involved in some way. Even if you’re not directly involved in the behavior and action of it all, just knowing what’s occurring and not doing anything makes you just as big a part of it. It takes a voice and intervention to truly create change.
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Get custom essayGenocide is a term used that describes acts of violence against groups of people who come from different ethnic or religious groups with a motive to hurt the entire group. When dealing with genocide, there are multiple perspectives involved. People are people, however, some struggle with power dynamics and living within a diverse community which is a contributing factor in why genocide occurs in the first place. The aftermath of genocide is very traumatic and has the ability to cast a dark shadow on an entire society.
On July 15, 1988 – the day of their college graduation – two people from opposite sides of the tracks begin a lifelong friendship. Emma, an idealist from a working-class family, wants to make the world a better place. Dexter, a playboy, thinks the world is his oyster. For the next 20 years, the two friends reunite on the 15th of each July, sharing dreams, tears and laughter -- until they discover what they've been searching for, each other.
Get original essayUp until now, this certain film has never left my heart. One Day is my je ne sais quoi. That is why it’s the piece I have chosen to make a genre analysis on. One Day is a British-American romantic drama film directed by Lone Scherfig, adapted from David Nicholls’ best selling novel of the same name, who was also the scriptwriter of the said film. Released in 2011, the film was a moderate success commercially, grossing over $56 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. One Day also furthered Scherfig’s career and her capacity to reach a broader audience since this film reached a mildly larger audience than any of her previous films.
One Day follows the lives of two friends, Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess), who move in and out of each other’s lives over the course of almost twenty years. Emma is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making the world a better place while Dexter is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground. After one day together – July 15, 1988 – their college graduation on St. Swithin’s Day, they begin a friendship that will last a lifetime. For the next two decades, key moments of their relationship are experienced over several July 15ths in their lives. Dex and Em are shown each year on the same date – sometimes together, sometimes not; as they journey through their friendship and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for is each other all along. However, just as when they found the love they’ve long been looking for in each other, they face the nature of love and life – that every love story ends with death; if you just follow it long enough.
Just like any other film, One Day is produced to make a profit. But more than that, it intends to entertain the audience and appeal to their emotions. The film is also an expression of talents on the craft of film making, especially of those who worked behind the scenes for its completion. In a deeper sense, the purpose of the film is to teach about the reality of life, no matter how painful and unacceptable it is. The film shows how human beings are at their worst, best, and everything in between when it comes to love. It is about missed chances and failing to embrace the moment; disappointments and regrets; wasting good fortune and life in the pursuit of trivialities; settling for second best; and the cruelty of self-realization coming later in life when it was needed much earlier.
The film’s genre is romantic drama. It’s because the film dwells on the elements of romantic love. It showcases what it’s like when someone falls in love and the actions people do for love. One Day also presents how people usually take love for granted then regret later on in life for the opportunities they never took and missed. It highlights the need to say what one feels for another before it’s too late. Moreover, the film reminds us of the brevity of life and its face-slapping reality which we can never prepare for – death.
Lone Scherfig (born May 2, 1959) is a Danish film director and screenwriter who graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 1984 and began her career as a director with the television film “Margrethes elsker” in 1985. She has been involved with the Dogme ‘95 film movement and has been widely critically acclaimed for several of her movies, including the Oscar-nominated film “An Education” in 2009 which was nominated for three (3) Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay; won twenty-five (25) awards and nominated for fifty-six (56). She directed almost twenty (20) movies since the 1980s. Through both experimenting with creative constraints and her smart attention to detail, she has come to be recognized as a blossoming talent in the film industry.
Focus Pictures is a co-producer of One Day. It is an American film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast through Universal Piforeig and is founded by David Linde in 2002. Together with Focus Pictures, Random House Studio House is also a co-producer of One Day. It is a production company responsible for adapting books published by Penguin Random House to film and TV. The company, originally owned by Penguin Random House, was transferred to Penguin Random House's grandniece company via its co-owner Bertelsmann Fremantle in 2016.
Film4 Productions co-finances the film, One Day. It is a British film production company owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.
The film One Day has been rated PG-13 because it contains sexual content, partial nudity, language, some violence and substance abuse. Those who are fans of missed opportunity love stories would definitely love this film. However, although the themes may be relatable for older teens, younger viewers might not appreciate the enormity of the highs and lows of the characters' friendship and the realistic depiction of the damage people can inflict even to those they love most.
“It may not truly capture the complexities of its source material, but One Day is funny, winning and entertaining - if little else.” – Ian Freer, Empire “Watch it for its adaptation of David Nicholl’s bestseller – the pages of the book do seem to come to life, though in bits and pieces.” – Times of India “It's what a Nicholas Sparks movie would be if it were aimed at grown women rather than teenage girls.” – Eric Snider, Film.com. “The film might make the book look less astute and interesting than it is, but it still has an undeniable emotional wallop by its close.” – Dave Calhoun, Time Out “There is certainly enough, in Scherfig’s One Day, to touch susceptible heartstrings, but the tug is not as forceful as it could have been.” – Jenny McCartney, Seven Magazine.
One Day conveys stated and implied themes. The stated theme of the film would be of course, love. Love for friends, family, and romantic kind. Dexter and Emma would have started off as lovers on St. Swithin’s Day, July 15th of 1988, but then made the promise of friendship later on that day along with the agreement to meet each other on the same day, every year. It can also be seen in the film that Dexter grew close with his mother, Alison (Patricia Clarkson). On 15th of July 1994, he visited his parents and there he knew that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer and is terminally ill. Love then, is seen in many aspects in the film.
Later on, Dexter and Emma found lovers of their own: Dexter even had a daughter and was engaged to Sylvie (Romola Garai); and Emma lived together with Ian (Rafe Spall) despite of him being a deadbeat – which of course, did not turned out well since Dex and Em had feelings for each other, only that it was hidden and waiting to be said. The implied theme in the film would be the bravery to express what one feels for another. I personally think that the rules Dexter and Emma made during their holiday on the 15th of July 1992 hindered their supposed confession. They would have become lovers on that day but then did not because of Rule #2 – No flirting, no starting anything. [Dexter] has a girlfriend, and they just can't go there. If only they said what they truly felt, they wouldn’t have wasted such long years only to find out that there were for each other in the end. The film also showed implied themes of life’s reality.
