René Magritte Essay -- Arts Paintings Art History

Renà © Magritte Belgian Surrealist artist Renà © Magritte was a master not only of the obvious, but of the obscure as well. In his artwork, Magritte toyed with everyday objects, human habits and emotions, placing them in foreign contexts and questioning their familiar meanings. He suggested new interpretations of old things in his deceivingly simple paintings, making the commonplace profound and the rational irrational. He painted his canvasses in the same manner as he lived his life -- in strange modesty and under constant analysis. Magritte was born in 1898 in the small town of Lessines, a cosmopolitan area of Belgium that was greatly influenced by the French. Twelve years later, Magritte, along with his parents and two younger brothers, moved to Chà ¢telet, where the future artist studied sketching. On vacations with his grandmother and Aunt Flora during the summer months, Magritte frequented an old cemetery at Soignies. In this cemetery, Magritte often played with a little girl, opening trap doors and descending into underground vaults. This experience would prove a great influence upon his later artwork, as wooden caskets and granite tombstones recur in many of his paintings. Magritte also developed a fascination with religion around this time, often dressing up as a priest and holding mock mass services in complete seriousness. In 1912, Rà ©gina Bertinchamp, Magritte's mother, committed suicide by drowning herself in the Sambre River. The night of her suicide, the Magrittes followed Bertinchamp's footprints to the river, where they found her dead with her nightgown wrapped around her face. Magritte was 14 at the time. He would claim years later that his only recollection of his mother's death was his pride at being the center of attention and his subsequent identity formation as the "son of a dead woman." Some critics point out that several of the subjects in Magritte's paintings are veiled in white sheets as a reference to his mother's suicide. A year later, Magritte's father moved the family to Charleroi. It was in Charleroi that Magritte would meet his future wife Georgette Berger on a carousel at the town fair. However, the two would not see one another again until a chance meeting in Brussels years later. In Charleroi, Magritte quickly lost interest in his studies and asked his father for permission to study at the Acadà ©mie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. ... ... Faubourg in Paris. The exhibition caused much scandal, but won few admirers. Soon after, Magritte resigned to his original style, though he bitterly attributed this retroaction to his desire to please Georgette, who preferred his earlier paintings. He continued to acquire much success all over the world with paintings such as L'Empire des Lumià ¨res (The Empire of Lights, 1954), which employed standard Surrealist techniques and precise Magritte lines. On August 15, 1967, Magritte died in Brussels. Unlike many of his Surrealist counterparts, Magritte lived quite humbly and incon uously. He did not draw much attention to himself, and he lived life relatively uneventfully. Despite his unassuming lifestyle, though, Magritte managed to leave an artistic legacy of transforming the ordinary into the fantastic. While some art historians attribute Magritte's art to his desire to oppose and combat the triviality of everyday life, others suggest that his work goes beyond escapism and serves to reveal some of the murkier and complex aspects of the human condition. Whatever the impetus was for his art, it is certain that Magritte's works are at once hauntingly beautiful and deeply provocative.

Truman Capotes In Cold Blood :: In Cold Blood Essays

Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York: Random House, 1965. 343 pages. Summary. In Cold Blood is the true story of a multiple murder that rocked the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and neighboring communities in 1959. It begins by introducing the reader to an ideal, all-American family, the Clutters -- Herb (the father), Bonnie (the mother), Nancy (the teenage daughter), and Kenyon (the teenage son). The Clutters were prominent members of their community who gained admiration and respect for their neighborly demeanors. After being introduced to the Clutter family, the reader becomes acquainted with Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The two were former inmates who met in prison. After their release, the men meet up for what Dick calls Aa perfect score.@ As it turns out, Dick=s cell mate had worked for the Clutters some years earlier and suggested to Dick that he check into employment at the Clutters= farm because the Clutters were such friendly, kindhearted people. The more Dick learned about the Clutters, the more he considered seeking fast cash as opposed to employment. During the trial in the last chapter of the book, however, Dick admitted that his sexual interest in teenage girls was the most powerful force in his decision to invade the Clutters= home. (Perry stopped him from harming Nancy.) Finally, the killers were identified by Dick=s former cell mate and tracked down in Las Vegas. In the time leading up to their arrest, the reader is offered greater insight into the characters of the two men. Because Perry opposed Dick=s crude behavior and showed compassion for the people Dick intended to harm or slight, we are left to feel a bit of sympathy for him. It becomes tempting to see Dick as the manipulative leader and Perry as the helpless follower. After the suspects were taken into custody, Perry eventually confessed that he had killed Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon -- tied each of them up, made sure they were comfortable, then shot each of them in the head with a shotgun. In addition, it was Perry who cut Herb=s throat. Though Dick didn=t actually pull the trigger or hold the knife, he shined the flashlight into the faces of the victims as Perry killed them. Both men were found guilty of 4 counts of premeditated murder, and each was sentenced to death. While awaiting their executions, they appealed several times, losing each time, but managing to have their execution dates postponed.

