Social Criticism in the Hollywood Melodramas of the Fifties Essay

Social Criticism in the Hollywood Melodramas of the Fifties In the early 1950s the films of Douglas Sirk led the way in defining the emerging genre of the Hollywood melodrama. "Melodrama" strictly means the combination of music (melos) and drama, but the term is used to refer to the "popular romances that depicted a virtuous individual (usually a woman) or couple (usually lovers) victimized by repressive and inequitable social circumstances" (Schatz 222). Sirk's films were commercially successful and boosted the careers of stars like Lauren Bacall, Jane Wyman, and Rock Hudson, who was in seven of Sirk's thirteen American films (Halliday 162-171). Although critics in the fifties called the films "trivial" and "campy" and dismissed them as "tearjerkers" or "female weepies" (Schatz 224), critics in the seventies re-examined Sirk's work and developed an "academic respect for the genre" and declared that the films actually had "subversive relationship to the dominant ideology" (Klinger xii). Douglas Sirk's Magnificent Obsession (1954) and Imitatio n of Life (1959) are representative of the techniques melodramas used to address relevant fifties issues like class, gender, and race. One characteristic of melodrama is the "lavishly artificial and visually stylized scenery (Schatz 234) which is exploited in Magnificent Obsession. Numerous scenes take place in moving convertibles, where the motion of the car is out of synch with the motion of the scenery. Whenever possible, rooms have large picture windows showing magnificent, but obviously fake outdoor landscapes. At one point a scene on the lakeshore cuts directly from a shot of Helen (Jane Wyman) sitting in front of a real horizon to a close-up of her sitting in front of a brightly c... ...ltural form" (Klinger xii). Works cited Aull, Felice. "Magnificent Obsession". http://mchipO0.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-me...cs/webfilms.magnificent.obses3-film-.html Ellison, Ralph. Shadow and Act. Vintage International: New York, 1953. FilmFrog Archives: Lecture given at Sonoma State University (1995), Imitation of Life (1959). http://yorty.sonoma.edu:80/filmfrog/archive/Imitation_of_Life.html Halliday, Jon. Sirk on Sirk: Interviews With Jon Halliday. New York: Viking, 1972. Imitation of Life. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal, 1959. Klinger, Barbara. Melodrama and Meaning: History, Culture, and the Films of Douglas Sirk. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1994. Magnificent Obsession. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal, 1954. Schatz, Thomas. Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking, and the Studio System. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1981.

Mary Shelleyss Frankenstein Essay

   He wishes he was dead, feels that the world is mocking him and that he is the only one, who is not loved and cared for in the entire world. He declares war against the species and especially the man who created him. This shows us, that Frankenstein’s monster’s biggest wish really is to be accepted, and when denied this, he goes completly berserk, not wanting to face the facts that are being presented to him. We can also tell, that he has a lot of selfpity, and a great understanding of the unfairness of his situation. But the next day he goes back, because deep inside he still has hope, and he convinces himself, that last nights incident was just too much too early. When arriving at the cottage he discovers that the family has moved, and his last shred of hope disapprears, and he burns down the cottage, and heads for Genevi , to find his creator, so he can take revenge. He feels treated unfairly by Frankenstein, and calls him his â€Å"cursed, cursed creator†, but his need to find him is understandable. He wants to know where he comes from and he wants answers, which is a natural thing for any child, who is not in touch with its roots. On his way he saves a girl from drowning, but gets shot instead of being thanked, and this makes his feelings towards humans more intense. When in Genevi , he captures a young boy, who turns out to be Frankenstein’s son. He kills him and sets a young girl up for the murder. His reason for doing this is clear: he wants to inflict pain upon Frankenstein. His reason for setting the girl up for the murder is, in his own words, because he is forever robbed of what she could have given him, because of his cursed apperenace. But she gives him an idea. He wants Frankenstein to make him a bride, someone of his own species, as horrible and deformed as himself, so that he will have companionship, which is what he wants more than everything else. The main characteristic of Frankenstein’s creation, is the longing for acceptance and company, this we can tell by his approces to first his creator and later to other people, and the facts that he has feelings and intelligence. He wants nothing more than to live a normal life, and he curses his creator for making it impossible for him to do