The King, The Demigod Essay Example for Free

The King, The Demigod Essay The never-ending narrative of a young truck driver (Wadhams, Nathan Lindsay 39) turned into a world cultural icon never fails to garner praise and admiration. Years and decades have elapsed, yet the Elvis phenomenon has managed to maintain a cult following has endured the tests of time. The Elvis Presley fairy tale continues to echo the success and seemingly unsurpassed popularity of a man who shaped and transformed the rough terrains of history. Indeed, Elvis Presley is one of the most celebrated fairy tale protagonists similar to that of Cinderella. He is the fulfillment of every boy’s dream. He is the knight in shining armor of countless damsels in distress. He symbolizes the youth’s vibrant energy and even adults are swayed by his presence. He is Elvis Presley. However, his massive influence is neither caused by musical virtuosity nor pure charm. A simple musician that he was, it always bring wonder how Presley has captivated the hearts of many. Could it be that just like Faust, Elvis also sold his soul to the devil? Could it be that Elvis Presley is no less than a media-made hero? Yet if he is a product of media hype or exaggeration, his glamour could have already faded as new faces and rising stars enter the limelight. Evidently, the Elvis fever remains an epidemic in which the cure is yet to be discovered. On the other hand, as a deeper examination of Elvis Presley’s seemingly inevitable success can be attributed to the fact that he embodied a demigod image (Paytress 10) whose primary weapon is no less than music. A demigod is briefly defined as â€Å"half human† and â€Å"half god (Loewen 13). This image is greatly portrayed and manifested by the so-called King of Rock n Roll (Browne 636). Elvis Presley is a demigod in the sense that his charisma, style and presence create a divine like euphoria among his supporters. He is omnipresent and his prestige is something that even the most powerful leaders and politicians cannot easily acquire. Yet, unlike the well-revered gods of Olympus, Elvis Presley is not a product of an imaginative mind. He exists in real-life situations. He can be touched. He can be hugged. Thus, his mortal side enabled him to develop strong connections and relationships with his respective fans. The strong degree of attachment between Elvis and his supporters provided a god-like experience, without really resorting to romanticism and escapism. Elvis Presley is a walking fairy tale Relatively, Elvis Presley’s music created a sense of belongingness. Presley established a strong sense of community deeply characterized by similarities of interests and perspectives. Although marked with rebelliousness, for many Elvis believers, rebelliousness is a sign of struggle against the highly constricted nature of various social values, norms and mores. At one point of history, Elvis and his music articulated the hidden angst and concerns of the youth. The celebrity transformed into a superhero fully determined to regain and freedom and liberty via music. If music is described as the language of one’s soul, then Elvis Presley became the music of many youths. In addition to that, Elvis Presley’s sensual imageries and gestures readily challenged the existing taboos of society. Under this context, it can be argued that Elvis Presley has also preempted the rise of sexual revolution. The non-conformity, the unorthodox style, the courage and freedom that Elvis Presley manifested were more than enough to immortalize his memories. The duality of characteristics that Presley possessed contributes to his popularity and influence. He is the thesis and the anti-thesis. He is praised and criticized. He is half-human and half-god. He is loved and hated. In other words, Elvis Presley was able to provide a duality of experience that mostly of his contemporaries have failed to achieve. With a legion of supporters that he garnered, his untimely death served as an unpleasant surprise. Somehow this made his fans longed for more. The king is greatly missed by his believers. His absence basically explains why his memories remain intact. As Elvis Presley is emulated by his fans, somehow, the connection is reestablished—once again, the demigod is brought back to life. The fairy tale becomes a reality and his music continues to play. Works Cited Browne, Pat. The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001 Loewen, Nancy. Zeus. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 1999 Paytress, Mark. Bolan. London: Omnibus Press, 2002 Wadhams, Wayne; David Nathan and Susan Lindsay, eds. Inside the Hits. Massachusetts: Berklee Press, 2001