Firstly, it’s hard to tell what you feel to a person who is your best friend. One would not risk ruining the strong bond and friendship built over the years. Secondly, it’s a reality that people settle for less either because they’ve waited long enough for the best or that the best was already taken from them. It seemed that Emma only lived together with Ian to battle out Dexter’s engagement with Sylvie. Their unexpressed jealousy only made them farther apart. Lastly, death is indeed inevitable. On the 15th of July 2004, when Dex and Em were engaged, was the time when she was taken away from him. I personally felt heartbroken when Emma was hit by a truck as she rode a bike at the end of a blind alley. I did not expect it to happen. I feel regretful for their lost years and for the years they were supposed to face together not as best friends but as lovers. I haven’t accepted that up to now, actually. For me, the waiting for almost two decades just for romantic love to happen between them was not justified by Emma’s abrupt death. They didn’t even get to have a child! Dexter was left behind, and it was painful to watch him succumb to his grief. But I guess it was being depicted in the film to make one realize that death is an inescapable part of life, that the people you love would eventually pass away. One could never be truly prepared for what’s going to happen tomorrow because not everything goes into your liking.
I regard “Love, Rosie” as a film that’s similar to One Day. It is a 2014 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Christian Ditter and written by Juliette Towhidi, based on the 2004 novel “Where Rainbows End” by Irish author, Cecelia Ahern. They are similar because aside from it is also adapted from a novel, the main characters of Love, Rosie, Alex Stewart (Sam Claflin) and Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) are also best friends. On Rosie's 18th birthday, it struck them that there could be something more than friendship between them. But fate always kept them apart, until one day they finally find out that they love each other. The film also depicts missed opportunities and long-time realization of love for each other. Below is its synopsis. Best friends Rosie and Alex are suddenly separated when Alex and his family move from Dublin to America. Can their friendship survive years and miles? Will they gamble everything for true love?
Another film that I regard similar to One Day is the film “The Fault in our Stars”. It is a 2014 American romantic tragedy film directed by Josh Boone, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by John Green. The film is similar with One Day because aside from it being adapted from a novel, the film also shows a similar theme. It depicts life’s reality, especially the inevitability of death; knowing that the main characters, Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort) are both cancer patients. Death for them would only be a step away. Just like One Day, a main character also dies in the end. Below is its synopsis. Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters, a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group. Hazel feels that Gus really understands her. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially Grace's touchstone, "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten. When Gus scores an invitation to meet the reclusive author, he and Hazel embark on the adventure of their brief lives.
The film’s most noticeable element would be its transitions, playing out over the years (1988-2011), all but featuring one day. There were several settings seen in the film. Filming took place on location in Scotland, England and France. It is worth noticing as well that the film did a good job in showing how the characters changed through time – in their appearance mostly, and certainly along with the changes in the different settings as well. It is like watching a time-lapse film, but with enough speed to linger upon scenes of their evolving love.
Emma Morley was shown in the film as a person of the lower class, while Dexter Mayhew of the upper class, wealthy and all. In the film, Emma Morley worked as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in the year 1990 while Dexter became a host of a television show in the year 1993. The gap between their jobs is clearly seen since Emma who once aspired to write with London being her inspiration wasn’t able to do so because she had to work and earn money; while Dexter on the other hand, had a stable career as he was beginning to be the one of the famous hosts on TV. Later on, he hosted another show called Late Night Lockin and another on video games. He was more successful compared to Emma who never had time to write anything. There was also a time in 1996 when Emma goes out to meet Dexter at a posh club and had a heated argument because Dexter, under the influence of drugs, had insulted Emma on her job as a teacher. He said to Emma, “Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach.” However, despite of Dexter’s wealth and lush life, there was a time when he was 32 and did not know what to do in his life anymore. His insult to Emma was only brought upon by his frustrations at work and grief for his deceased mother. He needed Emma to be there for him, only that he said the wrong words. But with Emma being hurt replied, “I love you, Dexter. I just don't like you anymore."
Emma: "London's swallowed me up. I thought I'd make a difference, but no one knows I'm here."Dexter: "Listen, listen. Nothing truly good was ever easy." The dialogue above happened when Emma felt hopeless living alone in London and she talked to Dexter about it through the telephone. The line “I thought I’d make a difference” demonstrates Emma’s idealistic character in the film. Dexter’s reply of “Nothing truly good was ever easy” was a spot-on advice despite of him continuing his habit of being a playboy in Paris. I think that this dialogue of them was very memorable that it makes me refer it to the struggles they’ve been through in the film. Indeed, nothing good is easy - and that includes Dexter and Emma's relationship. Maybe the long years of waiting for them to realize their love for each other is now justified by this certain line. Because when they finally found each other, it was more than good; that why it was never easy.
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Get custom essay“Having a best friend is the greatest, until you fall in love with them.” This anonymous quote would probably fit the film’s situation. It is hard to risk a friendship in the pursuit of love because once it fails, there’s nothing else to be but strangers. Dexter and Emma became the best of friends as the film progressed. However, it was evident that both of them are slowly falling for each other. All they needed was the courage to say it. Both of them didn’t wanna risk losing each other just because of what they felt so they thought they’d be better off as best friends. Although they found each other in the end and knew what they truly felt for one another, the time it took them to reach to that realization was too long that they missed a lot of moments where they should’ve been together. If I were to be put in the same situation, I’d rather tell that person what I feel. Because it would probably be more difficult living the rest of my life knowing that I felt something but never acted upon because of whatever reason I have in my head. The unsaid words would forever haunt me. At least if ever it fails, I could say that I tried. I’d rather feel defeated than feel regretful.
The name ‘Chaucer’ is closely related to English literature. If one considers English Literature as the body, then Chaucer is the soul without whom English literature would be a corpse. Chaucer’s literary career only has fifty years but these fifty years have given English literature the gift of lifetime. Being a man of 14th century, he alone developed the English literature for all the next centuries. Chaucer is considered to be one of the most musical poets of all time. There is melody in almost each and every one of his writings. He is a man who mastered in French, Italian and English too. He wrote in all three languages and incorporated people from all of these three speaking language. His language can be understood easily if one appreciates his poetry, his humour, his good stories, his kind heart. He is thought to be a cosmopolitan as in his writing he included people from many class. He is also famous for his presentation style and excellent characterization which is a unique quality and can only be found in famous authors like Tagore, Shakespeare, Dante, Kafka, Amitabh Ghosh and some others. But nobody could match the quality like Chaucer did. Although Chaucer is the man who formed the English literature and known as the father of English literature, still the question arises whether or not Chaucer really was able to portray the lives of contemporary people of 14th century. This paper aims to investigate on this topic and find out if Chaucer was truly able to portray the real image of the people of his time.
Get original essayTo achieve the objective, the paper is sub categorized into five different parts to analyze the raised question logically. The first part discusses on the political life of Geoffrey Chaucer so that his works can be related with it. The second part briefly discusses about the major works of Chaucer from all the three periods of his literary career. The following part portrays socio political events of the 14th century and how people lived in that time. The next part shows the contribution of some other contemporary writers of Chaucer so that a logical comparison is created. The last and most significant part of this paper describes how Chaucer failed to portray the life of contemporary people of his time in his writings.