that. In the beginning he is not evil, he does not want to kill, but the actions of the humans around him, make him the monster that Frankenstein thought him to be. He feels that humans are the most decietful of species, because they build up your hopes, and tear them back down again. His hunger for revenge is born from the constant defeat he experiences from day to day and especially from the one person who is supposed to love him, his creator, who also denies him a mate. He carries a lot of frustration, that he needs to direct somewhere, and the choice falls upon Frankenstein, the first to ever betray him. Despite all of this, Frankenstein’s monster never gives really gives up his hope to find a place to belong. This comes to show in the way that he treats the girl he meets in the woods, Frankenstein’s son, and in the very end of the story, when Frankenstein himself dies. The monster begs for forgiveness and swears to kill himself. His will to live died with Frankenstein, his only connection to the human world, that he longed for so desperatly. Comparative analasys: Frankenstein and his creation are similar to each other in different aspects. Frankenstein has created a thing so dreadful, that no one will ever love it, and has in another sense already killed all the possible loved ones in his creation’s life. His monster, on the other hand, actually kills all the people Frankenstein holds most dear, continuing the evil circle. The monster runs away from people and hides in the mountans, so that he will not experience any more pain, whilst Frankenstein runs away from the monster and his thought and feelings about his creation, but they both end up being drawn to one another, and the thing that bonds them together. They are both, at some point, after revenge. The monster chases Frankenstein down to confront him and Frankenstein chases the monster, after it has killed his family. The hunter becomes the hunted. They both have big dreams, Frankenstein about creating life and his creation about living life, but none of these dreams ever come true for any of them. Sometimes it seems that Frankenstein and his monster are two halves of the same person, each half competing for the chance to be the ruler of the other half, or that the monster is the result of Frankenstein’s ego or conscience, that comes back to haunt him. They are forever bonded with each other, the bond of creator and creation, and Frankenstein’s unwillingness to accept this, leaves both mens’ lives ruined in the end. Themes of the text Invironment vs. heritage The question is very relevant for this story. This novel can be a great starting point, if you wish to discuss, if heritage or the invironment has the greatest inpact upon someone, who is new in this world. In this story, it is defienetly the invironment that has the greatest influence upon Frankenstein’s creature. You could say that everyone is born with the same basic needs. The need for love, companionship and a place to belong. Nobody is born evil, niether is the creature, despite the fact, that he is death brought back to life. He has the same needs as everybody else, but the constant rejections of his well-intended feelings and his failures, changes him into something he did not have to become, changes him into what everybody thinks that he is; a monster. In this case, the invironment has destroyed something potentially beautiful. Love and revenge: The story is based upon the topic of love and revenge, in all its different forms. The monster wants only to be loved and accepted in a society that rejects him because of his looks. This superficial society does not look beyond his scary appereance, and he swears that he will revenge himself, which he does to his fullest, killing everyone that Frankenstein holds dear. He claims to hate the human world at this point, but at the same time, he longs for it with an aching heart. Frankenstein never realises that his creation is more than a monster, and feels very little regret towards the treatment of it, he feels that it is more important to protect mankind against this â€Å"threat† than it is to take responsebility of his actions. He spends the rest of his life following the monster to the North Pole, where he dies on board a ship, never succeeding in revenging his loved ones. When the monster discoveres this, he gives up; his last connection to the world has dissappeared, and he begs for forgiveness, and swears to burn himself and all evidence of his existence. Frankenstein only felt love for his creation when it not yet excisted and was only in his mind. As soon as it came to life, he rejected it and never thought a kind thought about it again. The creation is here his opposite; he starts off only wanting to love, later wanting revenge, but with the hope of recieving love still deeply a part of his nature. The modern Prometheus Mary Shelley subtitles her novel, â€Å"The modern Prometheus†. Prometheus, an ancient Greek, stole fire from the gods, to give to the humans. As punishment for his undoing, he was chaining to a rock, and