Propaganda in 1984 by George Orwell

Propaganda in 1984 by George Orwell Propaganda on 1984 by George Orwell Introduction At the time of authoring the book ‘Propaganda on 1984’, George Orwell was concerned by world affairs that were taking shape around the world such as communism and government control over the lives of people. George was skeptical of the power tricks used by communist parties with regards to leveraging power at the expense of people. Freedoms, rights and values of people are the main concerns expressed by George as evidenced in the book (Orwell, 5). Increased spying by the government according to Orwell is a threat to social values that hold a society. Most of the expressions in the book are a reflection of what the author predicted would happen in the foreseeable future. Debates on whether to adopt the communist ideals in the American society also motivated Orwell to express his opposition to the proposals. This paper will take the approach of an argumentative essay that will explore issues related to government control and propaganda as a tool for consolidating power. To better understand issues presented in the book, a detailed review of the work by George Orwell will be explored from an analytical perspective. Analysis and Discussion The first theme that best explains the perspective of Orwell with regards to infringing the freedoms of people and society is authoritative rule. By the time, communism gained momentum in Europe, there were differing opinions on this new system of governing. Accordingly, there was support from some regions on the new system of administration that had been made real thanks to the dominance of Russia and the Soviet Union. Orwell raises a red flag in his book by slamming communism since, the latter advocates for the restrictions of freedom and speech. From a practical perspective, rights such as speech freedom and press are integral in the harmonization of a given society (Orwell, 15). Communism was an outfit that was developed with the objective of holding on to power by suppressing the rights of people to choose their leaders in a democratic way. According to the author, democracy is a must have for any society that pursues effective leadership that lives within the moral principles o f a given society. For example, at the height of communism, there was major outcries from people around the world on how the rights of the people had been infringed. There was oppression in most dictatorial regimes around the world and this was of concern to Orwell who foresaw a world where people would live in fear. Party power is described in the book and was used for instilling fear and allegiance of those affiliated. By doing this, the dominant party would lock people from making personal decisions. In other words, the party was transformed into a power base that commanded every aspect of freedom and choices made by people. Manipulation on a psychological basis is an example of a power control tool that would be used by the party for controlling the masses (Kellner, 9). The rationale of these manipulations according to the book is to deprive people of independence and personal choices which are instrumental in the life of any person. Logic dictates that consolidating power needs a strategic approach such as interfering with the way of thinking of a given people. This is the same message presented here and the use of the character Winston sends the message home. Winston wonders about the influence of the Big Brother advocated by the government. In a sense, people are made to believe that Big B rother is the authority mandated with protecting people while at the same time watching enemies that would seek to threaten them. There are many questions to this tag as suggested by Orwell in the book. By spreading fear and tension, the government would gain control easily as compared to allowing people to make personal choices. The scope of manipulation with regards to government protection is seen in the way family values are compromised (Yeo, 5). To make the systems better, the government has additionally developed a junior spying program that entails kids reporting activities of their families to the government. The tactical approach used by the government in accomplishing this objective is the bone contention as seen in the book. When a government decides to manipulate people through the mind, then it can be said that dictatorship has taken route thereby, compromising the freedoms of people (Lang, 6). There is no logic in the government claiming that it would protect people by way of making choices by them. Information and intelligence regarding the activities of a government should be known by the public in order, to properly scrutinize the leadership system in place. Democracy entails the ability of people to choose leaders and live in a society where freedom and other values that bind people together are present. Big Brother therefore, is an illusion created by the government with the objective of attaining their ill motives. People have no information and as seen in the Oceania region, no one knows about the leadership system used in running affairs (Lang, 20). This implies that there is a bridge between people and the reality on the ground. Propaganda has been used a way of eliminating the dirty tricks used by the government and those in power to advance their selfish ideals. Deliberate attempts to destroy the past and present through, manipulative tactics is another thematic presentation that raises an argumentative view of the book by George Orwell. For example, the government ensures that information about the past is erased to keep people in the dark and feed them with information that lacks basis and credibility. Such levels of diversionary leadership are seen in the world expressed by Orwell in the book. Controlling the present largely depends on how well the past has been compromised by the system of power in place. Control has been attained in this regard and is best portrayed by loss of memory by the main character (Iskandar, 40). Winston seems to lose track of the past and engages in personal reflection for the sake of getting a grip of the past. What comes out from this experience by Winston is clearly government machinery used for hindering the thought patterns of people by causing discrepancies in time. Confusion is an important tool required for commanding control over a given population and has been happening within the ranks of government. Such a rule is detrimental to the stability and future prospects of a country, since, it does not recognize the significance of upholding integrity within leadership. There is no doubt that manipulations of this level are a manifestation of the problems facing people (Brown, 3). Winston is the