Spanish Golden Age Essay Example for Free

Spanish Golden Age Essay The Spanish Golden Age:In the context 1474 to 1598, to what extent did Ferdinand and Isabella lay the foundations for a Spanish Golden Age? By the end of the 16th century Spain had within the space of 100 year risen to become the greatest power in Europe and as quickly and dramatically as it had risen out of a divided peninsular it came crashing down back into despair. By the end of Philip II reign the country had been become bankrupt several times due to excessive spending through his reign, and as Woodward states here was ‘ plague, famine, depopulation, inflation'(1) But regardless of what happened at the end the time before hand had been called the Spanish Golden Age where Spain had a vast empire stretching along the Mediterranean all the way the vastness of the New World and the Americas and power and wealth beyond the belief of any of the other european powers. However all of this would not of been possible if not down to the work of Ferdinand(F)and Isabella(I) or the Catholic Monarchs as they came to be known and if they really did lay the foundations of a Golden Age for Spain. 1479 the year by when both Ferdinand and Isabella had become the king and queen of their realms, Aragon and Castille is what Spain was known at this time, Spain as a whole country did not exists until during Phillips reign however the pre marriage agreement of F and I was that they would rule their kingdoms jointly and any acts or policies that could be put forward would be in place for both Aragon and Castille. At the time of their succession to their thrones neither kingdom was in a tate to deal with anything beyond their own borders, the main problem was that both governments were different styles of ruling, Aragon(A) was a more federal style of government where there were 3 separate Cortes all with which F had to deal with and could not make any decisions without whereas in Castilee (C) I the Cortes had little to no power over how she would rule her country without any restraints. Now after a long succession battle after the death of the previous monarch of C the nobility had began to resist I and so he setting up of the Hermandades helped secure peace in her territory by 1498 and had significantly reduced the power of the nobility and was continually reduced throughout Is reign with the set up of Consejo Real and corregiadors who helped secured the loyalty of the classes straight to the royalty. According to Kamen at the start of their reigns F and I actually were looking for the support of the nobles and in his book he states that lavish gifts were give to those who suported them and just as equally harsh measures against those who did not(2). It was only as their reign progressed that new policies were brought about that were intended to reduce the nobles power. The reducing of the power of the nobles and the centralising of the governments that allowed a unified Spain to come about during Charles V reign. Economically the Spain was in very bad shape by the time of F and I and had to be turned around quickly if Spain was to flouish. In C seeing as I did not call the Cortes between 1483-1497 she needed income from elsewhere and this was done in the form of taxes

New Product Questionnaire Essay Example for Free

New Product Questionnaire Essay As a woman you are created with a special gift, it’s like little extra ingredients that all women have within them. The poem â€Å"Phenomenal Woman† by Maya Angelou, she speaks about the elegance of a woman, her inner being the way she glow without saying a word Maya expressed how men are amazed by her presence â€Å"men themselves have wondered what they see in me† (line 31-32). It’s hard to put your finger on it all women were born with the power. In the poem â€Å"Still I rise† by Maya Angelou she described the struggles of life trials and tribulations you face in society and the way people may judge you. As if she was writing about a woman â€Å"does my sassiness upset you? †She also wrote in another stanza â€Å"does my sexiness upset you? †She used this comparison to show she is a sexy woman who demands respect. Maya’s attitude in this poem is portraying a confident black African American woman. She is really laughing at men challenging them. They cannot stop her from rising above all expectation. This poem gives you not only inspiration encouragement to be fearless; to the end of it all you must believe you still rise above it all. The title gives a sense of entity and power. This masterpiece the poem â€Å"phenomenal woman† has also empowered women to get more in touch with their inner beauty. Maya describes in great detail the mystery of women and the behavior of men and their reaction. It shows women to not only love your-self but to embrace every aspect of your mind, body and soul. Maya show that sexuality isn’t only related to outer beauty, or by the way you dress it more about how you feel within your own skin . she shows you instead of hating your body love it from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet. In society today women enhances their body by doing plastic surgery to feel accepted. She feels inferior clearly stating that every part of a woman is beauty. In comparisons to â€Å"Phenomenal Woman† and â€Å"Still I Rise† both poems Maya speaks about not bowing to the â€Å"oppressor†. You can feel her compassion in every word in Phenomenal Woman â€Å"now you understand why my head’s not bowed† (lines 47). Still I Rise forth stanza â€Å"with head bowed and eyes lowered? †Within these lines she stresses that she will not conform to what society made her out to be, that she will soar above and beyond everyone expectations. The little gives a sense of entity and power. In conclusion these two poems have few similarities; Maya characterized the strength of an African American woman. By using powerful words she described the emotional aspect of inner beauty, standing proud professing no one will ever bring her down not by the color of her skin nor the fact of being a woman that there’s more within.