Importance of Being On Time Essay

Scheduling the work day is one of the most important duties any leader in the Marine Corps or the Armed forces in general, tackles each and every day. Being at the right place at the right time for any member of the Armed forces is extremely essential to the defense of the entire United States of America. It’s because of this that being on time is remarkably important. Dependability, accountability, consistency and discipline are all crucially important for all members of the armed forces. Being on time shows that a Marine is dependable and has his or her priorities straight. Being at the appointed place of duty means to be there on time and has always been one of the most important aspects of being a Marine. Failure to be on time not only hinders mission ready capability and readiness, but also can without a doubt cost unnecessary loss of life. It is important to realize that it is necessary for those in the Armed Forces are held to a high standard. Punctuality remains and always will be an extremely vital aspect of military bearing and discipline. It has a direct correlation to a Marine appearance, combat readiness, mission effectiveness, and essentially every aspect of military life and responsibility. I cannot place enough emphasis on how important being on time constantly is. For instance; a Marine who is late or does not report at all to a place at the time ordered effectively compromises and diminishes the efficiency of which the task or mission at hand can be completed. In an extreme case a Marine who is not on time to relieve the current guard’s post would cause the combat effectiveness and readiness of the unrelieved guard to be greatly reduced. This would be caused by fatigue, or lack of supplies, etc. Consequently the guard on post could be compromised and the security of the area could be breached. These things do occur, however, they can undoubtedly be avoided by merely, once again, being on time. The importance of being on time is so you will be early to where ever you need to be and accomplish whatever you need to do. If you are early you will always have time to make sure everything that you need to do is straight and there aren’t any errors in what you need to do. It is important to be on time for work because it shows that you are dedicated in the things that you do and it can help you in moving up in your field of expertise. It is important to be on time in the military because you will be at the right place at the right time, you will be accountable for and if anything was to happen no one can accuse you of anything because you were where you were suppose to be at the right time. Whenever you show up late to something it shows that you have no discipline or respect for anyone else because now everyone has to wait for you to arrive instead of starting on time or possibly earlier. It is important to be on time because it shows leadership, commitment, loyalty and that you are responsible enough to be trusted without supervision. It is very important to be on time because it is crucial to the mission, my leadership, and me as a Marine.