Chaucer was not only a poet in his 60 years of life (approximately from 1340 to 1400). He was also a bureaucrat, philosopher, courtier, astronomer and diplomat. His political career began in 1357 when through his father’s connection he became the household accounts of Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster. The countess was married to the son of Edward III under whom, Chaucer worked as a diplomat, civil servant, as well as Clerk of the King's Works from 1389 to 1391.
Chaucer and Edward III had a good relationship which is proven more than once in Chaucer’s later years. When he went in the ‘Hundred years of War’ in 1360 he was sent to jail for his ransom. Edward III bailed him paying a huge sum of money to the authority. Edward III did not hesitate to pay such a huge amount of money (16 pounds) for once. This shows how they had a strong bond among themselves.
In the year 1367 he became a member of the royal court of Edward III as a yeoman, or esquire. When Chaucer formally begin to write, he is thought to be highly appreciated by Edward III as he was granted “a gallon of wine daily for the rest of his life'. But nobody still knows for which job he was granted so grandly. He got this liquid stipend until Richard II came. Richard II made it a monetary sanction in 1378. Again this unexpected, costly grant magnifies their bond. Another controversy about Chaucer’s life after the ransom incident is found that he was involved in the seizure of Cecilia Chaumpaigne. But even though it was proved to be true, it did not leave a stain in Chaucer’s career. Maybe again the royalist made sure that Chaucer had no difficulty in his way.
Chaucer is thought to start his writing for ‘The Canterbury Tales’ in 1380 before he became a member of the parliament for Kent. Previously he wrote in French and Italian but suddenly he started writing in English. The hidden reason behind it can be because he was a member of parliament then and he strongly needed the support of the common people more than he needed the royalists.
Chaucer’s literary life can be divided into three different parts as he wrote in three different languages. In all these periods he produced marvelous works which are still set as examples for today’s and future authors.
In the first period of Chaucer’s life he wrote in French. This period lasted for 30 years. The best known poem of the first period of Chaucer’s life is ‘Romaunt of the Rose’ which is a translation of the French ‘Roman de la Rose’. This allegorical poem deals with Chivalry and courtly love. Here ‘rose’ is used as a symbol of love which the narrator cannot get in the first part. In the second part he can kiss the rose but then ‘jealousy’ creates a fortress between them. The poem satirizes the mores of the time. Chaucer also wrote the ‘Boke of the Duchess’ in this period. It is written for the late wife of his patron John of Gout who died in the plague of 1369. But he did not focus on the plague in the poem even allegorically. Just like Chaucer’s other poems, this too shows his musical and melodious characteristics with refined humour and a good story but he did not focus on the background or the socio political events of that time.
In the second period of Chaucer’s life he wrote all his literary pieces in Italian. This period lasted for 15 years. The chief work of this period is ‘Troilus and Cressida’ which is a poem of eighty thousand lines. This poem deals with love and betrayal. This was inspired by Homer’s ‘Iliad’ as it deals with Troy and Trojan prince’s love affair. Another famous poem of this age is the ‘Legende of Goode Wimmen’. It is a dream vision. Chaucer describes ten stories of ‘good women’ in nine sections.
In Chaucer’s last fifteen years of literary life Chaucer wrote in English. The famous ‘The Canterbury Tales’ was written in this age. Although it was left unfinished as Chaucer died but his plan was to have 30 characters going on a pilgrimage each telling two stories on their journey. With those stories, he wanted to show the reflection of English people to the rest of the world. Why Chaucer suddenly started to write in English is still an unresolved mystery. English was just a dialect then and was only spoken by the middle class and lower middle class people. As Chaucer was accustomed to be with the monarchs and royalists, this incident can make anyone surprised. Before writing ‘The Canterbury Tales’ he became a member of the parliament and as a member of parliament he must needed the support of the common people. And maybe for this reason he started to write in a dialect and made that the base for today’s English language.
‘The Hundred Years’ war between France and England started in 1338. Whenever a war starts people of all the involved countries suffer. Same thing happened in this war. Killing civilians, burning buildings, and crops and stealing whatever riches one finds were common scenario. Areas became depleted, populations fled or were massacred, the economy was damaged and disrupted, and ever greater expenditure was sucked into the army, raising taxes. Royal revenues fell greatly over war but some people made money by taking advantages of the ongoing situation and became rich.
In the year 1348, England saw its first plague which is known as ‘Black Death’. Originating in China, it made it’s way to England successfully and killed 20 percent of the total population. By autumn, the plague had reached London, and by summer 1349 it covered the entire country. The English government handled the crisis well. There seem to have been very few victims of the Black Death at higher levels of society. The plague and ‘The Hundred Years War’ led England to the peasant Revolt by Wat Tyler in 1381. The revolt had several causes, one of them is the socio-economic and political tensions which came with the Black Death. Another reason can be the high taxes resulting from the conflict with France during the Hundred Years' War and instability within the local leadership of London.
All these incidents occurring in the 14th century were enough to keep the people of that time tensed and anxious. People were getting killed randomly. When the killer people were stopped, then nature became the killer. When both of the killing were stopped, the built up suppression, anger made people rebellion and again put the whole England in pressure.
Although the years 1350- 1400 is known as ‘The Age of Chaucer’, there were four more prominent writers in that age.
William Langland
William Langland was a very visionary writer. He believed farmers are the symbol of equality. His literature is preaching the equality of men and the dignity of labour.
John Wyclif
John Wyclif is thought to be ‘the father of English prose’. He was a reformer. He translated the bible.
John Gower
John Gower was a romantic writer. He wrote in English, Italian and French. He used to criticize the vigorious life and its consequences.
Mandeville
Mandeville loved travel. That is why he wrote many travelogues. His literature shows wonderment about other lands on the earth.
