Gangs In America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2235 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gang Violence Essay Did you like this example? Introduction In this paper, there will be a summary of three movies; Crips and Blood: Made in America, Gran Torino, and A Better Life which showcases the issues that young minorities from three different ethnic backgrounds experience. Next, the youths’ experiences and difficulties will be compared and contrasted. Lastly, criminological theories will be used to explain the issues among juveniles and what support would be necessary in order for the juveniles to stay away from any further criminal involvement. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gangs In America" essay for you Create order Summary of Movies Crips and Blood: Made in America was a film that was shot in 2008 in the South of Los Angeles. It sends us back in time as we head through the migration of the North and the West of the freed slaves, to the cotton fields of the South, and through industrialization in an attempt to educate viewers on the strain that African Americans went through that essentially created the gangs, Crips and Blood. In Los Angeles, the African American youth were unable to partake in the activities and groups of of White Americans, such as Boys Scouts. The racial discrimination and barriers drove them to form their own clubs, or as society calls them, gangs. This allowed African American teens to establish their own identity and sense of belonging. Furthermore, It gave the African American men of Los Angeles a sense of empowerment, which is something outsiders tend to overlook when looking into why so many young teens joined gangs. There are many people like Scrap, a 32-year-old male who feels like they were born into gangs. Scrap grew up in a household where everyone was selling drugs. For he states that â€Å"If crack would’ve never came, we’d still probably have nice little homes and nice little families.† More often than not, these teens were born into families and environments like this or got pressured into it at such a young age, that finding a way out is easier said than done. Law enforcement viewed gangs negatively and made it seem like young African American teens were the center of all crimes. From 1950 to 1966, the Police department in Los Angeles was commanded by Chief William Parker who instituted harsh policies against the African Americans. The department prevented African Americans from crossing the Alameda Street, or the White Curtain, which leads to white neighborhoods. This was very demoralizing but it, unfortunately, was a social barrier that was protected by the police department. The delinquents lacked direction and as mentioned earlier, it was all they ever knew. The youth were left on their own, and in the late 1960s was the first signs of the Crips, which was lead by Raymond Washington. As a result, the gang formed an alliance and called themselves Blood. The Crips and the Blood are a product of the poor treatment of the disadvantaged. A Better Life also takes place in Los Angeles which shows Carlos, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, and his 15-year-old son, Luis. Carlos works as a gardener for another Hispanic Immigrant, Blasco Martinez, catering to Los Angeles residents. Luis’s mother is not in his life as she wanted more than what Carlos could offer her. As a result, this left a young man coming from a broken home all alone, which led him into delinquent acts and gangs. Luis is a young juvenile that influenced by his girlfriend Ruthie Valdez and friend Ramon. The plot shows that Blasco finally has enough money to return to Mexico, so he offers Carlos his truck, tools, and everything to do with the business. Carlos can’t get a drivers license and if he got stopped by the police, that could possibly mean deportation. Carlos employs another immigrant to help him with the business, however, the employee robs the truck. Carlos and Luis then go look for the man that robbed the truck. They eventually locate the thief. Instead of thanking Luis, Carlos beats Luis. Undoubtedly, Luis felt betrayed that his father attacked him and not the thief, so he runs away to Ramons home. Luis meets Carlos and enters the shop to get their truck. As a result of the excitement of not being shot while retrieving the truck, they forget to put their seatbelts on. A police pulls them over and discovers Carlos is an undocumented immigrant, so he is deported and Luis is pla ced with his aunt. Carlos tells Luis that he wants him to succeed and achieve where he could not. Luis last moments with his father made him motivated into making this father proudof him. As a result. Luis cut his affiliations Ramon and Ruthie to pursue a positive lifestyle away from negative influences. Gran Torino is a film focused on Hmong American juveniles and it takes place in Kowalski’s neighborhood. Thao is confronted by a Latino gang member as he is walking through a less fortunate and underkept neighborhood. Thaos cousin, Fong, who is known as Spider in the film, comes to help Thao by scaring the rival away with a weapon. In this sense, Spider is protecting him from other gangs and gives him the chance to feel safe and join his gang. Although Thao is pressured to join but he has to prove that he is worthy to stay. In order to do this, Thaos robbed Kowalskis 1972 Gran Torino. Kowalski catches Thao attempting to rob the car. As a result, he fails at the robbery. Spider and his gang decide to give Thao another chance