The war is driven by the modern military which has abandoned its warrior ethic and now fights with guns -- a theme repeated in The Last Samurai. Again Funakoshi represents this position. He tells the Japanese military captain, "Who I challenge to Kung Fu and what I do is no business of the military. . . . I am not a politician." The distinction between colonial imperialism and true warrior ethic is pronounced. The military captain is disappointed in Akutagawa's failure to destroy the rival sect, and kills him, although he has the true spirit of the Samurai about honest fights and honor. The military leader can only say, "To best serve the Japanese emperor, you'd better forget what is right or wrong." This highlights the contrast between new imperialist might, technology, and economic power and the old warrior system. The symbolic struggle between national identities is epitomized in the division within the Jing Wu Men in two ways. The first breach is in the search for whoever poisoned the master. Chen Zhen breaks with filial piety and respect when he disinters the master and performs an autopsy on him. They find evidence that he was poisoned, and they come to think it was an inside job. This is unsettling for the group. The cook is under suspicion. Chen Zhen shows his influence by telling the cook, "If your food killed Master, we would all be dead by now." He further takes it upon himself to instruct the others without permission, teaching them the Japanese side-kick under the glare of Ting'en. Thus, Chen Zhen becomes a rival to Ting-en for the group's leadership. This is an important rift. It comes to represent two ways to approach the dilemma -- conflict or reconciliation. It is not until Chen Zhen's lover is found to be Japanese that tensions escalate. It casts suspicion on Chen Zhen's group and ethnic loyalties. Ting'en demands that he leave her or leave the group. This shows an obvious bias against the Japanese, the outsiders, who refuse to accept her. They wage battle and the victor, Chen Zhen, leaves anyway, showing his preference for ethnic reconciliation. Chen Zhen is labeled a traitor...
People in a hotel throw things at him. He loses group support and is forced to make a different life despite his dedication to the group. This scenario shows how the pervasive tension between Japanese and Chinese came to disrupt even the in-group. It fractured their solidarity.
We read, "From his high-born comrades; that hand-picked troop / broke ranks and ran for their lives / to the safety of the wood" (256-9). This is obviously an act of disloyalty because the men do not help Beowulf but disappear into the forest for safety. However, one man remains. Wiglaf does not succumb to feat like others do and we are told, "But within one heart/sorrow welled up:
Edward Curtis/William Henry Jackson Edward Sheriff Curtis was an American photographer who lived from 1868 to 1952. He was born near Whitewater, Wisconsin to a minister father who was also a Civil War veteran. When Curtis was six-years-old the family moved to Minnesota where he soon constructed his own camera with the help of Wilson's Photographics, a popular manual of the time (Flury & Co., Ltd.). By the age of 17,
"...the moment captured in the statue is an example of rhythmos, harmony and balance" (Encyclopedia: Discobolos) The Dying Gaul, sometimes known as the Dying Trumpeter, is a "...ancient Greek statue of a dying warrior lying on the ground supporting himself with one arm. The Romans later made a marble copy of the Greek original." (Dying Gaul) This sculpture is well-known as one of the most poignant classical expression in sculpture
A hero's failure in the face of adversity is more common in the Japanese struggle, perhaps because the author had to make the narrative conform to history, at least in some of its elements. Also, rather than show how the good works of the hero support all good people, even people who are not immediate members of Beowulf's kingdom, "Heike" is a military struggle of 'us vs. them' although
Artistic Analysis of "The Weeping Woman": A Plan to Develop a New Work The meaning of artistic work continues to evolve to mold into new forms and shapes. The current sociological and economic developments are significantly influencing the artistic creations. Women have the power in the society, and, therefore, they have the freedom to do jobs, own businesses, and at a personal level, they now possess the option of sexual orientation.
Gilgamesh and Roland The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Song of Roland Throughout history, women have often played an important, albeit often unseen influence. In fact, much of the history of the human race centers on the actions of men; the kings and warriors who have performed great deeds. And much of literature is also focused on the actions and deeds of men. But hidden within the lines of text in some
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