Salvador Dali and the Surrealist movement

Salvador Dali and the Surrealist movement Salvador Dali is perhaps one of the most recognized artists of the Surrealist movement. His art is mass produced in prints, and it is not a rare occasion to see them in homes of adults and on the walls of college students. His most famous work, The Persistence of Memory (1934), is taught in art classes to children as young as 7. Most of these people feel a connection with Dalis work and feel compelled to display these posters. It is safe to say, however, that few of these fans know anything about Surrealism, and the inspiration behind his most beloved works. The Surrealist movement evolved from the Dada movement of the 1920s. Its leader, Tristan Tzara, aimed to eliminate art because society created war and therefore does not deserve art. He instead aimed to shock the public through works of anti-art, which did not shock the public as intended, but was accepted by the art society. Dada embraced nihilism, a philosophy centered around nothing, meaning nothing, or anything. Dada rejected reason and logic while hating life. In William Bohns article From Surrealism to Surrealism: Apollinaire and Breton he states that Dada Was actually a protest movement, protesting bourgeoisie values in art and life(Surrealism, 198). Instead, Dada actually bridged art in life by displaying objects that allowed the viewer to realize that life is in fact art. In order to bridge life and art, Dada artists applied humor to art which provided a playfulness not reached by realism. Dadas aim was to juggle away, to parody, and to ridicule all accepted ideas, all forms of social activity (Surrealism, 199). Dada seems to have been a contradictory movement, one that produced wildly creative pieces, while discrediting creativity in theory. The constant contradictions of the movement could be why followers so readily embraced Surrealism, a movement which seemed to make more sense, but provided a smooth transition for even the most devoted Dadaists, such as Tristan Tzara, the movements leader. Surrealism, as defined by Anton Breton is Pure psychic automatism by which we propose to express either verbally or in writing or in some other manner- the true functioning of thought, in the absence of all control, excerased by reason, outside all aesthetic and moral preoccupations(The Surrealist Manifesto, Surrealism, 205). His definition of Surrealism as a philosophy is as follows, Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the disinterested play of thought. It tends to ruin once and for all other psychic mechanisms and to substitute itself for them in solving all the principal problems of life (The Surrealist Manifesto, Surrealism, 205). Anton Breton was the founding father of Surrealism. He introduced samples of his writings which were called automatic writing. This automatic writing is also known as free association writing in which the author begins to write whatever comes to mind in hopes of unlocking the unconscious mind. The point of unlocking the unconscious was to reveal truth in the art form. This form of Automatism was a underlying application in surrealistic art, be it visual or literary. Surrealism, therefore, was not restricted to visual art, but was also a popular movement among authors of the period. Surrealists were greatly influenced by the works of Freud, whose radical theories in psychoanalysis and the importance of the subconscious in regards to not only mental health, but to truth and life, would inspire artists and authors to unlock their own subconscious. Surrealists incorporated Freuds theory into their art work through the belief that dreams are as important, if not more so than reality. Therefore characteristics of Surrealist art include dream like images. Surrealism aimed to draw the eye to one object and then to distract it with another object. Surrealism called for a deliberate disorientation of the mind (Frey, 15). In doing so, the artists was able to create a dreamlike experience for the viewer. To the Surrealist, beauty was not the goal because beauty, while aesthetically pleasing, does not necessarily represent truth. As the movement gained momentum several visual artists and authors began to identify themselves as Surrealists. They embraced the the philosophy of Surrealism and applied to their respective art. Some of the most well known artists that joined the movement include: Paul and Gala Eluard, Pierre Naville, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and Yves Tanguy. Picasso is sometimes considered a follower of the movement, but overall his involvement was minimal. Perhaps the most recognizable name aligned with the Surrealist movement is Salvador Dali. Salvador Dali was born in 1904 in Figueres, which borders Catalonia, Spain. By the age of 12 he showed much promise as an artist. He attended drawing school at this age and fell in love with art. In 1922 he attended the Academy of Fine Arts, Madrid. As a youth at the academy he proclaimed himself an anarchist and was privy to rebellious activities. The many