Mechanical Reproduction Essay Example for Free

Mechanical Reproduction Essay Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin can be summed up into two important subjects—reproducibility and the concept of the aura. One of the main ideas of Benjamin Walter’s work is technological advancement in the field of the arts which has changed art itself. Mass reproduction of works of art has made even the replicas works of art by themselves. Consequently, the original has lost its authenticity. The concept of the aura is the next major idea that Benjamin Walter discusses—the aura is the very essence of a work of art, which is lost because of mass reproduction, particularly art that uses film as a medium. As the times change, so to do the perceptions of humans—and thus, contributing to the demise of the aura in art. Art and tradition go hand in hand, but with the advent of modern mediums today, art as business (mass production) has become the main concern. Art has two functions, either as â€Å"cult† magical in function, hidden from view, or as a public spectacle. The difference between film and portraits is that film does not have that aura. The succeeding sections mostly talk about film. One section delves into some theories on film, while another section talks about the actor, citing differences between acting in front of a live audience and acting in front of the camera and how the camera destroys the aura of the acting. Section nine is about how anyone can, or rather, play as works of art because of film. The camera hides real talent and shows only that which the filmmakers want to project. The rest of the discussion is still about film and the differences this new technology has made into our modern perception of art. Work Cited Benjamin, Walter. â€Å"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. † Core Concepts for Communication and Web Development. English Department, Bentley College. 02 March 2009 http://web. bentley. edu/empl/c/rcrooks/toolbox/common_knowledge/general_communication/benjamin. html.

Fighting Kerry Keenan :: Film Movies

Fighting Kerry Keenan Theme: This film is loosely based on the story of Lola Bardem, who as a student at Sarah Lawrence college was convicted of killing her lover and roommate, Sara Shield with a compound bow. Lola, an All-American archer, and three time cover-model for Sports Illustrated was the defendant in the case brought against her by the victim's family. The case, which I'm sure we all remember was important for many reasons, not only due to the strange nature of Sara's death, but also for the evidence brought against, and in support of Lola, including issues concerning her upbringing in a low-income neighborhood, her sexual orientation, and her gender. Although Lola's case has been closed for almost five years now, the ramifications of the suit are still being felt. Since then, many of the nations colleges and universities have cut funding for sports that are considered "out-dated" and "dangerous", although many traditional sports like football, ice-hockey, track and field, and sailing still continue to receive a large sum of funding—often being cited as sports that are associated with the identity of the school, and therefore untouchable due to pressure from alums and television networks that broadcast the games nationally. However, and perhaps more importantly, the film will mainly be concerned with the case itself, and the uproar it caused in the media. Protagonists: For our purposes, Lola's name has been changed to Kerry. Although the film is ultimately constructed temporally along the events of Kerry's case, the main protagonist is an 18 year old high school senior named Darby Brennan, who is at the time of the case is being pursued by elite universities to join their basketball team. The news that we as viewers gather about the case is filtered to us through Darby's perspective. Although initially naà ¯ve with respect to the world of competitive women's sports, Darby's experience watching the case ultimately influences her decision about playing sports in college. Other than her testimony, Kerry herself doesn't have much of a main part. Rather, it is the media's portrayal of Kerry's case that occupies much of the narrative, and should lead the viewer to question the portrayal of women in sports. Often scenes in the movie will be filmed to give the viewer the feeling of being the audience of news telecasts. However, in order to emphasize narrative perspective, Darby will often comment on the information we receive, questioning how her own life could possibly be construed by the media, and her own activities misinterpreted in the interest of television ratings.