Geoffrey Chaucer is mostly known for his portrayal of the society, the human as nobody ever tried before. His unfinished ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is still celebrated in the world of English literature. It is true that Chaucer’s writing style is still thought to be unmatchable by anyone rather than Shakespeare. He invented the technique ‘frame story’ which is telling a story inside another story to make the first one more realistic. ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is written in this technique too. But though he succeeded introducing new techniques to the English literature, he failed to portray the real image of 14th century people through his writings. From a very young age Chaucer had have a good relationship with monarchs. In fact, in his lifetime, he worked under three different monarchs. They patronized him and Chaucer worked for them. But Chaucer might though that just working is not that enough so he dedicated his written poetries to his patrons. When someone writes for the monarchs it is obviously going to be somehow praising their qualities in a direct way or indirect one. Chaucer had done the same thing in the first period of his literary life, when he used to write in French, he wrote ‘Boke of the Duchess’ to please Abtahee 8 his patron John of Gout. He wanted to portray to the people that how John of Gout loved his wife through his poem. But he did not even allegorically mention that his wife died because of the plague or ‘Black Death’ of 1348. He mentioned the two most important events happened in the 14th century, the peasant revolt and Lollardy (a movement by John Wyclif, advocating that the Church should help people to live a life of evangelical poverty and imitate Christ) in only one of his stories in ‘The Canterbury Tales’. His love for the royalists can be understood easily with the events between him and Edward III. But he had the habit to obsequy everyone he worked for. This can be the reason why he wrote all the things which were in support of the royalists. Those literary pieces made his patrons happy and earned him ‘a barrel of wine’ every day or bailing from jail with 16 pounds! His short poetry ‘Fortune’ is written to make own fortune better by praising Lancaster, another patron of Chaucer. Perhaps this is why Chaucer’s poetries were not affected by the ongoing situation of the country as the upper-class were not affected by it.
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Get custom essayGeoffrey Chaucer is thought to be the real starting point of English literature. Although this ‘morning star of renaissance’ introduced many new techniques to English literature but failed to portray the real image of the people of 14th century. It is true that he wrote for the middle class in English in the last part of his literary life but it might be only because of his own political gain as he always had a very close relationship with the royalties, monarchs and other powerful people who truly helped him when he needed. To compensate the favours done for him, he wrote poetries the way they would feel better. Literature is thought to be the reflection of life. But Chaucer’s literature was not the mirror for the whole society but for the royalists; so the mirror of his literature portrayed life of 14th century’s people from the perspective of the monarchs and this is how the father of the English literature failed to portray the life of the people of 14th century through his writing.
Geographical juxtaposition is not uncommon in the genius works of William Shakespeare. In his renowned play, Othello, Shakespeare exploits the stark contrasts in the story’s two settings, the two cities of Venice and Cyprus. Shakespeare presents the environmental, moral, and behavioral dichotomies between Venice and Cyprus (and of the characters in said environments) as they relate to the central meaning of trusting one’s instincts.
Get original essayThe environments of Venice and Cyprus, respectively, cultivate the instincts and rationality of its citizens. Venice, north of Cyprus, is a place in which law and order dictates society; civilization thrives and, as suggested in the overwhelming number of wealthy senators (i.e. the senator Brabantio, the father of Desdemona) in Othello, many are prosperous. The orderly environment of Venice has pertinence to the idea that one should trust his instincts. One is able to think rationally in Venice because the city is not in the midst of pandemonium as its converse (the city of Cyprus) is. For example, the Duke of Venice -- when bombarded with Brabantio’s absurd dissertation that Othello uses witchcraft to court his daughter, Desdemona -- utilizes his sensibility (cultivated by his environment) to refute the claim that would later be dismissed in a formal trial. He is able to trust his instincts because it it is impermeable to the chaotic environment of Cyprus (I. I). In contrast, the chaos of Cyprus clouds the several characters’ thinking and rationality. Cyprus acts as the landscape for the scenes in which evil Iago’s plan to assassinate Desdemona’s character unfolds and he coerces Othello into believing the absurdities after making multiple assertions (that Desdemona is unfaithful to her lover Othello). Othello should have trusted his initial thinking (in Venice) that Desdemona was a faithful wife; yet the hectic environment of perpetual war and invasive colonization of Cyprus fractures his sound logic.
The contrasting moral of standards of Cyprus and Venice also relate to the central message of Othello to trust one’s instincts. The text of Othello clearly indicates that the Venetians place great emphasis on morality; in Cyprus, the same standard fails to exist for the Cypriots. The Venetians are known for their upstanding moral character, while the people of Cyprus have more than an off-balanced moral compass. Shakespeare presents these moral discrepancies in the very first scene in which Iago begins to unfold his plan to destroy Othello. When Iago and Roderigo claim that someone has robbed the senator Brabantio's estate (in order to turn Brabantio’s attention to his daughter’s secret suitor, Othello), Brabantio responds, “What tellest thou me of robbing? This is Venice.” (I. I. 108-9) His initial reaction indicates that he believes that the people of Venice are above acts of robbery. Had he ignored the preposterous claims as his instinct would have encouraged, he would not have had to receive the heart-breaking news that his daughter has married the Moor -- information of which he would have rather been ignorant. The inhabitants of Cyprus, on the other hand, consider thievery normative as crime was likely commonplace given the loose system of law and order,
Lastly, the behavioral dichotomies of the Venetian characters in Cyprus bolster the notion that one should trust his intuition. For example, Cassio, Othello’s second-in-command serves as one of the play’s most respectable men in both his words and actions; however, Iago assassinates Cassio’s character when he pressures Cassio into drinking. The drinking causes Cassio to engage in a brawl that will seal the fate of poor Cassio. In Venice, he originally detests alcohol’s wicked effects, saying, “Not tonight, good Iago. I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking. I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment.” (II. III. 22- 23) Yet, the Cyprus environment influences his noble discernment and encourages him to take that first sip which will lead to his own demise. Had he maintained his original rationality and proper dignity, he might have kept his military position and high social standing. However, the air in Cyprus poisoned good Cassio with an ungodly inclination to be a less refined Venetian and a more wild Cypriot. This behavioral conflict between wild and tame reflects yet another difference between Cyprus and Venice.
Shakespeare in his renowned play Othello creates a dichotomy between the two settings of the story, the cities of Cyprus and Venice. The stark contrasts between Cyprus and Venice speak more to the story than just geography; they also present an important theme. The environmental, moral, and behavioral discrepancies which Shakespeare explores in Othello relay the theme that one should perpetually be trusting of his instincts.
My report is on George M. Cohan, the congressional medal of honor, and his impact on WW1. George Michael Cohan who was a singer, dancer, songwriter, producer, lyricist, actor, playwright, composer, or just an American entertainer had an impact on World War one in many ways. George Michael Cohan, Professionally known as George M. Cohan was born on July 3, 1878. Cohan has published three hundred plus songs in his lifetime. Some of these songs included “The Yankee Doodle Boy”, “You're a Grand Old Flag” and others. Before World War One George M. Cohan was also known as “the man who owned Broadway”. George M. Cohan Is considered the father of American musical comedy. George M. Cohan’s life was depicted in the Academy Award-winning film “Yankee Doodle Dandy” in 1942 and the 1968 musical George M. George M. Cohan has a statue in Times Square New York City that commemorates his contributions to American musical theatre. He appeared in films until the 1930s and has continued to perform as headline artist until 1940.