but Thao refuses. As a result, the gang becomes aggressive and attempts to take him by force. Thaos neighbors try to save him and get him out of trouble, but are unsuccessful. However, Kowalski saves him and stops the gang by threatening to shoot them. Later on, Thao’s mother and sister talk with Kowalski so they can all agree on a way that Thao can repay him for trying to steal his car. Kowalski decides to be repaid by leading Thao in a positive direction through social capital. Kowalski provides Thao with a construction job, which will give him the opportunity to provide for him and his family. Spiders gang was humiliated that Thao did not join them, so they are planning on doing a drive-by shooting on his house and kill his sister, Sue. The people in the neighborhood were too scared to say who did the shooting, so as always, Kowalski has to take action. Kowalski is planning how to get revenge on the gang, but his plan excludes Thao completely by protecting him and locking him in a basement. Kowalski went unarmed into their home, which is very risky as he was shot dead. He sacrificed himself so both Thao and Sue would be safe from the harm future gangs could cause them. Spider and his gang as they were arrested soon after for murder. Similarities and Differences The three movies took place in areas with high gang activity and little to no boundaries set by the communities as well as neighborhoods that were located in the less fortunate side of town. Poverty was also present in the movies as the culture of poverty was definitely a recurring theme as well as several culture clashes. In Crips in Bloods: Made In America (2008), the South Los Angeles community experienced the culture shock of trying to fit into the White people of LA, but that didn’t go so well, so that led to gangs being formed and it escalated from there. The White culture was not to keen on welcoming the African American culture of freedom and rights in the community. In the film Gran Torino (2008), the main clash occurred between Kowalski and the Hmong community. The Hmong culture differed from Kowalski’s views. In A Better Life, the values of culture clash with the norm here so that led to a big divide and distance between immigrant families and society. The immigrant father Carlos struggled to provide for his only son Luis. Luis saw being in a gang as an opportunity for growth since he was living in poverty, but this all changed when his father Carlos promised to be able to provide a better life with the business. Other similarities the young delinquents experienced was peer pressure. African American juveniles were either born into it or expected to join a gang at a young age because if they did not join a gang, they had a higher chance of being victimized. The Hmong juveniles from Gran Torino peer pressured Thao into joining to increase their status and power. When the Hmong juveniles were no longer able to pressure Thao, they became a ggressive. Ruthie from A Better Life pressured Luis that joining a gang is a good idea, so he doesn’t end up like his father. When Carlos offered him a better life after the business was handed off to him, Luis was able to get out of going down the wrong path. Young juveniles are easily swayed and always under constant peer pressure from gangs by offering protection and financial stability when all it does is put them in danger. The differences between the three minority groups were that African American groups experienced a lot more discrimination from authorities, like cops, as opposed to all the other groups. African American delinquents underwent years of discrimination from not authorities but from the public. The development of gangs was the result of the White society that denied African Americans entry into their social group. Kowalski from Gran Torino provided Thao with a father figure and a sense of direction while the people in Crips and Bloods had no sense of direction. Kowalski did a big favor for Thao by finding him work and powerful connections. Kowalskis kindness gave Thao a sense of worth and belonging which in turn led to positive behavior from Thao. In A Better Life, Luis also experienced a turning point which led him in the right direction like Thao from Gran Torino. Luis got placed with his aunt where he got to partake in extracurricular activities and get involved in community events, which helped steer him away from trouble. Criminological theory A criminological theory that is relevant throughout the three movies is the choice theory. Choice theory states the view that crime is function of a decision-making process in which the potential offender weighs the potential costs and benefits of an illegal act. Which implies that the choices made by the youth are choices that they made after caref ully evaluating their decison. Life is about making decisions and each individual in the movies had made delinquent choices since their future was uncertain and they all wanted a sense of security, as anyone would. Bill McCarthy states that outcomes are uncertain; there is typically no guarantee that they will be realized. As a result, peoples attitudes toward risk and uncertaintyaffect their preference (McCarthy, 2002, p. 419). Young children want to know that they are safe and stable but if they do not feel this way, they will more than likely make delinquent choices. These choices are the cause of a future that seems empty to delinquents. This is very relevant in Crips and Bloods because the view of life affected their choices and the way they were treated