Mary Rowlandson vs. Mary Jemison’s Essay

Mary Rowlandson was a Puritan women living in Lancaster, Massachusetts with her husband Joseph, and their three children, when the Indians captured them. The Indians killed Rowlandson’s sister and her youngest child. In 1758, fifteen year old Mary Jemison was captured by a Shawnee and French raiding party that attacked her farm. She was adopted and incorporated into the Senecas, she became very close to her Seneca sisters. Mary refused the opportunity to return home, finding life in Indian society more rewarding, then going back to the British colonial culture. These two women had very similar interpretations of the Indians and how they treated them. Mary Rowlandson’s view of the Indians that captured her, is harsher compared to Mrs. Jemison’s. Mrs. Rowlandson saw them burn and destroy homes, knock people on the head, and kill the ones she loved and knew. I can see why she referred to them as â€Å"barbarous creatures†, â€Å"murderous wretches†, â€Å"heathen,† â€Å"ravenous beasts,† and â€Å"hell-hounds†. A women of her stature, who was a puritan and thought of these people to be of the wilderness, was not used to their way of life. She and her children were dragged through the wilderness, trying their best to survive. She began to adapt to the living conditions by finding her own food, making her own clothes, and tolerating the Indians. She relied on God and scriptures to uplift her spirit as she traveled with her capturers; which I believe helped her not only survive, but helped her learn that the Indians are Gods creation too, and should be forgiven just as the Lord has forgiven us of our sins, even if they did do horrible things to her and the people she knew. Mary Jemison on the other hand did not go through such a horrifying experience when the Indians captured her and her family. She heard that there had been conflict in the Indian and French War and there could be no doubt that they might get involved in the turmoil. When she came of age she  married a Delaware man named Sheninjee and had a child with him, whom she called Thomas after her father. Mrs. Jemison stated that they were captured by six Indians and four Frenchman, who immediately commenced plundering and took what they considered most valuable, which consisted of bread, meal, and meat. On that same day as they were marching, she said an Indian went behind us with a whip, with which he frequently lashed the children to make them keep up; we traveled till dark without a mouthful of food or a drop of water. She also states that when the children cried for water at night they were made to drink urine . The Indians took her and a little boy, after they put moccasins on their feet, and led them to another path leaving the others behind. Jemison stated that â€Å"early the next morning the Indians and Frenchmen that we had left the night before, came to us; but our friends were left behind. It is impossible for anyone to form a correct idea of what my feelings were at the sight of those savages , whom I supposed had murdered my parents and brothers, sisters, and friends, and left them in the swamp to be devoured by wild beasts!†(pg. 137). Jemison probably hated them at this moment but who wouldn’t they left her family to be murdered, but while she traveled on this long journey with them she began to watch the customs the natives were used to and did; like getting rid of their tracks left behind them and making sure everything they touched was put back into place so they would not be followed. She recalls that even though she was there prisoner they supplied her with a meal, new Indian clothes, they undressed and dressed her and washed her clean. After the Indians had did these things for her, they relieved there cries and howling at a ceremony for a deceased relative; Mrs. Jemison goes on to say â€Å"in the course of that ceremony, from mourning they became serene—joy sparkled in their countenances, and they seemed to rejoice over me as over a long-lost child. I was made welcome amongst them as a sister to the two squaws mentioned before, and was called Dickewamis; which being interpreted, signifies a pretty girl, a handsome girl, or a pleasant, good thing. That is the name by which I have ever since been called by the Indians. It was my happy lot to be accepted for adoption: and at the time of the ceremony I was received by the two squaws, to supply tile place of their mother in the family; and I was ever considered and treated by them as a real sister, the same as though I had been horn of their mother. During my adoption, I sat motionless,  nearly terrified to death at the appearance and actions of the company, expecting every moment to feel their vengeance, and suffer death on the spot. I was, however, happily disappointed, when at the close of the ceremony the company retired, and my sisters went about employing every means for my consolation and comfort. Being now settled and provided with a home, I was employed in nursing the children, and doing light work about the house. Occasionally I was sent out with the Indian hunters, when they went but a short distance, to help them carry their game. My situation was easy; I had no particular hardships to endure. But still, the recollection of my parents, my brothers and sisters, my home, and my own captivity, destroyed my happiness, and made me constantly solitary, lonesome and gloomy.†(p. 142-143). The Indians took Mrs. Jemison in and made her one of their own, and even though they did this she still feels remorse for her family, but doesn’t have hatred towards them, but learns their ways and becomes accustomed to their lifestyle. In the end she becomes a part of their life and them a part of hers, which she most likely didn’t think would happen. The difference between Mary Rowlandson and Mary Jemison is that Mrs. Rowlandson went through a much more disastrous and awful experience with the Indians, they didn’t show her as much mercy as the Indians did during the Indian and French War. Rowlandson also clings closer and relies on God for hope and comfort compared to Mary Jemison; even though Jemison did pray and try to stay tied to her roots, she eventually ended up conforming to the Indian lifestyle, unlike Mrs. Rowlandson. The time difference between the two women is also a factor that plays a role in how they were treated and how they perceived the Indians. These two women were strong and ended up becoming famous for their captivity novels, which hopefully they are proud of for sharing their history on this matter.

