Babette’s Feast and the Power of Art Essay Example for Free

Babette’s Feast and the Power of Art Essay When all deadlines are met and time is out in my favor, one can usually find me sitting comfortably on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on one hand and a remote control on the other. Watching movies has always been one of my favorite leisure. Although I try to see films from different parts of the world as much as I can, perhaps like the many others who belong in my generation, Hollywood movies are always top of the list. Seldom do I find fascination with other international productions especially European ones. They are slow-paced, often more serious and â€Å"less entertaining† than those produced in Hollywood. However, watching the Danish film â€Å"Babette’s Feast† made me reconsider and view European films with a different lens – one with a little more appreciation and interest. While the slow pacing is inherent to this kind of cinema, they also present a different style and meat altogether, leaving more room for its audience to think rather than just instant gratification offered by most American movies. This is very evident in Babette’s Feast. In its subtlety and simplicity, together with the use of brilliant metaphors and symbolisms, it was able to uncover the transforming power of art with beauty and sophistication. Babette’s Feast tells the story of two pious sisters whose lives were changed by their French servant, who was apparently an unspoken artist, Babette. One of the images that constantly reappear all throughout the movie, especially in the beginning, is the image of the dried fish. This symbolizes the life of Martina and Philippa and perhaps even those in the community who was devoted to the preaching of their father that to attain salvation, one must deprive himself all physical or worldly pleasures including food. They lived a life of unhealthy simplicity and unreasonable meagerness. Their simple and puritan way of living is so extreme that it has become dreary and ironically â€Å"lifeless†, like a dried fish in contrast to the delectable meal of Babette in the end. Another powerful symbolism is Babette’s washing of the window from the outside. It speaks to me as if Babette was trying to show the sisters what they have been missing for the longest time. Their world and their lives are similar to the dirty windows Babette were washing – dark and clouded by their austere beliefs. Because of the hyperbolic focus on spirituality, they were blinded from the beauty and joy of the outside world, from the other things that life has to offer including the love from men they rejected when they were young. Through Babette’s feast, which they initially refuted as they believed it was sinful, the sisters were opened to a new world from which they were hiding, to a reality where â€Å"righteousness and bliss [..] kiss†, where the spirit and the flesh are both nourished and nurtured without choosing or isolating one from the other. This reconciliation is symbolized by the candlelight snuffed out in the end. Aside from Babette’s art which is the sumptuous food she prepared very well, another integral element that played a significant role in the transformation of the sisters and the other members of the congregation is the character of General Loewenhielm, one of the sisters’ ex lover. If the sisters lived a deprived life, a deprivation not of accident but of choice, the general was at the other end of the spectrum. He symbolizes everything the sisters were not – luxurious and powerful. He enjoyed a life of abundance and glory. Because of this background, the general honestly and wholeheartedly enjoyed the feast while the others remained skeptical, refusing to surrender to their delight of the food. It was also the general who had this realization that there is joy both from bodily and spiritual nourishment, as he was dumfounded to partake in such kind of dinner in an unexpected place, considering it then as a grace and blessing from the heavens. All in all, Babette as an artist was successful. Like a masterpiece that brings joy to its audience, her feast was able to transform and bring love and happiness on the table, to the people who received her art. And this is what is meant by her statement, â€Å"an artist is never poor.† Her talent, which was able to transcend the material, and her ability to do her very best, is her wealth. Indeed, art has a very strong power to transform. Not only did Babette’s art transformed the characters in the story but the movie itself, as a form of art, was able to transform its viewers, me included. It may not be able to provide the â€Å"fun† from the thrilling and idealistic yet shallow plot of Hollywood movies but it was able to deliver something deeper and more delicate, something worthy of admiration and appreciation.

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Adham Elnashai United States History During the Civil War and the American Revolution Americans didn’t only have to deal with their national policies, they also had to deal with their international relations with the rest of the countries in the World. The relations with other countries are also known as Foreign Policies. The overseas dimensions reflected onto the Civil War and Revolution Era. In 1861, 11 states seceded from the United States to form the Confederate States of America and over the course of the following four years, America fought to bring the Confederate States back under control. During the Civil War the Confederacy frequently required international support for its cause, often calling upon foreign support on its cotton exports to obtain it. The Union, on the other hand, strove to prevent other nations from recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate nation and from getting involved in the Civil War. In an attempt to starve the Confederate economy and to cut it off from its international supporters, the Union engaged in a â€Å"blockade of Confederate ports† a move that was of questionable legality in international law. Despite the Confederacy’s significant international commercial bonds, the lack of definitive military victories for the South and the success of Union efforts to link the Confederacy with the institution of slavery finally prevented any of the European powers from officially recognizing or supporting the South. Figure 1 (Blockade Runners of the Civil War) One of Lincoln’s main strategies rested upon an effective blockade of the South's 3,500 miles coastline, embracing a dozen main ports and nearly two hundred bays and maneuverable rivers. This was almost impossible for a nation with only so... ...ement of space to portraying the barbarities. The most renowned U.s. prohibitionist pioneer, Frances Willard of the WCTU, existed in England in 1896; she raised trusts for Armenian displaced people in Britain and America. The United States, through resolutions, in the end chose to work by implication with different countries to secure the privileges of the Christian Armenians, as well as the wellbeing of American lives and property abroad. Protestant teachers gave by and large faultless reports of human rights ill-uses against Armenians. They and the American press, nonetheless, frequently stereotyped the "barbarous and barbarian Turks," inferring that they were racially or religiously inclined to torture and homicide. In toons from the presidential fight, descriptions of Turks reflected and strengthened such biases. Figure 3 (Turks threatening to expel Armenians)