by authorities and people around them. Society can improve the situation of these through community gatherings so everyone feels like he or she has a safe space and a group of people they can go to. This will help the delinquents be exposed to people who care for them and their future, which will do nothing but good for them. The young juveniles need to be re-educated on how to not fall back into the same path. A recurring issue in these films was the fact that there were a lot of broken homes and single parents. considerable emphasis has been placed upon the family both as a preventive agency and as a contributing factor in the development of delinquent tendencies among children (Shaw McKay, 1932, p.514). Shaw and McKay believe that a healthy home plays a major factor on if teens become delinquents or not. If the family has a stable home environment and both parents are in the child’s life, the less likely it is for the child to get into juvenile behavior. The same applies to broken homes that promote a negative and toxic environment. Summary The three movies capture the lives of disadvantaged youths who are desperately searching for alternative means for survival in an environment where they find it hard to fit in. The gangs had a similar social and economic disadvantage. Delinquents joined gangs for protection, financial stability, and others were just born into it. Changing the foundation of the disadvantaged youths through community involvement and reeducating can help. It is important to emphasize the importance of education in youth so they are less likely to avoid quick monetary gains because more often than not, it is also illegal. The children that come from broken homes should be provided with counseling as they have gone through emotional trauma and need to feel loved once more. Gangs are the byproduct of a failed system that resulted in a life of crime for the youth. Effective community planning which included organizing activities for the youth to engage in will keep them too busy to fall into trouble and will significantly improve their outlook on life.

Too Naïve for Marriage Essays - 994 Words

When my parents were my age, it was normal to get married because they were not stupid enough to get married just because they wanted to. Nowadays young adults get married just because they feel lonely and they want somebody to cuddle with at night. Our generation is so messed up that some of them get married just because they think that if they have someone special that is going to make them happy. Some people get married just because they think they are going to last forever and live happy for their rest of their lives. They think that is a fairy tale like how they make it look in the movies shown on the Disney channel. People should really think about what they are going to do because marriage is a huge step. Although there is no law†¦show more content†¦He knew that he needed more money and the only way for him to get more money was if he marries someone. So he married a Jamaican girl that needed the United States citizenship so she could stay in the United States. Both of them are going to benefit from having an arranged marriage, but they did not think about the consequences of their decision. Marriage is a big decision and the couple got married because they were going to get something in exchange of their deal. Lester and his wife only lasted about a year; after that they filed for divorce and his wife went back to her country. Also twenty-five-year olds are unstable financially, and they should not get married younger. Maybe they have not accomplished their goals or the dreams they have. Getting married could slow a couple down from accomplishing their goals; they could also get distracted and lose focus of what they need to be doing in order for them to get where they need to be. Some do not graduate from college right away or maybe they drop out because they decided to get married. Some just chose to start working and oftentimes they can only work at a fast food restaurant that pays minimum wage. 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Tattoos As A Form Of Decoration And Communication

There is a long list of cultures that utilised tattoos as a form of decoration and communication (Swami, 2011). That said, within some western societies, that historical connection to the tattoo is not that strong. However the art of tattooing has seen a steady growth of its popularity and acceptance, and since the early 1990s, that growth has accelerated dramatically (Caplan, 2000; Cash, 2011; DeMello, 2000; Swami, 2011). The current estimated incidence of tattooing amongst the populations of North America and Europe is approximately 25 percent (Laumann Derick, 2006; Swami, 2011), with one researcher suggesting those rates could continue to increase to as much as 40 percent of the population (Anderson, 2006). Tattoos are no longer†¦show more content†¦However, although tattoos are progressively seen as a prosocial rational method of communicating ones identity to others within their societal group and the wider society (Atkinson, 2003), research (e.g. Mun, Janigo Johnson, 2012) is consistently highlighting the possibility that obtaining an tattoo can lead to changes in how tattoo wearers view themselves and their behaviour. Individuals with tattoos transform their skin in to a social billboard, expressing both explicit and implicit aspects of their identity (Atkinson, 2003), using or acquiring tattoos to communicate known attributes about themselves (Livesley Bromley, 1973) or attributes that they do not possess but have a desire (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). For example, riders of Harley Davidson motorcycles may view that brand’s attributes as consistent with their own (actual self) and therefore an individual may decide to acquire a tattoo which is linked to that brand (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). On the other hand, an individual may aspire to be a Harley rider or aspire to link oneself to the traits of the Harley brand, and therefore an individual may obtain a Harley based tattoo to communicate an attribute of their ideal self (Schouten McAlexander, 1995). Mun, Janigo and Johnson (2012) take that idea one step further by suggesting the only reason individuals desire specific tattoos is because

