The Concept of the African Diaspora - 640 Words

The contemporary society has started to express a lot of interest in cultural values in the recent years and the concept of the African Diaspora has received a lot of attention from the general public as a result of the complex ideas that it puts across. There are a series of notable figures from the nineteenth century who proved that the African Diaspora would have a significant influence on the Western World, considering that these people were determined to express their passion in regard to their background and to their overall role on the American continent. The concept of the African Diaspora goes back several millennia, at the time when people in Antiquity either traveled to other sides of the world because they wanted to expand their influence or were simply forced to leave their homes in order to be slaves. In order to understand more regarding the African Diaspora in the Americas, one needs to focus on earlier periods before the rise of American slavery and the transatlantic slave trade (Gomez 7). Although individuals in the U.S. mainly focus on trying to comprehend African culture through focusing on people who were brought on the American continent during the slave trade, the center of attention should actually be represented by African tradition that was devised over several centuries and before African people interacted with white individuals. Many people today promote the belief that African Diaspora directly results from the transatlantic slave trade. EvenShow MoreRelatedExploring The Similarities And Differences Theories On Diaspora1727 Words   |  7 PagesExploring the Similarities and Differences in Theories on Diaspora Jacqueline Brown describes a conversation she had with a cousin of hers during a family reunion. She asked her cousin, who was in her sixties, to describe what her life was like as a black person living in Holland. Her cousin’s shocking reply implied that the migration of poor and uneducated post-independence Surinamers caused the Dutch racism against the Black people among them. Her cousin, who had migrated before Surinam becameRead MoreAfrican Migrations Up to the 19th Century1283 Words   |  6 PagesOld World and followed by Eurasia and the Americas. These migrations, or Diasporas, began with religious voyages and cultural exchanges and evolved to the slave trade and the deportation of black men, women and children to new colonies as workers and servants. Long before the Atlantic slave trade grew, merchants from Greece and the Roman Empire traveled to the East African coast. Patrick Manning points out in, African Diaspora: A History Through Culture, that migrants came fro m southern Arabia to EretriaRead MoreThe African Of African Diaspora Essay1382 Words   |  6 PagesOver the course of four months, through my African World Survey class, I have seen a glimpse of five thousand years of African history unfold. Before entering the class, my expectations from the course was to learn where did my people come from and how did they live. Within the time I spent in the first class, I soon realized that these two questions did not have simple answers to them. Among this discovery, I learned that people in the African Diaspora makeup every aspect of the human race whetherRead MoreRacial Leadership And The African American Political Thought From B Du Bois1260 Words   |  6 PagesBooker T. Washington to Marcus Garvey who sought to lead African-Americans from the oppression they face. All three of these historical figures had different views on racial leadership and politics as well as the vision and direction that racial emancipation should take. W.E.B Du Bois argued that African-Americans should political, economic, and social freedom and advancement. Booker T. Washington was more conservative in his approach in that African-Americans should first and foremost focus on economicallyRead MoreThe Migration Of Diaspora And Diaspora Studies Essay1727 Words   |  7 Pages‘Diaspora’ has its roots in the Greek word Diaspeirein – â€Å"to scatter about, disperse†. Dia means â€Å"about, across† and Speirein means â€Å"to scatter. Earlier, Diaspora was used to refer to citizens of a dominant city who immigrated to a conquered land with the purpose of colonization, to absorb the territory into the empire. That is why there are a lot of arguments between scholars as to what ‘Diaspora’ and ‘Diaspora studies’ mean. Diaspora is located between cultures, between majority and minorityRead MoreThe Hebrew Diaspora998 Words   |  4 Pagespersecute, exile, and threaten the existence of the Hebrew community. The Diaspora was definitely not a single event taking place over the course of one night, it was rather a series of dispersals by varying groups of people continuing up to the present time. The Diaspora resulted in the spread of the Hebrew population along with their culture and beliefs, which ultimately strengthened the Hebrew community. The Hebrew Diaspora was a forced movement of Hebrews as a direct result of racial prejudiceRead MoreThe Conflict Of African Diaspora1616 Words   |  7 Pages‘identity’ etc. According to Wendy W. Walters, â€Å"for Phillips the concept of Diaspora refuses to rest on a false binary between home and exile, and his work repeatedly mines the complicated archives of both black and white histories of slavery, exposing their endlessly interrelated natures† (112). Caryl Phillips as a black Briton traces many complex meanings of the terms Diaspora. The term African Diaspora is applied to dislocation of African people to other parts of the world. It is also applied for theRead More African Diaspora Essay2370 Words   |  10 Pagessimple terms, the Diaspora as a concept, describes groups of people who currently live or reside outside the original homelands. We will approach the Diaspora from the lenses of migration; that the migration of people through out of the African continent has different points of origin, different patterns and results in different identity formations. Yet, all of these patterns of dispersion and germination/ assimilation represent formations of the Diaspora. My paper will focus Read MoreHolding on to Our Heirtage in