A Comparison of Fahrenheit 451 and Dover Beach Essay -- Ray Bradburys

Fahrenheit 451 is a well-written book that tells a story of a dream world and one man who wakes up from that dream. Montag, the protagonist of the story, brings home a book of poetry one day and begins to read the poem Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold to his wife and her guests. Many critics think that Bradbury picked this poem because it paralleled life in his book. The poem Dover Beach can be compared to Fahrenheit 451 because both pieces of writing talk about themes of true love, fantasy and allover hopelessness. One of the ways Fahrenheit 451 can be related to Arnold’s Dover Beach is by connecting the absense of true love in both of them. Throughout the book, Montag slowly realizes that he does not truly love his wife Mildred. In the beginning, Montag believes that he truly loves Mildred. However, as the book goes on, he meets Clarisse, and begins to change his way of thought. He slowly begins to wake up from the dream world that he is living in. As he begins to know Clarisse, he slowly realizes that Mildred does not share the same deep passion for life that he does. At the beginning of the Sieve and the Sand, Montag frantically reads books to gain more knowledge. Mildred complains and kicks the books around, showing that her and her husband are growing apart. At the end of the book, Montag is talking to Granger, and says "... Even if she dies, I realized a moment ago, I don't think I'll feel sad (155)". This shows that Montag does not care for his wife as much as he th ought he did before. In the poem, Arnold states "†¦a land of dreams ...hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light". The world in Arnold’s poem is a land of dreaming. While people are dreaming of true love and joy, there is none in the real world that you live in once you wake up from the dream. Once the â€Å"confused alarms of struggle and flight† wake you up, you realize that the world is really void of love and happiness. The world in Arnold's poem is a world parallel to that of Bradbury's: Both are worlds that do not contain love or light, as much as people in them would like to believe otherwise. Both Fahrenheit 451 and Dover Beach are pieces of writing that deal with lands of fantasy. The true world that Bradbury lived in while writing Fahrenheit 451 was one of real books that peop... ...e, because the laws of the universe don't let it out. Similarly, the hopelessness of the human race is shown through the fact that it goes through its life cycles, yet humans know what they're doing and try to fix it. Even though it does not work, that is their cry for help, just as the Sea of Faith cries out to be released from its tides. Writers often use other works in their books to back up what their writing is trying to prove. Ray Bradbury uses the ideas in the poem Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold to support the idea that his book shows the absence of true love, the existence of fantasy worlds, and the reality of hopelessness. Both the book and the poem show that the world is a land of fantasy where things are not always as they appear, and that as much as they want to do something, the nature of people can hold us back from doing things. Both Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451 show worlds of beings that are trapped in a cage and forced to live a certain way, as much as they don't want to. As much as human beings today don't believe this can happen, if we give into the natural way of humans, we may just follow the same path that Bradbury's people did.