shenanigans he pulled were evidence to his desire for attention and his quest for fame. Such rebellion eventually got him kicked out of the academy. In response to his expulsion he continued his artwork, dabbling in Cubism and Purism. He eventually met Pablo Picasso, whose work he highly respected. Finally, he met Anton Breton, the leader of the Surrealist movement. He felt a draw to the philosophy of this movement and quickly joined forces with the other members of the movement. Dali used a method in his artwork called paranoiac critical method. He developed this method in 1929, the same year that he officially proclaimed himself a Surrealist. The paranoiac critical method was a self hypnosis which would allow him to hallucinate freely. Under this hypnotism he would create art that involved double images. These double images acted as an optical illusion. The viewer immediately would see one object, but given further review would notice a hidden image inside of the main object. Often, the hidden image would be erotic or create a feeling of discomfort for the audience. These images were also dreamlike, not only created in the subconscious of the painter, but unlocking the subconscious of the audience. About these double images Dali said, Such a representation of an object that is also, without the slightest physical or anatomical change, the representation of another entirely different object, the second representation being equally devoid of any deformation o r abnormally betraying the arrangement (Stinking Ass). Upon joining this Surrealists he met Gala Eluard who was ten years his senior. She is heralded as the muse of the Surrealist movement as she not only inspired Dali, but many other artists and authors of the movement. At the time of their meeting she was married to surrealist poet and friend of Dalis Paul Eluard. He immediately fell in love with her, and her love was reciprocated. Her husband Paul, Eluard, surprisingly did not object, he was intrigued by the intricacies of relationships, and therefore not too hurt by her choice to be with Dali. They moved in together and she became his muse, they married in 1934. She seized power over his career and aided in marketing not only his artwork but his persona. Without her, he may not have gained the notoriety that he had so craved since a young age. In 1931 Salvador Dali painted perhaps his most famous and recognizable piece, Persistence of Memory (1931). Regardless of his success, by the end of the 1930s the Surrealists were no longer champions of Dali or his artwork. He refused to take sides during the Spanish Civil War, which cost him life long friends. Anton Breton, who had once revered Dalis work, assigned him the derogatory nickname Avida Dollars which means eager for money. His greed, and hesitance in aligning with the Marxist revolution severed many ties between him and his colleagues. At the beginning of World War II Gala, and Salvador Dali moved to California, upon reflection of his Surrealist days he said this, Surrealism will at least have served to give experimental proof that total sterility and attempts at automatizations have gone too far and have led to a totalitarian system. Todays laziness and the total lack of technique have reached their paroxysm in the psychological signification of the current use of the college. Dali was nothing if not a master artist, and he displayed discontent for the current state of art. After 1949 he and his wife moved back to Catalonia where they would live the rest of their lives. Gala passed in 1982, with Salvador following in 1989. As previously stated, Dalis most recognizable and celebrate work is the Persistence of Memory painted in 1931. The canvas of this painting is quite small, measuring 24.1 cm X 33 cm, and it is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it has hung since 1936. It has three soft watches that are placed on the landscape of Port Lligat. Port Lligat is a small village on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, in which Dali spent much of his life. He also included in this landscape and in many of his other works. The enormous cliffs in the background are evidence that it is in fact the cliffs of Port Lligat. The former curator of MOMA, James Thrall Soby, says of the painting the space is manipulated to suggest and infinity against which the drama of his objects and figures is projected (Clocking, 3). The telltale cliffs of Port Lligat constitute only a small portion of the painting. The majority of the space is dominated by the giant melting clocks. One clock is closed, and the other three are draped over a creature in the center, steps, and an olive tree. The eyes are first drawn to these clocks, and according to an analysis on salvadordalimuseum.org, the clocks clearly represent time, but create a dreamlike effect by bending the rules of reality, which is characteristic of Surrealism. Simon Wilson says of this painting, The theme of this truly bizarre and mysterious painting is mans obsession with the nature of time ( Clocking, 4). Dali, himself, remarked