What Is Anti-Semitism Definition and History

Anti-semitism is defined as the prejudice and discrimination against people who are ethnically or religiously Jewish. This hostility can take a number of different forms; among them are cultural, economic, and racial anti-semitism. Anti-semitism may be explicit and violent in nature, or more subtle, such as the numerous, insidious conspiracy theories that have blamed Jews for everything from poisoning wells and killing Jesus, to exerting control of the news media and banking industries. Today, anti-semitism is on the rise globally, with the European Jewish Congress noting that the normalizing of anti-semitism is at its highest levels since World War II. According to a 2018 report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes against Jews in the United States increased by 17 percent in 2017... with  7,175 hate crimes reported, up from 6,121 in 2016. Crimes against Jews in America account for 58 percent of religion-based hate crimes in the country today. Key Terms Anti-semitism: discrimination, hatred, or prejudice against people of Jewish backgroundPogrom: organized attacks on Russian Jewish neighborhoods in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuriesHate Crime: a crime, often violent, motivated by racial or ethnic prejudice and discrimination Origins of Anti-Semitism Anti-semitism has been referred to as the longest hatred, and much of it can be traced back to the first century of Christianity, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which states: Leaders in the European Christian... developed or solidified as doctrine ideas that: all Jews were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ; the destruction of the Temple by the Romans and the scattering of the Jewish people was punishment both for past transgressions and for continued failure to abandon their faith and accept Christianity. However, even earlier than that, around the third century BCE, there was a large Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt. Here, anti-Jewish laws were passed, violent uprisings took place, and community leaders spoke out against the refusal of Jewish residents to adopt the cultural traditions of their neighbors. Types of Anti-Semitism Religious Scene of anti-Semitism in Russia, 1903, Achille Beltrame (1871-1945). DEA / A. DAGLI ORTI / DeAgostini Picture Library / Getty Religious anti-semitism, which is prejudice against those who follow the Jewish faith, did not originate with Adolf Hitler, although the Holocaust is perhaps the most extreme example. In fact, this type of anti-semitism dates back to ancient times; the Romans and Greeks often persecuted Jews for their attempt to remain culturally separate from their neighbors. During the Middle Ages, European Jews were excluded from obtaining citizenship, and were limited to living in specifically designated neighborhoods, or ghettos. Some countries required Jews to wear a yellow badge, or a special hat called a Judenhut to distinguish themselves from Christian residents. Throughout much of the medieval period, Jews were denied basic civil liberties, including the freedom to practice their religion. One exception to this was Poland; Jews in Poland were allowed political and religious freedom thanks to a decree by Prince BolesÅ‚aw the Pious in 1264. Many Christians still held that that Jews were responsible for Jesus death, and Jews were often subjected to violence, both physical and against their property. This was a time period in which the myth of the blood libel took hold—the rumor that Jews used the blood of Christian infants in rituals. There were also tales that Jews were in service to the Devil, and that they were secretly planning to destroy European Christian society. Some believed Jews were responsible for the plagues that swept through Europe. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, violent riots called pogroms swept through the Russian Empire and much of Eastern Europe. These were typically perpetrated by non-Jewish residents who feared and distrusted their Jewish neighbors; often, local law enforcement and government officials turned a blind eye to the violence, and sometimes even encouraged it. In Germany, Hitler and the Nazi Party used anti-semitism as a rationale to perpetuate violence against Jews. During a period of Aryanization in Germany during the 1930s, Jewish-owned businesses were liquidated, Jewish civil service employees were dismissed from their posts, and doctors and lawyers were forced to stop seeing their clients. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 declared that Jews were no longer legal citizens of Germany, and thus had no right to vote. In the past few years, there has been an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Europe and North America. According to a 2018 report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes against Jews in the United States increased by 17 percent in 2017... with  7,175 hate crimes reported, up from 6,121 in 2016. Crimes against Jews in America account for 58 percent of religion-based hate crimes in the country today. Racial and Ethnic Anti-Semitism This form of anti-semitism focuses upon the theory, which is rooted in racist doctrines, that ethnic Jews are inferior to non-Jews. As scientific knowledge evolved in the latter part of the nineteenth centuries, particularly in the fields of genetics and evolution, many politicians, scientists, and intellectuals embraced a racist philosophy rooted in pseudoscience. Specifically, scientific justification for the superiority of whites over other races took hold; this was due in part to the twisting of Darwins theories. The idea of social Darwinism posited that: ...human beings were not one species, but divided into several different races that were biologically driven to struggle against one another for living space to ensure their survival. Only those races with superior qualities could win this eternal struggle which was carried out by force and warfare. During the Industrial Revolution, as Jews became economically and socially mobile, this racial and ethnic anti-semitism replaced religious anti-semitism; in other words, instead of hostility towards the Jewish religion, a hostility towards the Jewish people as a whole appeared. At the same time, while many of the earlier anti-Jewish edicts were being rescinded, there was a growing Nationalist movement which perpetuated, through most of Europe, the superiority of the Aryan people over those who were ethnically Jewish. Economic Anti-Semitism Anti-Jewish propaganda poster, World War II, France, 20th century.   De Agostini Picture Library  / Getty Images A good deal of prejudice against the Jewish people has its roots in economic matters. Early Christianity forbade moneylending for interest; Jews, not bound by the tenets of the Christian Bible, became prominent in the practice of moneylending and banking. As Jews prospered financially, the resulting economic resentment led to their expulsion from several European countries in the Middle Ages. In addition, although there are theories that Jews were forbidden to practice certain skilled trades, there is evidence that instead, they were prohibited from joining craft and merchant guilds. Because the Jewish religion required every man to read and to study the Torah in Hebrew ... [and] to send his sons ... to primary school or synagogue to learn to do the same, there was an upsurge in literacy, during a time in which few people could read or write. This in turn drove many Jews to leave agricultural occupations and move into cities where they could practice business that traditionally paid more than the average farmer earned. Jewish families became a population of shopkeepers, scholars, physicians, and bankers.   The stereotype of the money-hungry Jew led to a collection of economic rumors about the Jewish people—for instance, the allegations that they are all wealthy, stingy, and deceptive. Still today, myths persist that powerful Jews (George Soros is a prime example) control the business world. Abraham Foxman says in Jews and Money: The Story of a Stereotype, that another canard found in economic anti-semitism is the idea that Jews regularly cheat non-Jews in order to gain control of banks and the money supply. Many scholars say that economic anti-semitism is a by-product of religious anti-semitism; without the latter, the former would not exist. Conspiracy Theories About Jews Over the centuries, conspiracy theories with anti-semitic themes have proven resilient. In addition to the early rumors that Jews were in league with the Devil and were directly to blame for the death of Christ, during the Middle Ages there were allegations that Jews poisoned wells, killed Christian infants, and regularly stole communion wafers from churches in order to desecrate them. One of the most damaging conspiracy theories today is that the Jews made up the Holocaust. Those who perpetuate Holocaust denial theories claim that the Third Reich simply removed Jews from Germany via deportation, that gas chambers and concentration camps never existed, or that the number of Jews exterminated was far lower than the millions which primary source documents have accounted for. In Erasing the Holocaust, author Walter Reich says: The primary motivation for most deniers is anti-Semitism, and for