only sober character in the book who endeavors to make connections between various events which have taken place. Another analytical argument to the propagandas introduced by the government according to Orwell is mistrust between families and use of technology for spying. As stated earlier in this argument, the government is responsible for creating divisions among people by making every citizen part of the spy network. Arguably, this approach has the capability of shaping how people relate with the government and other people all for the motives of the government (Raab, 35). The mental condition of Winston is clear illustration of the mental manipulations that have taken place in the society. O’ Brien attracts a lot of suspicion from Winston who thinks he might be part of the new system of controlling people. Trust is required for holding values and principles that guide a given society without influences that shape how people thinks and make decisions. Government control asserted in the book by Orwell is similar to divide rule where causing tension becomes a stronghold for government co ntrol. From a technological perspective, information should be freely disseminated to the public without any alterations that may lead to questioning. Developing of surveillance systems such as Tele screens is an experience raised by George and does nothing but watch the movements of people. Technology should be used in a way that helps spread knowledge and information to people all the time without fear of being spied. Such a world is ideal and best represents the values of a democracy. In comparison to the modern world, this dream is valid and can be attained without causing unnecessary jitters to the government (Yeo, 7). The language component as a factor for asserting control of the mind draws analytical perspectives based on the strategies used by the government for controlling people. Simply put, affecting the thinking patterns of people is the best way of controlling them. When freedom of speech and free thinking is encouraged, chances are that people will be free to express their opinions on various things. Progress would be made in this way by forming a united society that looks into the needs of people and providing a sense of accountability from the government. A government system that engages in surveillance programs for spying on their own people infringes on their rights and privacy needs as stipulated in the constitution. The world envisioned by Orwell is best described by the above description and encompasses value based leadership that addresses the needs of people without intimidating them. The events of communism and the consequences support the above assertions and show the problem w ith dictatorial regimes that do not respect the freedoms of citizens as spelled out in the constitution. Provisions in the constitution on the rights of people are clear and should be followed to the latter. If there is a lesson that world has learnt is that communism has no place in any society. Conflicts and tension is common place in the long run and show how people loathe dictatorial regimes. From a legal perspective, denying people their rights causes divisions that would most likely impact the manner in which the society functions (Brown, 8). A healthy society should be comprised of an accountable system of leadership that delivers on the fundamental rights of people such as freedom. The argumentative basis provided by Orwell in relation to the above description shows numerous similarities of the vision outlined by the author of a democratic world where peace abounds. Double think is another form of manipulation used by the government with regards to shaping the current agenda depending on their interests. By instilling contradictory thoughts to people, the leadership in place maneuvers in order to create chances for usurping power on a global scale. For example, a government can convince people on turning an enemy into a friendly nation as long as the interests of those in power are met. By brainwashing people, powerful figures are able to control agenda on various issues that affect society (Sessions, 19). In addition, people are led to believe that the proposed agenda is better for them and the future of their nation. Patriotism is the tool used for rallying people behind a given cause that sincerely speaking, cannot be justified. For example, invading another nation can be reached by a government and assure people that going to war would promote peace. How people are tricked is one thing and how the government accomplishes these objectives is another. The bottom line is that mental enslavement is a mechanism that has worked for the case of many autocratic regimes that endeavor to contravene the fundamental rights of the citizens. Soft power is applied by dictatorial regimes and shapes the manner in which people adopt to the new circumstances. Practically speaking going to war for any nation is a costly exercise that can cause short term problems such as economic crises or weakening of diplomatic ties. In a way people think that the government has their best interests at heart while in reality, the government is interested in taking away the liberties and freedoms. Orwell shows instances of double think in various parts of his book and shows how the government can influence societal agenda. From a social perspective, poverty and crime are some of the major contributors to urban problems. The government in the book by Orwell has disregarded the social needs of people such as jobs and good shelters which are important for boosting economic growth. The depiction of this situation by Orwell is a classic example of how resource misallocation is used for stabilizing power in dictatorial governments. Restricting the flow of resources in an equitable manner results to hopelessness that takes a nation backwards (Orwell, 36). Regardless of this, the government is less concerned about the needs of people and lets poverty become widespread without doing anything. Such imbalance is used by the government to hold people at ransom and consequently, perceive the government as the legitimate provider of their needs. Economic independence is an important element with regards to enhancing the rights of people and progress that trickles down to working families. Taking these rights is a mi stake and shows the incompetence of the government in terms of providing economic freedom to people. Evidence from the book by George shows the plight of people economically and how this is orchestrated by those in power. Wastage and poor planning policies are to blame in many countries where extreme poverty abounds. The author is categorical in terms of how the government is involved in the resource management and denounces