that Soft watches are nothing else than the tender, extravagant and solitary paranoiac-critical Camembert of space and time (Clocking, 12). The reference of Camembert may seem offhandedly strange, however this is a reference to the cheese that actually inspired the soft watches on the evening that he painted this picture. Although the main draw to the painting is the melting watches, there are other important symbols in the painting. The ants on the closed watches, the olive tree, the steps and the amorphous creature each have a special memory which contribute to the aesthetics of this painting. Upon further examination the creature in the center of the painting has eyelashes and a closed eye. The creature appears to be sleeping. This creature is actually a self portrait of Salvador Dali. It is a form that he has used in other paintings to represent himself. Upon further review, the viewer can make out the profile with a nose, and mouth. The next symbol in the painting is the olive tree in the upper left comer. The olive tree was a significant symbol for Dali. Olive trees symbolize peace, and olives were a major export of Catalonia. Later in life he even refereed to his wife Gala as his little olive. In this particular painting Dali has presented a dead olive tree. This dead tree may symbolize the inevitable death that time will bring. Death and decay is a common theme in this painting as Dali uses ants and flies to indicate decay. The Ants are on the closed watch in the bottom left of the painting. The final symbols to discuss in this painting are the steps. There is one step, prominent in the foreground on the left side. In the distance, along the horizon there is another step, on the edge of the water. These steps could possibly represent the Freudian explanation of steps and the act of going up and down them. Freud explains that steps in dreams represent sexual acts. It is unclear whether or not this what Dali intended to present, symbolically speaking, the use of steps is unclear. Twenty years after painting Persistence of Memory, Dali presented a new painting called Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1952). During the period between these two paintings Dalis life had greatly changed. He and Gala moved to the United States to flee the Spanish Civil War. While in California he worked with Disney and Alfred Hitchcock as a consultant for various films. His artwork was transformed after World War II. The scientific strides that had been made regarding the discovery of DNA and the advent of the atomic bomb influenced Dalis style. In 1948 Dali and Gala sought to move back to Spain. The new government was staunchly Roman Catholic and Dali had to prove that he had changed his ways and was now a pious Catholic. Ultimately he would call himself a nuclear mystisist. Nuclear mysticisms mixture of physics, math, science, religion, art history, and Spanish culture was to stress technique, rebirth, faith and tradition (Clocking, 17). Dali saw God in mathematical ratios and in atomic science. Dalà ­ wrote: In the surrealist period I wanted to create the iconography of the interior world-the world of the marvelous, of my father Freud. I succeeded in doing it. Today the exterior world-that of physics-has transcended the one of psychology. My father today is Dr. Heisenberg. (Clocking, 17). The Disintegration of Persistence of Memory is the same size as the original Persistence of Memory. Upon examining the painting the viewer will notice that the clocks are no longer the first thing the eye is drawn to. They are overshadowed by the mathemematical dissasembly of the steps, tree and painting overall. As the watches are less relevant, the them of time also become irrelevant to this particular painting. All things, the painting seems to be saying-even the persistence of memory-are overcome by, or incorporated into, one atomic reality (Clocking, 18). This painting, once resembled a still life, now seems to have a sense of movement to it. The swimming fish and even the disintegration of the steps and tree have movement that make the painting feel alive. The Disintegration of Persistence of Memory is housed at the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 2000 the two paintings were united in an exhibited where they were shown side by side, so that the viewer could see the difference in style and meaning behind each painting. The Dali museum in St. Petersburg, Florida was established March 7 of 1982 and is made up of works from the private collection of the Mr. and Mrs. Morse, who began collecting Dalis work in 1940. One of the most celebrated artists of the 1900s, Salvador Dali and his artwork remain ingrained in the minds of anyone who has so much as glanced at one of his pieces. He provided the art world with a zany character who was himself, a walking art form. Although his style evolved throughout his life, his most memorable period was that of his Surrealist paintings. His mastery allowed him to remain at the forefront of the artistic community, and evolve along with the tastes of his fans.

