Thatchers Britain Essay Example for Free

Thatchers Britain Essay The text that we have been studying in Drama is Willy Russells Blood Brothers. Willy Russell was born in Whiston, near Liverpool, England, in 1947. I believe that his upbringing that he had, and his social and economic circumstances greatly affected the writing of Blood Brothers. He was brought up in a poor area, in a poor family that was treated by the government very badly. We hot seated Willy Russell and found out a lot about him. We found out that he was the author of Blood Brothers and that his parents and how they behaved greatly influenced the play because of his working class background. We then went on to find out that he studied Literature at school and achieved an O level in the subject, the only grade that he achieved in schooling. He hated Thatchers Britain because he had strong views on the working classes attempts to gain access to middle-class culture, he believed that every person should be treated the same no matter what their financial state. He believed that Margaret Thatcher helped the rich and made life difficult for the poor. These views that he had greatly affected his writing because in every play that he wrote, the poor were displayed to be courageous and battling even though they were treated badly, and the rich to have the easy life with not a care in the world and look down on the lower class. The second task that helped us to understand the play more was when the workshop developed to the point where we were able to build the two different households. The first household that we had to build was the Johnston house. We had to think more about what we were going to put into the house because of the poor background that the family had. They couldnt be extravagant and had to have a cheap, rough looking sofa, a dirty unfashionable carpet and a big, old TV set. This really helped us to understand the economic issues that the Johnston family had by just letting our minds see what their home was like. You could instantly see that they couldnt afford much and the social affect of being a single mother with only one salary coming into the family really affected them. The theme that ran their lives was that of great poverty. When we built the Lyon family house, it was a completely different story. Big, long dining table, crystal glasses and even a piano in the corner! The Lyon family was obviously the rich family of the play and they could afford to splash out on things because they had money. Hot seating Mrs Johnston really helped me to understand what life was really like for her; she struggled as a mother and provider and felt unloved and unappreciated by her rowdy family. We asked her if she was proud of her home, she said yes because everything in it, she had paid for herself and that made her feel very proud, almost as if she had achieved something. When we sculpted the still images inside both the families, this helped us all to understand the relationships between the characters. In the Johnston image, all the children were close to each other and argued in a playful way showing affection and love towards on another. It was loud with excitement about the Reverend coming round for tea, and the weekly treat of Fish and Chips. Whereas in the Lyon house, the three members of the family were silent while eating their dinner and only spoke when they snapped at each other. The mother sat closer to the child and the father sat at the opposite end of the table, showing a greater more affectionate bond between the mother and son than between father and son. When thought tracking these still images, we were able to find out what the characters really thought about the situation that they were in. Nearly every member in the Johnston household was happy with their poverty-ridden life because they had love and trust. In the Lyons household there was a great divide between the family and the constant arguments and father working away had pushed a barrier between them all. They felt unable to love on another, they only felt anger. As you can see, the influences that Willy Russell had and his own beliefs really have affected this play. He has made the Johnston family that of a loving, courageous family that makes each moment of their life count. Contrastively, in the Lyon household, the author has portrayed the family of that of a over paid, worthless family that has more money than sense. After exploring the text in more depth than just reading it, I feel like I now know a lot more about it and really can understand the thought process that Willy Russell went through when he was writing it. I can clearly see the evidence that made him write the play like he has, and can easily pick out the influences he put into the play from his own life. From using role reversal on the scene were the two boys meet for the first time, I have gained an extra understanding of the relationship of the boys. From changing the mother to Mrs Lyons instead of Mrs Johnston really changed the whole scene greatly. The boys relationship when they first meet really expands; they meet and discover that they have the same birthday. For any young boy, meeting a person that has the same birthday as you is amazing, you feel connected to the person because birth is a special thing! When they become Blood Brothers you really feel the connection between the two and how strongly they are now feeling or their brother. In this scene there is a great show of contrast when Mickey teaches Eddie his new favourite word. It shows the great divide between the two classes due to Thatchers Britain. When Mrs Lyons come in and discovers the two boys, we improvised that she would become really angry with the boys for ever meeting. We decided that this was because she was petrified that Mr Lyons would find out about her never having a child. Next comes the character of Linda. When she discovers later on in the play that Eddie loves her even though she is married to Mickey, what were her feelings? This I what we set out to find out. By using the explorative strategy of Devil/Angel we were able to do this. We found out that she cared greatly for her husband Mickey, but wanted more than she had achieved in her life. She then thought that he only way she would be able to do this was by dating Eddie. We found that she was really very confused because she didnt know which man she wanted more. She had a house and children with Mickey, but wanted to live up to greater things with Eddie. I believe that she had these feelings because she thought that rich Eddie had the easy, carefree life of a rich person in 1980s Britain and she wouldnt have to worry anymore about her financial ways. Basically she wanted out of her poverty ridden life of being Mrs Johnston. At the end of the play, after the meeting between Linda and Mickey after she has been out to lunch with Eddie, we developed the feelings of Mickey as he travelled to the Lyon household. WE did this by using the explorative strategy of a conscience alley. We discovered that the main thoughts travelling trough Mickeys mind were those of hatred and a want for revenge towards Eddie because of the fact that he had cheated on him with his wife. We then continued to look at the scene when Eddie meets the enraged Mickey at his house. We marked out four important scenes, which we felt were turning points in the scene. These point were: 1. When Mickey first gets to the Lyon household 2. When he pulls out the gun on Eddie and asks him who has the power 3. When he reveals that the gun was actually a fake 4. When he pours his heart out to Eddie about the situation of him and his wife We chose these scene because they pitch the different aspects of the final scene, they have nearly all of the feelings of Mickey in them. Love towards Eddie, hatred, the want for revenge all of them. On further development, and turning the still images into a crime report. I personally discovered that the boys deep down really cared for each other and that neither of them wanted to hurt the other. When I wrote and performed my soliloquy of Linda, I really had to focus on the Angel/Devil exercise and the feelings that she had towards each character. I decided that she would be more devastated about the loss of her husband than that of her friend. I thought that she would blame Eddie and herself for Mickeys death because if they had never gone to lunch, Mickey would never have gone over to the Lyon household with the feelings that he did. I now feel that I fully understand the form and structure of Blood Brothers. It is a episodic comedy/tragedy that really shows you how tough it was to live as a working class in Thatchers Britain.