Analysis Of `` Girl `` By Jamaica Kincaid And The Birth Mark

Before analyzing â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid and â€Å"The Birth-Mark† by Nathanial Hawthorne, it is important to understand the role that women played in society during the time the short stories were written. In each of the stories the theme relates directly to the expectations that women were held to during that time in history. After reading both of the stories, it is clear that there were several literary elements used to portray the domestic responsibilities of women in society at the time. Analyzing theme, symbols and point of view allowed me to understand how utilizing several different literary devices can make the moral of the story even more understandable. In â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother is adamant that her daughter’s reputation essentially defines the value of her life within society. She endlessly reprimands her daughter for her behavior and persistently mentions the importance of respectability in all facets of her life. I agree with Lauren Czosek in her electronic discussion where she states, I think that her mother is preparing her for her future [. . .] I don t think all this stress of the responsibilities should be thrown at a child, [ . . .] (Czosek). Sexuality, according to the mother’s advice, is something to be veiled and protected in order for her daughter to be considered a valued woman within society. The continuous highlighting of the theme by the mother demonstrates how much it means to her that her daughter understands the roles andShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagesit in 1905.[1] [6] The genre is further characterized by a number o f formal, topical, and thematic features.[7] The term coming-of-age novel is sometimes used interchangeably with Bildungsroman, but its use is usually wider and less technical. The birth of the Bildungsroman is normally dated to the publication of Wilhelm Meister s Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1795–96,[8] or, sometimes, to Christoph Martin Wieland s Geschichte des Agathon of 1767.[9] Although the Bildungsroman arose

Literary Criticism for John Updike AP free essay sample

His father was a school teacher and his mother was an aspiring writer. He excelled in school, and worked for his local newspaper. Updike was granted a scholarship to Harvard, and went on to study at Oxford in England. He was first published in 1958, and released a book of poetry. He continued to be published, and in 1963 he received the National Book Award for his book entitled The Centaur. The next year he became the youngest person ever elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Updike consistently wrote throughout the 60s and 70s. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for his novel Rabbit is Rich, and again in 1991 for Rabbit at Rest. He continued to write into his later years. John Updike died in Massachusetts at the age of 76 due to lung cancer (http://www. achievement. org/autodoc/page/updobio-l). The following series of published literary criticisms focus on John Updikes short story AP. It is one of his more famous short stories. The selected critiques analyze the story in terms of its style, theme, or literary devices. Subsequent to the article responses is a literary criticism based on a personal reflection to the story and its ties to modern society using evidence from the original text. Title of Source: The art of John Updikes AP Author: Toni Saldivar Search Engine: ProQuest Literature Module Website: ProQuest Web Address: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. barry. edu Abstract: Toni Saldivars essay entitled, The art of John Updikes AP, is a literary criticism allusions to art in order to increase the romanticism of the story, and that dramatic irony is significant to the construction of the meaning of plot for a reader. The introduction emphasizes the importance of this short story in terms of American literature. The piece was first published in The New Yorker, and therefore assumes that the reader has a certain amount of knowledge that is required to fully appreciate the writing. The next section gives a synopsis of the story and an explanation of the main character, Sammy, a nineteen year old boy. According to Saldivar, the overall focus of the essay is to show how Sammy is not only starting to come to terms with the reality of modern society, but also his own cultural role, including his sexuality. In relation to this assertion, the article argues that the reader can only understand Sammy, and truly enjoy the story if they are able to sense the dramatic irony and romanticism of the plot. The story is full of metaphors, but the most