Euthanasia to Preserve Quality of Life Essay

There is nothing more precious than human life, and one of the most important tasks of our justice system is to preserve the sanctity of it. However, when one asks a person to â€Å"go live your life† or â€Å"live life to its fullest† what is implied? We are expected to inference that we should be more adventurous, try new things, and include enjoyable experiences. Yet, what if we were prevented from doing these things because of a crippling disability, or excruciating, chronic pain? This raises the issue that when there is no quality of life, there is little sanctity in it. Therefore, to preserve quality of life, and security of person, choosing to end a life for merciful reasons, or euthanasia, should be considered a viable option. In R v. Latimer, Robert Latimer’s daughter Tracy was in excruciating pain, underwent several serious operations, had the mental capacity of a four month old infant, and suffered a variety of other ailments. He believed that he was justified in killing his daughter, because in death she would experience no pain, and therefore it was a more positive alternative to her life. In the case of Sue Rodriguez, her life was in a state of slow deterioration, and by the time she deemed there was no more quality in it, she would be unable to commit suicide. Consequently, she pursued the legalization of Assisted Suicide. In her eyes, not to do so violated her Right to Security of Person under s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Examining these cases and the public reactions to them helps to shed light on the controversial topic of Euthanasia. R V. LATIMER Robert Latimer was a Saskatchewan farmer. His daughter Tracy was born with extremely severe cerebral palsy, causing her to be a quadriplegic, have the intelligence of a four month old infant, and necessitate the use of spoon feeding to provide nourishment. Tracy â€Å"suffered five to six seizures daily, and it was thought she suffered great pain† (Dimensions of Law: p. 325). After another surgery was required to insert a feeding tube into Tracy’s stomach to prevent malnutrition, Latimer decided that the quality of Tracy’s  life was so low, it would be a better alternative to euthanize her by putting her in his truck and filling it with carbon monoxide. Robert Latimer was charged with first degree murder for this killing, and was later convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to the minimum ten years in prison. Latimer believed that because of the extenuating circumstances, that ten years was cruel and unusual punishment. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but his conviction was upheld unanimously. This case provides great interest for a number of reasons. According to Canadian law, what Robert Latimer did was undoubtedly murder. He took his daughter’s life intentionally and with careful consideration. However, under certain circumstances, taking life cannot be considered murder. It is thought very humane to euthanize or â€Å"put-down† a pet that is suffering. Yet, to do so to a human is considered murder. Of course, there is typically a distinction between human and animal intelligence, but in the case of R v. Latimer, Tracy Latimer only possessed the mental capacity of a four month old infant. This means she could not formulate the abstract thoughts that distinguish humanity from animals. All Tracy knew was discomfort, suffering, and slowly degrading health. If she was Robert Latimer’s pet, the majority of society would _look down on him_ for not taking the humane steps and ending this life, and thus her suffering. However, the nature of our legal system means that ending any human’s life, no matter what physical state they are in, is a criminal offence. This should not be, as it violates their right to security of person, which is further outlined in the case of Sue Rodriguez. SUE RODRIGUEZ AND ASSISTED SUICIDE In 1992, a British Columbian woman named Sue Rodriguez started a court case with the intention of altering s. 241 of the Canadian Criminal code. This section states: _†Every one who (a) counsels a person to commit suicide, or (b) aids or abets a person to commit suicide whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not  exceeding fourteen years†_ (Canadian Criminal Code). Sue Rodriguez had ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), commonly referred to as Lou Gherig’s disease. This is a degenerative nerve disease that renders an individual to become gradually weakened until she is unable to eat, or even breathe without the help of machines. Ms. Rodriquez wished to enjoy life while she still could. When the quality of her life reached a point that life was no longer worth living, she would be unable to end it by her own hand. She felt that s. 241 of the criminal code violated s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which states: â€Å"_Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and the right not to be deprived thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ _ (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). Rodriguez thought that because the Criminal Code prevented someone from assisting her in suicide, it was violating her right to security of person. She brought this case all the way to the Supreme Court, where in a 5 – 4 decision, they ruled against altering s. 241 of the Criminal Code. About four months after the ruling, Sue committed assisted suicide with the aid of a physician whose identity is still unknown. Sue Rodriguez was facing an impossible situation; she wished to enjoy life as long as she could, but the minute she could no longer enjoy it, she would be too weak to carry out suicide, what she believed was the most dignified way to die. Section 241 of the Criminal Code made it illegal for a doctor or other person to assist her, and she saw this as a clear violation of her right to security of person. Rodriquez felt she was becoming â€Å"a prisoner in [her] on body†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the current laws were enforcing this. If a person wishes to die, it is their right to do so. In Canada, there is no law against attempted suicide, and therefore there should be no law against those who need assistance to end their lives. Like Euthanasia, it is the humane thing to do to assist someone in their decision to end their lives, and s. 241 of the Criminal Code should be altered to accommodate this. In both the aforementioned cases, the goals of these two participants in euthanasia were not to diminish the rights and freedom of the suffering individuals, but rather to uphold them. In the case of R v. Latimer, his daughter suffered in chronic agony, and was unable to even formulate conscious thought. To continue existing in such a declining state of health  was merely torture. As for Sue Rodriguez, she was fully able to make the decision that she wished to end her life, but lacked the faculties to do so without assistance. It was a clear violation of her right to security of person to force her to live in a degrading body, and experience the pain that went with the disease. It is only reasonable that alterations be made to Canada’s justice system, particularly s. 241 of the criminal code. Although the sanctity of life is paramount in importance, when that life is no longer worth living, it should be up to that person, and/or the duty of that person’s closest relations to help them end their suffering, by engaging in euthanasia.

Goya and Daumier Comparison - 1282 Words

I have found the realism arts to be very fascinating. The three pieces of art that I will be discussing are Francisco Goyas The Third of May, 1808 oil on canvas 8ft 9 in. x 13ft 4in, Eugene Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, 1830 oil on canvas 8 ft 6 3/8 in. x 10ft. 8 in. and Honore Daumier, Fight between Schools, Idealism and Realism, 1855 Caricature The painting The Third of May, by Francisco de Goya, was done to commemorate the events of that took place during the Napoleonic Wars in Madrid, Spain on May 2 and 3 1808. The painting sets the scene of a man about to be killed by a firing squad. The bodies of those who have already been killed are scattered around him, and those that wait to be killed stand in line behind him. The†¦show more content†¦His art represented the reaction against previous conceptions of art and the desire for a new form of expression. In order to understand the scope of Goyas art, and to appreciate the principles which governed his development and tremendous versatility, it is essential to realize that his work extended over a period of more than 60 years. The importance of this factor is evident between his attitude towards life in his youth, when he accepted the world as it was quite happily, in his manhood when he began to criticize it, and in his old age when he became embittered and disillusioned with people and society. The world changed completely during his lifetime and the society, in which he had achieved a great success, disappeared during the Napoleonic war. Long before the end of the 18th century Goya had already turned towards his new ideals and expressed them in his graphic art and in his paintings. Daumiers made paintings and drawings of morals and manners that are highly original both in style and subject. He added contemporary Parisian types, lawyers, politicians, businessmen, professors, doctors and the petit-bourgeois to his list of subjects. He also continued to attack the government regime and any form of society that he found pompous or hypocritical. Daumier is among the outstanding draughtsman of the past two centuries. His skill in drawing links him to the Old Masters, but he was also much admired for his ability to use