William Goldings Lord of the Flies :: English Literature

Golding 's Lord of the Flies Golding implements his use of language and choice of words to make this a disturbing part of the novel. We can see this on many occasions throughout the passage. And what makes this passage so important is the boys attitudes changing and developing on a number of issues and taboos. In the beginning part of this passage the reader can see that the hunters have just tried to kill their first pig and at the same time overcoming the taboo in question, which is, whether it's right to kill an animal for food. The reader can see that Ralph is full "Of fright and apprehension" and most importantly "Pride" when he hit the boar with his spear and we notice that "He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all". Later on we see another example of disturbing language as "The circle moved in and around. Robert squealed in mock terror, then real pain." And as Ralph had a "Sudden thick excitement", he grabbed Eric's spear and "Jabbed at Robert with it". As Jack has Robert pinned down in the circle the reader is told that Jack is "Brandishing a knife," with this added to the background cheering of "Kill him! Kill him!" the boys have overcome another Taboo; not one of is it right to kill animals but one of is it right to injure other people for the sake of the game. Another disturbing part of the passage is the language and imagery involved in "Make a ring!" Here we can imagine a giant set of claws engulfing Robert ready to kill leaving him no escape. And as Robert "Squealed in mock terror, then in real pain" we see that the boys playing the game can easily get carried away without them knowing just how much damage their causing. As "The butt end of the spear fell on his back", and the rest of the boys started to "Hold him!" Ralph grew a "Sudden thick excitement", and jabbed Robert with "Eric's spear". With the ritual chant of "Kill him! Kill him!" Jack soon finds himself holding Robert "By the hair" whilst "Brandishing a knife" this part of the passage is also very important because we can even see that Ralph, who was "Fighting to get near" and finding "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering". Was normally one of the boys who would be least likely to participate in one of these savage "games". It is in these games were the boys get carried away and Ralph feels a

Brain Based Early Learning Programs: Education, Society, and National P

The science of neurobiology and technology of brain-imaging are rapidly advancing the understanding of cognition: how people think and learn. Brain-imaging techniques allow access into the mysterious mechanisms of the brain, and it is now possible to observe what occurs in the brain â€Å"as it performs tasks such as solving a math problem, reading a book, or improvising a melody† (Limb). This neurobiological research also indicates that, in the brain, emotion and intelligence are intricately synchronized processes (â€Å"Social-Emotional†). Brain-based learning programs apply this principle of simultaneous cognitive and social-emotional development by emphasizing how the brain learns innately, and are based on what is currently known about the â€Å"physical structure and function† of the human brain at varying stages of development (Wilson). Scientists and educators agree that this educational model has proven to be most effective in the earliest, formative years of the brain, priming the brain both for learning and social relationships. There is significant and ample evidence documenting that early childhood education can generate substantial gains in children's learning and development. However, long-term advantages are predominantly recognized only in high-quality early childhood education programs (Swartout-Corbeil). Consequently, the availability of high-quality programs is limited, and high-quality programs are usually not affordable for most families (Swartout-Corbeil). Brain-based early learning programs represent the definitive in early childhood curriculum, and mandating for these cutting-edge programs on a national level has the potential to produce not only smarter and more creative learners, but also a society of compassi... ...a of Children's Health. â€Å"Early Childhood Education.† Web. 5 Apr. 2012. US House of Representatives. Committee on Education and the, Workforce. Education Regulations: Burying Schools In Paperwork. Hearing Before The Subcommittee On Early Childhood, Elementary And Secondary Education Of The Committee On Education And The Workforce. U.S. House Of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session (March 15, 2011). Serial Number 112-12. US House of Representatives, 2011. ERIC. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. Wentzel, K. R., Weinberger, D. A., Ford, M. E., & Feldman, S. S. (1989, March). â€Å"Academic achievement in preadolescence: The role of motivational, affective, and self-regulatory processes.† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco. Wilson, Leslie Owen. â€Å"Overview of Brain-based Education.† Web. 7 Apr. 2012.