Individuation Process Essay

* Individuation process the process of beeing aware of oneself and the way to discover one’s true, inner self. * According to jung:The ego. This is the conscious mind. * The personal unconscious. This includes forgotten or suppressed memories from our own personal lives. * The collective unconscious. This is shared by all people. It is the collective memory of human thought and experience, from ancient to modern times. This includes the basic human instincts and the archetypes. * The Self is that what we are in essence. In psychological terms, it includes the conscious, the unconscious, and the ego. The Self is the central archetype in the collective unconscious, Archetypes The collective unconscious is shared by us all. This means that it is present in each of us, a vast reservoir of the archetypes of the whole of humanity. It is accessible to everyone. The collective unconscious consists of characteristics that many people have in common and which each of us inherit at birth. The content of the archetype is basically unconscious. It undergoes a transformation when it becomes conscious or when it is being perceived. An archetype is experienced as image and as emotion. It is especially recognizable in such typical and important human situations as birth and death, adolescence, extreme fear or a fearful experience. During such life phases and experiences archetypes will often appear clearly in dreams Archetypes cannot be brushed aside. They will always manifest. Individuation Individuation means that one becomes a person, an individual, a totally integrated personality. It is a process of self realization during which one integrates those contents of the psyche that have the ability to become conscious. It is a search for totality. It is an experience that could be formulated as the discovery of the divine in yourself, or the discovery of the totality of your Self. This does not always happen without pain, but it is necessary to accept many things that normally we would shy away from. Once a person has accepted the contents of his unconsciousness and has reached the goal of the individuation process, he is conscious of his relationships with everything that lives, with the entire cosmos. The individuation process begins with becoming conscious of the Persona, the mask we take on in our every day life. After this we become conscious of the Shadow, the repressed characteristics of the ego. Then we become conscious of the Anima, the inner woman in each man, or the Animus, the inner man in each woman. Then the image of the old wise man, or the old wise mother appears, after which the experience of the Self happens. The shadows The Shadow is all those uncivilized desires and emotions that are incompatible with the norms of society and with our ideal personality. It is all we are ashamed of, that we do not wish to be. when confronted with yhe shadow we feel guilt and shame for the parts of ourselves which we keek hidden. The Anima is the female aspect present in every man. Another anima trick is pseudo-intellectual dialogs which prevents a man from feeling life closely and coming to real decisions. He thinks so much about life that he cannot live, and he losses all spontaneity and the flow of life. The dark aspect will most likely appear when a man has suppressed or underestimated his female nature, treating women with contempt or carelessness. The Animus The animus in women is the counterpart of the anima in men. Like the anima, the animus has three roots: the collective image of a man that a woman acquires, her own experiences with men in her life, and the latent male principle in herself. The Old Wise Man The old wise man appears in the form of king, hero, medicine man, savior, magician, saint, ruler over man and spirits, God’s closest friend and so on. This archetype is a real danger for the personality, because once it has been aroused, a man can easily believe that he possesses ‘mana’, real magical power, and wisdom. He who is possessed by this archetype believes he is gifted with great (maybe esoteric) wisdom, prophetic gifts, the ability to heal and so on. Such a man can gather followers, as he has entered the unconscious way further than anybody else. The archetype has a fascinating power, intuitively felt by people and not easily resisted. They are fascinated by what he is saying, but after analysis it is often not intelligent. The power of the old wise man can be destructive as it forces a man to act above his power and capacity. He does not posses the wisdom he claims. In reality it is the voice of the unconscious that should be subjected to criticism and analysis. The Great Mother In a woman the archetype of the great mother acts in a similar way to the old wise man in a man. Any woman possessed by this archetype, believes that she is gifted with an unlimited capacity to love and to understand, to help and to protect, and she will exhaust herself in service to others. The archetype can be destructive when the woman is fixated on the belief that anybody within her sphere of influence are ‘her children† and therefore they are helpless or dependent on her.

Legalizing marijuana for medical issues Research Proposal

Legalizing marijuana for medical issues - Research Proposal Example Legalizing marijuana is an extremely contentious issue in the United States today.   Many view marijuana as a getaway drug with no therapeutic or medical value; however, the medical community wants marijuana legalized to treat patients with a multitude of medical and mental conditions. Marijuana finds its application in the field of medicines and many patients of cancer and AIDS find quick relief owing to the drug. Diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and depression can also be treated with the help of this drug. Reports often reveal that marijuana has not only been able to improve the effects of prescriptions drugs, but also eradicates the negative impact of drugs sued for the treatment of cancer and AIDS. This was proved when the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 in California legalized the medical use of the drug. For several years the drug has been used for medical purposes. For instance in 1941, the drug has been used in the US Pharmacopoeia. Several challenges have been faced from the side of law with respect to the prohibition of the medical use of the drug encouraged government investigations and all these procedures have ensured the worthiness as well as the safety of the application of this drug in medicines. â€Å"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.† (Eidelman and Voth, 2002) A study carried out at the John Hopkins University of Baltimore deals with the impact of the drug on the cognitive