Get original essayEarly Career George M. Cohan was born in 1878 in Providence Rhode Island to Irish Catholic parents. A birth certificate from St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church said that Cohan was born on July 3, but his parents always said that Cohan was born on the “fourth of July”. George M. Cohan parents were traveling vaudeville performers and Cohan joined them on stage when he was an infant. While Cohan was on stage with his parents as an Infant he started off as a prop, and eventually learned how to walk and talk and soon after that he learned how to sing and dance. George M. Cohan first started off as a stage performer at age 8. At age 8 George M. Cohan started off playing the violin on stage and eventually, he moved on to dance instead. He was the fourth person of the family vaudeville act called The Four Cohans, which included his father Jeremiah Cohan, his mother Helen Costigan Cohan, his sister Josephine Cohan, and himself. The Four Cohans mostly toured together from 1890 to 1901. George M. Cohan toured as the star of a show called “Peck's bad boy”. George M. Cohan and his sister both made their Broadway debut in 1893 in a skit called “ The Lively Bootblack”.Cohan began writing original skits over 150 skits, and songs for the family act in both vaudeville and minstrel shows while in his teens. Soon he started to write professionally, and eventually, he started selling his first songs to a national publisher in 1893. In 1901 he wrote, produced and directed his own Broadway musical called ”The Governor's Son”, that was for The Four Cohans. His first Broadway hit was in 1904 and was the show ”Little Johnny Jones”, that introduced his tunes "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy”.
Cohan soon became one of the leading Tin Pan Alley songwriters, publishing upwards of 300 original songs known for their clever lyrics and catchy melodies. His major hit songs included "You're a Grand Old Flag", "Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway", "Mary Is a Grand Old Name", "The Warmest Baby in the Bunch", "Life's a Funny Proposition After All", "I Want To Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune", "You Won't Do Any Business If You Haven't Got a Band", "The Small Town Gal", "I'm Mighty Glad I'm Living, That's All", "That Haunting Melody", "Always Leave Them Laughing When You Say Goodbye", and the most popular American World War I song "Over There", which was recorded by Enrico Caruso and others. The latter song became really popular among troops and shipyard workers that a ship was named "Costigan" after Cohan's grandfather, Dennis Costigan. During the christening, "Over There" was played.
From 1904 to 1920, Cohan made and released over 50 musicals, revues, and plays on Broadway with his friend Sam H. Harris. Some of these songs included “Give My Regards to Broadway” and the popular “Going Up” in 1917, which became a hit in London the following year. His shows ran simultaneously in as much as five theatres. One of Cohan's most creative plays was a dramatization of the mystery “Seven Keys to Baldpate” in 1913, which puzzled some audiences and critics but still became a hit. Cohan eventually adapted it into a film in 1917, and it was adapted for film six more times, and for TV and radio too. He eventually dropped out of acting for a couple of years after his 1919 argument with Actors' Equity Association. In 1925, he published his autobiography, “Twenty Years on Broadway and the Years It Took To Get There”. Later Career Cohan appeared in 1930 in a revival of his tribute to vaudeville and his father, ”The Song and Dance Man”. In 1932, Cohan starred in a dual role as a cold, corrupt politician and his charming, idealistic campaign double in the Hollywood musical film “The Phantom President”.
The film co-starred Claudette Colbert and Jimmy Durante, with songs by Rodgers and Hart, and was released by Paramount Pictures. He appeared in some earlier silent films but he disliked Hollywood production methods and only made one other sound film, “Gambling” in 1934, based on his own 1929 play and shot in New York City. A critic called ”Gambling” a "stodgy adaptation of a definitely dated play directed in obsolete theatrical technique." It is considered a lost film. In 1940, Judy Garland played the title role in a film version of his 1922 musical ”Little Nellie Kelly”. Cohan's mystery play “Seven Keys to Baldpate” was first filmed in 1916 and has been remade seven times, most recently as “House of Long Shadows” in 1983, starring Vincent Price. In 1942, a musical biopic of Cohan, ”Yankee Doodle Dandy”, was released, and James Cagney's performance in the title role earned the Best Actor Academy Award. The film was privately screened for Cohan as he battled the last stages of abdominal cancer, Cohan's comment on Cagney’s performance was, "My God, what an act to follow!’’ Cohan's 1920 play ”The Meanest Man In The World” was filmed in 1943 with Jack Benny.
Although Cohan is mostly remembered for his songs, he became an early pioneer in the development of the "Book Musical", using his engaging libretti to bridge the gaps between drama and music. More than three decades before Agnes de Mille choreographed Oklahoma!, Cohan used dance not merely as razzle-dazzle, but to advance the plot. Cohan's main characters were "Average Joes and Janes" who appealed to a wide American audience. In 1914, Cohan became one of the founding members of ASCAP. Although Cohan was known as extremely generous to his fellow actors in need, in 1919, he unsuccessfully opposed a historic strike by Actors' Equity Association, for which many in the theatrical professions never forgave him. Cohan opposed the strike because, in addition to being an actor in his productions, he was also the producer of the musical that set the terms and conditions of the actors' employment. During the strike, he donated $100,000 to finance the “Actors' Retirement Fund” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Cohan wrote numerous Broadway musicals and straight plays in addition to contributing material to shows written by others—more than 50 in all. Cohan shows included “Little Johnny Jones” in 1904, ”Forty Five Minutes From Broadway” in 1905, “George Washington Jr. in 1906, “The Talk of New York and the Honeymooners” in 1907, “Fifty Miles From Boston” and “The Yankee Prince” in 1908, “Broadway Jones” in 1912, “Seven Keys to Baldpate” in 1913, “The American Idea”,”Get Rich Quick Wallingford”, “The Man Who Owns Broadway”, “The Little Nellie Kelly”, “The Cohan Revenue of 1916” and 1918 co-written with Irving Berlin. “The Tavern” in 1920, ”The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly” in 1923, featuring a 13-year-old Ruby Keeler among the chorus girls. “The Song and Dance Man” in 1923, “Molly Malone”, “The Miracle Man”, “Hello Broadway”,”American Born” in 1925, “The Baby Cyclone” in 1927, one of Spencer Tracy's early breaks, “Elmer The Great” in 1928, co-written with Ring Lardner, and “Pigeons and People” in 1933. At this point in his life, he walked in and out of retirement.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress. On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. No. 82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by authorizing the production and distribution of "medals of honor". On December 21st the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals to be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamen like qualities during the present war (Civil War)." President Lincoln signed the bill and the (Navy) Medal of Honor was born. Here are some people who got the Congressional Medal of Honor and what they got it for. Wesley L. Fox, 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, passed away on Friday, November 24th. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and the U.S. Marine Corps.