a Unique Exhibit by Renà ©e Stout: Tales of the Conjure Woman878 Words   |  4 Pagesobserve the world through two sets of eyes, the spiritual and the physical realm. Renà ©e Stout’s art embodies contemporary hoodoo with a combination of African folkloric practices. Through her artwork, Stout conserves the religious heritage of Africans by denouncing colonialism and imperialism, aligning herself with Pan-Africanism, and reimaging African religious traditions through hoodoo. By observing Stout’s exhibit, Tales of the Conjure Woman, one can see she was heavily influenced by the practiceRead MoreThe Exploitation Of Africans And Members Of The African Diaspora1635 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout American history, the exploitation of Africans and members of the African diaspora continues as a controversial topic among cultural critics because of America’s unwillingness to accept the flaws of its past. Discussions on whether the sentiments of slavery still impact people of the African diaspora are intricate. Furthermore, the marginalization of people of the African Diaspora continues to complexify the issue. Social concepts in modern America such as education, nationhood, fact making

Antonio and Bassanio - 1173 Words

Antonio and Bassanio Antonio and Bassanio are mainly presented as a pair throughout the play. Their relationship, reaction of other characters towards them, thoughts and feeling they express are significant factors that contribute to answering the question. In the preformed version of Michael Radford Merchant of Venice there is a strong depiction of homosexuality, which is his own analysis of their relationship. This could alter the audience’s view on the play, as this theme is noticeable and quite obvious. There are various themes that go on from beginning to end of the play one of which is the law in Venice. This scene shows how anxious Bassanio is about Antonio losing his pound of flesh to shylock. In the preformed version you†¦show more content†¦An Important action that occurs in this scene is the kiss between Antonio and Bassanio. Michael Radford chose this to be in his film as he felt there could be a homosexual side to this play written by William Shakespeare. The director uses a close up to show the intimate moment they both share. They express their love for each other with this kiss. This wasn’t something they wanted people to know which is why they were in a room where no one else was as well as they had everyone go away so they could have their privacy. This is probably why Antonio overreacted when Solanio says that they might be in love. Also In this scene Bassanio and Antonio are in a Bedroom, which in its self adds an underlying effect of homosexuality to the scene. They soon both get onto the bed and start to talk; this could symbolise that they are really comfortable around each other or that they are gay. This is evidence that they have a really strong relationship since they can feel relaxed around each other. Also they are talking about marriage but only focusing on money which is why they start talking about Portia. Bassanio wants to marry Portia for her status and money not really for love furthermore this make them sound really superficial and Antonio encourages the idea. The fact that Bassanio needed money and Antonio was willing to supply him withShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Antonio And Bassanio1609 Words   |  7 Pagesrelationship between Antonio and Bassanio. Some have speculated that the relationship between the two men is homosexual, while others believe that the relationship is purely a male friendship. This conflicting opinion is depicted through the 1973 film production directed by John Sichel and the 2004 film production directed by Michael Radford. The 1973 film portrays a male friendship, whereas the 2004 film depicts a homosexual relationship. These contrasting perceptions of Antonio and Bassanio are emphasizedRead MoreThe Homosexual Relationship Between Antonio and Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice1673 Words   |  7 PagesThe Homosexual Relationship Between Antonio and Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice Tsun-Hsien Tsai Sophomore Student, Department of English National Changhua University of Education There are many pairs of male adults with honorable masculine friendships appearing in William Shakespeare’s popular plays, such as Antonio and Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, Antonio and Sebastian in Twelfth Night, the two kings Leonates and Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale, and so on. No matterRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1076 Words   |  5 Pageshis happiness is Bassanio. The second character who has found happiness in this play is Antonio. The third character who has found happiness is Jessica. When an individual risk their lives for their love ones, then they will be happy because their love ones is safe and happy. Bassanio, a gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman and a dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. Bassanio asks Antonio, a Venetian merchantRead MoreFriendship By William Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice1727 Words   |  7 Pagesone another. Antonio and Bassanio are the best of friends. Although both Antonio and Bassanio’s characters possess different motivations for their actions, it is their strong sense of loyalty to their friendship which reveals most about their characters. This is true in several cases, such as Bassanio’s guilt over his request for financial support, Antonio and Bassanio’s reactions to Shylock’s offer, Antonio’s acceptance of his forfeiture and, lastly, Bassanio’s return to aid Antonio. At the outsetRead MoreRelationship Between Female Friendships And Their Influence On Martial Ties Essay1337 Words   |  6 Pagesuniversal heat, and [are] equally tempered† (Montaigne 222). Friendship ties can be beneficial to marital relations; however, they can also prove to be detrimental. As shown through textual evidence, Bassanio and Portia’s marriage is impacted due to the homo-social triangle, Bassanio’s undying love for