Heraclitus - Permanent Flux :: essays research papers

Permanent Flux It is said that every great journey begins with one step. This is not true. A more accurate saying would be, â€Å"every great journey begins with the idea of the journey†, thus leading to the idea of the step, and so on. The steps will surly follow an idea, but nevertheless the ideas will always precede any action. Once one gets an idea in one’s head, one must either forget it, or act on it. Such as the case with the first Philosophers, known now as the Pre-Socratics. The Pre-Socratics, which started around 600 B.C.E., formed ideas of a journey to enlightenment of their society. Instead of dismissing this idea, they thrived off it and took the first steps toward teaching an entirely new way of thinking. These first thinkers of philosophy, which has an appropriate meaning of the love of wisdom, wanted to know more about life, earth, the stars and most importantly, the â€Å"being† of it all. Though not the first of the original thinkers, Heraclitus of Ephesus, wa s among this group of lovers of wisdom and revolutionized the world with his idea of â€Å"being† and allowed mankind to follow in his steps. The Pre-Socratics are known for creating philosophy by searching for a rational order to their world and their being. Prior to the philosophers, man simply accepted the mythological stories and supernatural concepts. The philosophers, however, approached questions to by observing their surroundings. This was the world they could touch and feel, therefore making it an ideal foundation to their quires. The first of the Pre-Socratics examined the natural world and assumed the â€Å"stuff† that made all things â€Å"be† came from the natural surroundings around them. For example, by an early scientific and rational approach, the Pre-Socratics took the four elements of the world, as they knew them to be (water, air, earth, and fire), and studied them. Some deduced water to be the â€Å"stuff†, while others looked to air, or the earth to answers their zealous questions of being. Heraclitus, on the other hand, found a unity in all the elements, and related â€Å"beingà ¢â‚¬  to â€Å"fire†. His reference to fire, however, is purely metaphorical. While his predecessors focused on the actual elements they felt were the â€Å"stuff† that made the existence of being, Heraclitus’ only focused on fire to demonstrate his metaphysical concept of constant flux. Heraclitus is noted for saying, â€Å"there is nothing permanent except change.