everyday a bird-of-prey would come and eat his liver, which would then grow back. Mary Shelley did not chose this subtitle for no reason. It most certainly relates to Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Victor â€Å"stole† a power from God, the power to create life, and he is severly punished for this. His horrible creation comes back to haunt both his mind and his psysical being every day for the rest of his life. Victor’s â€Å"gift† to the world causes death, and the same does Prometheus’. Though both men meant well, their interference with forces beyond their power, brings only death and destruction, especially for the two men themselves. Perspective to the period: The novel was written during an early phase of the Industrial Revolution, at a time of dramatic advances in science and technology. The fact that the creation rebels against its creator, can be a warning from Mary Shelley, that science can lead to terrible consequences, if you do not take responsebility for your actions. This was a time, where young scientist felt, that the world was at their feet and that they had endless possibilities, and experiments to try and revive dead bodies did indeed take place when Mary grew up, and has most likely inspired her to write the story. This was also a time, were people were both facinated and scared by the new science of electricity, and Mary chose to include both this science and the science of chemistry, which was of high interest to the generel public and to herself, in her book. Mary Shelley wrote her novel not long after the gothic novels heyday in the 1790’s, and there was definitely a market for these kind of stories. It is hard to make a final conclusion of this book. There are so many topics and themes, questions and feelings to discuss, that it would take forever to get through them all, which makes this book more than just a horror story meant to frighten you. This is a novel of great seriousness, and you instantly get caught in the whirlwind of emotions, that Frankenstein and his creation both have. Mary Shelley tries in her book, to dissect the human nature, while telling a captivating tale of two mens’ journey through life, and the terrible things humans can do to one another. Rikke Juelsgaard Petersen Til d. 25, september ’07 Engelsk aflevering EG, 2e 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Tangled The Intersection of Commerce, Gender, and Genre...

In the 2010 film Tangled, a modern retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ story Rapunzel, Rapunzel pursues her dream of seeing the floating lights away from her hidden tower and escaping from her â€Å"evil mother† Gothel with the help of a young thief named Flynn Ryder. The film manages to navigate the tension between the traditional fairy-tale storytelling archetypes of the early Disney princess movie-musicals and a modern reinvention of these stereotypes in order to create a harmonious blend between the two. However, both â€Å"When Will my Life Begin?† and â€Å"I Have a Dream,† with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, employ diverse musical references and techniques that nevertheless starkly challenge the construction of the typical Disney†¦show more content†¦Though Disney has at least been able to keep the movie-musical alive (especially princess musical) through its Broadway showings and this latest movie installment, part of the re ason why this movie was so refreshing is because it shows how Disney was trying to make up for lost time to modern audiences. With the 2006 acquisition of Pixar Studios, Disney put Ed Catmull in charge of Walt Disney Animation Studios and made John Lasseter chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, ushering a large change from the previous leadership of Walt and Roy O. Disney and the later Michael Eisner administration. Under Catmull and Lasseter’s direction, Disney sought to bring together the history of Disney’s animation tradition with the originality and freshness of a Pixar film, with Lasseter stating â€Å"we don’t just want to copy the past.† True to his word, Lasseter worked with a team of animators for three years to bring Tangled to life in a synthesis of modern three-dimensional, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and the warmth of the historical hand-drawn art of Disney’s earlier days. Therefore, the Disney Company started to be more creative, bringing a younger generation’s musical and visual aesthetic into the foreground, suggesting a fusion of past and present, such as what is displayed in

Meaning, Pronunciation, and Characters of Hidoi

The Japanese word hidoi means  cruel, harsh, violent, severe, or hard. Pronunciation: Click here to listen to the audio file. Japanese characters: 㠁 ²Ã£  ©Ã£ â€ž Example: Sore wa anmari hidoi yo.㠁 Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¯Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¾Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  ²Ã£  ©Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šË†Ã£â‚¬â€š Translation: Dont be so hard on me.