Antonio, and societal expectations of marriage and friendship. Male-to-male relationships were highly significant due to their extensive influence spanning from matters of finance to issues of the heartRead More Essay on Death and Love in The Merchant of Venice1666 Words   |  7 Pagessuffered but died for his cause, his passion, his love. Bassanio may not be the most worthy cause to die for, but in Act IV of Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, Antonio is resigned to do so. In his final words before Shylock is set to extract his pound of flesh, Antonio has abandoned efforts to prevent his punishment and assures Bassanio that the deed must be done for the benefit of all. Despite the grisly and morbid nature of the procedure, Antonio has many reasons to die under such circumstances.Read More Merchant of Venice Essay: Antonios Love for Bassanio1721 Words   |  7 PagesLove for Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio feels closer to Bassanio than any other character in The Merchant of Venice. Our first clue to this is in the first scene when, in conversation with Antonio, Solanio says, Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman, / Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Fare ye well: / We leave you now with better company (i. i. 57-59). Once Antonio is alone with Bassanio, the conversation becomes more intimate, and Antonio offers an indebted Bassanio My purseRead More Homosexuality in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1474 Words   |  6 Pagesmerchant of Venice, Antonio, displays this homosexual identity that might only be recognizable to the modern day reader. Through a close reading of a speech given by Antonio, one can begin to understand the significance of Shakespeare’s word choice and how it plays into this idea of homosexuality. The main plotline of The Merchant of Venice sets up this underlying theme of homosexuality. Bassanio, a friend of Antonio’s, presents Antonio with a proposition. Bassanio asks that he enterRead MoreMerchant of Venice Antonio858 Words   |  4 Pagesbest describes the character of Antonio in your question. In â€Å"Merchant of Venice†, Antonio is the main character as he is the â€Å"merchant† in the story in Venice. As Antonio is a Christian, he is quite anti-Semitic and rude to Shylock, making some people believe that he is spiteful and bigoted. However, most of the play centers on him being the victim of the â€Å"villain† of the play, Shylock due to their bond they made. As Antonio is willing to give everything for Bassanio without any payment and he strikesRead MoreMerchant Of Venice Analysis1046 Words   |  5 Pagesvery theory is seen very early on in the play with the interactions of Bassanio and Antonio. Bassanio, a young man of wealthy upbringing, has run his fortune to the ground and is painstakingly in love with a Portia. As customary of the age, he must present a dowry to Portia’s family to show his worth to take her as his wife. Bassanio, having no money, implores his friend Antonio to lend him the money needed to woo Portia. Antonio, a wealthy merchant, tells his friend that his fortune lies in ships

The Use Of Symbols In Macbeth Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper The Use of Symbols in Macbeth In the drama Macbeth, Shakespeare uses many symbols to add to his narrative. His usage of blood, H2O, visible radiation, dark, rampant animate beings, and even the enchantresss are illustrations of how he used symbols to add deepness to his drama. These symbols were frequently times repeating and they were all related to the cardinal secret plan of the drama. Shakespeare used blood in this drama several times. Blood is foremost mentioned by Macbeth shortly after he had slain Duncan. The topic of blood was introduced once more when Duncan # 8217 ; s slaying was brought up by Lady Macbeth, every bit good as others subsequently in the drama. In the aforesaid fortunes, blood was used to typify the guilt, and hurting that Macbeth and his married woman were sing as a byproduct of the homicidal violent disorder which consumed Macbeth, and subsequently drove Lady Macbeth to suicide. We will write a custom essay sample on The Use Of Symbols In Macbeth Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If blood symbolized decease, guilt, and hurting, so certainly H2O symbolized cleaning and peace, and is used in this respect in many literary pieces. In fact, even in the bible, Pontious Pilate washed his custodies in H2O after condemning Jesus to be crucified. However, Macbeth references that all of the H2O in the sea would turn ruddy from the blood on his custodies ; which leads me to the decision that blood was a much more powerful symbol than H2O in this drama. In Macbeth, visible radiation and dar K was used in a authoritative sense. Light symbolized all that is good, and it is no happenstance that when a scene included Banquo or another of the inexperienced person victims in this drama, the scene was bright. On the other manus, when a scene involved slaying or the supernatural, such as the scenes affecting the enchantresss, a dark scene was used. The unusual playing animate beings which were spoken of sporadically during the drama were used to typify pandemonium. When Duncan was murdered, Shakespeare used these ireful animate beings to show that something atrocious and unreconcilable had occurred in the land. The usage of these animate beings was extended to typify the unrest that Macbeth was personally sing due to the enchantresss # 8217 ; prophetic statements. Furthermore, the Witches themselves are used to typify the unexplained, or occult, which was held in high respect at the clip this drama was written. Shakespeare used symbols in many ways throughout the class of Macbeth. Blood, Water, Light, Dark, Animals, and the supernatural were The. major symbols that recurred throughout the drama and were used in a manner so that the audience could truly experience the emotions of the characters. Shakespeare # 8217 ; s s use of symbols is a large portion of what has made him one of the greatest dramatists of all clip, and has perpetuated the public presentation of his dramas for future coevalss.