them the Holocaust is an infuriatingly inconvenient fact of history... What better way... to make the world safe again for anti-Semitism than by denying the Holocaust? There is a conspiracy theory found among white supremacist organizations known as the Kosher Tax. This concept holds that food manufacturers are required to pay high fees to display a symbol indicating that their goods meet Kosher standards, and that these exorbitant amounts are passed on to non-Jewish consumers. Another conspiracy theory, which originates with Martin Luther, claims that Jews are actively trying to destroy Christianity. In On the Jews and Their Lies, which Luther wrote in the sixteenth century, he encourages Protestants to burn down synagogues and Jewish homes, and to forbid rabbis the right to preach in temples. Other anti-semitic conspiracy theories include that Jews were responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, as part of a Jewish plot for world domination, and that Jewish doctors from Israel illegally harvested organs from victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has repeatedly fought against these and other claims. Anti-Semitism Today Berlin Jewish Community Gathering To Protest Against Anti-Semitism. Carsten Koall / Getty Images Violent, anti-semitic actions have increased globally in recent years. Susanne Urban writes in Anti-Semitism In Germany Today:  Its Roots And Tendencies: The new millennium has witnessed a resurgence of anti-Semitism in the world, especially in Europe. Anti-Semitism certainly did not disappear in Germany after WW II. What is new is the blunt expression of anti-Semitism and the fraternization between left-wing and right-wing, liberal and conservative streams. Many scholars believe that anti-semitism has moved towards the mainstream, in part due to social media. Anti-semitic messages and symbols are rampant on social media platforms, as are hate groups, and critics feel that social media companies have been less than responsive in blocking and disabling accounts that perpetuate anti-Jewish sentiments. Neo-Nazi and alt-right groups have targeted college campuses in particular, in hopes of recruiting new members to their ideologies. Increasingly, pressure comes from the right and the left, as right-wing nationalists consider Jews to be foreign invaders bent upon the destruction of democracy, while radical members of anti-Zionist left groups see an advantage in destroying the ideal of a Jewish state. In the United States, hard-right fringe groups perceive Jews as un-American, because they believe true Americans are white and Christian; this blood and soil nationalism automatically excludes Jews by its very definition. All of these factors have led to a resurgence in anti-semitic crimes and activities. Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times says that New York City, once considered a safe place to live as a Jew, is no longer that way. Bellafante says that according to the NYPD, anti-semitic attacks constituted more than half of the hate crimes in New York in 2018. She adds that as anti-Semitism becomes mainstream, it will be viewed as a less than serious issue in New York. In response to escalating anti-semitic incidents, the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) released an 89-page report addressing hate crimes and the safety concerns and needs of the global Jewish community. This analysis of crimes against Jews was written as a way of bringing awareness to governments in regards to how and why anti-semitism is damaging not only to Jews, but to the community as a whole, pointing out that, Every anti-Semitic incident sends a message of hate and exclusion to Jewish people and communities... Martin Niemà ¶ller First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. As the OSCE notes, it is not only Jews who have to worry about anti-Semitic hate crimes, but all of us who strive to live together in a contemporary, peaceful, and tolerant society. Sources Editors, History.com. â€Å"Anti-Semitism.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, 1 Mar. 2018, www.history.com/topics/holocaust/anti-semitism.Reich, Walter. â€Å"Erasing the Holocaust.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 July 1993, www.nytimes.com/1993/07/11/books/erasing-the-holocaust.html.â€Å"Understanding Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes and Addressing the Security Needs of Jewish Communities: A Practical Guide.†Ã‚  History | OSCE, www.osce.org/odihr/317166.United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Anti-Semitism in History, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/antisemitism-in-history-from-the-early-church-to-1400.