Emotions in O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman Essays

The poem, O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman re-imagines the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by using emotions filled with shock and regret of losing a father figure. Walt Whitman has a patriotic attitude towards this poem as he describes Abraham Lincoln and all that he did for America by using imagery to develop a scene similar to the reality. The poet conveys his deep admiration for the achievements of Abraham Lincoln. Whitman shares his form by using a physical way of laying out and his attitude through the use of sound devices such as the iambic meter and the use of amphibrach. He also used repetition as a part of his sound device, to give reader more insight of the sorrow emotions that he has regarding Abraham Lincoln.†¦show more content†¦The quote that he uses, expresses his feelings of shock for the captain’s sudden death. Fallen cold and dead (Whitman, lines 4, 12 and 20). The quote explains the regret of losing a man who the poet admired for so long and is now fallen cold and dead. The poet is trying to deliver his painful and almost a heart-rending of a feeling to the reader by repeating the quote fallen cold and dead. This quote explains the sudden death of a great nationalist and has no chance of survival. It also gives reader an insight into how the people on the shores are desperately waiting for the captain’s arrival and celebrate after his heroic and an epic voyage but at the end, all their celebrating of joyfulness turns in a misery. The poet’s view of his admirer in this poem, the captain, is very patriotic as the captain went through a monumental voyage and prevailed victorious even after his death. The effective words used to describe the captains death, creates an unsettled and rather heartbreaking atmosphere among the reader and the characters in the situation. Whitman uses the physical structure to explain the form of his poem. The layout of the poem comprises the change of emotions, in every new stanza. Stanza one spreads out to convey the poets joy and happiness. He is so happy that he cant be contained. The prize we sought is won, the port is near, the bells I hear, the people allShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s O Captain ! My Captain 1083 Words   |  5 PagesO Depression! My Depression! The speaker in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† faces a major inner struggle throughout the entirety of the poem, going through a few of the stages of grief, due to the fact that his captain had died. The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance, yet the speaker only goes through four of these. It takes three stanzas for the speaker to succumb to the harsh reality that his captain is deceased. Though not much is knownRead MoreThe Poem O Captain my Captain by Walt Whitman876 Words   |  3 PagesThe poem, o captain my captain by Walt Whitman re-imagines the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Walt Whitman, has a patriotic attitude towards this poem as he describes Abraham Lincoln and all that he did for America by using imagery to develop a scene similar to the reality. The poet conveys his deep admiration for the achievements of Abraham Lincoln. The poet shares his form by using a physical way of laying out and her attitude through the use of sound devices such as the iambic meter andRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman And Dylan Thomas On The Subject Of Death1117 Words   |  5 Pageswritten by Walt Whitman and Dylan Thomas on the subject of death. Whitman and Thomas have each written several important poems on the subject of death. Each poet describes â€Å"death† in diverse and different ways, although both convey the emotions and views of the loved ones left behind after a death. Both poets do so in a very individual and personal way such as their written style permits. Walt Whitman He was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. His family, the Whitmans were amongRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem O Captain My Captain By Walt Whitman1337 Words   |  6 Pagesmust first look at the context of when the poem was written. This poem, â€Å"O Captain, My Captain† was written by Walt Whitman in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This death of the beloved president left the entire country devastated. Walt Whitman was a very strong admirer of Abraham Lincoln and often saw him as a fatherly figure in his life. Whitman writes many times in his poem yelling â€Å"father† (Whitman 13). Whitman truly believed that Lincoln had kept this country together, even thoughRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Captain My Captain By Walt Whitman1412 Words   |  6 PagesO Captain My Captain, what a beautiful portrayal of our great nation and some of the many amazing things we have overcome to get to where we now are today. To begin analyzing this p oem we must first look at the context of when the poem was written. This poem was written by Walt Whitman in 1865 after the assassination of a beloved president, Abraham Lincoln. The death of this beloved president left the entire country devastated. Walt Whitman was a very strong admirer of Abraham Lincoln and often sawRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s The Captain My Captain ! 