this approach as dictatorial and unfair. Many regimes around the world are represented by these sentiments from the book by Orwell. Looting and wastage of resources meant for public usage is the order of the day and goes unpunished in the midst of harsh economic times facing people. The use of guilt through the main character can be looked from different angles and speaks volumes about the conditions facing most people. A look at people shows confusion and manipulation that is shaped in form of freedom (Sessions, 22). In short, there has been a total overhaul of how people think, make choices and their relationship with others. Winston is confused in most of the insights provided by the author in the book and reflects the situation facing most people. The irony is that people have believed that everything is alright and that the government is justified in the formulation of various policies that influence the functioning of society. Guilt is best expressed by Winston who feels that something is missing and sets out to change things. A look at this situation tells more about the role of government in disrupting human values that are much needed in promotion cooperation and unity among people in the long haul. This is not the case according the current events faci ng most people in the country and evidence shows that people are darkness. A comparative analysis of the book by Orwell and other authorships such as ‘1985’ and ‘Brave New World’ shows the same thematic message as highlighted the mentioned books (Orwell, 30). Just like the presentation by George, the above mentioned books provides accounts of human rights contraventions and how systems of rule such as communism were detrimental to world peace and harmony. All these accounts have a similar message as that provided by George in his book and emphasize on the problems facing most people in autocratic states. There is no room for autocracy according to these authors in the modern world and should not be allowed to thrive. The mention of media as a propaganda tool makes a lot of sense and provides the situation facing most nations around the world gripped in authoritative rule. A good example of media influence and how it failed people can be explained from the situation that led to attacks on American soil in 2001. Media perception of things and use of fabricated facts was common place and led to widespread confusion with regards to addressing the problem of terrorism and extremism that had spread around the world. By providing unverified information and taking sides, the media compromised the liberties of people with regards to their right to know accurate information (Brown, 13). There were many details that were left out in the proposals provided by the media in relation to war on terror. The conspiracy surrounding these attacks is another aspect showing the intensity of things with regards to propaganda promotion by the media. Every logic shows that the media was partisan with the government on th e issues that were facing Americans after the occurrence of these events. Conclusion The analytical approach used in exploring the reasoning by George Orwell in his book is clear testimony of the dangers of allowing dictatorial leadership principles such as those that gripped Europe during the era of communism. The combination of the teachings by Orwell and present day events around the world is proof of these sentiments. As seen in this critical review of the book, according people their rights and freedoms goes a long way in terms of showing respect for human rights and values. Works Cited Brown, Sarah. I always feel like, somebody’s watching me†¦Teaching 1984 and the power of government. Six-Week Unit designed for 10th grade honors. 2010. Print. Iskandar, Nicole. Teaching Dystopic Novels in the Classroom Unit of Study. Warner, 1984. Print. Kellner, Douglas. From 1984 to One-Dimensional Man: Critical Reflections on Orwell and Marcuse. Print. Lang, Peter. The Road from George Orwell: His Achievement and Legacy. European Academic Publishers. 2001. Print. Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Harcourt Education Limited, 2005. Print. Raab, Elizabeth. Propaganda and â€Å"Truth†: How Do You Know? John Bartram High School. Print. Sessions, Lisa. A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell’s 1984. Asheville Junior High. Print. Yeo, Michael. Propaganda and Surveillance in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four: Two Sides of the Same Coin. Global Media Journal- Canadian Edition. 2010. Print.

John Steinbecks The Pearl :: essays research papers

Kino lives in the shore with his family, he was a fisherman. When the morning comes he can hear the song of the family which includes the sounds of waves and animals that surrounded them. Juana his wife had a song too, an ancient song that had only three notes and yet endless variety of interval. One day their baby , Coyotito got stung by an scorpion a deadly poisonous, tiny creature the couple was panicked and didn’t know what to do. Their neighbors help them to get to a doctor but it seems that the doctor was very mean to poor people. There is this other song too which is the song of enemy, they heard it when they have a problems. There is this beggars actually, four of them in front of the church who knew everything in the town. They were students of expressions of young as they went into confession. When they got into the house of the doctor Kino hesitated a moment because this doctor was not of his people. The gate was closed a little and the servant refused to speak in t he old language. They never got to speak to the doctor with Kino’s anger. He struck the gate a crushing blow with his fist. Kino own a canoe which was owned by his Grandpa and give it to his father and passed to Kino it was the one thing of value he owned in the world. Kino found a pearl a silvery pearl he seemed to saw the great oyster for the first time. His wife was so very excited when he saw the pearl and she could not want to hold it. Before he found the pearl he heard the song of the pearl but in the song there was a secret, little inner song., hardly perceptible, but always there sweet and secret and clinging. The town lay on a broad, zstuary, its old yellow plastered buildings hugging the beach. On the beach the hungry dogs and the hungry plgs of the town searched cudlessly for any dead fish or sea bird that might have floated on a rising tide. The news that Kino found a pearl was all over the town. A town is like a colonial animal. A town has as nervous system and a head and shoulders and feet. Before Kino and Juana and the other fishers had come to Kino’s brush house, the nerves of the town were pulsing and vibrating with he news, Kino had found the Pearl of the World.