important one is not explicitly written in the original text. The reader is supposed to make the connection between Sammys description of the young girl and Botticellis Venus. The dramatic irony comes from how Sammy is able to allude to things that are beyond his scope of knowledge. He knows there is a world beyond his suburban bubble, but he knows nothing about it. Evaluation of Criticism: This literary criticism is very abstract in nature, but provides strong textual evidence to support its claims. Once it is understood that Updike wrote the story for an intended audience, it makes sense that the plot contains elements that connect to classic art and also relies on subtle dramatic irony. However, the article is long- winded in its explanation of the connection. It provides numerous examples from the original text, and also uses art criticism of the Venus for further evidence. It also repeats its thesis statement in various places and in numerous ways. The driving point is that understanding the allusion to Botticelli, and grasping the elements of Sammy that can only be read between the lines is essential to appreciating the story for all that it is worth. This literary criticism is useful because it illustrates how the arts are connected, in this case, writing and painting. The arts are fluid and can translate between different mediums. The story is considered modern, but the painting is a classic. The character of Sammy is also meant to be relatable, even to future generations. The essay is well researched and soundly written; it is a good example of what a published literary criticism should look like. Title of Source: Irony and Innocence in John Updikes AP Author: Lawrence Jay Dessner Search Engine: Literature Resource Center Website: Gale Web Address: http://go. galegroup. com The critical essay by Lawrence Jay Dessner explains the importance of the themes f irony and innocence in John Updikes short story AP. The essay begins with a short summary of the story, and introduces the character of Sammy. Dessner argues that the story depends on irony. The reader expects a certain action and reaction from Sammy, but instead he does the opposite. This irony provides an innocent air of humor due to Sammys lack of world knowledge and youthful outlook on life. The remainder of this literary criticism analyzes Sammys interactions with the other characters in the book, including the difficult customer, the girls, and the grumpy manager. This particular literary criticism is short, but also very clear. It does not waste time explaining every detail of the plot because it assumes the reader is already familiar with it. The purpose of the essay is to provide a meaning to the story that goes beyond the original text. The argument is that the story relies on the irony and innocence of Sammys character. The author makes his assertions, and provides textual evidence to back up each claim. Although the story itself has a tone of vagueness in terms of its characters, the author of this essay gets very specific when analyzing the meaning behind the characters actions. The arguments in this criticism are concrete, and provide good insight to John Updikes influential story. Title of Source: Sammys Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updikes A P Author: Greg W. Bentley The essay begins with an introduction of the story, and a short summary of the plot. This literary criticism reveals its argument right away, and that is that the storys popularity stems from its sexual nature, and that it portrays a feminist message through the perspective of a male. The argument also goes on to say that this message creates a distinct type of irony. The main character of the story, Sammy, has an erotic experience, but it is not inappropriate, simply a rite of passage. Citing an expert in feminism, the author argues that men and women are not very physically different in terms of sexuality, but are biologically different. Textual evidence is also used to prove this claim. The essay points out that Sammys struggle comes from the reactions of the other men in the story. The other men provide an example of conventional masculinity, but Sammy has his own feelings and opinions of women that differ from the other men. The article focuses on the sexuality and eroticism of he story, but makes sure to present these themes in an intellectual and healthy way. Greg W. Bentleys critical essay takes a controversial theme of Updikes short story, introduce and explain the feminist theories that are essential to essays argument. Citing a credible expert and using evidence from the original text make the essay easy to follow and understand. At first glance the essay may seem abstract, but to the contrary, it is very realistic. This literary criticism points out that America responds to sex. The setting of this short story is a microcosm in the macrocosm that is American ulture, and sex plays a large role in that culture. This piece also explains the difference between girls and women by using the girls in the story as an example. Updike wrote this story during a time of great change in American culture; things were loosening up. Sex was something that was once never spoken about, but now is accepted as a rite of passage. The author is right in saying that sex appeals to Americans, that is what makes this story so relevant to even the modern reader. Works Cited Bentley, Greg W.. Sammys Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updikes A P. Journal of the Short Story In English 43 (2004): 121-141. Gale Group.