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Get custom essayThomas Jerome Hudner Jr., Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, passed away on Monday, November 13th. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and the U.S. Navy. Arthur J. Jackson, Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps, passed away on Wednesday, June 14th. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallant initiative and heroic conduct in the face of extreme peril at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and the U.S. Marine Corps. Instituted: March 25, 1863. Established: U.S. Navy: December 21, 1861; U.S. Army: July 12, 1862; U.S. Air Force: April 14, 1965. Last awarded: October 23, 2017. Posthumous awards: 621, Distinct recipients: 3,498 Awarded for Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Cohan was called "the greatest single figure the American theatre ever produced – as a player, playwright, actor, composer, and producer." On June 29, 1936, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented him with the Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to World War I morale, in particular, the songs "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There." Cohan was the first person in any artistic field selected for this honor, which previously had gone only to military and political leaders, philanthropists, scientists, inventors, and explorers.
“Shooting an Elephant,” a short story by George Orwell, is about a man who goes against his morals and succumbs to social pressures at the expense of an innocent elephant. The story, published in 1936, was influenced by the formal innovations and social thought of the Modernist Period. During this time, widespread British Imperialism had a great effect on society; Orwell’s life experiences and the current events of the time also greatly influenced his work. Orwell presents the Modernist themes of Imperialism, racial feuds and isolation using direct, matter-of-fact sentences and a truthful, conversational tone. Throughout, Orwell’s use of an honest first person stream of consciousness based on his experiences in India displays the racial tensions caused by Imperialism during the Modernist Period.
Get original essayBorn in 1903, Orwell lived towards the end of British Imperialism, a time of great conflict. The atrocities the British inflicted on their subjects, especially in India, greatly affected him. Great Britain colonized India and held control of it for over two centuries. The British exploited the country for its abundance of goods such as spices and gold, and used it to expand their trading routes and sphere of influence. Imperialism benefited the British, but not the Indians. When Britain gained control of India, the Indians faced persecution in their own country and forced assimilation into European culture. After spending time working as a police officer in a rundown village in Burma, India, Orwell became aware of these injustices. He was, “Keenly aware of the inequalities of Imperialism” (Hopkinson 2) and openly expressed his disdain for the practice. He details the horrors experienced by the Indian subjects in his stories. In his writing, Orwell reflects his first-hand experience of the evils of Imperialism and his great hatred of the British government.
The setting in Burma greatly impacted the story. Similar to the protagonist in the story, Orwell acted as the assistant district superintendent of the Imperial Police in Burma. During this time the author witnessed much discrimination and injustice towards the Indians. Only a select group of European men ruled millions of Indians through force, creating an imbalance of power. Orwell channeled his animosity into his writing by, “Immersing himself in difficult situations and then writing about them with extraordinary insight” (Hopkinson 1). By doing so, he helps the reader better understand the injustices of Imperialism. Orwell’s criticism of Imperialism and deep understanding of the plight of the Indians add thoughtful insight to the story.
The plot of “Shooting an Elephant” and the protagonist's thoughts portray how racial tensions and societal expectations can alter a man's values. The plot of the story demonstrates the racial tensions between the British Imperialists and the villagers of Burma. The European men control the villagers, which makes the unnamed protagonist feel like he must act powerful. He feels that, "He has got to do what the ‘natives’ expect of him" (Orwell 6) and be the powerful and brave leader they want him to be. For this reason, he takes action when a group of frenzied villagers tell him that a wild elephant is causing havoc in their village. At first, the protagonist has no intention of killing the elephant. He demonstrates this by only taking a small handgun for protection. This quickly changes. As he approaches the village, he sees a trampled corpse of a man and thousands of villagers. As the protagonist pursues the elephant, the large crowd follows, watching his every move. Although he did not originally plan on killing the elephant, he feels pressure from the villagers and shoots. The elephant does not die immediately, it takes many bullets and over half an hour for the elephant to slowly parish. The villagers watch in as awe as if the killing was their entertainment, and after the elephant dies, they scavenge for its meat.
Within the narration, there is much debate on whether or not the killing of the elephant is ethical. The protagonist internally struggles with having killed the elephant and is overwhelmed by guilt. In the end, the protagonist is relieved that the elephant killed a man, because it gave him the legal right to kill the elephant. But the protagonist did not kill the elephant to protect the village or because it was the right thing to do. He states that “Legally I had done the right thing,” (Orwell 9) but morally he did not. He killed the elephant to sustain his image as a strong leader and protect his ego.
By using first-person narration, Orwell displays the protagonist’s internal struggle regarding shooting the elephant. The protagonist narrates the story using a stream of consciousness to provide blunt, truthful accounts. He uses a didactic manner to educate the reader and describe the horrors of British Imperialism. He portrays Orwell's hatred of British Imperialism and sympathy for the Burmese with an “Honest use of language” (Kinsella 1). By using first person narration, Orwell provides the reader with a glimpse into the protagonist’s inner thoughts and reveals “Extraordinary insight” (Kinsella 1). It also depicts the character development of the protagonist from a morally upstanding police officer to a weak-willed elephant murderer. The story includes the narrator’s inner thoughts to show his moral development and criticisms of the cruel Imperialistic system.
The three Modernist themes illustrated in “Shooting an Elephant” are Imperialism, racial feuds, and isolation. Portrayed negatively, Imperialism greatly influences the story. Orwell negatively describes Imperialism and reveals its immorality. The story displays the loss of freedom and injustices the villagers endure. The second theme, racial feuds, is shown through the tensions between the protagonist and the villagers. Because of the British Imperialism of Burma, India, a small group of Europeans are given power over the millions of Indians of the country. This great imbalance of power causes the villagers to resent the protagonist and the other Europeans in their country. The villagers had a bitter, “Anti-European feeling” (Orwell 1) toward the protagonist which affected their relationship. The third theme presented in the story is isolation. Because he is the only European in the village and one of the few white men in all of India, the narrator is ostracized. The British have rule over the Indians and domain over their country, so the narrator separates himself as the man in power. This causes him to feel like he must rise to meet the India’s great expectations of the white Europeans in power. British Imperialism of India causes racial feuds and isolation of the protagonist, which are three of the prominent themes of the story.
