High and low culture Free Essay Example, 2000 words

In other words, the distinction between the high and the low culture shows the difference of culture as an activity promoting specific social beliefs and perceptions and culture as part of the daily life. In the second case, culture needs to incorporate or reflect the challenges of people as members of a community. If regarded as only a means for promoting specific interests, culture is isolated from the daily social life becoming close to the elite class. As analyzed in the study of Johnston (2006) the low culture has been often considered as the main tool for identifying the elements of the daily life of people within a specific social context, a target which cannot be achieved by observing the high culture which is likely to show exceptional modes of life, meaning the cultural preferences of the elite (Johnston 20). However, it is noted that the forms of low culture are often of poor quality, meaning that their aesthetic is limited, compared to high culture. It is explained that this problem has been made clear since the Renaissance (Johnston 20). We will write a custom essay sample on High and low culture or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The review of the historical development of high and low culture leads to the assumption that the distinction of these forms of culture should be considered as the result of the modernist period. As noted in the study of Bertens (236) the ‘great divide’ developed during the modernist period led to the distinction of culture to high and low in order to respond to the needs of the elite class of the above period. In the post-modernism period, the distance between the high and low culture was decreased – under the influence of the increase of power of middle/ low social classes, a result of the radical increase of population globally. The relationship between post-modernism and high/ low culture is emphasized in the study of Jameson (1983, 1984), of Ulmer (1985) and of Hirsch (1987). In accordance with Jameson, the limitation of the distance between the high and low culture, should be related with the appearance of popular culture as a mass culture (Jameson, 1983 in Giroux 62). Popular culture, as a form of culture, was introduced in order to show the forms of culture that are popular to the high percentage of the population, i.e. popular culture refers to the favorable culture of the majority of people, not necessarily restricted in terms of geography. On the other hand, it should be noted, that the popular culture is often characterized as low culture, i.e. of culture of poor quality, as this problem is described using the term ‘kitsch’ (Giroux 62); the above fact proves that even if the differentiation between high and low culture has been limited, still the acceptance of popular culture as part of modern culture is in doubt.

