Book summary of Montana 1948 Essay Example for Free

Book summary of Montana 1948 Essay Race, social status and gender are three factors, in which society uses to judge people. Although many people do not agree with this aspect, our society embraces it by categorizing all people under theses three factors. Those who consider themselves to be better then others, attempt to belittle those whom they consider to be weaker. These people are often known, as the Fringe of society. Montana 1948 is an excellent example of this struggle between the weak and the strong. Montana 1948 is a very good example of what it was like to be part of the fringe of society. The author does an extraordinary job at depicting certain struggles of power between the characters in the book. The reason these struggles are so easy to pick up on is because the narrator describes the characters to full detail. This allows for a further enhancement of the book to which you can become more acquainted with the characters. There for you can predict the struggles between characters. One of the main struggles in this story is between the Fringes of society and those who have power. By power I mean those who are able to speak for themselves and defend themselves. Good examples of power, in the society of Montana 1948, are the white men. Those who would be considered a fringe would be the Native Americans, women, and children. It is obvious, in the story, that men had the power. The male characters in the book prove this; such as Wes, his father, and Frank. Each character has a certain overpowering attitude over the other. Wes being the character, which most frequently shows up in all the scenes, is able to take over the scene with his overpowering attitude. This is true because several occasions in the book demonstrate the wifes reluctant ness to make decisions on her own there for always seeking Wess approval; If my mother said it, it was so, yet my fathers confirmation was still necessary page 43. This demonstrates the superiority that Wes had over the family, hence putting the wife on the fringe of the household. Frank on the other hand is more of an easy going character, but since he was a doctor and was his fathers favorite, he is given more liability and credit over Wes. Frank was witty, charming, at smiling ease with his life and every thing in it. Along side his brother my father soon seemed somewhat prosaic. Oh, stolid, surely, and  steady and dependable. But inevitably, inescapably dull. Nothing glittered in my fathers wake the way it did in Uncle Franks, page36. In this case Wes has always had to struggle with Frank over favoritism over their father. This favoritism is apparent when their father gets up in front of a large crowd to address his son Frank as a war hero, Now Id like to bring my son up here. Page 37. The favoritism is also imminent in the way the father addressed the speech, He simply said my son. And why wouldnt the county sheriff be called on to make a small speech? page37. The last character, which is considered to be the most powerful in the book, and a scene-stealer, is Grandpa. Obviously as the head of the family he has power over his sons, but his high social status and wealth also puts him above and beyond most people. This power to which he attains allows him to do most anything he pleases, without having any confrontations from the towns people. He didnt call for silence. That wasnt his way. He simply stood there; his feet planted wide, his hands on his hipspage37. He assumed that once people saw him, they would give him their attention. And they did page37. This example clearly demonstrates the Grandpas superiority over all the people. These where the main characters, in the story, and they demonstrated what it was like to be above the Fringe. Being part of a fringe, means that you do not have much say around others. Native Americans are a common example of what a fringe is like. They isolate themselves from the town, because white people put down Native Americans due to their race. Native Americans are not the only people part of the Fringe. At times women may be considered that also. For they are not described by the narrator as much as men, hence showing favoritism of men over women by the author. It is true that Native Americans and women are not as socially high as men.