Thoreau Essays - Civil Disobedience, Ecological Succession

Thoreau He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled by the study of nature. Two years, in the prime of his life, were spent living in a shack in the woods near a pond. Who would choose a life like this? Henry David Thoreau did, and he enjoyed it. Who was Henry David Thoreau, what did he do, and what did others think of his work? Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 ("Thoreau" 96), on his grandmother's farm. Thoreau, who was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker ancestry, was baptized as David Henry Thoreau, but at the age of twenty he legally changed his name to Henry David. Thoreau was raised with his older sister Helen, older brother John, and younger sister Sophia (Derleth 1) in genteel poverty (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). It quickly became evident that Thoreau was interested in literature and writing. At a young age he began to show interest writing, and he wrote his first essay, "The Seasons," at the tender age of ten, while attending Concord Academy (Derleth 4). In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Henry David was accepted to Harvard University, but his parents could not afford the cost of tuition so his sister, Helen, who had begun to teach, and his aunts offered to help. With the assistance of his family and the beneficiary funds of Harvard he went to Cambridge in August 1833 and entered Harvard on September first. "He [Thoreau] stood close to the top of his class, but he went his own way too much to reach the top" (5). In December 1835, Thoreau decided to leave Harvard and attempt to earn a living by teaching, but that only lasted about a month and a half (8). He returned to college in the fall of 1836 and graduated on August 16, 1837 (12). Thoreau's years at Harvard University gave him one great gift, an introduction to the world of books. Upon his return from college, Thoreau's family found him to be less likely to accept opinions as facts, more argumentative, and inordinately prone to shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. During this time he discovered his secret desire to be a poet (Derleth 14), but most of all he wanted to live with freedom to think and act as he wished. Immediately after graduation from Harvard, Henry David applied for a teaching position at the public school in Concord and was accepted. However, he refused to flog children as punishment. He opted instead to deliver moral lectures. This was looked down upon by the community, and a committee was asked to review the situation. They decided that the lectures were not ample punishment, so they ordered Thoreau to flog recalcitrant students. With utter contempt he lined up six children after school that day, flogged them, and handed in his resignation, because he felt that physical punishment should have no part in education (Derleth 15). In 1837 Henry David began to write his Journal (16). It started out as a literary notebook, but later developed into a work of art. In it Thoreau record his thoughts and discoveries about nature (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). Later that same year, his sister, Helen, introduced him to Lucy Jackson Brown, who just happened to be Ralph Waldo Emerson's sister-in-law. She read his Journal, and seeing many of the same thoughts as Emerson himself had expressed, she told Emerson of Thoreau. Emerson asked that Thoreau be brought to his home for a meeting, and they quickly became friends (Derleth 18). On April 11, 1838, not long after their first meeting Thoreau, with Emerson's help, delivered his first lecture, "Society" (21). Ralph Waldo Emerson was probably the single most portentous person in Henry David Thoreau's life. From 1841 to 1843 and again between 1847 and 1848 Thoreau lived as a member of Emerson's household, and during this time he came to know Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and many other members of the "Transcendental Club" ("Thoreau" 696). On August 31, 1839 Henry David and his elder brother, John, left Concord on a boat trip down the Concord River, onto the Middlesex Canal, into the Merrimack River and into the state of New Hampshire. Out of this trip came Thoreau's first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (25). Early in 1841, John Thoreau, Henry's beloved older brother, became very ill, most likely with tuberculosis, and in early May a poor and distraught Henry David moved into the upstairs of Ralph Waldo Emerson's