Free Things They Carried Essays: Another World :: Things They Carried Essays

Another World Portrayed in The Things They Carried In several stories from The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien deals with the way that American soldiers of the Vietnam War related to being "in country," or out of their own country and halfway across the world. O'Brien creates the concept that Vietnam and the war there is "another world" throughout the stories. None of the soldiers he writes about feel at home in Vietnam, and none of them successfully adapt emotionally to being so far from home. O'Brien subtly introduces the concept of "another world" in the title story of the book. In describing how easy it would be for a soldier to give in to the pressures of war and just collapse on the trail, thereby getting sent home or to a hospital, the narrator says that "the chopper... would... carry you off to the world [italics added]" (21-22). The careful reader will pick up on O'Brien's subtlety and realize that if the soldiers - for the narrator does speak for the soldiers as a collective - feel as if Vietnam is not in the world, then they must feel as if they are in "another world." This exact phrase is used later in the same story. When Lieutenant Cross is thinking about his girlfriend Martha, he chastizes himself for his useless fantasies. He thinks to himself that Vietnam is "not Mount Sebastian, it [is] another world" (24). Then in "How To Tell A True War Story," O'Brien reiteraties the concept. The soldiers of the story are hearing music coming from afar, and the narrator describes it as "all very civilized, except this isn't civilization. This is Nam" (74). This blunt statement captures the soldiers' feelings that they are in "another world." To them, Vietnam is a world without civilization; it is a world so different than the one they are accustomed to that they cannot function. O'Brien returns to the "another world" idea once more in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." As the narrator is describing the loss of Mary Anne's feminitiy, O'Brien writes that "Cleveland Heights now seemed very far away" (98). Mary Anne has joined the world of Vietnam, the world of the war, and lost contact with the "real world." This is the same thing that happened to O'Brien's soldiers. Being in another world caused them to lose their ability to relate to their own world, and this manifested itself in veterans as soon as they came back from the war.

Influence of Fast Food on Children

â€Å"You are what you eat†, is a well known saying. Its message really means that if you eat healthy foods, you are most likely to be healthy. The good and healthy foods which include fresh fruits, green vegetables, fibre rich grains, pulses etc are considered old fashioned. Kids and teenagers today are opting for a greasy burger and a bag of fries, with a soda included to complete the meal. It is the age of fast-food. Eating fast-food means instant gratification. And eating fast-food much of the time can seriously injure the health of anybody, especially growing children and teenagers. Everywhere they are lamenting that obesity is on the rise, especially amongst children. Blame it on salt or sugar. Call it the fast-food disaster, but a meal at a fast-food restaurant could expose a child to unnaturally high levels of salt. The daily recommended dosage of salt is no more than 6gm per day for an adult and 3gm per day for a child. Studies have shown that Fast-Food meals can easily contain four times that amount of salt for a child. Moreover, these fast-food meals are extremely high in calories. Eat a small amount and you will be packing on the pounds rapidly. Besides, an excess of salt in the body can send children’s blood pressure soaring, thereby putting them at the risk of both stroke and heart disease. The consequences of bad eating are many. From skin problems to obesity, poor digestion, an inability to think clearly, a general lack of energy, constant mood swings and blood sugar inconsistencies. The excess sugar in the fast foods leads to diabetes in children. I have a personal experience related to this. One of my classmates in IV std had bad eating habits. His lunch box was almost always packed with burgers, fried chicken or French fries. Added to this he was always seen drinking colas. Due to this he was overweight and physically inactive. Unfortunately, during the same year he was diagnosed as diabetic. Doctors placed all the diet restrictions for him and medications to take for the remaining life. It was a sad thing to happen at such a young age. My advice to all of the young friends, please cultivate a habit to consume Good Food which includes fresh fruits, green vegetables, milk, fibre rich grains, pulses, fish etc to be healthy and fit. Thank You