The Book of Acts Essay -- the birth of the church

The Book of Acts The book of Acts is known as 'the birth of the church'. Acts recounts the story of the early church from the time of Jesus' ascension to Paul's arrival as a prisoner in Rome. Acts was written by the author of Luke's gospel, Luke. Although the author does not name himself, evidence from the book itself proves that the author was Luke. Luke was a physician. Scriptural evidence of this includes Colossians 4:14: "Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings." Luke often used medical language. For instance, he finds the sailors bandaging the ship in Acts 27:17: "When the men had hoisted in aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbar of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven alone." These two verses along with others in the scripture prove that Luke was a doctor. Some even think that Luke was the first medical missionary. Luke was often a traveling companion of Paul. Luke served as a personal comfort to Paul. Luke appears to travel very often, and he is very familiar with nautical terms. This is supported in Acts 16:10-12: " (10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neopolis. (12) From there we traveled to Phillipi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days." Because it is written that Luke was a doctor, and that he and Paul were called by God to preach the gospel, it is evident that Luke was a medical missionary. ... ... always preached to the Jews first (13:5), and turned to the gentiles only after his fellow Jews had rejected him. "And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister." The book of Acts is very important because of its explanation of the birth of the church. The authorship of the book may not be listed in the book, but after reading Acts and comparing it to Luke's first account, it is obvious that he is the author. Luke's gives much insight to the beginning of the church. A better understanding of where the church began and where it has progressed to can be gained after thoroughly reading the book. Bibliography: http://www.stpetersnottingham.org/bible/acts.htm Acts: The Birth of the Church, Blaiklock, New Jersey, 1980 The Holy Bible bibletutor.luthersem.edu

Ideal Leaders In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Ralph, Jack and Piggy all possess unique qualities. Are any of them ideal leaders? What important qualities do each of them possess (and lack) as regards leadership? Who is the natural leader in Lord of the Flies? This is the question that Golding is making us consider. There is no right or wrong answer, as all of the boys possess unique leadership qualities. This essay will explore what qualities of leadership Ralph, Piggy and Jack possess (and lack), and eventually come to a conclusion (if one can be found) as to which boy is the natural leader of the band of boys on the island. A leader is somebody who guides a group in whatever they do. They make policies, rules and, if necessary, decisions for the group that they lead, which the group should then follow. Ralph has a number of ideal leadership qualities. He is fair, maybe sometimes too fair, and believes in the idea of everyone having a chance to have their say (â€Å"‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking†¦And he won’t be interrupted. Except by me.'† [31]) However, the rule of freedom of speech is overturned by Jack (â€Å"Jack was the first to make himself heard. He had not got the conch and thus spoke against the rules, but nobody minded.† [94]) and Ralph does not do anything about it. This is one of the qualities that Ralph lacks. He makes rules, but is not willing to enforce them because he fears that they may be ignored (â€Å"‘You got to be tough now, make ’em do what you want.’ ‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back, then we’ve had it'† [99]) unless something happens to spur him to action, such as when Jack let the fire out (â€Å"So Ralph asserted his chieftainship and could not have chosen a better way if he had thought for days. Against this weapon, so indefinable and so effective, Jack was powerless and raged without knowing why† [77]) Ralph believes in everyone having responsibility and everyone working together and helping each other to build a successful community. He offers the groups long term solutions such as shelters and a signal fire so that they would be rescued, however, he does not do enough to make these ideas attractive, and as a result he ends up doing most of the work while the hunters and littluns disappear to have fun (â€Å"And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?†, â€Å"When the meeting was over they’d work for five minutes then wander off or go hunting.† [51]) This lack of acceptance of responsibility annoys him and makes him hostile (â€Å"As they danced, they sang. Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in. Ralph watched them, envious and resentful.† [79]) towards Jack and the hunters. As a result, he is not as tolerant of them as he should have been and eventually insults that part of the group (â€Å"‘What above my hunters?’ ‘Boys armed with sticks.'† [137]) This makes Jack angry enough to attempt to rebel against Ralph’s leadership, and straight after he leaves to start a tribe of his own. He is very good at communication. He says what he thinks rather than trying to hide his own opinions and feelings (â€Å"‘Better Piggy than Fatty,’ Ralph said with the directness of genuine leadership.