Interpersonal Communication Essay -- essays research papers

Although there are several problems that can diminish the effectiveness of interpersonal communication, some tactics can be used in order to minimize these failures in communication. A recent visit to a hotel sparked a perfect example of this communication opportunity between a patron and the hotel's front desk employee. First of all, the history of the confrontation between the patron and the hotel's front desk employee was clouded with expectations and assumptions. For example, the patron made a reservation for a room by using the hotel chain's national reservation center. This center, in turn, is obligated to give the information to the individual hotels so that the hotels can then honor the reservations accordingly. Unfortunately in this example, the patron's request and approval for a king bed was not relayed from the reservation center to the hotel. As a result, the hotel employee did not have the information that the patron assumed he had received. This assumption resulted in a breakdown in communication between the hotel employee and the patron, which then created hostility on the part of the patron and defensiveness on the part of the employee. The hostility felt by the patron was partly due to past experiences with hotel employees and the negative outcomes of those experiences (Pfeiffe r 12). These past experiences created a situation where the patron did not really listen to what the employee was saying (Pfeiffer 13). Instead, he only heard that there was a problem ("just like there was last time"). The employee's defensiveness was due to his assumption that this particular patron has the same problem that past patrons have had: The patron simply made a mistake with the reservation (DeVito 9). The employee also became defensive because of his rank in the situation and the status differences between a guest of a high-end hotel and a hotel employee (Pfeiffer 14). He knew that he needed to be absolutely correct or else the patron would be awarded a favorable outcome ("the customer is always right"), and this defensiveness did not allow him to fully and effectively listen (Pfeiffer 14). On the other hand, the patron's assumption that the employee had received the information created unclear information. Had the patron clarified and qualified the c orrect information, the message would have been clear an... ...ployee became negative influences on each other that day (Boyle IX). By avoiding the problems associated with miscommunication and adhering to the rules of effective communication, the patron and the employee could have avoided a very negative situation and resolved a problem in a fraction of the time. Although "absolutely clear communication" (DeVito 15) may be impossible to achieve, absolutely efficient communication should be a realistic goal...if for no other reason than to get to a vacation that much quicker! References Bolton, Robert (1979), People Skills, Simon & Schuster, New York. Boyle, Dr. William (1999), Getting Connected: How To Improve All Your Relationships, William Boyle and Associates, Illinois. DeVito, Joseph A. (2002), The Interpersonal Communication Reader, Allyn & Bacon: A Pearson Education Company, New York. Pfeiffer, J.W. (1973), Conditions Which Hinder Effective Communication excerpt from The 1973 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators, Pfeiffer and Company, California.

Crime Today Essay

We can all see some logic in this type of action as â€Å"money† can cause a lot of mayhem, and it’s especially bad for people who don’t have any. Many people can recognize being poor and yearning for a better life. However, most of us do not act out in criminal ways in order to get ourselves out of financial hardship. In contrast, think about the guy who just last week went into that school and killed 20 children and 5 adults for really no reason at all. Nobody can grasp any reason at all why someone would or even could do something so gruesome and evil. It just doesn’t make sense. So why is it that crime seems so bad today than in the past. Well, I would have to say heavy population increases don’t help. All of the technological advancements only make it easier for us to see all the bad news. I think that some people knowing that the media is going to shout out their names all over the newspapers and televisions is an incentive to criminals who want to be, I guess you could say â€Å"known† for something. Crime has always existed, since the beginning of time. It’s almost like it’s human nature. Nevertheless, is America falling into a trap where crime is normal? As our prison systems grow, are we allowing crime to grow to fill the gaps, or is it the other way around? My personal opinion is that we in fact are. Did you know that when America’s crime rates declined steadily for about a decade and a half, that  the United States still had the most car thefts, the most rapes and the most murders in the world the United States still had the most car thefts, the most rapes and the most murders in the world (Economic Collapse, 2012). What does that say about us? In addition, even though the United States has the largest prison systems in the entire world (and we win by a large margin), we can see that there are still thousands or criminals reaching havoc on the streets of America every day. There are some places that are still showing a slight decline in crime rates; however, others are showing an alarming rate of crime increases. What is the answer to all of this? I’m not sure if anybody really knows. In addition to all of this, is this recent economic downturn going to turn more