“Shooting an Elephant” illustrates the social tensions created by British Imperialism. Orwell draws off of his experiences as a police officer in Burma to develop the protagonist, which created a more insightful and realistic character. Using first person narration, Orwell clearly describes the narrator’s thoughts and emotions. Therefore, he is able to display the protagonist’s character development through the story. He transforms from an upstanding police officer to a weak-willed man that disregards his morals and better judgement to conform to the expectations of others. In addition, Orwell critiques British Imperialism in India and expresses his disdain for the treatment of the Burmese. He exposes their exploitation and the racist actions taken against them. Overall, George Orwell uses first person narration to portray the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist and draws on his own experiences with British Imperialism to create a short story highlighting the racial tensions in Burma, India. A man is no match for an elephant, unless he has a gun. The British troops would be no match for the millions of Indians, except they have guns. The slow death of the elephant reminds the reader of the long, cruel period of British Imperialism in India, which killed the free will of the Indians. Orwell uses the seemingly simple situation of a man shooting an elephant to bring to light the pain and consequences of Imperialism.
George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a dystopian society, in which civilians are constantly being monitored through day-to-day life. With issues such as criminalization of free thought and the use of technology, in the novel, Orwell has predicted what is happening today, which makes Nineteen Eighty-Four a classic novel, suitable for students to revisit in the 21st century. To discuss this. I'll analyze Orwell's 1984 compared to today in this essay.
Get original essayTechnology, a concept in Nineteen Eighty-Four that is still relevant in modern society today, with the TV show Big Brother, inspired by this novel, it just shows that Nineteen Eighty-Four essentially predicted the future we live in today. In Nineteen Eighty-Four technology was a new way to control people with fear, with the party in power, they easily manipulated people with technology and brainwashed the public by putting telescreens in private areas and microphones around the town.
Today, there is no need for ‘Big Brother’ as we volunteer so much personal information about ourselves on social media already, we’re basically handing it to the government. Nineteen Eighty-Four delivers this concept of thought police; the thought police were hired by the government to monitor all telescreens to find certain people who commit a crime against the party. According to the novel the public had “no way of knowing you were being watched.” We put our thoughts on social media. You think no one is watching? Think again.
The Circle confronts readers with several themes related to technology with surveillance being a big part in the movie The Circle where the company is over-run by technology. The Circle shows how surveillance interferes with human freedom and human nature. It shows how surveillance destroys the beauty of human interaction and shows how relationships change when using technology. This is also relevant to today’s society because of our extensive use of social media. Social media can desensitize emotions and can often create a false sense of communication.
Orwell hypothesised that if society continued as it was going in his lifetime, by 1984, the world would become similar to the one illustrated in his book. His prediction was correct as events in his novel are currently happening in modern society. From technology to criminalization of thought, Orwell’s predictions were, in fact, correct.
Thought crime in Winston’s world is the act of having any subversive, original or unsanctioned thought, and results in the individual suspected to be ‘vaporised.’ Literally every trace and record of your existence is wiped from the public memory. And of course Big Brother doesn’t have to prove you had a criminal thought, just arrest you under the suspicion that you might have. Sounds familiar? Today’s social score is derived by judging an individual’s credit character based on their activity on social platforms like Facebook of Google. The Government might have the right to go into your home and tap your phone and computer. And that’s all perfectly legal since you might be a terrorist. Right?
Nineteen Eighty-Four has an idea of there being “facecrimes” in Orwell’s novel he states:
“In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face was itself a punishable offence. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was called.”
This is similar to the movie The Circle ‘Soul Search’ which allows Circlers to track down virtually any human in the entire world in under twenty minutes with the help of other Circlers. Essentially, Soul Search is a global manhunt, with clear negative implications. This and “facecrime” is relevant to modern society as a situation similar to “facecrimes” has happened in airports. Where they have trained personnel to wander airports and ask travellers questions, and then watch their face expressions when they respond. Questions such as “where are you going” or “going on vacation.” The personnel believe they can observe to notice ‘micro face expressions’ and if your expression sparks suspicion, you will be taken aside for more questioning.
Manipulation in Nineteen Eighty-Four occurs quiet frequently within the party, the party manipulates the past in order to control the present.
“He who controls the past controls the future, he who controls the present controls the past.”
The party believes that when rewriting the events of the past, they can maintain their position of authority. Another form of manipulation in the novel is mind control. Every day the citizens are forced to partake in the 2-minute hate, a brainwashing exercise where civilians spew curses and rage against Goldstein. In today’s society, we are all being manipulated with ‘fake news’ especially in the US. It has been revealed by New York Times, that there has been a large amount of fake and pre-packaged news created by US government departments.
Manipulation can also be found in The Circle where Mae’s thoughts are manipulated. When The Circle finds out that Mae went kayaking, she failed to “zing” about her kayaking experience, The Circle was not happy with her. The Circlers was not happy that she did not post her experience online for everyone to see. This is manipulating as she begins to lose her sense of identity, along with her self-esteem.
The Circle and Nineteen Eighty-Four are very similar, in ways of control, thinking of the phrase ‘what’s yours is mine’ in the circle its leaders call secrets “lies” and privacy “theft” whereas in Nineteen Eighty-Four by not allowing individual to keep records of their past, like photographs and documents.
Back in the day, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four was considered a sci-fi horror. Now, its not too far off from the world we live in today. So, in conclusion, we can clearly and confidently say that Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic text that should be re-read and taught in the 21st century.
The novel Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, tells a story that uses animals to illustrate the story of the rule that Joseph Stalin implemented on the Soviet Union. The writing made him unpopular because he wrote the story as it was in real life. Animal Farm is still relevant today due to modern situations that occur similar to the story. The conflicts and resolutions in the story directly reflect what happens when a state of communism is installed in a country.
Get original essayAnimal Farm takes place at an imaginary farm in England between the years of 1917 and 1945. The Animal Farm was once run by humans, but after Mr. Jones (the farmer), forgot to feed the animals for several days in a row, the animals decided to revolt. At first, the animals lived in harmony. Everyone worked together for a common goal. They did not want the humans to come back to their farm. The farm animals even installed a commandment for the animals to memorize, “four legs good, two legs bad.” The animals held together to withstand the humans attempt to take the farm back. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, until one day an argument arose. The pigs were known to be the smartest of the animals on the farm. At just about every farm meeting, two pigs (Napoleon and Snowball), chose opposing sides on every controversial subject. After one of their more fierce debates, Napoleon whistled and the pack of dogs he had been privately training chased Snowball off of the farm. This moment began the reign of Napoleon’s dictatorship. Napoleon slowly started seizing control of the farm. He started changing the commandments that had been implemented at the beginning of the animal takeover. Most of the animals were either too dumb to notice, or they noticed but preferred his control over the control of the humans. Napoleon implemented rules such as pigs can sleep in the house, pigs get more rations than everyone else, and pigs do not have to work in the fields like all the other animals. As time went on, Napoleon gained full control over the farm. Napoleon had also convinced everyone that Snowball was a traitor and that if he was caught, he would be put to death. No matter what conflict occurred, the animals refused to believe that it was Napoleon’s fault.