†, â€Å"I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let out the fire-† [21/22]) This is essential, because if you do not let others know your feelings, then they will not understand why you are acting the way you are, or your reasons for making decisions, and might think you are being unreasonable. He can make his speeches simple for the littluns to understand, yet powerful by using repetition and explanation (â€Å"He had learnt as a practical business that fundamental statements likes this had to be said at least twice, before everyone understood them†¦His mind was searching for simple words so that even the littluns would understand what the assembly was about.† [84]) However, as events spiral out of his control, his speeches become less and less inspiring as he loses confidence in himself and his abilities, and eventually his followers desert him and he is left on his own, running for his life. Though Ralph is a natural leader (â€Å"There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out†¦and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch. The being that had blown that†¦was set apart† [19]), able to reassure and offer comfort (â€Å"The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words. They liked and now respected him.† [36]), the values and goals that he presents as part of his leadership do not offer the security that the group needs when their morale is low as a result of fear of the beast. As a result, he is only able to lead when times are good. He clings to the same ideals that he had when he first came to the island: the idea of rescue, keeping civilisation intact and having rules, and is unable to adapt to the changing feelings on the island about those ideals when they are overtaken by more immediate and attractive offers (â€Å"‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’ ‘Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong – we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat-!'† [99]) Piggy supports Ralph in his leadership, but does not have the popularity to be a leader himself. He possesses a number of leadership qualities, but because of his unpopularity, he is often ignored (â€Å"There had grown up tacitly among the biguns the opinion that Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination for manual labour.† [68]) Because of this, when important matters needing his input occur, his valuable ideas are often disregarded (â€Å"‘We ought to be more careful. I’m scared-‘ ‘You’re always scared. Yah – Fatty!'† [45]) He is intelligent, and most of the sensible, good ideas come from him (â€Å"what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [18/19] â€Å"Ralph! We can use this [the conch] to call the others. Have a meeting.† [12] â€Å"Piggy moved among the crowd, asking names and frowning to remember them.† [14] â€Å"We haven’t made a fire what’s any use. We couldn’t keep a fire like that going if we tried.† [41] â€Å"The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down on the beach.† [45]) He is also a very good judge of character, though he seems blind when it comes to seeing that the others, Ralph included, do not like him (â€Å"He hates me [Jack]. I dunno why. If he could do what he wanted – you’re all right, he respects you†¦I tell you what. He hates you too, Ralph†¦He can’t hurt you, but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing. And that’s me.† [100/101) However, his pessimism (â€Å"They’re all dead an’ this is an island. Nobody don’t know we’re here. Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know – We may stay here till we die.† [9]), his complaining and his dislike of manual labour leads to the other boys regarding him as being no use to the group, so they shout him down whenever he tries to speak (â€Å"His voice lifted into the whine of virtuous recrimination. The others stirred and began to shout him down.† [43]) If Piggy and Ralph had worked together right at the beginning, with Ralph listening to Piggy’s ideas instead of regarding him as an irritation (â€Å"Piggy was a bore; his fat, his ass-mar and his matter-of-fact ideas were dull: but there was always a little pleasure to be got out of pulling his leg, even if one did it by accident.† [68]), then Piggy’s intelligence and Ralph’s popularity and dedication to work would have combined to make an excellent joint leadership which most of the group would have accepted.

Florine Stettheimer, Avant-Garde Artist of the Jazz Age

Florine Stettheimer (August 19, 1871–May 11, 1944) was an American painter and poet whose brushy, colorful canvases depicted the social milieux of New York in the Jazz Age. During her lifetime, Stettheimer chose to keep her distance from the mainstream art world and only shared her work selectively. As a result, her legacy as a truly original American Folk-Modernist, while still modest, is now slowly building, decades after her death. Fast Facts: Florine Stettheimer Known For: Jazz Age artist with an avant-garde styleBorn: August 19, 1871 in Rochester, New YorkDied: May 11, 1944 in New York City, New YorkEducation: Art Students League of New YorkSelected Work: Cathedrals series, Family Portrait II, Asbury Park Early Life Florine Stettheimer was born in 1871 in Rochester, New York, the fourth of five children. Throughout her life, she had a close relationship with the two siblings closest to her in age—her older sister Carrie and her younger sister Ettie—as none of the sisters ever married. Both of Stettheimer’s parents were descendants of successful banking families. When her father Joseph left the family when the girls were children, they lived off their mothers, Rosetta Walter Stettheimer, sizable inheritance. In later life, Stettheimer’s independent wealth may have accounted for some of her reluctance to show her work publicly, as she was not dependent on the art market to support herself. This, in turn, may have affected the content of her work, as she was not forced to abide by