people into criminals? Probably so, and we don’t know how to fix it. We can only build so many prisons, and we can only afford so many police officers. Billions are spent in America and around the world each year combating crime, building prisons, paying for police and legal costs involved with crime, delinquency and other related problems, but the problem continues. It’s a never ending battle. Another thing is that a myriad of excuses and justifications for criminal behavior have replaced the principle that everyone, including the criminal, is fully responsible for his actions. Every criminal has a reason why â€Å"they† did what they did. Well, my parents abused me when I was little; I have psychological issues, etc. When does it end? Although, I do agree with this point a little bit. I do believe that poverty does increase crime. Now I’m by no means saying that just because people grow up poor that gives them the right to act out in criminal behavior, or that just because someone grew up wealthy means that they won’t resort to crime. I am just saying that I can see how the way we were brought up and the things we have experienced can create different reactions to things in life. After all, it’s our experiences in life that shape who we are as a person. There are so many different aspects or crime and crime control that I can get into, from a no-fault society to gun control. However, none of this stuff seems to really make a difference, so maybe it’s time to get together and come up with a different plan. Obviously, what we are doing as a country is not working. References The Economic Collapse. (2012). Is Crime Making a Comeback? Retrieved from: http://theeconomiccollapseblog. com/archives/is-crime-making-a-comeback-12-crime-statistics-that-make-you-wonder-what-is-happening-to-america/

Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women Essay

According to Jennifer Mclune, a writer, activist, and librarian, sexism, and homophobia saturate hip-hop culture and any deviation from these forms of bigotry is made marginal to its most dominant and lucrative expressions. In her article â€Å"Hip hops betrayal of black women† Published on first of July 2006, Mclune is informing and trying to persuade her audience of this generation of teenagers and young adults, also seen as millennials, that hip-hop songs that have these elements of woman-hating, sexism, and homophobia, are basically a normal thing and it should not be because it causes an influence and makes the actions seem like it’s okay to commit rather than seeing it as something offensive. She claims that â€Å"Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating† By this, she means that it creates, perpetuates, and reaps the rewards of objectification. I strongly agree with Mclune she feels that the hip-hop world has degraded women and it became the †norm† so people became blinded so, now it’s time to fight back. To help support my claim, Mclune uses real-life evidence/examples such as song lyrics, another article similar to her topic, and language. First off Mclune starts off addressing Kevin Powell’s ’’ notes of hip-hop heads ’’ and he states how poverty breeds into sexism and that hip-hop is saturated with the past and homophobia. Mclune feels that that’s a way to silence the feminist critiques of the culture. Mclune also states how Powell forgets to mention the fact that women too were raised in the violent and poor environments as men too. Basically, it shouldn’t excuse the fact that men are degrading women through the hip-hop culture. When we as black females need to stand up and gain knowledge on how the hip-hop world participates in women-hating. You have men writing songs about black women pain, but have rappers such as jay-z who has lyrics such as I pimp hard on a trick. In particularly this article written by Sharpley Whiting called †Pimp Up, Ho’s Down† Whiting argues that hip hop’s commercial success is heavily dependent upon young black women. Creating both, this masculine and misogynistic gap in understanding the real complexities of young black women in hip hop’s commercial art. The color prejudice and sexually charged lyrics in a dominated culture, hip-hop. Whiting also states how the millennium generation has grown into the wake of the hip-hop culture, blinded by their unconscious participation, they fail to connect the destruction of feminism in hip-hop, this statement is similar to what Mclune has been saying throughout her article. It is not hip hop itself that has made the uniqueness of its own culture, but it is hip-hop itself that normalizes it. It’s very understandable that the hip-hop world bases their lyrics on real-life situations but the things that are said about such as †gold diggers,† † chicken heads† about women shouldn’t be motioned because it doesn’t do anything but make those situations become the norm. In an article written by Dr. Johnnetta Cole argues in her article that there is a â€Å"war between the sexes†. Also, that hip-hop plays a significant influence on is battle that has been going on since the 60’s. We as black women need to stand our ground for something that we believe in, which is treating us with respect and not degrading us in hip hops music. The sense of impudence toward the woman is being noticed by boys and girls at an early age. Therefore, to them it seems that what is being said and demonstrated in videos is okay. The ruthless and tyrannical gender talk in today’s hip-hop music must be put to rest, but to do that we must chan ge the way we put out our message. Words can be very motivating and inspiring, but you can’t influence someone by humiliating others.

Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Who can be wise, amaz’d, temperate, and furious, loyal and neutral in a moment? ~William Shakespeare On October 2, 1869 in the town of Porbandar, in what is now the Gujarat province of India, a son was born to the local prime minister and his wife. That child was named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, later known to millions of Indians as the father of their nation. He lived an ordinary boyhood in the seaport town and attended school in nearby Rajkot. As a boy he attended temple near his home and readings were taken alternatively from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and the Moslem Koran.(Gold) Since his city of birth was a seaport, looking out into the world, it hosted nearly 2 dozen religions. This would help greatly in developing a tolerance and acceptance for all religions.(Erikson) As is custom in the Hindu religion he was married in an arranged ceremony at age 13, his wife was a mere 10 years of age. Despite the difficulties before them, they fell in love and became a source of strength unto each other. Their marriage lasted some 60 years. In 1888 when Mohandas left for England to pursue a law degree, he left his widowed mother, his wife, and his son Harilal who was only a few months old at the time. Although leaving home was difficult, Mohandas was greatly determined to obtain his degree. Once in London he felt very uncomfortable. (Gold) This and his Indian ethnicity pushed him to the fringes of English society. The people he soon began associating with were the vanguard of social thought in England at the time and their influence on him was strong. It was at this time that he was introduced to the Christian Bible, delved deeper into vegetarianism, and got his first glimpse of what it was to be Indian through Western eyes. Through hard work and strength of mind, on June 12, 1891 passed his examinations and was called to the bar. On June 11 he was enrolled to the High Court and the next day saile... Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi Free Essays on Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Who can be wise, amaz’d, temperate, and furious, loyal and neutral in a moment? ~William Shakespeare On October 2, 1869 in the town of Porbandar, in what is now the Gujarat province of India, a son was born to the local prime minister and his wife. That child was named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, later known to millions of Indians as the father of their nation. He lived an ordinary boyhood in the seaport town and attended school in nearby Rajkot. As a boy he attended temple near his home and readings were taken alternatively from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and the Moslem Koran.(Gold) Since his city of birth was a seaport, looking out into the world, it hosted nearly 2 dozen religions. This would help greatly in developing a tolerance and acceptance for all religions.(Erikson) As is custom in the Hindu religion he was married in an arranged ceremony at age 13, his wife was a mere 10 years of age. Despite the difficulties before them, they fell in love and became a source of strength unto each other. Their marriage lasted some 60 years. In 1888 when Mohandas left for England to pursue a law degree, he left his widowed mother, his wife, and his son Harilal who was only a few months old at the time. Although leaving home was difficult, Mohandas was greatly determined to obtain his degree. Once in London he felt very uncomfortable. (Gold) This and his Indian ethnicity pushed him to the fringes of English society. The people he soon began associating with were the vanguard of social thought in England at the time and their influence on him was strong. It was at this time that he was introduced to the Christian Bible, delved deeper into vegetarianism, and got his first glimpse of what it was to be Indian through Western eyes. Through hard work and strength of mind, on June 12, 1891 passed his examinations and was called to the bar. On June 11 he was enrolled to the High Court and the next day saile...

Who is Beyonce

Who is Beyonce Introduction Beyonce is arguably the top female musician in the world. From a career that emerged from the success of an all-girl music group, she has received several accolades for her music and acting careers. Her success has attracted a lot of media attention from critics and fans alike.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, her recent engagement and wedding to rapper Jay-Z has even brought more media attention to the laid-back musician. Now, most entertainment observers consider Beyonce and Jay Z as America’s â€Å"power couple† (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). In several ways, Beyonce has been in the limelight for most parts of the last decade. Thus, different media have always contained different stories about her. This paper compares the singer’s image in the news media and academic literature by arguing that both sources share more similarities than differences in how they portray the artist. Notably, this paper shows that academic literatures are concerned with Beyonce’s role in female empowerment and healthy living, while her media image focuses on her glamour, music, sex symbolism, and style. The structure of this paper first analyzes Beyonce’s image in academic literature. Subsequent sections of this paper highlight her image in news media. The last section of this paper compares both images (in news media and academic literature). Image in Academic Literatures Symbol of Female Empowerment Professionally, Beyonce’s image has easily appeared besides other powerful African-American personalities, like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and the likes. Most of these comparisons stem from Beyonce’s success in the music industry and her ability to transcend the superficial and stereotypical image of African American women, as objects of sexual gratification (with in the confines of white supremacy) (Celeste 11).Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While it is important to appreciate the individual successes of music icons, such as Beyonce, many academic journals have found it difficult to do so outside the confines of race (Fan 117). Thus, in many academic circles, many researchers largely perceive Beyonce as an icon of female empowerment (Celeste 11). Feminists have especially championed this view. For example, Murphy (96) says Beyonce is an icon in the success of the third wave feminist movement. This perception led Murphy to say, â€Å"Beyonce is a girl power icon who is average but, beyond her star status, she is overwhelmingly portrayed as a normal and powerful woman† (96). Indeed, in one journal article, Celeste says, â€Å"The media has portrayed Knowles as empowered and in charge, as a mask to make oppres sive forces, such as the â€Å"sexualization† of black women and white supremacy, invisible† (12). The depiction of Beyonce as a female icon has made it difficult for scholars to ignore the racial identity within the discourse of female empowerment. Indeed, many academic literatures appreciate Beyonce’s stature as a woman of color. Therefore, unlike most female icons (mostly white women) that demonstrate the â€Å"girl power† ideology, Beyonce has achieved the same stature by demonstrating multiple talents and performing abilities. Evidence of Beyonce’s multi-talented nature comes from her career launch in the pop group, Destiny’s Child. Murphy says, â€Å"As a dancer, songwriter, and choreographer, she later catapulted her success into new fields, such as acting and fashion design† (p. 97). Through such multi-variable talents, scholars have not shied from associating Beyonce’s success with the third wave of feminism. Certainly, they have done so by associating racial identities with discussions concerning the empowerment of young women. African-American scholars have especially used the success of young African-American women, like Beyonce, to inspire African-American audiences.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health Image Although Beyonce has received global accolades for being a top female musician, her image has transcended her professional career and delved into her lifestyle attributes. Notably, she has curved out an image of being an enviable female icon for healthy living. Academic journals that focus on healthy living have especially affirmed this image because they say Beyonce has an ideal body that most women strive to have. For example, Apple (111) exposed a study which asked women to state the body type they would like to have (the researchers gave the women the options of choosing the body types of four female celebrities including, Beyonce, Kate Moss, Keira Knightly, and Queen Latifa). Most of the respondents preferred Beyonce’s body style (Men want a† 121). The emphasis on Beyonce as a fitness model stems from her widely publicized workout and diet plans. Concisely, her name has appeared in most health fitness regimes (Another jar of† 50). For example, Beyonce’s workout plan exists in healthyceleb.com and motleyhealth.com (these websites advice people how to live healthy by maintaining a proper diet regime) (Borges 7). For example, Beyonce advises women on how to lose weight, at healthyceleb.com. She gives a step-by-step account of the time she wakes up, the types of activities she does for exercise, and how her diet helps her to be healthy. In the same forum, she advises most young women to breastfeed, as a way to stay healthy (Borges 7). Here, she emphasizes the importance of a vegetarian diet and its role in keeping her healthy (Borges 7). From the huge responses she receives from the website, Beyonce also provides a link for people to contact her personal trainer and get more advice on healthy living. Her success in health education has permeated through most academic literatures. News Media Image Flamboyant Image Beyonce’s image in mainstream media contrasts with her â€Å"academic† image. While the above sections of the paper highlight Beyonce as a motivational icon for racial minorities in America, her public image in mainstream media portrays her as a glamorous and flamboyant person.Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As portrayed in the introduction section of this report, Beyonce’s image in news media largely premise on her superficial attributes, such as her sense of fashion, style, net worth, and the likes. For example, her recent marriage to rapper Jay Z has shifted most of her public image to her net worth, lifestyle, and influence in the music industry (Seno and Lukas 121). For example, many American newspapers picked an article from Forbes magazine to show the position of the â€Å"power couple† as America’s highest earning celebrity couple (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Such news has always been associated with huge monetary figures, to show how rich the artist is, and how she compares with other wealthy celebrities in the country. For instance, mainstream media have often compared Beyonce and Jay Z to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Similar comparisons also exist with the celebrity couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundschen (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par . 2). Sex Icon Besides the media’s obsession with Beyonce’s money and wealth, the singer has adopted an image of being a crossover sex symbol in American music. Indeed, most news media have referred to the singer as â€Å"bootylicious,† â€Å"voluptuous,† and similar acronyms to denote her status as a sex symbol (Seno and Lukas 122). Partly, the singer, through the former all-girl music group, Destiny’s Child, affirmed this image through songs, like â€Å"bootylicious.† However, mainstream media have emphasized this image as the singer’s trademark. Beyonce’s image as a sex symbol largely differs from the star’s academic image. Certainly, earlier sections of this paper show that, academically, scholars have perceived Beyonce as a role model for women worldwide (Celeste 11). Scholars have also disassociated the singer from stereotypical images of African-American superstars as sex symbols (Celeste 11). However, this image appears to disappear in the news media because her image consistently depicts her as a sex symbol. This image has not only existed in music videos and television, but also in print media. For example, â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† (par. 3) says, after Beyonce appeared on Tom Ford’s fashion show, in 2011, People magazine identified her as the world’s sexiest woman. Complex (a celebrity website) also named the singer the sexiest musician of all time. The list of other print media that have popularized Beyonce’s stature as a sex symbol is endless. For instance, VHA and GQ have also named the star as the sexiest woman of the century. This way, Beyonce has received several offers to appear on magazine covers from different entertainment outlets in America and Europe. Her success on this front has affirmed her image as a sex icon. Fashion Icon News media have also highly