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning - 693 Words

‘My Last Duchess’ is all about control and jealousy. Written by Robert Browning in 1842 (the Victorian era), the dramatic monologue is set in 16th Century Italy where the Duke of Ferrara is talking to a Count’s emissary about a prospective marriage with the Counts daughter. The poem conveys the controlling nature of the Duke by the use of one stanza in the entire poem. It demonstrates this, as there is no interruption from the servant and no break whilst the Duke is talking. Any pauses in the poem, which are created by the Duke, are used to break up the Duke’s thoughts, not to allow the other person to speak. Browning uses a lot of commas to build up the pace of the Duke’s speech – it also eliminates any chance for the other person to talk. Browning uses a possessive pronoun in the Duke’s description of his late wife. He writes, â€Å"That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.† The use of the â€Å"my† shows the objectification of the â€Å"last Duchess† by the Duke. Duke Ferrara calls the late Duchess ‘his’ to show ownership over her, this possessiveness may confirm why he is not happy with her friendliness. This kind of behaviour was normal in the 16th century as women were seen as inferior because they were classed as property of the men. During that time, most societies were an extreme patriarchal society. Browning produces a sinister undertone whilst he is talking about his wife â€Å"painted on the wall† instead of the painting of his deceased wife, which continues to develop theShow MoreRelatedMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning886 Words   |  4 Pages My Last Duchess The dramatic monologue â€Å"My Last Duchess† was penned down by Robert Browning. In this poem, the narrator is the Duke of Ferrara, and the listener is the count’s agent, through whom the Duke is arranging the proposed marriage to a second duchess. The poem is ironical and reveals its rhetorical sense, gradually. In the later part of the poem, the Duke claims that he does not have a skill in speech, but his monologue is a masterpiece of subtle rhetoric. While supposedlyRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning951 Words   |  4 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning Robert Browning was born May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, London. His father was a senior clerk in the Bank of England. His mother was a pianist. His love for writing dramatic monologues came from his father who gave him the love Browning had for art and literature. Browning attended the University of London for half a year before returning home to read in his father s library. His first work, Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession, was first issued in 1833. It was hisRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesMy last duchess by Robert Browning Quote Analysis My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a mysterious monologue about a duke who is showing a portrait of his former wife or last duchess to a visitor at his palace. While showing this portrait of his former wife, the duke begins to demean the duchess character and their life together. Although the duke is very well spoken and chooses his words carefully as he describes the duchess, he ends up reveling more about himself than his last duchess. By doingRead MoreMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning1795 Words   |  7 PagesIn My Last Duchess, Robert Browning takes poetic license with a real historical character from within the Italian Renaissance: Alfonso II, the last Duke of Ferrara. The Duke married a young bride, Lucrezia de’ Medici; however, their marriage ended mysteriously after just three years (Bloom 16). Within My Last Duchess, Browning uses the character and voice of the Duke to pass comment upon some of the themes of the Italian Renaissance, particularly the juxtaposition between aesthetics and moralityRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1492 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"My Last Duchess† The poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† is a masterful example of a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning. In this poem the narrator is a duke who is discussing his murder of his last duchess with a man with whom he is arranging his marriage to a count’s daughter. As it is a monologue, the man being spoken to does not say a word. It is believed by many that this character is based on the Italian Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso II, who sought out the marriage of a count’s daughter followingRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1529 Words   |  7 PagesGentle Into That Good Night, Havisham, The Laboratory, My Last Duchess and On My First Sonne have all crafted very emotion based poems, all 6 present strong feelings. Some through manic speech and rhythm, others through a deeper meaning. I would say the majority of these poems (Havisham, Duchess, Laboratory and Photographer) all feature protagonists with mental disorders, after or during certain situations. My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is about a pretentious man looking back on the fate onRead MoreSummary Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1164 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Newberry 13 February 2017 A Reader’s Guide to Robert Browning â€Å"My Last Duchess† Title and Author Robert browning was born on May 7,1817 in Camberwell, England. To and accomplished pianist and a bank clerk. It is said by the age of five he was already proficient of writing and reading. At the age of twelve he wrote a volume of Byronic verse entitled Incondita, which his parents attempted to have published. By thirteen birthday Browning had received the rest of Shelly’s work, and declared himselfRead MoreAnalysis Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1523 Words   |  7 PagesZografakis English Period 8 7 November 2014 Throughout history, gender roles have been an important barrier in society. Women are forced to satisfy expectations established by men and society. â€Å"My Last Duchess,† by Robert Browning, focuses on the powerful Duke establishing certain expectations of the Duchess, and attempting to control her. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, concentrates on Laertes establishing certain expectations of Ophelia, and seeking to control her. A Room of One’s Own, by VirginiaRead More My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay2275 Words   |  10 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning In his poem â€Å"My Last Duchess†, Robert Browning gives his readers a complex picture of his two main characters. The Duke, who narrates the poem, is the most immediately present but Browning sets him up to ultimately lose the reader’s trust. The Duchess becomes the sympathetic character, a victim of foul play. It is through the various representations of the Duchess within the poem that we come to know both characters. The representations of the Duchess,Read MoreAnalysis of Robert Browning ´s My Last Duchess1165 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven by a character within the poem. My Last Duchess is a narrative poem where the poetic persona is narrating to another the story of his late wife. He first expunges on the painting of the duchess and then digresses to her personality and all her transgressions. He then makes some startling revelations about himself that allow the reader to become intimately aware of his personality. It is clear that the poetic persona in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess is the Duke who is narrating the poem