Helping The Homeless Essay

Do you know how many people there are in the world with no home or money? There are millions and millions of homeless people in the world, and I want to help put a stop to it. I feel strongly about this because i grew up in Thailand when i was younger and seeing all these homeless people really impacted my life and how i thought about people. The three best ways that people can help the homeless are to help build shelters so that they are safe at night, to donate food so they don’t go hungry and die, and to donate money so that they can afford food and clothes. There are several ways to help the homeless, one is to help the organizations, that help to homeless, is to donate money to them so they can keep helping the homeless. Or actually go with the organization and build the shelter with them. Maybe, in your opinion, this isn’t the best way to help. But I think donating food for the homeless is the most important thing you can do. Donating food to the homeless is impor tant because it makes so that they don’t go hungry and die. It is one of the most important things you can do, because without food they don’t get nutrition and won’t be able to grow, mentally or physically. And if people don’t have enough food, the will starve, and eventually die. When i lived in Thailand, every time my family and I went to McDonalds, Burger King, or any other fast food restaurant we would buy an extra meal for a 12 year old kid that sat at the same light post every day for 2 years. And every time we gave him food, he would be so happy. It just made me feel amazing being able to make someone, living the life that they did, feel so happy. And i know my parents and siblings felt the same way. And i know that anyone else who helps the homeless will also get the same feeling. But you don’t have to only donate in person, there are hundreds of organizations who help the homeless, poor, neglected members of our society. And in my opinion every one has to do what they can to help. Something that Kyle Tyrrel said â€Å"Seeing a homeless person begging out in the cold, steam escaping their mouths as they ask for money, touches something primal within me. They are alive in the same way I am.† What he is saying in thais is that they breath, just like you breath. They need to eat, just like you need to eat. And they are people, just like you. Donating money to homeless people is important because it makes so that they can afford food and cloths. This is important  because some people wear the same cloths and never have money for new ones. When i was younger and I lived in Thailand I put money in donation boxes or gave to homeless people themselves whenever my family and I went to the Mall or to get dinner. I would do this all the time because i felt bad for people, especially children, who did not have the privileges that i had growing up. And i felt bad for people who were born into that life. Yes some of the homeless have to give all their earnings to someone who has pretty much ‘enslaved’ them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help in other ways. When i did this i learned how good it felt to help people survive. Because even at a young age i learned that every dollar helps. And this is a really important lesson for our generation, some people just don’t understand what it’s like to be â€Å"The other half† of the world. Donating money is not only good for the people you are donating it to, but it helps you become a better person, and teaches you kindness, and makes other respect your more as an individual. Building homes and/or shelters for homeless people is important because it helps to increase their safety. This is really important, not many people realize that over a billion people have no real home at night. One way that i helped increase the safety of a homeless family was When I was 8 years old in Sweden and my momâ €™s friend in Thailand was helping out this family whose dad had run away when their daughter was born with a sickness and we flew over to help that family and build a house for them. It increased their safety and the mother could leave her 14 year old daughter, who couldn’t walk, at home alone while she got medicine and food. Even though there might be other ways to help homeless people survive and be happy, I think that this is one of the best. And while helping the family and building their new home i learned how good it felt to help others and i learned how â€Å"The other half lived† at a young age which influenced how i think today. This is important for people to learn at a young age because it teaches them not to be greedy and to be happy for what they have. There are lots of different ways to help the homeless, here is another way to help with the building of shelters. Join one of the many, many organizations that build homes for the homeless. Habitat for humanity for example. At my school there is a ‘Habitat for Humanity’ Club. Everyone in it is doing their part, Other people should do their part too. There are millions and millions of less privileged people out there with no food, money or home. And the three  best ways to help them are to donate food, Give the money, And to build them shelters. Homelessness is a huge problem in the world. And i think everyone should do their part and help decrease homelessness. You can donate a few dollars, or build your own homeless shelter, anything and everything helps.