popularized Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon, to characterize her identity. Murphy (131 ) says this image has largely been popularized by mainstream media, but the Knowles family has also helped to cement it. For example, Beyonce’s mother co-authored a book, in 2002, titled, Destiny’s Style. She revealed that Beyonce’s fashion sense had a huge role to play in her success (Murphy 131). Independent fashion designers (who have worked with the star) have also reinforced this image. For example, one Italian fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli, also revealed that Beyonce’s success largely stemmed from her strong fashion sense (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 3). He made this statement after referring to the diverse fashion styles used by the singer during her performances. Indeed, based on an assessment of Beyonce’s music videos, it is difficult to dispute the fact that Beyonce’s fashion sense ranges from a continuum of classic to contemporary fashion styles. Again, magazines and other types of news media have not shied from affi rming Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon. For example, People Magazine listed Beyonce as the best dressed celebrity of 2012. Such rankings paved the way for the star to feature in more prestigious print media magazines, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuits Issue. Again, it is important to highlight Beyonce’s stature as an icon of African-American descent because she was the second African-American woman to feature in this magazine (Tyra banks preceded her debut on the Magazine). Musical Icon Since Beyonce started her solo career as an artist, after breaking away from Destiny’s Child, she has cut out an image as an influential and powerful musician. This image has largely dominated most mainstream media because many commentators have portrayed Beyonce as a great and influential musician. Music critics, for example, consider Beyonce as the greatest musician of all time (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Influential commentators, such as Jody Rosen of th e New Yorker, hold this view. Surprisingly, most news media have upheld this image of the singer for a greater part of the last decade. In fact, 2013 rankings showed Beyonce leads other artists in exerting the most influence in America’s music industry. Her musical prowess prompted Luhrmann (12) to say, No one has that voice, no one moves the way she moves, no one can hold an audience how she does. When Beyonce does an album, when Beyonce sings a song, when Beyonce does anything, it is an event, and it is broadly influential. Right now, she is the heir- ­apparent diva of the USA - the reigning national voice† (Luhrmann 12). Such views have brought a lot of national attention to Beyonce’s influence in mainstream music. The Guardian has even named her the greatest artist of the decade (Luhrmann 12). This image has elevated the mellow-voiced singer to iconic status in the music industry. This image has also enabled Beyonce to command unwavering respect in the ind ustry. Observers say her production of two great musical singles of the decade (crazy in love and put a ring on it) marked the reinvention of Rhythm and Blues (RB) music in the last decade. Indeed, Luhrmann (12) says through Beyonce’s contribution to the music industry, pop music has relied on the success of RB, as its favorite medium. Beyonce’s influence in the RB genre has also replicated in redefining the success of other musicians. For example, evidence shows that Beyonce’s works have influenced other successful RB musicians, such as Adele and Rihanna to succeed. Seno and Lukas (121) say Beyonce’s reputation, as a successful artist, mainly stems from her strong stage presence. Through her success on stage, other artists, such as Rihanna, have reinvented their stage performances to make them more entertaining and captivating. Beyonce’s success beyond music has spilled over into marketing and branding (Seno and Lukas 121). Here, she has also infl uenced other artists to participate in marketing campaigns. For example, in a recent interview, Nicki Minaj claimed that Beyonce’s commercial success in a Pepsi campaign motivated her to try the same in a 2012 global campaign. Through her influence in the music industry and other artists, mainstream media continue to affirm Beyonce’s image as a music icon. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, it is important to say Beyonce’s image in news media and academic sources differ. Notably, both sources focus on different aspects of the celebrity. News media portray the singer as a sex symbol, musical icon, and fashion icon. Comparatively, academic literatures appreciate the artist for her contribution to female empowerment and health education. These two zones of focus highlight different aspects of Beyonce. News media highlights her superficial and glamorous aspects of life, while academic literature highlights her beneficial contributions to society. A comparison of these two aspects of analysis shows that academic literature and news media share one similarity of depicting Beyonce in a positive way. Although news media concentrates on her glamour and splendor, they still show Beyonce’s positive contribution to the music industry. Evidence of her contribution to the RB genre is the most notable contribution to the music industry. News media also portray her as a mentor to upcoming and existing musicians. Overall, an assessment of Beyonce’s image in academic and news media shows that both media are sympathetic to the artist. Furthermore, both depictions of Beyonce’s image do not exaggerate her achievements and contributions. Instead, they portray a factual image of her personality and achievements. Both perceptions (from news media and academic sources) are also not stereotypical (however, academic literatures show the stereotypical background that influences the perception of African-American artists, such a s Beyonce). Comprehensively, this paper shows that there are more similarities than differences between how academic literatures and news media portray Beyonce. Another jar of baby food? Nutrition Food Science 39.1(2009): 49- 53. Print. Apple, Michael. â€Å"Democratic Education in Neoliberal and Neoconservative Times.†Ã‚  International Studies in Sociology of Education 21.1 (2011): 111-118. Print. Beyonce, Jay-Z Top Forbes’ Highest-Earning Celebrity Couple  List. 2013. Web. Borges, Marco 2012, Beyonce Knowles Workout Routine Diet Plan. Web. Celeste, Manoucheka. 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