Exchange Rate Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Exchange Rate Regimes - Essay Example The impact of the inherent volatility and unpredictability of exchange rates on macroeconomic conditions is central to the debate about fixed and flexible exchange rates. Real exchange rates are defined as nominal rates adjusted for price levels. Since prices for individual countries, when expressed in a common currency, are subject to the variability of exchange rates, bilateral real exchange rates based on individual-country price levels may be infected with measurement errors. The use of one reference country, such as the USA, gives rise to asymmetries. By definition, the exchange rate is a relative price of two assets and, like other asset prices, is determined in a forward-looking manner in which expectations concerning the future course of events play a key role. Consequently, exchange rates are very sensitive to the receipt of new information. The large and sustained changes in nominal and real exchange rates were among the most significant developments in the world economy in the 1980s. For example, in the first half of the decade, the US dollar appreciated by about 40 per cent against most other major currencies and then, in the second half of the decade, declined, reversing all the previous appreciation. These changes gave rise to international pressures associated with rapidly changing competitiveness of exports; intervention by central banks in foreign exchange markets; and intense debate regarding the extent to which these exchange rate changes interact with current account imbalances. Some economists feel that conventional measures of economic growth based on the output of goods and services (gross national product) do not satisfactorily reflect economic welfare, arguing that they ignore factors such as pollution and the negative externalities from congestion.

Nursing Theory Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Theory - Term Paper Example This essay discusses that King’s theory of goal attainment emphasizes upon the objectives which influence the relationship between a patient and a nurse. The underlying assumption on which this theory is based is that both the patient and the nurse interact with each other in the capacity of human beings. The two are open systems each of which intermingles with the environment as well. The theory of goal attainment is a systems model type of theory whose conceptual framework was retrieved from three fundamental systems of dynamic interaction, namely the social, interpersonal and personal interacting system. Because of its tendency to impact the behavior, perception is given extreme importance in the personal system. The reaction of groups or individuals gave rise to the interpersonal systems. King’s theory of goal attainment is quite relevant and applicable today. This theory highlights some key facts that are intuitively known by both the nurse and the patient. Interpe rsonal communication between the nurse and the patient is crucial for favorable results of the nursing practice. This theory analyzes the relationship between the nurse and the patient on three levels of social, interpersonal and personal interaction. The three jointly describe the interaction completely. Although the contemporary age is characterized by digital technology, which is frequently made use of by the nurse to interact with the patient, though the variables discussed in the King’s theory apply just as well as they do in verbal communication. The Division of Nursing is directed at providing the nursing care recipients with high quality of health care. Faculty achieves this through their research, teaching and community’s service. Nurses create their individualistic stance upon the health and life using a wide array of interpersonal relationships. The integration of intellectual, spiritual, physical and cultural elements facilitates this process. Both nurse an d the patient are influenced both externally and internally by a myriad of physical, social and biological components of the environment. Health is the name of an individual’s social, physical and spiritual well being. Nursing, on the other hand, is a field in which the professional counsels the patient in such a way that his/her health is restored. The most fundamental element of nursing is the care of patients. In order to facilitate optimal well being of the patient, the nurse works in an independent setting, though the environmental factors do govern the attitudes of both the nurse and the patient. King’s theory of goal attainment compares well with the philosophy of the Division of Nursing in that both acknowledge the significance of environmental factors upon the interaction between the nurse and the patient. Nevertheless, King’s theory places more emphasis upon the personal system while depicting the behavior of either of the two parties involved in the p rocess whereas the Division of Nursing makes a generic approach towards it by giving equal importance to each of the several components constituting the environment. My personal theory of nursing is that nurses maintain a caring relationship with the patients, irrespective of the theories of nursing. Nurses know their work. Nevertheless, their practice is consistent with the theories of nursing in general, and King’s theory of goal attainment in particular. I believe that factors affecting a nurse’s behavior and perceptions about the patient vary from one nurse to another. This is, to much an extent, an outcome of the way an individual thinks and the ideology of an individual. Since people vary in their opinions and ideologies, it is not quite reasonable to standardize the personal interacting system as the fundamental determinant of a nurse’s perceptions. King’s theory of goal attainment is relevant across the span of nursing practices because it tends t o explain some of the most fundamental concepts involved in the practice. As I said, I believe that one formula does not work for every individual because an