922 Words   |  4 PagesO Captain! My Captain! was a poem Walt Whitman wrote in 1865. The poem is all about the mourning of President Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman deeply admired. The â€Å"captain† represents Lincoln, the â€Å"fearful trip† represents the Civil War, the â€Å"ship† represents the nation during the war and the â€Å"object won† represents the salvaged union. In the poem itself, the speaker finds it hard to be happy after a voyage during the death of his captain and though he tries to join the group celebrating, he sets hisRead MorePresident Abraham Lincoln a nd Walt Whitman947 Words   |  4 PagesPresident Abraham Lincoln, admired by Walt Whitman, blossomed in â€Å"Whitmans writing and in American mythology†(Eiselein) for his leadership and nobility. Whitman hoped for a rugged, healthy, who knew what real, physical work was, to be the â€Å"[r]edeemer [p]resident of [t]hese [s]tates†(Whitman). His hopes came true â€Å"as in a dream†(Whitman) when â€Å"four years later, just such a beard-faced boatman†(Goodheart) entered the White House. Walt Whitman discovered the â€Å"comprehensive, all-directing soul he hadRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem O Captain ! My Captain 1846 Words   |  8 PagesWhitman’s â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† was written about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln which gives the poem a strong sense of historical context. The context of the poem gives it the emotional connection and remembrance that so many Americans know and honor each year. When it comes to remembering and honoring him, Walt Whitman was a very good poet that wrote very good poems about Lincoln. Walt Whitman was alive when Abe was assassinated so that gives Whitman a real time view of the effects ofRead MoreA True Poet By Walt Whitman2023 Words   |  9 Pagesinto their work, leaving no emotion or feeling unsaid. Today, poems are written for fun or to entertain an audience, but in the nineteenth century, poets made their literature their sole focus and syntax and diction were as natural as breathing and eating. Poets stood by their work and praised it as if it was all they lived for. Throughout the years, these poets have become harder and harder to find, but their legacies will linger with us for many years to come. Walt Whitman can be seen as a perfectRead MoreWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln3895 Words   |  16 PagesWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln Table of contents 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2. Whitman’s position in American literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 3. Whitman’s poetry before the civil war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............3 4. Lincoln’s death – a turning point for Whitman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 5. Walt Whitman’s four poems on the American nation’s grief†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 5.1 Hush d Be the Camps To-day†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 5.2. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7

Jfk Assasination Opinion free essay sample

I believe the assassination of President John F. Kennedy all tied back to the mafia. Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby were all part of a plan to kill the president. The mafia and many Cuban exiles disliked President Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. Ruby was known to have been connected with both the police and the Mafia, especially the Italian Mafia. What was very persuading was the discovery that Bill Bonanno, son of New York Mafia boss Joseph Bonanno, said several Mafia families were acquaintance with the anti-Castro Cubans. The Bonannos recognized Ruby as an associate of Chicago mobster Sam Giancana. Many Cuban exiles and Mafia bosses did not like Kennedy, blaming him for the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. They also disliked his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who had led a legal action on organized crime. This brought more tension because it was said that JFK’s father, Joseph Kennedy, worked with the mafia to have John F Kennedy win the 1960 election. We will write a custom essay sample on Jfk Assasination Opinion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both the Mafia and the anti-Castro Cubans were experts in assassination; the Cubans had been trained by the CIA. Another thing is Christian David was a Corsican Mafia member interviewed in prison. He was offered the assassination contract on the president and did not accept it but knew the men who supposedly agreed to the contract. According to David, there were three shooters. He provided the name of one, Lucien Sarti, but the other two shooters were still living and that would lead him to break their code of conduct. When asked what they were wearing David said they were told to dress in costumes such as official uniforms. The majority of Christian Davids testimony was confirmed by a former Corsican member named Michelle Nicole who was part of the DEA witness protection program. One of the other three could very well be Lee Harvey Oswald. Conspiracies may sound crazy, but it is hard for me to believe that one person, all by himself, plotted to kill the president. No one had to persuade or tell Oswald to assassinate the president. Therefore, I believe Organized Crime has to do with the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