A Personal Experience In The Arts Essay Example For Students

A Personal Experience In The Arts Essay Earlier this year, I attended a concert at Newcastle City Hall featuring a two hour performance by The Herbie Hancock Quartet. The quartet comprised of a drummer, a double bassist, a xylophonist and Hancock himself on piano. I enjoy listening to a wide range of musical styles and find jazz particularly pleasurable and interesting as it often avoids the predictable and repetitious nature of many other types of music. Before going to the concert I was not overly familiar with Hancockis music; only one of the tunes he performed that night was one I had heard before. The set consisted of a selection of music spanning Hancocks 40 year career, although, as he himself explained, some of the works had been itwisted to give them a more modern perspective. There was a sense of anticipation building in the air as the hall filled with people of all ages. The music began slowly and gently before gradually mounting in pace and intensity. I remember a feeling of weightlessness, as if I was floating, carried along by the music. As the intensity of the music grew so did the feelings of anticipation, sometimes becoming a kind of anxiety, my breathing slowing down, waiting for what will come next. I was naturally expecting the music to reach some kind of crescendo, that it was building up toward some kind of spectacular conclusion. I was quite disorientated when instead the music suddenly broke off into a gentle, flowing melody. Rather than the huge conclusion and fall back to earth I had expected, I found myself exhilarated and floating again, but higher this time, as if lifted up by the music. It wasni t until the music was winding down and the people in the hall began to applaud that I began to remember where I was. I had been so drawn into the music that I had largely forgotten my surroundings and that was only the first tune. By the end of the concert I was feeling quite giddy and worn out. It is without doubt that the music played that night evoked quite powerful feelings in me. Each tune was like a journey of sensations and emotions directed by the music. How had Hancock managed this? Did he just sit down at his piano and plonk away until something he liked came out? Unlikely, the music and its effects were too intricate and explicit to put down to luck and random chance. Hancock had obviously taken great care in writing and arranging his music in order to achieve this effect. Why? Music is obviously his livelihood but this was not the music of someone making a living, he was almost certainly pursuing something other, perhaps something more, than financial gain. As I have discussed above, Hancock didni t find these feelings in the music, it seems more likely that he already had these feelings. Perhaps they were feelings he was experiencing at the time of writing the tunes, or something from his past. Either way he was using the music to externalise the feelings, to express them in a way that he knew how, shaping the music to convey his internal experiences. Listening to the music that night sometimes took a fair amount of concentration on my part. From time to time I would find myself drifting away with the feelings evoked by the music, going off on my own little journey of sensations. How does this fit in with the notion of Hancock trying to convey his feelings with the music? It could just be lack of attention on my part or it could be a failure by Hancock to provide sufficiently gripping music that demands our attention. .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .postImageUrl , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:hover , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:visited , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:active { border:0!important; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:active , .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u71da8ac75d98989dd09ca809d2c06cea:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience EssayIt is equally possible that he intended certain passages of his music to stimulate our own imaginations and act as a background as we explore our own feeling and emotions. Another interesting question arises from the fact that Hancock had changed some of his music from its original composition. He said that he had i twistedi some of his older tunes in order to modernise them. If his aim is to express the same feelings as in the original music, then why change it? Perhaps he does want to express a different feeling from the original. It is more likely however, that in order to convey the same meaning or feelings to a modern audience he has to use a more modern, or at least different, style of expression. The music that he wrote thirty or forty years ago has been much imitated and borrowed from by other artists. These other artists have used it to convey their own message and some of the musical styles have become clichd and so the original meaning of the music is confused, diluted or lost altogether. I believe it is the purpose of most (if not all) art to evoke sensations or emotions in the audience. More often than not, these feelings will stem from an experience of the artist which he or she then tries to communicate to the audience. Verbal communication is usually the first and foremost means of interaction for people trying to exchange ideas or feelings but this can be a very restricted way of trying to articulate our experiences, especially in the emotional realm. The use of music or other art forms can give the artist a much wider range of methods and tools with which to express themselves, free from grammatical rules and dictionary definitions. The only limit to self-expression in the arts is the artists imagination. The drawback to this freedom is that these methods of communication are more open to interpretation and this can often lead to the artist being misunderstood, losing out on the very clarity they seek. I am certain however that my descriptions of Hancocki s performance cannot hope to come close to conveying the feelings evoked by his music that night; he is obviously a man who has mastered his chosen method of communication and so is able to fulfil his purpose.