the whims of cultural tastes and could more or less paint as she pleased. Florine Stettheimer, Spring Sale at Bendels (1921), oil on canvas, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Public Domain Personality and Persona Stettheimer spent her early years of schooling in Germany, but returned to New York City often to take classes at the Art Students League. She moved back to New York in 1914 before the start of World War I and took a studio near Bryant Park in the Beaux-Arts building. She became close friends with many of the movers and shakers in the art world at the time, including the father of Dada (and creator of R. Mutt’s Fountain), Marcel Duchamp, who taught French to the Stettheimer sisters. The company the Stettheimer sisters kept was highly creative. Many of the men and women who frequented Alwyn Court (the Stettheimer home on 58th Street and 7th Avenue) were artists and members of the avant-garde. Frequent visitors included Romaine Brooks, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keefe, and Carl Van Vechten. Stettheimer’s politics and attitudes were distinctly liberal. She attended an early feminist conference in France when she was in her twenties, did not cringe at risquà © depictions of sexuality on stage, and was an ardent supporter of Al Smith, who favored a woman’s right to vote. She was also an outspoken supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, making it the centerpiece of her famous Cathedrals of Wall Street (1939), now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She collected George Washington memorabilia and called him the â€Å"only man I collect.† Despite the time she spent in Europe, Stettheimer’s love of her home country is clear in the scenes of jubilation she choose to represent under its flag. Work Stettheimer’s best known works are of social scenes or portraits interspersed with symbolic references to their subjects’ lives and milieux, often including some reference to her own identity as a painter. Florine Stettheimer, The Cathedrals of Broadway, 1929, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain / CC01.0   From a young age, the multi-sensory experience of attending the theater appealed to Stettheimer. Though her initial attempts at set design failed (she approached the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky with an idea of bringing the myth of Orpheus to the stage with her as set designer, only to be rejected), there is an undeniable theatricality to her canvases. Their visually-optimized but inaccurate perspective allows for the entire scene to be viewed from one point of view, and their elaborate framing devices give off the appearance of a proscenium or other elements of a theater or stage. Later in her life, Stettheimer did design the sets and costumes for Four Saints in Three Acts, an opera whose libretto was written by famed modernist Gertrude Stein. Art Career In 1916, Stettheimer was given a solo show at the well-known M. Knoedler Co. Gallery, but the show was not well received. It was the first and last solo show of her work in her lifetime. Stettheimer opted instead for throwing â€Å"birthday parties† for each new painting––essentially a party thrown in her home whose main event was the unveiling of a new work. The social occasion model of exhibiting was not a far cry from the salons for which the Stettheimer women were known during the interwar years. Stettheimer was known as a wit with a sharp tongue, uninhibited when it came to social critique. Her painting, as well as her poetry, are clear evidence of this assessment, such as the commentary on the art market which is the driving force of this poem: Art is Spelled with a Capital AAnd capital also backs itIgnorance also makes it swayThe chief thing is to make it payIn a quite dizzying wayHurrah–hurrah– Stettheimer was very deliberate about her image as an artist, often refusing to be photographed by the many significant photographers she counted among her friends (including Cecil Beaton) and instead opting to be represented by her painted self. Appearing in the straight cuts of clothing fashionable in the 1920s, the painted version of Florine wore red high heels and never seemed to age past forty, despite the fact that the artist died in her early 70s. While most often she would directly insert her image, palette in hand, into a scene, in Soirà ©e (c. 1917), she includes a nude self-portrait not widely exhibited (presumably because of its salacious content). Later Life and Death Florine Stettheimer died in 1944, two weeks before the Museum of Modern Art exhibited what she called her â€Å"masterpiece,† Family Portrait II (1939), a canvas which returned to her favorite subjects: her sisters, her mother, and her beloved New York City. Two years after her death, her great friend Marcel Duchamp helped organize a retrospective of her work at the same museum. Sources Bloemink, Barbara. Imagine The Fun Florine Stettheimer Would Have With Donald Trump: The Artist As Feminist, Democrat, And Chronicler Of Her Time.  Artnews, 2018, http://www.artnews.com/2017/07/06/imagine-the-fun-florine-stettheimer-would-have-with-donald-trump-the-artist-as-feminist-democrat-and-chronicler-of-her-time/. Brown, Stephen, and Georgiana Uhlyarik.  Florine Stettheimer: Painting Poetry. Yale University Press, 2017.Gotthardt, Alexxa. The Flamboyant Feminism Of Cult Artist Florine Stettheimer.  Artsy, 2018, https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-flamboyant-feminism-cult-artist-florine-stettheimer. Smith, Roberta. A Case For The Greatness Of Florine Stettheimer.  nytimes.com, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/arts/design/a-case-for-the-greatness-of-florine-stettheimer.html.