Lord of Dance

Introduction In Hinduism, there are three major deity figures which are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are often viewed in the Indian temples and presented with offerings, in the vital form of worship referred to as â€Å"Darshan†1. It requires the worshipper to make eye contact with the deity in order to receive blessings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of Dance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today we are looking at the Shiva Nataraja, which is one of three major deities in Hinduism. This paper looks at the relevance of the image of Shiva to the Hindu culture, and the disparity between its presence in a temple and display in a museum of art, away from the culture that identifies with it. Description The sculpture of Shiva Nataraja is displayed at Denver Art Museum. Like other Indian figures, Shiva has a slender frame that is characterized by precision of posture, and sharpness, as well as, its rel ation to dance. Shiva, The King of Dancers, is dancing at the center of a circle of fire that represents the universe surrounded by gods2. The dance is referred to as â€Å"Anandatandwa, and it represents the cosmic cycles â€Å"such as the daily rhythm of life, which entails birth and death†3. The god has his left leg raised across his body, and his right leg firmly on the ground, but bent at the knee. â€Å"Shiva is also holding a flame in his left upper arm, a drum in his right upper arm, and gesticulating with the lower arms†4. The dwarf at the foot appears to be staring at Shiva, who is heavily decorated with jewelry on his neck, wrists, and ankles5. The image of Shiva also has a hole at the bottom to make it easier to carry as shown in figure 2. The image of Shiva, as observed in the museum, is shown in figure 1 at the end of the paper. Background The bronze sculpture of Shiva, the demon god, was first presented to his worshippers in the period between the ninth and thirteenth centuries6. During this time, the Chola ruled over Tamilnadu and other parts of southern India. The Chola kings and queens fostered schools for the design and construction of exceptional bronze sculptures to serve as Hindu gods and goddesses known to them as â€Å"utsavamurtis†7. Initially, the deities could only be viewed by the noble people such as monarchs and priests, but they were later presented to the population for worship8. The design of the sculpture was precise, with the sculptors taking their time to bring out all the details including the â€Å"peak of the flames, the face of the dwarf at the right foot of the Shiva, and the elements defined by each hand†9.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Elements of the image According to the museum label, this statue of Shiva Nataraja is from the Chola dynasty. 10 Considering the long process involve d in the creation of bronze idols, the Shiva Nataraja is exceptionally beautiful. Its construction was similar to that of making the bronze Buddha. The process is called lost wax casting.11It involves the construction of the first sculpture from clay, which is then dried before heating it in a kiln to remove the wax. After they are certain that all the wax has melted, the clay sculpture is dipped in hot melted bronze. After it has dried, the clay is removed and the bronze sculpture polished. Once the image is ready, a ceremony is performed. This involves carrying the statue onto the street for people to perform a â€Å"Darshan†12. Alternatively, the statue can be displayed in the temple for worshippers to present their offerings in the form flowers or covering it with a white scarf13. Even though the image of Shiva is in a museum instead of a temple, people still take their time to visit the Denver Art Museum to view the image. Viewers sit in front of the image and spend hour s staring at the four armed bronze Shiva dancing as they meditate14. Other people just enjoy the beauty of native art. Viewers are provided with various information about the image including its name as â€Å"God Shiva, Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), its place of origin, (South India, Tamil Nadu), the era in which it was first developed (1100, Chola dynasty), the material used for its construction (bronze), and the gallery in which it is part of (Dora Porter Mason Collection donated in 1947)15. On the image, a Shiva is proposing a dance position in a fire circle. He has multiple hands sticking out from his body and we can clearly see that some of them are holding objects. And Shiva is standing on a baby looking figure, which is the demon-the bad guy. He has a mermaid looking figure in his hair, which decided as the reference of â€Å"Gengi River†.16 This information is presented in figure 3 shown at the end of this paper. The image of Shiva, King of dancers is just under 37 i nches high. It was donated to the Denver Art museum by the Dora Porter Mason Collection in 1947 and received by the then director, Dr. Otto Karl Bach. Dr, Bach had an astute appreciation for Asian art, and remained director for thirty years in the period between 1944 and 197417.