There were many significant conflicts that took place in the novel Animal Farm. Most of them had to do with the leadership of the farm. The first conflict was when Mr. Jones was not taking good care of his animals. This resulted in the animals fighting back and taking over the farm. Later on in the novel, Snowball and Napoleon got into fierce debates at town meetings, so Napoleon ended up chasing Snowball off the farm. A few years later, several animals claimed to have seen visions from Snowball telling them to rebel against Napoleon. This resulted in the public execution of several animals. One of the most important conflicts had to do with the humans. Several times, the humans tried to take the farm back. The first time the humans tried to take back the farm, one animal was killed, and they successfully chased the humans off the farm. The second time, the humans blew up the windmill that the animals had been constructing for over a year, but the animals were able to chase them off. The animals decided to rebuild the windmill from scratch. Animal Farm was started as a rebellion against humans. The animals installed their own rule so they could live prosperously. However, at the end of the story, pigs walked on two legs and invited humans over to play cards. They all drank alcohol, which was one of the commands Napoleon had changed for the pigs’ enjoyment. Napoleon stated that he wanted normal relations with humans and he wanted to trade with them. Napoleon taking advantage of the weak-minded animals was just one example of a theme in the novel.
Many themes were portrayed throughout the novel. One of the most important themes was extreme power leading to corruption. Napoleon took control of the farm and everything he said was accepted as morally correct. No one questioned their leader, even when it was obvious to the reader that Napoleon was not telling the truth. Similar situations occur in today’s society. It usually starts off with complete anarchy. No one is in charge. Eventually a single person or a group seizes power over the country. Those people usually start installing their own rules. The people of those countries tend to follow their leaders blindly. Another theme is control of the intellectually inferior. The pigs were the smartest animals on the farm. Because of this, the pigs were able to get away with a lot. Some examples are that they slept in the house of the humans. They began to drink alcohol. When everyone’s’ rations got decreased one harsh winter the pigs rations increased. The pigs woke up over an hour later than all the other animals and they did not even have to work on the farm. This often happens in the modern world as well. The smarter people can often control the intellectually inferior by deceiving them into thinking that their way is the best way. Another major theme in the book is violence. The whole story revolves around violence. The main points of violence in the story were when the animals violently took over the farm, the battles where the humans tried to take back the farm, and the public execution of animals due to thoughts provoked by the “evil” Snowball. The author of Animal Farm, George Orwell, used these themes to represent what was going on in the Soviet Union during this critical time.
George Orwell was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, India. At birth, his parents named him Eric Arthur Blaire. He later chose George Orwell as a pen name when he wrote his first book. He did this so his family would not be embarrassed by his time spent living in poverty. He also chose the name George Orwell to reflect his love of English tradition and landscapes. George Orwell was the son of a civil servant. He spent his early days in India where his father was stationed. Orwell’s mother decided to move to England with both children about a year after their son George’s birth. His father remained in India and hardly ever visited them. Orwell never formed a strong bond with his father because he found him boring and impossible to relate to. Orwell showed great writing skills from a young age. He wrote his first poem at only four years old and had one of his poems published in the newspaper by the age of eleven. Orwell was a very brilliant student and earned scholarships to a few colleges. Once he graduated from college, Orwell joined the police force for several years before turning in his uniform with the intent of becoming a writer. Orwell had trouble finding success in his early writing career. To support himself, he took on various writing assignments. He became a producer for the BBC and found himself working as a propogandist during the times of World War II. George Orwell tied the knot to Eileen O’Slaughnessy in June of 1936. Eileen was very supportive of Orwell’s dream of becoming a writer. The couple adopted a son in 1944 of whom they named Richard Horatio Blaire. George Orwell lost the battle to tuberculosis in a London hospital on January 21, 1950. Although he died at age 46, his ideas, opinions, and his brilliant perspective have lived on through his work
Animal Farm by George Orwell was written to display the way Stalinism went against the ideals of the revolution taking place in the Soviet Union. Stalinism is the ideology and policies adopted by Joseph Stalin based on centralization, totalitarianism, and the pursuit of communism. As George Orwell phrased it, “I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could be easily understood by almost anyone and which it could be easily translated into other languages.” Although Orwell is popular to the people of modern day, Orwell managed to offend people on the left and the right. Even though he was a Democratic Socialist, socialists were angered by him because he spoke of the flaws within the revolution. The people of the rightwing disliked him because he was a socialist. Orwell spoke of the revolution as it actually was. Orwell, like many of the intellectuals from the left wing, was appalled at Stalin’s actions. A majority of people may not be able to recognize all of the connections between Animal Farm and the Soviet Union, but it still serves as an example on what a rebellion leading to tyranny would be like. However, Animal Farm can be applied to more than just communism in the Soviet Union.
Although Animal Farm was obviously symbolizing the Soviet Union under the reign of Joseph Stalin, it can still make connections to some countries in the modern day. The fact that there are modern examples of this tyranny keeps the novel relevant. The most overwhelming example of this relativity is Egypt. During Hosni Mubarak’s rule of Egypt, freedoms were witheld and rights were taken away. False imprisonments, dishonesty, torture, and press censorship, all became very common. In the early days of the year 2011, the Egyptian people reached their breaking point. They were tired of the harsh conditions. They decided to rebel. The Egyptian people successfully took over control of the government. The Egyptian people decided they needed a leader so in June of 2012 they elected one. The elected leader was removed from power within a few months and blamed for everything bad that took place, even the things that occurred before he was elected. This is almost exactly what happened in Animal Farm. The animals grew tired of the harsh treatment, so they rebelled against the farmer. The animals found a leader in Snowball who was quickly chased off by Napoleon and blamed for every struggle that the farm endured. After that, Animal Farm and Egypt both had corrupt leaders take over and everything was picked up where it left off before the rebellion occurred. Animal Farm is still relevant today because there are modern examples of the same corrupt types of ruling today. It is important for people to look back on past events and learn from them. If people do not look back on past events, the same mistakes will be repeatedly made. Because Animal Farm tells the story of the Soviet Union under Stalin in simpler terms, people can learn from the mistakes made by the animals, or the people of the Soviet Union at the time.
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Get custom essayWhen writing Animal Farm, George Orwell symbolized Joseph Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union. The conflicts in the novel reflect what happens when communism is implemented in a country and the terrible results that may occur. Orwell was able to convey themes in his story such as violence and the control over the intellectual inferior. Animal Farm is an important novel because it tells the story of the disaster that occurred when Stalin was a leader. It shows the steps leading up to a dictatorship. This story can open the eyes of the reader as to what communism will really be like. That way, everyone can work together to help prevent the same mistakes from happening again.