Excuses free essay sample

To Whom It May Concern: Writing a letter of special circumstance is a bittersweet experience for me. On the one side, its a wonderful opportunity to explain why my grade point average isnt where it should be. However, on the other, I feel as if I should just deal with the events and not try to make excuses for them. But still, here I am, writing about past mishaps and shortcomings, direly hoping that an explanation will earn me the right to go to Gustavus. It seems as though every year of my high school career held some sort of new personal challenge. Ive always been praised as an intelligent student and fast learner, but when depression set in, my motivation simply dropped. As a freshman at Osceola High School, my struggles were early to set in. My parents had recently divorced the summer before, and consequentially I was being bounced back and forth between houses and dealing with being the buffer between my parents mutual dislike for one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Excuses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many of their troubles had to do with the drowning of my little brother four years before, and they seemed to need to find someone to blame. Granted, my ten-year-old brain couldnt comprehend his death when I witnessed it, but as I grew, I let the guilt settle on myself. Of course, Im not the only child who has had to deal with a tumultuous divorce, but the added weight of coming out at a very young age was a little too much to handle. Being the gay kid set me apart in my small, rural high school, and thus, depression descended. My grades reflect my downward spiral in every year of my education. First semester is great, Im still summer-high—and then the constant abuse finally gets to me. Sophomore year, I moved in with my mother and switched schools. The pattern continued. As a junior, I regrettably reached the peak of my mental unhealthiness. After a ten-day stay in the hospital in November of 2006, it was very difficult to bounce back. As my transcript shows, Ive never failed anything, but a 2.93 GPA is not going to get me into a school whose accepting average is 3.67. However, my intelligence does assert itself in my ACT score, a 27. (Also, this score will only get better, as I am retaking the test in October.) For the record, my senior year will not portray my negative habit. While it may have taken a long three years, I have my depression in check, I am confident in myself and who I am, and I have no intention of not applying myself in class. I am prepared to give one hundred percent, and by the end of this year, my GPA will definitely be above the 3.0 spectrum. Gustavus is my top college choice—the grounds are beautiful, the architecture is superb, and the staff and students are a family that I want to fit into. I want to contribute to the college and make a name for myself; I want to prove that I really am a smart person. I only wish that this letter would be taken into careful consideration, instead of being seen as just a whiny excuse. My heart is bent on showing Im worth of being accepted. Sincerely, LaTischa

Noah Claypole Essays - English-language Films, Noah, Noach

Noah Claypole The Characterization of Noah Claypole The process of characterization is that which every author uses to make, build, or create a character. In Oliver Twist, the characterization of Noah Claypole, is carried out in three ways: the author has the character say things that tell the reader what sort of a person he is, do things that reveal his personality, and the author also has the storyteller describe Noah to expose things concerning his nature. His dialogue characterizes Noah. A young man, Noah does not speak to his lady kindly at all. He is very criticizing, ?Oh, there yer are, resting again!?(Davies). The tone of his speech is intolerant, mocking, and aggressive all at the same time. His violent nature is revealed when he threatens to kick his companion. A gentleman would never do such a thing to a lady. The use of slang words in his dialogue reflects his social background. Furthermore, he refers to his lady as a ?fool?. This is exceedingly discourteous of him. Noah is further characterized by what he does. Noah does not respect his companion at all. He does not even walk beside her. He does not feel guilty for making his lady carry a much heavier luggage. Worst of all, he paces in advance and occasionally turns to her with an impatient jerk of the head. He is a bad-tempered man whose nose grows redder as he gets mad. He cannot tolerate the fact that his lady does not urge herself to greater exertion just because she is tired. Noah is also characterized by the narrator's descriptions. The narrator mostly referred to Noah as Mr. Claypole. This affords the writer the opportunity for considerably harsh comments. The contrast of the luggage sizes mentioned allows the reader to assume Noah as a thoughtless man. There is irony in the way Davies describes Noah and his lady. Davies mentions how Noah wanted to save himself, if there were going to be any arresting, but he did not care for his companion. At the end of the same paragraph, Davies writes, ?Of course, he entered at this juncture into no explanation of his motives, and they walked on very lovingly together?(Davies). The narrator's descriptions also set a mood, which will elicit an active response from the reader. Davies characterizes Noah Claypole by his dialogues, his actions, and the narrator's descriptions. English Essays