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of Dance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Impact of the image The idol of Shiva Nataraja, which was originally found in South India, is currently placed on the fifth floor of the Denver Art Museum. It is the largest image of Shiva that is available on display, which provides its viewers with insight and awe as it portrays the culture of Hinduism. The sculpture has a rich symbolism that portrays the religious elements of south India that serves to â€Å"remind the dutiful Hindu that life is a spiritual process that is eternally subject to change†18. The image has the ability to draw a viewer wit h its multiple arms that seem to be entangled in its body, in addition to the beating drum, which creates the impression of a rhythmic sound signifying change and imbalance of the material world19. The image of Shiva is displayed in the Denver art Museum as part of the Asian art collection along with other images from China, India, Japan, and other parts of south Asia. Most of the art collection was donated by the countries where the art was most valued as a representation of Asian artists and artisans. The images are open for viewing on any day of the week, except Sunday. The placement of the sculpture in a Naudi, as shown in figure 4, was aimed at providing viewers with the impression that the statues are in the temple. 20However, this effect is not achieved since the image of a god is more valuable in a temple where Hindus can make their offerings; something that cannot be achieved in a museum21. By displaying the statue in a museum, art enthusiasts can appreciate the art of vari ous cultures especially the numerous forms of worship that are practiced in Asia. It will also help to expose the Indian culture for scholars to study it. But without the environment, this sculpture lost the meaning to being a bronzed Buddha because they never created mean to be in the museum. They meant to be meditated in the temple, or offered and â€Å"Darshan† on the street in order to achieve the practice and devotion of the Shiva. Conclusion The sculpture of Shiva has a vital religious purpose in Hinduism. The mannerisms of Shiva portray him as rejecting darkness and ignorance in his dance, which Hindus believe to resemble the spray of the sacred River Ganges22. Such implications of the image can only be observed if the image remains with the people in a temple, where the worshippers can relate to it at a spiritual level23.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This effect cannot be obtained from the image of Shiva in the museum. The Museum has provided an appealing environment (Nauda) for the deity, where it is placed on orange stone, with light coming from the front such that it produces an equally entangled shadow on its background. However, the effect of the sculpture in the museum is not as significant as when it is in a temple. The museum has made an effort to preserve its original purpose though it would be better placed with worshippers in a temple, rather than scholars in a museum. Locking the idol of Shiva in a museum prevents worshipers from presenting their offerings, which are made in front of the deity statues. Keeping the statue in the museum has resulted in the loss of its original meaning, which comprised a street festival, â€Å"Darshan†, and offerings. Images taken from the museum Figure 1: sculpture of Shiva, king of dancers, in Denver Art Museum Figure 2: Showing the hole at the bottom that makes it easy to ca rry Figure 3: Marking provided to identify the sculpture of Shiva Figure 4: The Naudi, which helps to create an atmosphere like the temple Bibliography Anonymous. â€Å"Lord of the dance.† Humanities – ProQuest Central, 2002: 23(6), 52 – 53. Dalal, Roshen. The Essentials of Hinduism. New York: India Abroad Press, 2010. Denver Art Museum. Asian Art. 2012. Web. Maxwell, Robyn. â€Å"Shiva as Lord of the Dance [Nataraja].† Artonview, 2008: 54, 42-43. Footnotes 1 Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism, (New York: India Abroad Press, 2010). 2 Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism, 2010. 3Anonymous, â€Å"Lord of the dance,† Humanities – ProQuest Central, (2002) 23(6), 52. 4Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 5Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 6 Anonymous, â€Å"Lord of the dance,† Humanities – ProQuest Central, (2002) 23(6), 53. 7Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism 8Anonymous, â€Å"Lord of the dance,† 2002, 23(6), 53. 9Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism, 2010. 10 â€Å"Label of lord of Dance†, Denver Art Museum, 2012 11 Sarah Getzelman, Asian Art and the Museum, University of Denver, 2012 12Robyn Maxwell, â€Å"Shiva as Lord of the Dance [Nataraja],† Artonview, (2008): 54, 42. 13Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism 14 Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 15Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 16Sarah Getzelman, Asian Art and Museum, University of Denver. 2012 17Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 18Roshen Dalal, The Essentials of Hinduism, (New York: India Abroad Press, 2010). 19 Denver Art Museum, Asian Art, (2012). 20 Denise Tuener, Denver Art Museum speaker, 2012 21 Robyn Maxwell, â€Å"Shiva as Lord of the Dance [Nataraja],† Artonview, (2008): 54, 42. 22 Robyn Maxwell, â€Å"Shiva as Lord of the Dance, 2008: 54, 42. 23 Robyn Maxwell, â€Å"Shiva as Lord of the Dance, 2008: 54, 42. 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