Go Tell It on the Mountain Battle of the Flesh Essay example

Go Tell It on the Mountain: Battle of the Flesh Angela E. Baier Nebraska Wesleyan University Go Tell It on the Mountain: Battle of the Flesh There are numerous themes in the American classic Go Tell It on the Mountain (1952). James Baldwin uses racism and family conflict to weave a tale of one black families struggle in a white world. However, the predominant theme of the novel is the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh when one tries to walk with the Lord. Baldwin uses his characters names and events in their lives to parallel the Bible and help create a sense of the strong desire to be Godly while trying to fight the desire of the flesh. He uses a poetic literary style that shows the importance of the Bible and Christianity†¦show more content†¦Elizabeth, John’s mother, is the mother of John the Baptist in the Bible (Luke 1, NLT). Deborah, Gabriel’s first wife in the novel, â€Å"was a prophet who had become a judge in Israel† (Judges 4:4, NLT). Her main role was to encourage people to obey God, much like the Deborah found in Go Tell It on the Mountain. Esther has an entire book in her name in the Bible while the Esther in the novel was born into a family of â€Å"sinful people†¦, who never, except at Christmastime or Easter, appeared in church† (Baldwin, 1952, p. 113). Gabriel has an extramarital affair with this woman who gives birth to his first son, Royal. Elisha in the story was much like the Elisha of the Bible, at least in John’s eyes. Elisha cared about John’s salvation just as biblical Elisha cared about the people of Israel (2 Kings 5, NLT). Even John’s younger sisters who are not mentioned much in the story are named Sarah and Ruth- two well known biblical names. One of the main themes of the Bible is man’s struggle between the Spirit, which is â€Å"given† to one who believes in God, and the â€Å"flesh,† the worldly desires one is born with and/or acquires throughout a lifetime. Galatians 5:16-17 says â€Å"So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just oppositeShow MoreRelatedEssay on Biblical Flood of Noah in Genesis and the Gilgamesh Flood1679 Words   |  7 Pagesmillennia of dormancy, was resurrected by British archaeologists in the nineteenth century. Amid the rubble of an Assyrian palace, the twelve clay tablets inscribed the adventures of the first hero of world literature – King Gilgamesh, whose oral folk tales go back to at least 3000 years before Christ (Harris 1). Tablet XI contains the story of the Flood. In this essay let us compare this flood account to the more recent Noah’s Flood account in Genesis of the Old Testament. Column 1 on Tablet 11 beginsRead More Flood Myth of the Holy Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh Flood Myth1641 Words   |  7 Pagesthe ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.†    Likewise in Genesis 11:13 God gives a reason for the Flood:    And God said to Noah, â€Å"I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.    In Column 2 of Tablet 11 the Sumero-Babylonian Flood narrative continues with the measurements and construction of the ark:    One acreRead More The Biblical Flood of Genesis Based Upon the Flood of the Epic of Gilgamesh1650 Words   |  7 Pagesarchaeologists unearthed twelve clay tablets. Around the turn of the twentieth century, archaeologists finally managed to decipher the tablets written in Akkadian, the language of ancient royalty and diplomacy. The tablets tell of the story of Gilgamesh. 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The700 Words   |  3 PagesYou can try to plead your case before God with your good deeds but good deeds won’t get you into heaven, and only God is worthy enough to plead your case. â€Å"1Hear what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.† Micah 6:1-2 9I will bear the indignation of the LORD becauseRead MoreI Would Say One Of The Most Recent Conflicts I Have Encountered1036 Words   |  5 Pagesthese past 12 months. Although, that does not sound like a long time, it is for me. The 12 months began last June when I humbled by the Lord in a way that caught my attention and I knew I had to submit myself to Him or just remain circling the mountains like the Israelites. 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