What Makes a Marketing Professional Successful

What Makes a Marketing Professional Successful? Marketing is not only making customers interested in buying a product and spreading your brand throughout the world, but also about building long lasting relationship based on trust, because the clients feel interested to buy your products trusting on your words and you must believe in honesty to be the best policy.Some people may think this as an impossible proposition because the immediate fruit of honesty in all occasions of business is not always sweet but if you dream of aking your business a time-tested success, the first thing that should be kept in mind is the bond between customer and the marketer. To be a successful marketing manager one must have the following qualities: Unquenchable Thirst for Knowledge: Never attain satiety in business, always try new limits, experiment and discover new boundaries. Be an Observer: A lot can be learnt from the fellow entrepreneurs.You must possess an open mind to accept diverse ideas from mu ltiple places, your friends and competitors alike and be a keen observer to notice minute details of marketing trategy. Persistent Effort: Persistency is one of the most needed qualities of a successful marketing professional. Being persistent is the quality of possessing the concentration and aptitude to try and stick to one about-to-be-effective point in spite of thousands of difficulties and oppositions. It is natural to stumble in a Journey through uneven roads where challenges are regular, but what matters it whether you continue walking or not.Positivity of mind: Do not take a lot of tension on your head. Anxiety often makes things more disastrous than they actually would be. So, Just do your Job, build customer relationship, stick to your policies and most importantly enjoy doing your job. Tolerance and Acceptance: It is not possible that you will be always meeting clients with exact ideal nature, who understand your points and reasonably demands everything. You may come acro ss a bunch of people who possess bent of minds that do not match with you.Experimenting: Experimenting with new ideas, technologies, companies and rospective customer base has always proved to be beneficial. every moment from every opportunity. Strong Decisions: Every business decision should be taken without hesitation. If you feel sure about the positive outcome, you have to dare to face the opposition of others for the benefit of the business and if possible make them understand your views. Check the details of Start-up companies: Do not rush into a tie with new companies before checking their details. References: http://classofl . com/homework-help/marketing-homework-help/

Juvenile Delinquency And The Juvenile Justice System

James Lehman, an author who dedicated his life to troubled juveniles once said, â€Å"I believe that the kids who are labeled â€Å"good† are children who know how to solve their problems and manage their behavior and social life, and the kids who are labeled â€Å"bad† are kids who don’t know how to solve those problems.† Every day, kids are committing illegal acts of varying severity. Some are involved in petty robberies, others involved in murders and rape. These juveniles become the responsibility of the juvenile justice system which is tasked with the duty of properly helping and punishing these kids. However, this is precisely the issue, do we punish these juvenile offenders? Or do we help rehabilitate them into law abiding citizens? To answer the†¦show more content†¦With further research available, it is clear that the best way to deal with juvenile delinquents is to incorporate as much rehabilitation into the sentencing as possible. Altho ugh rehabilitation may not be the best option for every kid, it provides better support and results in more positive outcomes for juveniles than those in detention facilities. History of the Juvenile Justice System The juvenile justice system has run on a trial basis since the very start of society. Issues such as how to treat and punish juveniles have been at the center of the debate. We can find evidence of justice systems from ancient times. However, a major development for the United States came on July 4, 1776 when the colonies gained their freedom from Great Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence. On their own, the colonies began shaping their own society. With no real government, the colonies had to create new laws to govern their citizens. These once basic laws developed overtime to meet the needs of their changing nation. Laws became more and more specific, and eve ntually evolved to include detailed rules to deal with juveniles. 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This act sets forth rules in which state laws must comply with in regard to juvenile court procedures and punishments. A majority of states have a criminal culpability set at 18 years of age, however culpability age can differ depending on the state. Certain states base whether a juvenile’sRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency And Juvenile Criminal Justice System1475 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: Juvenile delinquency is an ever growing issue in the United States, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, â€Å"In 2012, there were 3,941 arrests for every 100,000 youths ages 10 through 17 in the United States† (OJJDP, 2014). The way juveniles are treated in the criminal justice system is very different than the way adults are. In 1899, in Cook County, Illinois, the first juvenile justice system in the country was founded. This established an alternativeRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency and the Criminal Justice System1423 Words   |  6 Pagescriminal justice system. 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The paper will focus on the purpose of this legislation, as well as the values that are expressed by this policy. This paper will not only address why this piece of legislation is important it will discuss the effects this act has had on the communities as well as the youths themselves. This paper, will also address the potential for change about the public attitudes towards the juvenile justice system and the socialRead MoreThe And Prevention Of Juvenile Delinquency970 Words   |  4 PagesJuveniles in t he justice system is an issue relevant not only to people in the criminal justice system but to society in general. There have been a number of studies done that link serious behavior problems in children to adult criminal conduct. In more recent years, there has been more research done regarding the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency. 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